I LIVE! AND I HAVE FINALLY UPDATED!
I AM SO SO SO SORRY! I WAS VERY SICK. I TRIED SOME NEW MEDICATION AND EXPERIENCED SOME VERY NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS! I COULDN'T WRITE FOR A WEEK!
I WILL BE GOING BACK TO REGULAR UPDATES!
Kokichi and Maki summarily returned.
Kokichi was carrying a stack of six videos. He put them on the floor in front of the class.
Kaito eyed them warily.
Kokichi picked up his video and cradled it to his chest, before grinning smarmily at everyone.
"All right! It's time to watch my video! Huddle together and stare at the tiny screen!" He declared.
Monodam appeared.
"Do you want the main TV?" The small robot asked.
Himiko winced and bit her lip.
"Umm. Thanks for offering…but I don't think so." Kaito said quickly.
Monodam nodded and then vanished.
Everyone crowded together.
Kokichi held up his video and fingered the play button.
"Wait! Are you going to tell everyone what you told me? About your video?" Kaito pressed.
"Why should I?" Kokichi countered.
Kaito sighed.
"Ouma received his own video. He is the counterpart to Tojo." He revealed.
Several people narrowed their eyes at the Ultimate Supreme Leader. Even Kirumi.
Kokichi pouted and glared childishly at Kaito.
"So, this little shit received his own video, but I didn't?" Miu complained.
"Iruma-san, you know that our videos were mixed up to sow discord among us. In this instance, Monokuma's machinations are quite obvious." Korekiyo corrected her.
Miu clammed up.
"Umm…. But why did Ouma get his own video?" Kiibo said.
"Monokuma must've planned it that way. To manipulate us." Ryoma deadpanned.
"It doesn't matter now. Look- Ouma is willing to share his video with us. Let's watch it and see what all the fuss is about." Kaito said, swallowing a yawn. He was really, really, tired. The day had taken a toll on him. But it wasn't over yet. He had to stay strong until the end.
"Yeah! Get ready! Here it comes!" Kokichi cheered.
He pressed play.
Kaito craned his neck forward, focusing on the small screen. For some reason, he was really interested in Kokichi's video. Far more than he thought he would be.
"Back by popular demand, it's the "motive video." Who's the most important person in *your* life? And now, without further ado…" Monokuma declared.
The screen changed.
Kokichi was standing with a group of people. They all wore clown masks and the same grey-black-white uniform.
Kokichi took off his mask and smiled at the camera. The image froze.
"Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme leader…he caused mayhem the world over as the leader of the secret organization, D.I.C.E. And by mayhem, I mean petty nonviolent crimes and harmless pranks." Monokuma said.
"Anyways, Kokichi had ten loyal goons working for him. These goons were like friends and family…the most important people in his life…"
The screen shifted to a prison cell.
Kokichi was gone. His gang was locked up. They were covered in cuts and bruises.
"But then, a terrible event befell those precious people..."
Monokuma appeared and grinned mockingly at the camera.
"What kinda event? It's a secret! Find out for yourself. Uphuhuhu." He said.
The screen went black.
Kaito blinked.
It all made sense.
Kokichi was just a prankster. A pacifist.
That's why he hated the killing game.
As for his video…it hadn't featured his parents. Just his gang.
Where are they? Does he even have parents? Kaito thought.
"Wait- you're just a fucking prankster?" Miu muttered.
"This video is a lie. In reality, I'm the prince of Japan!" Kokichi lied.
"Is that it?" Maki suddenly said.
"What?" Kaito asked.
"I've seen worse. Ouma's video is just the typical "your loved ones are in danger" threat." Maki explained. "It wouldn't have inspired him to murder anyone."
She seemed to know what she was talking about, which troubled Kaito.
Has she threatened people before? He thought.
"Before watching this video, I didn't remember D.I.C.E." Kokichi confessed, clicking his tongue.
"So, it's definitely like a flashback light? Except…you didn't even remember your own family." Kaito said.
Kokichi nodded calmly and then resumed smirking, keeping up his façade.
"Gonta want to ask about Ouma-kun's parents! Where are they?" Gonta asked quietly.
"I killed them." Kokichi said cheerfully.
Gonta paled.
"Kukuku. I bet that they're dead. You're an orphan." Korekiyo said pointedly.
Kokichi shrugged.
"Nope. I killed them." He tried to lie.
But it was too late. The cat was out of the bag.
"Gonta sad for you. Gonta had two families." Gonta said.
"I never knew my parents." Tenko admitted quietly.
"Neither did I." Himiko muttered. She was crying again.
"Geez, you guys are such babies." Kokichi mocked them.
"Let's just move on." Kaito said hastily.
Maki nodded.
She got up and retrieved her own video, before swapping places with Kokichi.
He went to the back of the group, refusing to look at anyone.
Kaito didn't meet his gaze, choosing to focus on Maki.
He knew that Kokichi didn't like being needlessly comforted. Pity would be wasted on him.
It was best to just leave him alone.
Maki held up her video and then cleared her throat.
"I'm only showing this to you, because there's really no point in keeping it hidden any longer. For one, Hoshi already knows my real talent, and two, several others suspect that I'm not really the "Ultimate child Caregiver"." She said.
"Real talent…?" Kiibo questioned.
"I'm the Ultimate Assassin." She revealed.
Everyone but Kokichi, Kirumi, and Ryoma gasped.
Kaito frowned sharply. He was floored.
"Before you call me out. Just watch my video." Maki said quickly, pressing play before anyone could interrupt her.
Monokuma said his usual spiel.
The screen shifted to a large group of happy children.
"Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate Assassin…she has murdered dozens of people, assassinating them on the orders of her secretive employers. She was raised from birth to be a perfect killing machine."
"As for her loved ones…she is beloved by a hundred children! A hundred orphans! They see her as a mother, a sister, a confidant! She is their only family! These children live in an orphanage…the same orphanage that Maki grew up in!"
Maki joined the children.
They crowded around her, tugging at her arms and hair.
She scowled at them, but didn't shove them away.
"However, if Maki fails in her mission. Then one of these children will have to replace her. Fortunately, that won't happen…because something terrible has already happened to them."
The screen warped and then abruptly darkened.
The children were now alone.
They were all injured, wailing for their "big sis" to save them.
Monokuma laughed heartily.
"What happened? It's a secret! Find out for yourself. Uphuhuhu."
The video ended.
The room was silent.
Everyone was too shocked to speak. Even Kokichi.
Kaito took a deep breath and pulled himself together.
"Sorry Harukawa, but what did Monokuma mean by "replace"?" He asked listlessly.
"If I died during a mission, then my handlers would pick another child and train them to take my place." Maki divulged. Her voice had a dark edge to it.
Kaito swallowed.
"Does it make you want to kill- "Kokichi started.
"No. It doesn't. Because it's not real." Maki said curtly.
"What do you mean?" Tsumugi mumbled.
"My video…it's so over the top. It was designed-no, manufactured to get a rise out of me. I only hid it, because I didn't want anyone to discover my real talent. You would have all freaked out and refused to listen to me." Maki said slowly.
"Why are you so sure that the video is fake?" Ryoma questioned.
"Aside from the obvious staging and digital manipulation…it's because my handlers aren't people you want to cross. The orphanage is a front for them. A valuable front. It's their leverage over me. They wouldn't let anyone harm the children. Even in a disaster. They would evacuate them." Maki explained.
"But y-you're a freaking assassin! How can we trust you?!" Kokichi wailed, pretending to be afraid.
"Because I only kill under contract. Direct contract. I have no reason to target any of you." Maki stated.
"I trust her." Kaito declared boldly.
"Really!?" Miu spluttered.
"Well, yeah." Kaito said easily. "I mean…she shared her video with us and told us her real talent. She's not hiding anything."
"Momota-kun has been right about Harukawa-san so far." Korekiyo agreed.
"We just need to keep an eye on her." Ryoma said.
The others grumbled for a few moments, but quickly accepted his judgement.
"I just want to be left alone. But I'll keep an eye on my lab. I have…equipment there." Maki said.
She paused.
"There's something else. I didn't remember anything new after watching my video. If anything, it makes me even less inclined to trust Monokuma's motives and the flashback lights. We know that he's a liar and a manipulator. It isn't too much of a stretch to consider that he could create false memories for us." She added.
"That's why you want all of us to share our videos." Kaito said quietly.
"Yes. It could shed light on how Monokuma is manipulating us." Maki said.
"All right. I'll go next." Kaito said.
He picked up his video and switched places with Maki.
Swallowing nervously, he pressed play.
Monokuma said his bit.
Then he appeared on screen.
He was with his grandparents. They were all smiling and he had his arms around them.
However, he wore a space suit, not casual clothing.
Kaito flinched, suddenly recalling the moment when the picture had been taken.
It was as if it'd just popped into his head. The memory hadn't been there before.
His grandparents had visited him at the training base…
He shook his head and focused on the screen.
"Kaito Momota, the Ultimate Astronaut…Thanks to his exceptional talent, this young man is already an astronaut trainee. Wow! Our team has managed to score an exclusive interview with his grandparents! They miss their grandson terribly, and hope he returns to them safe and sound. But don't just take my word for it. Let's hear it straight from the source!" Monokuma said.
That's different. Kaito thought, biting his lip.
A video played.
It was his grandparents. They were sitting in their living room at home.
"Kaito…as long as you're alive, I don't need anything else." His grandfather said.
"No matter what happens, you must live. You must *never* give up. Please…live on. For our sakes, too." His grandmother said.
Kaito flinched again. The words stung.
"Their only wish…is for Kaito to live. Will Kaito be able to fulfil his grandparents wish?" Monokuma said.
"Shortly after this video wrapped, these old farts suffered an unfortunate accident…"
The screen went dark.
Kaito hiccupped.
That fucking bear planned it this way. He knows about my illness and he's taunting me. Motherfucker. He thought.
He would not cry. He would not cry.
A few tears fell.
He swore under his breath.
"Momota-kun…?" Kiibo called out.
Kaito dropped his video and shook his head.
"Momota-chan, calm down. Remember, Monokuma made these videos. He wants us to suffer." Kokichi said lightly.
Kaito took a deep breath.
"I needed to see that." He whispered.
"Thank you Momota. Your video was very informative. Unlike the others, Monokuma actually interviewed your loved ones. That gives it a hint of realism." Maki said calmly. "You can sit down now. Let's move on to the next video."
Kaito nodded stiffly.
He picked up his video and went to the back of the group, sitting down next to Kokichi.
Kokichi poked him.
Kaito stared listlessly at him, too dejected to say anything.
Kokichi smiled brightly.
He reached out and gently squeezed his left arm, before quickly withdrawing.
Kaito blinked.
Kokichi had comforted him. He was being sincere.
Kaito sighed and nodded minutely, accepting the gesture.
His hugged his knees and buried his face in them.
He had to be strong.
For Shuichi. For everyone. For himself.
He raised his head and looked at Maki.
"Who wants to go next?" She said.
"Gonta will." Gonta volunteered.
He grabbed his video and rushed to the front of the class to play it.
Kaito didn't really pay attention to Gonta's video. He felt too numb.
Monokuma just rambled about Gonta's families and how they were feuding without him, then said that something terrible had happened to them before signing off. Yadda yadda.
However, it didn't have an interview.
It also reduced Gonta to a blubbering mess.
Himiko made a brave face and got up and gave him a big hug, whispering something to him that quickly calmed him down.
Gonta took a big breath and sat down with her. He was clutching his video quite tightly.
Tenko volunteered to go next.
Her video followed the standard formula.
Monokuma explained that her sensei was in danger, and that he would be "doomed" if she didn't escape soon and save him.
Tenko started crying, which made Himiko start crying.
The Ultimate magician was too overwhelmed to get up and play her own video, so she asked Tenko to do it.
Tenko hurriedly dried her eyes and agreed.
Surprisingly enough, Himiko's video had an interview segment.
Monokuma bragged that he had tricked her "world famous" magic teacher into "spilling the beans" about their partnership.
The interview was long.
Her teacher praised her endlessly.
"Yumeno-san, you are the future of magic. The hope of our profession. Don't give up! You'll surpass me one day!" The old man declared.
The video ended.
Himiko wailed. Gonta gently shushed her.
Maki stood up.
"I think I understand Monokuma's manipulations a little better." She stated.
"How?" Kiibo said.
"He was very, very careful with our videos. They really are tailored for us, down to their very composition. For instance, for Momota-chan and Yumeno-chan, Monokuma included videos of their loved ones because he knew it would get under their skin and make them break down. They don't crack easily; Momota-chan is good at keeping himself together while Himiko is- or rather was, good at hiding her emotions." Kokichi answered before she could explain.
Maki huffed and glared at him lightly.
He smirked at her.
She rolled her eyes and moved on.
"Also, none of our videos are as unique as Tojo's and Hoshi's." She said. "Hoshi's one is empty, while Tojo's is far longer and has higher production values. I think in addition to ensuring that Tojo and Ouma got their own videos, Monokuma also made sure that I got Hoshi's video and he got mine. It means that I unwittingly messed up his plans, when I swapped videos with Hoshi this morning instead of last night."
"So, I wasn't just Tojo's intended victim, but Monokuma's? Saihara was never meant to die." Ryoma noted quietly.
Kaito tensed. His eyes were prickling, threatening fresh tears.
Thankfully, somebody distracted him.
"I want to share my video." Kiibo suddenly announced. "My inner voice just told me it would be a good idea!"
"Hold on! If Kiibo shares his video…then that means a majority of us have shared our videos! Anyone who doesn't share their video now is suspicious." Tsumugi said.
"I've got nothing to hide." Miu immediately defended herself.
"Then share your video." Kokichi pressed.
Miu sighed.
"Fine. If Kiibo shares his video, then I'll share mine." She gave in.
Everyone looked expectantly at Tsumugi and Korekiyo.
Korekiyo nodded sagely.
"Very well. Just a word of warning: knowing my past, my video is likely not for the fainthearted." He said.
Tsumugi nodded dejectedly.
"I'll share mine." She mumbled. "I- I just don't want to see my loved ones suffer."
"None of us do, but we're sharing our videos for Yonaga-san's sake. Do it for her." Tenko said.
Tsumugi nodded again.
Kokichi whooped excitedly and left with Maki to get the remaining four videos.
Kaito tried to relax. He had to be strong.
Maki and Kokichi quickly returned.
They repeated the same process as before.
Kiibo went first.
His video contained an interview.
Monokuma talked to his creator sans "father" Professor Idabashi.
The scientist said that he was proud of his creation and that he wanted Kiibo to live a full life.
The video ended and Kiibo made a crying face.
Miu went second.
Her video opened with Monokuma explaining that her parents had disowned her. They didn't understand her new personality and talent.
It then switched to her high school.
Which was an élite prep school for very rich kids.
Her classmates and her teachers were her loved ones.
Although Monokuma didn't interview them, he did play a short clip of them cheering her on.
He then explained that Miu was in an advanced program for engineers, creating prototypes for various companies.
She was far smarter, at least academically, than she let on.
By the end of her video, she was crying almost as hard as Gonta had at the end of his video.
Kiibo rushed to her and hugged her close.
She tried to brush him off, but ended up squeaking when Himiko and Gonta unexpectedly joined in.
After a few moments, she reluctantly returned the embrace.
They broke apart after a few moments.
Kiibo insisted on holding Miu's hand as they sat back down, making her blush profusely.
Kokichi taunted them, but they ignored him.
Lovestruck fools. Kaito thought dimly.
Korekiyo went third.
He repeated his warning, only pressing play when Kokichi told him to get on with it.
His video…was weird. Really weird. Almost creepy.
He was just like Ryoma; he had no family and no one was waiting for him in the outside world.
However, instead of taunting him over this, Monokuma just talked about his dead sister, saying that she was "watching over him" and wanted him to move on.
Monokuma winked knowingly at the camera as the screen went black.
Everyone was puzzled by it, and unlike the rest of them, Korekiyo wasn't saddened by his video. Instead, he seemed comforted by it.
"Kukuku. I told you so." Korekiyo said cryptically.
"Your sister…you were very close to her." Tenko observed.
"Our parents died when we were young. She was my only family. She became very ill at the age of 18. She died a few years ago." Korekiyo said with reserved sadness.
"That's interesting." Kokichi said. "I wanna see Shirogane-chan's video.
Everyone looked at Tsumugi. She was last.
She nodded nervously at them.
"Please don't judge me. I think my video is even weirder than Shinguji-kun's. Knowing who my loved ones are… it'll be bad." She mumbled.
She swapped places with Korekiyo and played her video.
She was right.
Her video centred on a group of cosplayers. Rabid cosplayers.
Monokuma interviewed them. And they roleplayed. As their characters.
One, a fat man in his 30s, even pretended to be a prepubescent girl.
The video finally, blessedly ended.
Tsumugi lowered her video and gave them all a pleading look. She looked like she was about to die of embarrassment.
She was too ashamed to even cry.
"What the fuck was that?" Miu stated.
"Shirogane-chan is a weirdo." Kokichi insulted unhelpfully.
"N-no. It's just my main cosplay group. I had a feeling Monokuma would use them. M-my parents don't understand my love for cosplay." Tsumugi said quickly.
"Let's move on. We've all watched our videos. Does anyone have anything they want to say? Any questions?" Kaito said.
He looked at Kokichi, who just shrugged noncommittally.
"I do. Isn't it odd that none of us have parents? Or rather, aside from Momota-chan's grandparents and Gonta's human family, that none of our motive videos feature our families?" Maki observed.
Kaito frowned at her. He hadn't noticed that.
Kokichi nodded.
"It's interesting that so many of us are either conveniently orphans or are estranged from our parents!" He joked.
He cocked his head and grinned at them.
"Also, Monokuma opens every video with the same line: "Back by popular demand!". It's like someone is watching us..."
Kaito flinched.
"Could he have done this before? Held other Killing Games? With an audience?" He blurted out without thinking.
"He could just be tricking us." Tsumugi suggested.
Kaito shook his head. He couldn't believe it. It felt too deliberate.
"I don't think so. It seems like he's practiced this- this whole process. He knows what he's doing." He said, remembering some of Monokuma's more dramatic mannerisms.
"Y-you mean that we're not the only ones…to have experienced a killing game?" Tenko said lowly.
Several others gasped in horror.
"But why? Who wants to watch this?" Himiko blubbered.
"Such violence…doesn't reflect well on the outside world." Korekiyo stated.
"What about Saihara-kun's video?" Kiibo said suddenly.
Kaito winced.
"I don't want to watch it." He said.
"And I don't want us to watch Angie's video!" Himiko declared.
She bit her cheek and gave them an apologetic look.
"What I mean is, I want to watch her video on my own. I want to remember her. You can watch it afterwards."
No one dared to challenge her.
"Here it is." Kokichi supplied, taking out Angie's video and handing it to her. He must've kept it well hidden.
Kaito wondered if he had Shuichi's video…
Himiko thanked Kokichi and clasped the video to her chest.
"Now that we're done, Yumeno-san needs to rest." Tenko said.
"We all need rest." Kiibo said.
"What about the rest of the videos?" Ryoma said. "We can't just leave them lying around."
"I'll keep them!" Kokichi volunteered.
"Why do you want them?" Miu pressed.
"I wanna watch them again. Look for new clues." He confessed bluntly.
Kaito huffed.
"Let Ouma hold on to them. We can always ask him to give them back." He muttered.
Kokichi grinned at him.
"Very well. Let's go back to our dorms. Momota-kun looks like he's about to collapse." Korekiyo said.
Kaito glared at him, then sighed and nodded clumsily.
Everyone left together.
It was just getting dark outside, meaning it was at around 5pm. It had been a long day.
Kaito sauntered to his dorm room, locked the door behind him, and then collapsed on to his bed.
His video had shaken him.
Although…his classmates shared his pain.
It made him feel closer to them.
They could end this killing game together.
His thought turned to Shuichi.
Sidekick…I can begin to mourn you. He reflected, letting himself weep.
For his fallen friend. For Kaede. For what they had represented.
Eventually, he fell asleep.
He woke up several hours later.
Looking at his clock, he saw that it was 9:30pm.
He collapsed back into bed and shut his eyes.
His awakening had been instinctive.
It was training time.
Usually, he would be doing press ups with Shuichi. But now…
He sighed and got up.
Leaving his dorm room, he went and knocked on Maki's door.
She quickly opened it.
"Yes, Momota?" She said, quirking an eyebrow.
Kaito swallowed, then smiled tiredly at her.
"I wanted to speak to you." He said.
Maki stared blankly at him.
"Aren't you afraid? Doesn't my talent deter you?" She asked.
"Not really. I mean, you explained that only kill under contract and you don't have a contract on any of our lives. You're not gonna kill any of us. Plus, I only wanna speak to you for five minutes. Promise." He rambled.
Maki pursed her lips.
"Five minutes." She agreed.
They went outside and sat on the stone bench opposite the dorms. No one else was around. They were all alone.
Kaito looked up at the night sky and smiled bitterly. It used to fill him with so much hope, now it just filled him with dread.
"Momota?" Maki said.
"I used to hang out with Shuichi at night-time. We would exercise together…" He trailed off.
She sighed.
"Oh. Right. I uh…. wanted to talk to you about Ouma." He said.
"Why? He's annoying as hell." She deadpanned.
"I know. But he's just a prankster. He doesn't mean any harm." He argued.
"This is all one big joke to him. He loves the killing game." She stated.
"No, I don't think so. Remember, he covered for you in the Class Trial. He wants to defeat Monokuma just as much as we do." He said.
Maki cocked her head.
"You want to get close to him. Become his friend." She observed.
Kaito scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Yes." He admitted slowly.
Maki nodded.
"You can tolerate him much more than I do. However, I'll give him some credit. He did cover for me and he honoured his alliance with you. But he did it just to survive, not because he actually likes us." She said.
Kaito smiled at her.
"I'll change that. I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine and do everything I can to become his friend. Just you wait and see." He vowed.
"Good luck with that." She said, chuckling lightly.
She sighed and stared at the floor, mulling something over.
"Look, I'm sorry about Saihara. He didn't deserve to die." She muttered, trying to comfort him.
He smiled gently at her.
"Can I ask you a favour?" He said.
"What?"
"Keep an eye on Tojo for me...Harumaki".
Tsumugi tapped her fingers against the monitor, waiting for the connection to go through.
Motherkuma hummed peacefully.
Tsumugi sighed.
Chapter two hadn't gone as planned.
For some reason, Maki hadn't shared Ryoma's video at the right time. She'd experienced a moment of uncharacteristic empathy.
Is it her old personality coming through? Tsumugi thought worriedly.
One wrong turn had led to another.
Kirumi had targeted Shuichi…then Angie had accidentally killed him…and Angie's death had ruined Tsumugi's plans for the next chapter.
It was all spiralling out of control.
No matter. I can still salvage this. Past killing games have recovered from worse. Tsumugi assured herself.
No, what was really bad was the motive videos being shared. It meant that everyone would be on guard.
Luckily, she had a contingency plan for that.
After seeing their videos, two of her classmates were very close to committing murder. They just needed a little shove.
A new motive, a new flashback, and new rooms… a fresh start. She thought with a smile.
She was brimming with ideas.
The monitor pinged.
Tsumugi grinned when she saw who was on the other end.
Just the person I needed to see! She thought happily.
"Hey Tsumugi! It's a shame that things didn't go according to plan, but nothing ever does when it comes to Danganronpa. Have everything planned out for tomorrow?" Sakura said.
"I haven't made the flashback light yet. I don't think I need to change it all that much. No, what I wanted to talk about was the motive. With Angie gone, we need to change it. Completely." Tsumugi stated.
"Duh. What do you have planned?" Sakura asked.
"I'll tell you in a moment. Just one thing…is the special room I requested ready?" Tsumugi pressed.
"It was a pain in the ass to arrange- you should've seen the interns whine. Thank fuck we kept all those props." Sakura said.
Tsumugi nodded.
"Amen to that. Danganronpa is too popular." She said. "Right, let me tell you my plans for the new motive. You'll need to get explicit permission from producer-san…"
End of Act One.
Surviving students: 12
Howzat?
Maki has earned her nickname!
Please follow/favourite/review!