Chapter 12
Maizono found the video with her name on it. She popped it in, and was horrified at what she saw.
"What-what-is this?"
. It was footage of her idol group. It was footage of her idol group. It was footage of her idol group? She gasped rather suddenly. Her costars, no, her friends were knocked unconscious on the stage. Was it real? Was it fake? Cut off access from the outside world, there was no way to know for sure. She stepped back almost in complete silence, let out a little yelp, and darted out.
. Almost as soon as she stepped out, she passed Hagakure.
"Hey 'Zono'! How's Naegs?"
"Zono? Naegs? What?"
"Oh, yeah. Hey, you look like you've seen a ghost. Where have ya been?"
"Nowhere."
"Nowhere, huh?"
"Good night, Hagakure."
. Hagakure took a glance at the A/V Room.
. Maizono raced back to her room. What do I do? Do I tell Naegi? No. I don't want to worry him just yet. He's still recovering from getting launched into bleachers and the stress from being attacked.
. Meanwhile, Togami was getting the jump on everybody by full exploring the second floor. Compared to the first floor, the second floor was only about half as big. There was the library which he had already seen, along with Kirigiri and Fukawa (and Naegi). Still, it was worth it to continue exploring the library, but he knew that if he didn't save for last, he would never explore the rest of the floor before the rest of the class.
. He turned left, and noticed yet another atrium for a pair of changing rooms. One for the girls and one for the boys. Judging by the contents, there was probably a swimming pool. And why were there ceiling-mounted Gaitling Guns? Were they even Gaitling Guns in the first place? Or were they machine guns made to look like Gaitling Guns? Never mind, there wasn't important. He had to explore the rest of the second floor. He turned around and left the atrium.
. Togami passed the restrooms, and immediately turned to his right. He entered the classroom. It had a sign that said 'Classroom 2-A'. The walls were a tad bit darker green than the atrium's walls, and with even darker green butterflies painted on them. There was a sign that said 'Always Be True To Yourself' in a vertical scroll-like manner. As always a pair of a security camera, and an announcement television adorned the room. It was rather like the classrooms on the first floor.
. "I wonder what was taught in here." Togami muttered to himself. "Judging from the fact that there's a library on this floor. It might be some sort of literature and/or language classroom. But what languages would have been taught here?" He scrolled throughout the classroom, examining the desks themselves.
. "How absolutely fascinating. It appears I was right. Here's a textbook for French. And another for German, and another for Latin, and a book on Greek Grammar. I'll just put these right here, and perhaps I should peruse these at some later date."
. He stepped back into the blue-lit hallway. Perhaps, he could read into the various types of architectural techniques used on this school. He moved forward into an area that was purplish-pinkish lit. He turned to his right and saw the boarded-up windows. No surprises there, but there were chairs and tables there. He took a seat down in one of them.
. "If the designers of Hope's Peak Academy wanted us to be able to have a good view here, they would have put the windows a bit further down." Togami commented to himself. "I mean, only Oogami would have been able to use this setup in a normal school environment."
. Behind him stood the library, and so he turned and continued down the hall to what he assumed was another classroom. The walls were lit green. What was the second floor obsession with green anyway? Aside from some red and blues in the hallways leading up here, green was the pre-dominant color on this second floor. Did Hope's Peak like to color-code their contents? That would explain why most of the first floor was a combination of red and white.
. Classroom 2-B was a bit more brownish. There was a poster that said 'Don't Sweat the Small Stuff', and a Monokuma doodle on the chalkboard. It gave personality to the classroom. A humorous, yet suspenseful atmosphere that perfectly reflected Monokuma himself. Sure the bear was entertaining, but he was also deadly, and you never knew what he was going to do next, unless...
. Togami stared at the chalkboard. "Realism Ain't All It's Chalked Up To Be."
. "What an odd phrase. Monokuma must like puns. Of course, he would. He must think they're clever."
. He strolled over to the bulletin board. On it was a list of novels first-year students at Hope's Peak Academy were expected to read. It surprised him, in additional to some of the cliche classics, such as by Lewis Carroll, there were a few unusual choices, including a particular science fiction series that he hadn't seen in quite a while.
. "Tom Swift Jr. ? Haven't seen a mention of that particular series in many, many years. But then again, the first book was written in 1954. If I ever get out of here, I'll make sure to read the series again. It was a childhood favorite of mine." Togami mused.
. Finally, he reached the library again. This would be his favorite part of Hope's Peak Academy. Ah, the library. It brought images of his own personal library from back home. The countless books on every subject he could get his hands on. It was part of the reason why he had been selected as heir of the Togami conglomorate. His willingness to read the fine print, to understand the context and implication of words, and just the pure raw intellectual curiousity on subjects had put him over the top.
. "If I hadn't been offered to come here, I might have gone on to some university and double-majored in Mechinical Engineering and Business." Togami mused. "And maybe gone on to get a Law Degree for good measure too." He pushed up his glasses, so many books to read. He might as well as make good use of the time he was stuck inside this school.
. He entered the dried-blood red double doors under the lone white light on the floor. The library was filled to the brim with books. If he could sleep in here, he would. He noticed a clock that apparently gave the time as 1:30 A.M. But that was none of his concern, it wasn't like he would be joining the group for breakfast every morning. (That was something the rest of the group save himself and Fukawa had agreed to while that first day while Naegi was sleeping off Oowada's punch.)
. There was a laptop that was plugged in, but it would not turn on. Perhaps he could enlist Fujisaki to repair it. But what he really noticed was a manilla envelope with a broken seal. What he, Fukawa, and Kirigiri had discovered before the first trial got underway. He had forgotten to take it with him at the dawn of the first trial, when Naegi had come up to the second floor to get him, Fukawa, and Kirigiri.
. "I'll just take it with me now." Togami said, muttering to himself, as he folded the letter and put it into his pants pocket. He turned to look at the books.
. "Such as a fascinating lineup of books." he noted. There were books on just about everything: history to science to engineering to mathematics. "Even those plebeians should find something worth reading in here." He then remembered Yamada's talent of drawing manga. "Almost everybody." he corrected himself.
. But first, there was an adjacent room to check out. He opened the door somewhat expectantly. To his delight, there were files, and not just any files, top-secret ones just like there were back in the Togami household. The files he had access to growing up, because he was the selected heir of the Togami congolomorate.
. He spent the next fifteen minutes browsing through the files.
. "Ah, yes, Fenrir, Genocider Shou, the secret assassinations, the overthrown dictatorships, and of course, the mistakes in space programs, the explanation for the lost Soviet Union Cosmonauts, etc. It almost could have been donated secretly by the Togami group itself."
. After he was done in the offshoot room, he went back to the main library itself. He grabbed a few books and stories and was about to begin reading when he realized that he probably needed a reading light.
. "Here's a lamp, but it doesn't extend far enough to the outlet."
. He remembered seeing an extension cord in the offshoot room, so he went back in there, and got it. And he began reading. He had just finished Beowulf at when Touko Fukawa came in.
. "Oy vey. What are you doing here?"
. "Nothing."
. "If you're going to be here, you should at least read something. Go on, pick something and go. Shoo now."
. "Yes. Okay."
. Fukawa grabbed a couple of books, Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and its sequel "Through the Looking Glass and what Alice Found There", and scurried out of there.
. "Good, she's gone. Now I can get back to reading in peace." Togami muttered to himself as he started reading about the development of England's navy. He briefly paused and took a look at what next he had picked out: a book on architecture, a trilogy on the American Civil War, a biography of Sir Issac Newton, and a book on Norse mythology. He made a mental note to inter-splice Sherlock Holmes stories in between the full books.
. Intersplicing short stories with full books kept his ability to read fluid, and the wide variety of topics kept his mind crisp and sharp.
. Makoto Naegi woke up sore. Again.
. "I haven't woken a single day here without being sore. You know what, after yesterday's whole incident, I'm just going to stay in bed. Okay. The rest of them can explore the second floor without me. Screw it, I'm just going to take a bed day."
. His plans were interrupted by a knock on his door.
. "Hey, Hagakure."
. "Hey, Naegs. [Beat] Most of us are getting ready to explore the second floor. But, also can I ask you a question?"
. "Sure, what is it?"
. "Why do you have a finger gun pointed at me?"
. "Uhhhhh."
. "So, are you coming with us to explore the second floor?"
. "Maybe later."
. "So you're still recovering?"
. "A bit."
. "Ah, I'll let the others know. Well see ya."
. "Weird, I wonder why it was Hagakure, I would have thought Maizono would have jumped at the chance to get me. Perhaps she's just sleeping."
. Oowada and Ishimaru were impatient for Hagakure to come back.
. "Well, is he coming or not?" Leon had his arms folded.
. "No, dudes. Naegs ain't coming. Said he wanted to spend the day in his room." Hagakure replied.
. "How very odd. So did Maizono." Celeste responded.
. "So Naegi and Maizono have been accounted for. Has anyone seen Togami or Fukawa this morning?" Fujisaki asked.
. "I haven't." Asahina said.
. "Regrettably, this pair of eyes did not lay their gaze upon either of them." Yamada said.
. "Hey, bro." Oowada asked. "You're not still hung up on Kirigiri, are ya?"
. "I am. A little bit." Ishimaru admitted.
. "Well, my recommendation is ya shove your feelings to the side for now. There's nothing you can do. In the mean time, we got a floor to explore." Oowada
said.
. "The fact remains with that we're down to eight." Celeste said. "Almost half the group has been whittled away."
. "And with only a pair of deaths and one trial." Leon said. "What does that say?"
. "Well, I think it means there's going to be four plotlines, no waiting." Fujisaki said.
. "What's your conclusion for that?"
. "Well, you've Kirigiri, who's currently in the mastermind's clutches. You've got Togami (and by extension, Fukawa), and you've got Naegi and Maizono. And then there's us."
. "So what does that make us?" Hagakure asked. "The merry band of sidekicks?"
. "Now, now." Celeste smirked. "All of us are important in here. It's just that some of us are more important than others."
. "Where d'ya get that from?" Oowada said.
. "Animal Farm." Ishimaru said. "The pigs."
. "So you have read 'Animal Farm'." Celeste said.
. "When did you read it?" Ishimaru asked.
. "Right before completely obtaining my title as the Queen of Liars."
. "I see." Asahina said. "Is 'Animal Farm' a good book?"
. "It is a phenomenal read.
. "Hey, now, are we actually gonna get to the second floor, or are we going to continue to discuss books?" Oowada said.
. "Fair enough." Celeste agreed. "Should we all meet back up here in a couple of hours?"
. "Yeah, that seems fair." Oowada said.
. "So, should we split into groups of two?" Leon asked.
. "Alright, bro and I will form one duo." Oowada said.
. "How about Hagakure and Yamada form another?" Celeste asked.
. "You're just saying that cuz we're the guys nobody actually likes?" Yamada said.
. "No, I'm simply saying that the two of you move at a similar pace. Everybody should be with a partner that matches the speed."
. "Okay." Hagakure folded his arms. "Celeste, that seems good enough reason for me."
. The two left the cafeteria.
. Leon mentally pumped his fist in the air. This meant he was going to be with a girl. Alright.
. "How about since you and Asahina have clicked so well, I'll take Fujisaki and the two of you can form a pair?" Celeste said.
. "No objection here." Leon said.
. "Yeah, alright."
. "Will that be a problem, Fujisaki?" Celeste asked.
. "No, there's no problem at all." The programmer replied.
. "Try not to blow it, Mr All-Star." Celeste whispered to the baseball player. "She's still feeling the effects of the first trial."
. "I see." Leon smirked. "So that's why..."
. "Yes. We need everybody mentally at their fullest strength."
. "And you think Asahina could be one of your 'key' pieces?" Leon quietly mumbled.
. "She's Ms. Cheerful. She's bubbly. She's full of energy. She's charming. Goodness knows we don't need another melancholic personality in this game."
. "Alright. I'll do it."
. "Good to hear."
. "But not for the sake of the creation of one of your 'pieces'. I'm doing it because it's right thing to do."
. Upon hearing that, Celeste walked smoothly out of the cafeteria with Fujisaki.
. "So... Asahina, should we get going?"
. "I guess."
. The two walked up in silence to the second floor.
. Kirigiri was utterly bored. She was bored with summoning Monokuma every fifteen minutes like a child asking to get out of a time-out. She was bored as she laid on the bed in the secret room. She assumed the others would be somewhat concerned about her. At least Naegi would be. It was in his nature. And definitely Ishimaru as well.
. "Oh no. Think how about that must look to him. He volunteered to stay behind while I investigated the trial room. And now I've been cut off from him. He must be blaming himself so much right now."
. Kirigiri sighed. "Shame too, he was turning into an excellent assistant. His penchant for the rules would have made him excellent for figuring out loopholes. Now I'm stuck until waiting until someone actively murders someone else. At best, I only get out of here with ten of my 'classmates' alive and well."
. She wondered why Monokuma had decided to split her off away from the rest of the cast. It must mean that she had discovered something. But what had she discovered.
. Let's see. She had discovered this little off shoot. She had heard a pitching machine. And she had learned some stuff on Ishimaru.
. "Was it something I was dangerously close to discovering?" Kirigiri laid on the bed with her hands behind her head. She hadn't kept them behind her head for very long when they started to fall asleep.
. "What? They've never fallen asleep like this before. Huh."
. It was about 10 AM when Maizono woke up.
. "My idol group. Am I sure that wasn't just a dream? No. No. It wasn't."
. She bit her lip.
. "There isn't anything I think I can do - except? No. Never. That means sacrificing Naegi and that is out of the question. Not after everything so far."
. And then...
. "Why?" She felt the need to reexamine her affection for Naegi and weigh it against her idol group. Was Naegi worth her idol group? Were the lives of everybody else here and Naegi worth her idol group? And what if she failed? That would be it.
. She started remembering Naegi in his middle school days. Naegi, who was always a silent voice of reason, even when pursuing her idol career. She doubted he knew that. For all of his crushing on her, he didn't make any moves on her. Didn't go after her to get to piggy back off of her fame, which could be more than could be said about most other males who had hit on her throughout the years. He just stared and admired. When did she need to remind herself about that? Besides, which was worth more? The potential of outside or the solidness of inside? She wasn't a gambler like Celeste or a finanicial wizard like Togami. Her abilities to calculate risk/reward were limited at best.
. Her mental spiel was interrupted by a knock on her door.
. "Hello, Naegi."
. "Hey, Maizono."
. "Yeah. Wanna go explore the second floor now?"
. "Oh, that is open. I had completely forgotten."
. "Wait, let's go explore the first floor again."
. "Why?"
. "Do you remember how the bath was open after the trial last night?"
. "Yeah. Are you saying it's possible for there to be more opened on the first floor than we realized?"
. "Of course."
. "So reconnaissance of the first floor away!"
. As they stood in the hallway, Leon was not having much luck in cheering up Asahina.
. "So... Asahina..."
. "Yeah?"
. "Have you discovered anything strange on the second floor?"
. "Not really."
. "Ah."
. "Leon, can I ask you something?"
. "Sure."
. "Do you still like baseball?"
. "What?"
. "I mean, you've actively boasted that you've never needed to go to practice or put any effort into it. Or everything."
. "Yeah."
. "But you must not really care for the sport if you don't want to put in all that effort."
. "Asahina, listen." Leon sighed. "Growing up, I used to love baseball. I memorized all of the winners of the World Series. I could tell you anything about the history of the major leagues. All of the changes made through the years. It was fun. It was enjoyable. It was wonderful. And then..." Leon trailed off.
. "And then all of a sudden, it wasn't fun anymore." Asahina said.
. "Yep." Leon replied. "The practices, the pressure, the expectations. It was draining. I needed a break from it."
. "Hey, calm down, even his Airness needed eighteen months away from his game."
. "And you don't ever get tired of swimming or basketball?"
. "No."
. "Consider yourself lucky."
. "Oh, cheer up, Leon. You just need to rediscover your fire. Your love. Your passion."
. "You say that. But it's not as easy as you think. I keep trying, but nothing works."
. "Maybe..."
. "Maybe what?"
. "Maybe you can't find your love any more because it was too easy. Because you've never had to work at it. Maybe time away from the game will cause you to rediscover what drew into the sport in the first place."
. "I suppose that's possible."
. "Hey, Leon."
. "Yes."
. "What drew you into the sport in the first place?"
. "It was a combination of two things. Are you familar with baseball's perfect game?"
. "Sure. It's a game where no batter reaches first base by hit, walk, or even error."
. "Correct. Though tandem perfect games are theoretically possible, all perfect games in major league history have been thrown by one pitcher."
. "Okay."
. "Well, I watched a perfect game with my grandfather. And I thought 'Hey, someday, I'll do that too.'"
. "And did you?"
. "No. But one day, I will."
. "You know what, I know you will. And what was the other thing that drew you into baseball?"
. "Babe Ruth."
. "Babe Ruth?"
. "Ruth is commonly known for three things to the average baseball fan."
. "Of course."
. "He used to hold the record for the most home runs in major league history. He used to hold the record for most strikeouts as a batter too. And he was also known calling a shot against the Cubs."
. "Like a game of H.O.R.S.E.?"
. "Sure. Why not?"
. "But Ruth was also a pitcher on the mound."
. "Is that so?"
. "Yeah."
. "Well, it certainly explains you. Mr. Ace pitcher AND Clean-up hitter."
. "Yeah. Not a day goes by where I wish there was more footage of the '27 Yankees."
. "Not what I was saying, but good point none the less."
. Asahina was slowing but surely beginning to understand Leon. Unlike her, he didn't constantly feed off energy from competition itself.
. "Hey, Leon, wanna go check out the library?"
. "Sure, why not?"
. The two bounded over to the library. When they opened the door...
. "Oy vey. Just what do you think you're doing?"
. "Togami?" Asahina asked.
. "What are YOU doing here?" Leon asked.
. "Reading, of course. This is a library. Now, either keep your little date between the two of you quiet or leave."
. "Date?" Asahina blushed. "We're not dating!"
. Togami raised an eyebrow. "Like I care either way."
. "So... uh. Whatcha reading, Togami?" Leon asked, hurriedly trying to change the subject.
. "Oh, just a wide variety of books and short stories."
. "Such as?"
. "American history, architecture, Sherlock Holmes, the Great War."
. "Excuse me?" Asahina asked.
. "Some range you got there." Leon commented.
. "I do my best." Togami smirked.
. "As expected of the Heir." Celeste commented as she walked in with Fujisaki. "Hello, Togami."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've discovered a writing style for this fic (Which is why the first chapters will seem so short in comparision to later chapters), when in doubt split the characters up and see where that leads. Combine different combinations for conversations, and also throw in some Seinfeldian conversations. I've got the major story elements (the murders) mostly planned out. Now I just need to flesh the story reasons to lead to them.
So until then, I leave you with a Doctor Who reference.
SPOILERS.
As always, please leave a review. I want to know reactions. Responses, and so forth. Good, yes? No? Maybe? Eh?
UPDATE: 6/27/15: Please leave a readable review.