We stare at Ryu. His strange confession lingers in the air.
"It seems we've finally elicited a reaction," Emi says. She smiles at me. "Well done, Koi. Your summary was the last push he needed."
"Ryu…" I say. What is there to say, though?
"So, you're admitting defeat?" says Shingo.
Ryu shrugs, smiling sadly. "Like I said. A man's gotta know when to quit."
Just like that, he's back to his affable self.
But not everyone is taking it so well.
"NO!" Jeff shouts, crying. "No, no, no! I… can't accept this!" He's shivering violently; it looks like he's barely restraining himself. "I can't accept this, Ryu! You lied to us! I trusted you! I promised myself I'd believe in you! How…" He buries his face, sobbing. "How could you betray us like this? How?"
"You said you'd keep us safe," Yuna says, crying just as hard. "You said you'd keep everyone alive and healthy. But you were trying to kill us! All of us! Everything you told us… all those promises you made… were those all just lies?"
"They weren't lies," Ryu says softly. "Well… they were half-truths. I was trying my damnedest to believe every word." He pauses. "I guess you could say… I was trying to convince myself, more than anyone."
"Wait, wait, wait!" says Monokuma. "You're skipping ahead! This sappy stuff is supposed to happen after the vote!"
"Shut up!" Akiko shouts, wiping a tear. "Who cares about that?"
"Hmm," says Momoka. "Maybe we should… get it over with, though…"
"Might as well, right?" says Ryu.
"Oh boy!" Monokuma says, grinning widely. "Here it comes! Oh, but first… don't forget to vote for someone! If you don't, you'll be punished. And then you'll feel really stupid! Okay, then… use the lever in front of you to make a selection.
"Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna beeee!?"
VOTING RESULTS
Ryu Minamoto – 14
The results of our vote show on the screens.
Then the image changes. A slot machine, with "GUILTY" written beneath three rotating slots. The rotation slows… until each slot shows Ryu's face.
We hear celebratory noises. On the screens, confetti showers down.
"Yep, that's right!" say Monokuma. "The blackened in this case, the one who killed Hiroto Oshiro… is Ryu Minamoto, the Ultimate Yakuza!"
"It looks like… someone didn't vote," Tsubasa notes.
"That'd be me," Ryu says, raising his hand. "What's Monokuma gonna do—kill me twice?"
"Well, it's kind of annoying," says Monokuma. "But Ryu's being punished anyway, so I'll let it slide!"
"Ryu…" Naomi begins. Her eyes are just a bit too wide. "I… don't even know what to say."
"Good," says Ryu. "I wouldn't know how to respond." He looks around at us. "You guys did great," he says. "I really thought I had this in the bag—but you came back with a vengeance. Serves me right for underestimating you." He smiles sadly. "At this rate—who knows? Maybe you'll beat Monokuma after all. …Well, it's a possibility. One of many. Maybe it's one I should've taken more seriously." He shrugs. "Well, I'll never find out. But it's a nice thought."
How… how am I supposed to feel about this?
Just a few moments go, I was furious at Jun.
Ryu murdered Hiroto. I should be a million times more furious at him.
But now… looking at Ryu's eyes…
The eyes of a man who's about to die…
I… can't feel angry at Ryu.
I just… feel sorry for him.
"Now that you're in a sharing mood," says Shingo, "I'd like to know exactly where you hid the knife. That's been bothering me for a while."
"In my bathroom," Ryu says, still smiling. "I hid it in the toilet tank. It's one of the few places you didn't search during your first thorough room check."
"That's true," Shingo says, touching his chin. "I realized that afterward. Which is why, during my second thorough room check, I did look in your toilet tank—and there wasn't a knife to be found."
"Wouldn't it get rusty?" says Momoka.
"The thing is," says Ryu, "it wasn't exactly in the toilet tank. It was taped to the lid of the toilet tank. You didn't flip the lid, so you didn't see it."
"Taped to the lid?" Shingo repeats, surprised.
"Think about it," says Ryu. "You take off the lid, you look in the toilet tank, you put the lid back on. Why the hell would anyone ever flip the lid of a toilet tank?"
"Taped to the lid of a toilet tank," Shingo repeats again, staring off into space. He seems to be deep in thought. "…That's brilliant," he mutters softly.
"I nearly shit myself when you looked in my toilet tank," says Ryu. "Would've been real embarrassing, shitting myself in the bathroom."
"And the tape?" says Shingo.
"Tried the same thing, but it didn't work," says Ryu. "I ended up hiding it in the trash can—under the trash bag." He shrugs. "Not my best work, but it did the job."
"In the trash can, but under the trash bag," Shingo mutters. Again, he stares into space, a strange sort of admiring spark in his eye. "…That's brilliant."
"Who cares if it's brilliant!?" Yuna shrieks. Her face is a tearful mess. "It's evil! It's horrible! You murdered Hiroto! You're the worst person I've ever met! I… I hate you!"
"Yuna…" Akiko begins.
"P-please…" says Mizuki. "I'm v-very upset at Ryu, but… he d-doesn't have much longer to live, so… p-please… be nice…"
"I dunno if I deserve that," Ryu says, shrugging, "but I appreciate it."
Yuna sniffs. "We were… going to make everyone healthy together…"
"It's all in your hands now," says Ryu. "Keep 'em fit for me."
Yuna just cries into her hands.
"I find it peculiar," says Emi. "You so cleverly hid the knife from us. Hiding the tape under a trash bag was also quite brilliant. Yet, this brilliance was rather lacking later on. Had you shown the same degree of cleverness, we'd never have found the tape or the bedsheet."
"I'm pretty impressed you found the bedsheet, actually," says Ryu. "That was a tough spot. Same with the tape—credit to Jun and Shingo, where it's due."
"It was a simple deduction," says Emi. "A piece of cloth likely got stained with blood. A killer might associate cloth with the laundry room. It seemed prudent to search every inch. …Still, I find it odd. You had all night to rid yourself of that bedsheet. You might have cut it up, for example, and flushed down the pieces. Certainly, you were capable of such ingenuity."
"Yeah," says Ryu. "Well—I had a long-term plan. And it all went out the window when Koi showed up. I wasn't sure what the right play was. And I wasn't exactly in my best state of mind." He gazes at nothing. "I spent an hour in that bathroom," he says quietly. "An hour in the dark. Waiting. Wondering what the fuck to do. How the fuck I was gonna deal with this. Not a great thinking environment." He sighs. "In the end, I went through with it anyway. And then I hedged my bets. My original plan was to make the bedsheet easier to find—put it in a washing machine, maybe. Now I wasn't sure what the hell to do. So I hid it pretty well—but I didn't care much if anyone found it. You're right, though. If I'd thought it through, I'd have done a better job." Again, he looks at nothing with a dark, distant stare. "That hour in the bathroom, though," he mutters. "If there's a Hell, they'll put me in that bathroom forever. It was goddamn torture."
"Ryu…" Jeff croaks, still crying. He's barely holding himself together. "I… don't care how you did it. I just want to know… why?"
"It better not have been for the money," says Rin.
"Didn't you say your family was loaded?" says Tsubasa.
"Hmm," says Momoka. "Maybe they're in debt…"
"I didn't need the fuckin' money," says Ryu. "I was gonna give most of it to the victims' families. The rest I'd spend on private eyes and hitmen, so I could find and kill every single asshole who runs this place."
"Then… why?" asks Akiko.
Ryu hesitates. His brow furrows.
"As soon as I saw that money was the motive," he says quietly, "I knew we were fucked. If it was something about our families or loved ones, we'd just have to keep the softies in line. But money? Money brings out the darkest urges in the darkest people." He shakes his head. "I've seen shit you wouldn't believe. You wave enough cash around—you get people comin' to your door, tryin' to sell their own grandma. You have no idea, the shit people do for money." Again, he stares distantly at nothing. "Someone was gonna do it," he says. "I knew right away. The killing game was on. If I didn't make the first move… someone else was going to. …It's a fucked up world, full of fucked up people. Even so. I wanted to live. And I did what I had to do to survive."
There's a silence.
"Ryu," I say softly. "You say this is about other people. But… it's actually about you, isn't it? How we think about people… it's a reflection of how we think about ourselves. You saw that money, and felt something inside—something you didn't like. Because… you knew that if you felt it, then other people must feel it too. And that means you can't trust anyone. That's… why you killed Hiroto, isn't it?"
Ryu gives me a hurt, angry look. "The fuck you tryin' to say?"
"I know, Ryu," I say, "because I'm the same as you."
I'm crying now.
"When the killing game started," I say, "a part of me started thinking… about how to win. And that part of myself… it terrified me. Because… if I can't even trust myself… then who can I trust? I was so scared and confused. But, Hiroto… he… he held my hand, and made me look him in the eye… and told me to make a choice. And… I decided I was never going to kill anyone. Ever. Hiroto made me realize that I could trust myself. That's the only reason… why I can trust anyone." I sniff. "If it weren't for him… I don't know what would've happened."
Ryu still looks hurt, but he's not angry anymore. He's staring sadly at Hiroto's portrait.
"Maybe I really am just a piece of shit," Ryu mutters. "But I'm a piece of shit who wants to live. I can't bring myself to apologize for it. …Not that I have any right to apologize. There's a point where apologies stop mattering, and I've gone way beyond it."
Silence.
"Ryu," says Naomi, "when you said that you killed Hiroto because you respected him… what did you mean by that?"
"You guys wouldn't get it," says Ryu. "Hiroto was my biggest threat. With him at the class trial, I didn't see myself getting away with shit. I had to eliminate that threat. In my world, that's a sign of respect. I targeted him because I respected his abilities." He frowns. "Well, I say that, but…" He's still staring at Hiroto's portrait. "The truth is, I liked the guy. I wanted him to die in his sleep. Not knowing anything's wrong. Not knowing anyone's dead. Not knowing anyone's betrayed him. That's the kind of death he deserved. Quick and painless." He pauses. "Maybe he was having a pleasant dream. …Well, I'll never find out. But it's a nice thought."
"How tragic!" Monokuma says, covering his smile. "You had to kill your own friend to save yourself. …But in the end, you failed to even save yourself. Hiroto's sacrifice was all for nothing! Doesn't that just fill you with despair?"
"It sucks shit," Ryu says, shrugging. "Not gonna lie." Clearly, he's not going to let Monokuma's provocations get to him.
"Well," says Monokuma, "you won't have to feel that despair for long. 'Cuz it's just about time for your punishment!"
Ryu looks around at us. "I wish I could pretend I've had a change of heart," he says. "I wish I could say something sappy about how I should've had more trust in people. Instead, I'll just be level with you. I hope to hell that I'm wrong. I seriously hope that I'm dead wrong, from the bottom of my heart. I hope I'm the most fucked up person here—and now that you're rid of me, everything'll go nice and swimmingly." He smiles. "Keep at it. My road ain't a happy one. Keep lookin' for another. Maybe you'll find it. …I'll never find out. But it's a nice thought."
"Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for Ryu Minamoto, the Ultimate Yakuza!"
"I think you've got the wrong idea," Ryu growls, glaring at Monokuma. "You think because I'm sayin' all this mushy crap, it means I'm gonna go quietly."
Suddenly, Ryu lunges.
We gasp.
A moment later, Ryu's up on Monokuma's chair—holding Monokuma by the neck. "That's not how I do things, you son of a bitch!" Ryu shouts.
"Let's give it everything we've got!" Monokuma says, unfazed. "It's… PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"
"Fuck you!" Ryu shouts. He slams Monokuma against the back of the chair. "Blow yourself up, you little shit! If I'm going, I'm takin' this fuckin' robot with me!" He slams Monokuma again. "I don't give a shit how many spares you got! If I can destroy just one of these bodies, I'll die with a fuckin' smile on my face!" Ryu slams, again and again and again.
Meanwhile, a tunnel has opened up on the other side of the room.
"BEHIND YOU, RYU!" Takeru shouts.
But it's too late.
The clasp is too quick.
It shoots out from the tunnel—and grabs Ryu by the neck.
Then it pulls him away, cursing and struggling.
Helpless over his fate.
Monokuma sits up, completely unharmed. He laughs.
GAME OVER
RYU HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.
TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!
Ryu runs. He's on a deserted urban street. He looks around, sweating profusely—but there's no one. Just him. He runs and runs.
A police siren sounds in the distance.
Then, suddenly—a police car runs into Ryu, knocking him to the ground.
LAW AND ORDER
Ryu tries to get up—but he's too weak. The collision badly wounded him. His bruised face grimaces with pain.
Meanwhile, more police cars have arrived.
A squad of twelve Monokuma Cops descends on Ryu—and they start rapidly tearing off his clothes. Soon, Ryu's lying on the street in his underwear. His full-body dragon tattoos are now exposed for the world to see.
Next, a Monokuma Cop handcuffs Ryu. Then another one handcuffs him. Then another. Meanwhile, other Monokuma Cops handcuff his legs together, for good measure.
Soon, Ryu's arms and legs are shackled by a dozen pairs of handcuffs. He struggles to move, but it's no use.
There's a rumbling. It gets louder.
In the distance, an angry mob of Monokumas is running toward Ryu, trailing a dust cloud in their wake. Some of them are holding signs. One sign says "DOWN WITH YAKUZA"; one says "CRIMINAL SCUM"; another says "NO MORE YAKUZA THUGS!"
The angry mob reaches Ryu, picks him up—and carries him away.
They carry him down the street—and through a wide doorway, into a large building.
Then they throw him.
He lands atop a very tall desk. He's lying on his stomach—still shackled, bruised, and battered. There's a large, wooden, circular block under him.
Ryu looks around—and his situation becomes clear. He's in a courtroom, atop a giant judge's bench. The angry mob has filled the spectators' gallery, hissing and booing, throwing tomatoes and rocks. Behind them, Ryu notices the Monokuma Cops from before. One of them is wearing Ryu's striped suit. Another is wearing Ryu's trousers. Another is holding Ryu's wallet, handing out cash; the rest are gleefully counting money.
But the angry mob doesn't notice this. Their attention is focused on the tattooed boy.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The booming sound gets louder. Like the lumbering footsteps of an approaching giant.
In fact, that's exactly what's going on.
A massive shadow appears behind Ryu. Growing larger. Stepping closer.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
It stands behind him. A gigantic, thirty-foot-tall Monokuma Judge, wearing a white powdered wig. It's holding an enormous gavel—six feet in diameter.
Ryu realizes what's happening. His face turns white. His breaths speed up. He struggles to escape.
The Monokuma Judge raises its right arm—positioning the gavel above Ryu.
It smashes down.
Ryu screams in pain. He wretches.
The gavel rises.
And smashes down.
It rises. It smashes. Again. Faster each time.
Ryu's teeth fly away. His bones crack. His face swells. Blood drips out his mouth.
But his eyes are open. He sees the cheering mob. He sees the Monokuma Cops behind them, showering each other with cash.
The gavel smashes down. It rises, and smashes. Rise, smash. Faster and faster.
Faster and faster and faster. So fast that it's just a blur.
Then the Monokuma Judge raises its gavel higher than ever before. The giant judge vibrates, storing up power, preparing for the final blow.
The gavel smashes down—and crushes Ryu completely. Gallons and gallons of blood pour out in every direction.
There's nothing left of Ryu. Just a gavel on a wooden block, soaked with blood.
We're stunned and speechless.
"So, whadya think?" asks Monokuma. "The first execution is kind of tricky. You can't be too flashy, but you gotta make an impression. I think I hit the sweet spot! Wouldn't you say?"
I hear someone vomiting. I don't check to see who.
"Now that I think about it," Monokuma says, tilting his head, "you guys had some biting critiques of my 'Twenty Million Dollars' motive. …Well, maybe you were right. Using money as a motive is kind of lame. Especially for Ultimates like you." He puts his white hand behind his head. "It just goes to show—people will kill over even the lamest motives! All it takes is a little push, and your friends will betray you. Isn't that just depressing?"
It's Mizuki, of all people, who speaks up.
"Everyone," Mizuki says, "as C-Captain, I order you… to stay quiet! If anyone responds to Monokuma… I'll punish you!"
"You'd better listen to her," Monokuma says, covering his grin. "Your fearless leadership did such a great job of preventing murder! All those smart, competent choices…" He holds out his black hand. "…Meant nothing! It didn't matter at all! 'Cuz in the end… if someone wants to kill, they'll kill! It doesn't matter how hard you try to stop it! Murder is a fact of life!"
No one responds.
"Hey, c'mon guys," Monokuma says. "This is supposed to be part where I tell you how much despair you feel, and then someone says 'No! I don't feel despair! I still have hope!' And then I laugh at you, and tell you how empty your hope is. And then maybe you have some snappy comeback about how evil I am. And then I agree with you! Doesn't that sound like a bucket of fun?"
No one responds.
"You guys are so lame," Monokuma says, downcast. "Whatever! This is boring! I'm outta here!"
He leaves.
In the end, no one responded to him.
But I don't know if that was because of the Captain's orders.
I think there was just nothing to say.
We quietly return to our rooms. There's still nothing to say.
Sometimes, reality is just too awful for words.
When I leave my room for dinner, I find five people standing outside my door. Rin, Shingo, Akiko, Naomi, and Mizuki.
"Um… hey, Koi!" Akiko says, somewhat nervously.
"Hi," I reply. "Um, what's going on h—"
"I'm so sorry!" Akiko squeals, suddenly sinking to the ground and prostrating herself before me. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I was a terrible friend! I believed terrible things about you, and made you feel awful because I'm so stupid! Please forgive me! I'm literally begging you!"
"Akiko's not the only one," says Naomi. "I…" She sighs. Then she also sinks, and prostrates herself before me. "…I'm sorry, Koi. I was completely wrong. Please forgive us, both."
"I feel like such a dumbass," Rin says. "I'm, like… so sorry I ever doubted you."
"It's… it's okay!" I say, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I know you were just going by the evidence. I'm not going to hold it against you."
"I don't blame myself for following the evidence," says Shingo. "But I do blame myself for trusting Ryu. I apologize for letting him manipulate me so easily."
"I'm sorry, Koi," Mizuki says, looking down. "This is my fault. I… I let Ryu be my Second Mate. I t-trusted him, and… he abused that trust."
"I'll accept some blame for that," says Shingo. "You appointed Ryu because five of us voted for him to be Captain. And, although I'm ashamed of it… I was one of those votes."
"I can't believe I voted for that douchebag," says Rin. "Also, I can't believe that I, like… made out with him a little?"
"Called it!" says Akiko. "I mean—I'm so sorry, Koi!"
"Also," says Rin, "like, I can't believe I let him touch my—"
"The point," Naomi interrupts, "is that we're all righty ashamed of ourselves for what we put you through. Please. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive us."
"I forgive you, okay?" I say. "I just… want to move on." I frown. "And, also… don't be so hard on Ryu. Monokuma stoked up his worst fears and paranoias. Ryu got manipulated into doing something that… he didn't want to do." My voice softens. "Maybe I'm just naïve, but… I still think Ryu was a good person, deep down. That's what I choose to believe, anyway."
Dinner is mostly quiet. No one wants to talk about what happened. But no one can think about anything else.
More people apologize to me. For some reason, I find it annoying. But I tell them I forgive them, and try to smile while doing it.
I'm not very hungry.
Soon enough, I excuse myself, and leave.
I'm alone in the gym, sitting in the bleachers.
A few days ago, after the killing game started, I sat in this exact spot. Hiroto sat next to me. He took my hand, and told me to make a choice. And I made my choice.
It happened in this exact spot.
I feel like crying. But I guess I've run out of tears.
The door opens. I don't look. I just stare straight ahead.
Eventually, Kenji's sitting next to me.
We're quiet for a moment.
"Um," Kenji mutters. "If—if you want to be alone, I—"
"Stay," I order.
He stays.
There's silence.
"…I was the third vote," says Kenji.
"Hm?" I say.
"Hiroto got three votes for Captain," Kenji explains. "You, Hiroto… and me." His voice softens. "I… just… wanted you to know that."
"I already knew," I say, smiling sadly. "I figured it out based on everyone else's votes."
Another silence.
"I…" Kenji mutters. "I also wanted… to apologize."
"For what?"
Kenji hesitates. "When Shingo asked if you'd been in my room," he says, "I didn't immediately deny it."
"What?" I say. "Who cares? You didn't lie. Everyone could tell that I'd never been in your room."
"Yeah, but… I should've—"
"I forgive you, okay? I'm tired of people apologizing to me."
"Sor—" Kenji begins. But he stops himself.
We're silent.
"It's just…" Kenji says. "…You were so honest. Every question… you answered it honestly, even if it made you look guilty." He pauses. "I was so confused. I didn't get why you kept shooting down my ideas so quickly. And then you presented evidence against me… I was hurt. I didn't understand why you were doing it. But that was… a stupid way to think about it. You trusted them. You trusted everyone to find the truth. You knew that you didn't do it, and you didn't believe I did it. You trusted everyone to figure that out. That's why you didn't withhold anything. No matter how bad it made us look. I…" Another pause. "I… admire that. I want to trust people as much as you do. I'll try to, from now on."
I don't know how to respond.
So we just sit quietly for a few minutes.
Then Kenji stands up to leave.
"Stay," I order. "Please," I add.
Kenji sits, and stays.
"Thank you," I whisper.
We don't talk after that. We just sit quietly for a while.
And that's fine.
If I'm not alone, I can keep going.
I don't know what's next. I don't know what this killing game has in store.
I just know that I don't want to face it alone.
And I don't have to.
CHAPTER 1: Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum
END
Surviving Students: 14
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading.
So, this was a bit of an experiment. I'd never written a murder mystery before. The entire plot and cast fell into my head fully formed, and I felt compelled to start writing it immediately. I wrote this whole first chapter and prologue between mid-October and mid-November. Which is very fast, by my standards.
I'd say the experiment was a success. I greatly enjoyed writing this, and I want to keep going. Even if it is a bit daunting. I already know the plot of future chapters, and I'm excited to get to them. I have big things planned; this chapter was just a taste of things to come.
Unfortunately, I'm not very far into Chapter 2, and I don't want to start posting until I'm close to finished. I also have a Pokémon fanfic in the works, and I'll have to juggle between the two. (Among other things.)
In other words, Danganronpa Revival will be on hiatus for a while. I don't know how long. If you want to be notified when it starts again, please follow.
In the meantime… what did you think of Chapter 1? Do you have a favorite character? Any moments that stood out? Some other aspect worth commenting on?
Did you suspect the culprit at all? I tried to make the case technically solvable to readers, without making it obvious. In retrospect, I may have been too afraid of making it obvious. But that's probably fine—most murder mysteries take readers for a ride. Still, all of the clues you need are laid out before the trial begins.
I enjoyed writing the FTEs, but I do feel like they slowed down the story a bit. Luckily, they're completely skippable—while they reveal more info about the characters, they don't contain any crucial plot details. As a compromise, I think I'll keep doing them, but make it clear that you can just scroll past them if you want. Does this make sense?
There are a lot of things introduced in Chapter 1 that will continue to have an impact later on. This is partly why I'm so eager to continue. With luck, you'll know what I mean eventually.
I'm immensely grateful for all reviews, favorites, and follows. Your engagement helps motivate me to keep writing.
And thank you for tolerating this long Author's Note. There's actually a lot more that I wanted to say… but it's best not to ramble. Shorter is sweeter.
So long, bear well, and see you in Chapter 2.
