Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Danganronpa series. I only own Hikari Seishin and her family.

Note: I try to make the story as canon as I can with obvious creative liberties.

Chapter Five

Your Presence Is Mandatory

"It looks like a clock, but something seems off…" Hajime said, uncertain. His eyes widened as he figured out what was ominous about the black sphere. "It's…counting down…!"

"What's going on?" Mahiru asked, looking confused. "Was this here when we came last time?"

Nekomaru shook his head with a frown. "No…I'm pretty sure it wasn't!"

Byakuya glanced at the timer with a serious look on his face. "I found it this morning…when I was exploring this island one more time. It's unknown…when it was actually placed here…"

"Monokuma must have placed this object…" Peko suggested. "…What does this countdown even mean?"

"I don't think anything good if it has to do with Monokuma," Hikari said, staring at the timer. "I mean…he wants us to kill each other…so this can't be good…"

"Could it be…? It better not be a bomb!" Nekomaru exclaimed.

Kazuichi started freaking out. "A b-b-b-b-bommmmmmmb!?"

"Not possible," declared Byakuya. "If they wanted to blow up the island, they would have done so by now. There's no need for a countdown…"

Mikan clasped her hands together, worried. "Then…why are they counting down?"

Akane finished her muffin and sighed. "It's a mystery…"

"A mysterious mystery, isn't it?" Monomi chirped, standing next to Sonia. Sonia jumped and screamed in surprise. As a result, Monomi did likewise.

"M-Monomi!?" Hajime asked in shock. Everyone was surprised to see a living Monomi after what happened last night. Hikari could still remember watching the Monobeast's machine gun shoot holes through the stuffed rabbit.

"Wh-why are you here!?" questioned Mahiru.

"Um…I heard everyone talking while I was patrolling, so I came over…" Monomi explained.

"No, not that…" Ibuki said, poking her two index fingers together. "Didn't Monokuma kill you?"

"I see! So that's why you were surprised!" Monomi said happily. She started giggling, her paws covering her mouth. "Pfft, tee-hee! You don't have to worry about that! After all, I can never die!"

Never die…? Hikari raised an eyebrow, confused.

Gundham crossed his arms, his eyes closed. "I see…You must be an undead abomination, risen from the foulest depths of the Netherworld by black magic…" He stepped towards Monomi, grinning, looking excited. "Do you want me to make you my thrall!?"

"Hey hey…Monomi's a mechanical stuffed animal, right?" Chiaki pointed out, raising an index finger in the air. "Doesn't that mean she can't die in the first place?"

Kazuchi seemed to have calmed down from the "bomb scare". He itched the back of his head, smiling nervously. "Now that you mention it…she'd only need, like, a spare or something."

Monomi frowned, tears in her eyes. "'A spare'…What a mean thing to say!"

Byakuya turned to Monomi. "However, you arrived at the perfect time. There's something I wanted to ask you." He glared down at the stuffed animal, clenching his fist. "What is the meaning behind this timer and this countdown? Answer me!"

Monomi blinked, tilting her head. "Huh? Countdown…?" She looked up to see the portentous black sphere. "Hwa-wa-wa! What is this!?...Um…I'm sorry…I…don't know what this is…"

"You really don't know…?" Peko asked, arms crossed.

Monomi was visibly nervous, sweat covering her face. "I'm sorry…I don't really have a grasp of what Monokuma is up to…"

Hiyoko looked surprised, a finger to her cheek. "Huh? You don't know, even though you're Monokuma's little sister?"

"That's wrong!" Monomi shouted, raising her arms up in the air, upset. "I'm not my brother's little sister!" Everyone blinked, not sure if Monomi was accepting the role of "little sister" or not. "All righty…let's do our best!" She said encouragingly. "Let's kick the evil Monokuma off this island!"

Byakuya looked at her haughtily. "If you don't know what the countdown is for, you're useless to us. Get lost."

Monomi shrank into herself. "Um…Let's…together…"

"I said get lost…!"

Monomi cowered even more, covering her head with her arms. "Kyaaa! I'm sorry!" She quickly scurried away with tears in her eyes.

Hikari frowned, feeling bad for Monomi. She was glad she wasn't the only one. Sonia said timidly, "Um…Perhaps you are being a little too harsh? I'm starting to feel sorry for it…"

Kazuichi practically jumped to Sonia's side. "Sonia-san! Can I call you Sonia-san!? No, I insist on calling you that!" He placed a hand on his hip, looking after Monomi's retreating form with suspicion. "There's no need to feel sorry for that thing. She's obviously working with Monokuma."

Hikari looked after Monomi thoughtfully. I'm not so sure…would Monokuma kill off his own ally like that…? My intuition tells me to trust Monomi more than Monokuma…

Fuyuhiko looked as if his patience was just about to run out. "Hey bastard! Who the fuck cares about that stuffed animal…? More importantly, what the hell is that clock?"

"Looks ominous, doesn't it?" Byakuya queried, looking pensive as he looked at the timer. "Who put that object here, and how did they do it in just one night?"

"Hmm…I can't imagine…" said Hajime with a small frown.

Teruteru smiled, still in his world of denial. "Which means it doesn't make any sense! Plus, it's also deadly."

"However, that's not all that's unimaginable…" the group's leader started to say. "This island is full of mysteries that we can't begin to imagine…For example…how were the seventeen of us brought to this island…?"

Kazuichi frowned. "I wasn't trying to think about that since it's been bugging me too, but…he's right. That is a mystery."

"There's more…Why is Jabberwock Island, which was known for being a popular resort destination, now an uninhabited island? There's no sign of tourists or even citizens on this island…" The blonde looked at Hikari. "Did you detect any spirits at all when you were exploring?"

Hikari felt her cheeks redden slightly as she sensed everyone's stares looking her way. "I…didn't, no…I've been having trouble finding any spirits since we got here…" She frowned slightly, feeling useless to the group. Nagito squeezed her hand supportively. Hikari blinked, forgetting he was still holding her hand. She smiled weakly at him who smiled back.

"Hmm…is something like that even possible…the island being completely uninhabited?" Byakuya wondered out loud.

Gundham frowned in thought. "All civilizations are destined to collapse…Nothing begets existence…and existence begets nothing…"

Mikan gasped in surprise. "So…it collapsed?"

Sonia looked at the flowers on the ground nearby, a finger to her mouth thoughtfully. "You are right…Society is much like fruit. Once it matures, it is inevitable that it will eventually rot. As the economy grows, the private sector stagnates as elders and bureaucrats become more and more powerful…As time passes, this power becomes the status quo, and crushes the seeds of any possible reformation…That is…such a sad trend."

Mahiru sweatdropped. "Mmm, I don't really understand all that, but I feel like the situation here is somewhat different…"

"Maybe the Monobeasts killed everyone on this island?" Hiyoko hinted with a smug face.

Nekomaru stepped back in shock. "And that's how it became uninhabited!?"

Byakuya crossed his arms. "That's certainly plausible…but we don't know that for sure. This mystery remains a mystery, it seems."

Ibuki looked frustrated. "Grrrrrrr…! It's like everything here is full of mysteries!"

"You're right…It's mysteries on top of mysteries…However, since these mysteries are overlapping with one another, I doubt some no name group is behind this…"

Hajime blinked. "W-what are you trying to say?"

"In other words, this situation we're in is undeniably the work of some enormous organization."

Mikan trembled. "…Enormous organization?"

"Monomi, Monokuma, the Monobeasts…They're all machines that require major technical skill to operate."

Kazuichi nodded. "Plus, they'd need a ton of funding. And there's no way those things were made just for the hell of it…"

Byakuya pushed his glasses closer to his face as he continued explaining his theory. "That organization might be controlling these machines and monitoring the island with those cameras…"

"Then…could those fiends be hiding on the island?" Peko asked.

Byakuya shook his head. "Not likely. They're probably running this from somewhere else. Somewhere safe."

"Where would that be…?" questioned Nekomaru.

"I don't know…Anyway, there's no mistake that an enormous organization is behind all this."

Akane crossed her arms, looking at the ground. "I see, a big organization, huh…I can't imagine what kinda people they could be…"

"Well, let's see…There's my Togami Corporation…Sonia's Novoselic Kingdom…and the Kuzuryu Clan…It'd definitely have to be an organization as powerful as one of those groups, if not more so."

Sonia gasped, a hand covering her mouth. "Huh!?"

Fuyuhiko sighed, a hand on his hip, not looking surprised. "I'm used to being mistrusted…Do what you will…"

Kazuichi glared toward Byakuya, pointing a finger at him. "Hey! Hold on! I don't care about you or the Kuzuryu Clan, but I won't allow you to doubt Sonia-san! Sonia-san is a hot blonde princess! There's a sharp distinction between her and you punks!"

"Yes, yes…Just shut up already, loser…" Hiyoko giggled.

Hikari sweatdropped. I hate to agree with Saionji, but she's right…Souda is starting to act like an idiot…

"W-whoa…! Loser!? Are you talking about me!?" Kazuichi stared at Hiyoko.

Hiyoko looked at him unnervingly. "It's obvious from your flashy clothes that you just want to stand out because you're actually a loser." Hiyoko chuckled, grinning. "It must be hard to make your living in the Lame-ass Loser Industry."

Hikari's face deadpanned as Kazuichi was taking a verbal beating. All right…too far, Saionji…

Hajime glanced at Byakuya. "Hey, Togami-san…Were you serious just now? About this being related to your family and Nevermind-san's and such…?"

Byakuya replied, "I'm just using them as an example. I'm not saying they have anything to do with this.

"But…you're certain we're up against a huge organization, right?"

"However…even if such an organization exists…Why would they make us go through something like this?" pondered Peko.

Teruteru ran his hand through his hair. "Whatever. How long are we gonna keep talking about this? Why don't we talk about something more realistic?"

Byakuya frowned. "Our enemy's purpose is still unknown…As long as we find out who's behind this, we'll learn their purpose. So what we must do now is find out who our enemy is. If we do that, we'll be that much closer to a breakthrough. Luckily, according to the e-Handbook, we are free to explore the island…" Byakuya's eyes gleamed with determination. "There will definitely be a clue about the enemy on this island somewhere. Let's start looking."

Akane cracked her knuckles. "All right! Let's get this crap done!" A moment later, she grinned, unashamed. "…Uh, what are we looking for?"

Mahiru held back a sigh. "Akane, were you even listening? We need to find clues that will tell us who our enemy is."

"No problem," asserted Gundham. "No matter how large this organization may be, they will not be able to stand against us…" He lifted up one hand as his four hamsters crawled out of his scarf, laying comfortably on a part of Gundham's body. "They are destined to fall and turn to ash at the might of my Four Dark Devas of Destruction!"

Sonia clapped her hands, stars glittering in her eyes. "Wow! Hamsters came out of your scarf!" She giggled as she leaned closer towards them. "Tee-hee! They are so adorable!"

"What!?" Gundham looked taken aback. "Adorable…you say…?" His eyes looked away, his face turning red, quickly trying to cover his face with his scarf. "…T-Thank you." Hikari turned away, trying her best to hold in her giggles, letting go of Nagito's hand.

Byakuya cleared his throat. "Anyway, let me just say this. There's no time to think about something as foolish as killing each other. You must do what you have to do. Observe, speculate, recognize, comprehend. Even if it seems impossible…just persevere. But most importantly, follow my lead. I'll make sure to return you all to your normal lives. This is your leader's order. Understand?"

Ibuki started giggling like a hyena. "That's like, TOTALLY awesome!"

Hiyoko joined in on the giggles. "That right hand of his is soooo plump. I've got the perfect nickname for him: Ham Hands!"

Byakuya blinked. "H-Ham Hands…you say…?" He closed his eyes, smirking. "Hmph…I never thought I'd see the day when someone called me something like that…"

Hajime looked dumbfounded. "Huh? Why aren't you getting mad?"

Byakuya turned to Hajime. "Why would I get mad at something as petty as that? She observed me directly and thought up a nickname. There's nothing dishonest about a name like that…" Byakuya grinned again, saying this more to himself. "Perhaps…I've always yearned for this. Though it may seem ironic for me to realize that in this particular situation…"

Hikari smiled. Wow…I think we have picked the right person to lead us. He's calm, collected, and very smart.

Nagito smiled at everyone. "All right then. We should listen to Byakuya and not waste our energy thinking about pointless things. It's true that we're not in the best circumstances, but it's also not the worst. Because we're not alone. We have friends we can count on to support each other."

Hiyoko puckered her lips. "Seriously? That sounds so la-"

"Shut it, Saionji," warned Hikari, giving her a stern look. Hiyoko stuck out her tongue towards Hikari, closing her eyes.

Nagito looked at the girls shamefacedly. "No, that's all right. I was thinking to myself just how lame I sounded for saying that."

Hikari sighed inwardly. But Nagito's words really do ring true for my situation…and maybe Hinata's…I just have to remember that I'm not alone…and that these are my friends…once I get to know them.

When they felt that their discussion ended, the group of teens broke off and went off on their own. Some of them explored to try to solve the many mysteries of the island and others just relaxed and hung out. Hikari stretched her arms, yawning with her eyes closed as she walked back to her cottage.

"Hey! Watch out!"

Hikari froze as she felt someone grab her arm and pull her back. She let out a squeak as she staggered backwards into something. She opened her eyes and looked up to find a pair of light brown eyes staring down at her. The Spirit Medium felt her whole body heat up and thought her heart would explode from beating too fast. Hikari was basically leaning her back against Hajime's chest. His body's pretty built…Oh! What's wrong with me!? Hikari mentally pictured herself slamming her head against a tree for thinking perversely.

"Seishin-san?" Hajime asked, looking a bit confused.

Hikari blinked. "H-huh!?"

"I said you almost walked into that tree…are you all right? You seem exhausted."

Hikari sweatdropped, looking in front of her to find a huge palm tree about a foot away from her before looking back at Hajime. You should've let me run into it with my thoughts the way they are now… "Oh…yeah…I was up all night, trying to use my talent…"

Hajime helped the girl stand on her own, smiling empathically. "No luck?"

Hikari frowned. "No…and you? Did you remember yours yet?" She instantly regretted asking when she saw the disheartened look Hajime had on his face.

"Not yet…" The two stood outside the park's entrance for a minute before Hajime smiled a little, trying to brush off the unnecessary thoughts. "Would you like me to walk you back to your cottage? I don't want you passing out or walking into trees on the way there," Hajime added jokingly.

Hikari glared at him lightly. "Ha ha…I'm fine…Are you sure you want to walk with someone who's ultimately useless?"

He simply countered back. "Same goes for you. Besides, it's the least I can do after all the help you gave me yesterday."

The teenaged girl smiled knowingly. "Touché…I appreciate the company." The two started walking to the bridge. "How's your cheek?"

Hajime itched it gently. "It's fine. I hardly notice it now. Thanks again for taking care of it."

Hikari blushed lightly. "It wasn't a problem. I was afraid it would've gotten infected if it wasn't taken care of."

They crossed over the bridge to the first island and headed to the hotel grounds. The walk was quiet, but peaceful. The only awkwardness between them was when Hikari almost fell face first into the ground twice, the girl having closed her eyes a few times while walking. Hajime eventually linked arms with her to prevent her from fully collapsing if she did pass out.

Finally, the two reached Hikari's cottage. Hikari smiled sleepily as she turned to Hajime. "Thanks for walking with me, Hinata-san. I think I can take it from here."

Hajime smiled and nodded. "Not a problem, Seishin-san." Hikari gave a quick wave and walked in her room, yawning.

Once the door was securely locked, Hikari took a few steps and plopped onto the bed, glasses and shoes still on as she fell into a deep sleep.

^o^ ^o^

*Ding dong ding dong*

Hikari groaned, drowsily reaching for a pillow and placed it over her head as the monitor turned on.

"Ahem! Hope's Peak Academy's School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make…" Monokuma's voice chimed. "Hello everyone! The fun time you've all been waiting for is about to begin! I wonder what festivities await you~ …Oops, don't wanna ruin the surprise! It was a little 'meh' at first, but anyway, please gather at Jabberwock Park!"

Hikari bolted up, clinging the pillow in anxiety. "H-has…there been a murder…?" She felt lightheaded at the thought. She took a couple of deep breaths. "It'll be all right…it'll be all right…" she mumbled this mantra to keep herself calm. She made sure she looked presentable from her nap before she left her cottage, locking the door behind her.

A small group of students gathered by the intersection of the cottages. Probably thinking that it is best to travel in groups, Hikari thought as she approached them.

Nekomaru saw her and grinned. "Ah! Seishin-san! We're all about to walk over to the park together. Would you care to join us?" Gundham, Mikan, and Mahiru were standing by, Mikan smiling happily when she spotted the Spirit Medium, waving shyly. Hikari waved back with a smile before replying, "Sure! Why not?" So the five teens left for the park, wondering what will happen with their second visit there today.

Once they arrived, they found a concert stage set up in the square in front of the timer. Hikari tilted her head, confused. "Is he going to give us a concert or something?"

All of a sudden, everyone present at the park heard an excited squeal as Ibuki ran up to the stage, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Ooooh! Ooooh! I wanna get up there and play!"

Mahiru, being the mother hen of the group, sighed softly as she patted the Musician's back. "Not right now, okay? Maybe some other time, Mioda-san."

Ibuki fidgeted, trying all her might to contain her eagerness. "Awwwwwwwwwww!"

"…Anyway, it seems everyone is here," Byakuya said as he scanned the crowd, seeing all sixteen of his classmates in the park.

Kazuichi scowled, "Ugh, what is it this time? This is friggin' annoying…"

Fuyuhiko stood off to the side, hands in his pockets. "Tch, then you shouldn't have come."

Kazuichi glanced at the Yakuza nervously. "Well…I mean…I don't know what will happen to me if I don't come…"

The shorter blonde male smirked. "Heh, since none of us knows what'll happen, maybe you should be the one to test that out."

Mahiru glared, hands on her hips. "Hey! You may talk like you're tough, wise guy, but you wouldn't be here if you weren't scared too!"

"What…!?"

"I guess even a big bad yakuza like you must've been scared of that monster, huh?"

Fuyuhiko clenched his fist, glaring daggers towards Mahiru. "What the fuck did you just say!?" A vein was visibly throbbing above one of his eyebrows.

Nagito walked in between the two, hands up. "Wait! Stop it, you two. Fighting among friends isn't good!"

The Yakuza blinked. "What? Did you just say, 'friend'? I'm not your friend, dumbass! When did I ever become friends with you bastards? Let me be perfectly clear…" He looked at everyone with a sneer. "…I can do it, y'know?"

A couple of the teens looked at him warily. Mahiru muttered, "Y-you…what did you say…?"

Fuyuhiko chuckled. "Oh? You didn't hear me? Then I'll repeat myself just once for you." He gave Mahiru a good, long stare. "I said…I can do it."

Hikari frowned. "Kuzuryu-san! Please don't say that…"

Hajime nodded. "Why don't you just calm down for a bit?" However, that just made the gangster more irritated.

"Bastards! Don't talk to me like we're friends or something! Don't misunderstand…I live in a completely different world than you…Kill or be killed…That's the kind of world I live in." He crossed his arms and looked away. "Geez, the current rules make more sense to me than that 'Play nice and get along' crap."

Mahiru, having such a strong personality, did not take this lightly. She pointed at him in rage. "What are you saying!? If you don't stop it right now…I'm going to get seriously angry!"

Fuyuhiko turned toward Mahiru, pissed off. "Don't treat me like a kid, bitch!" He took a step forward.

Peko closed her eyes, tired of hearing this bickering. "Please stop. This kind of fighting will not get us anywhere…"

"Shut the hell up! There's no way I'm dealing with this Kumbaya crap! If any of you guys want to die, step forward…I'll fuckin' kill you right now…"

Akane started to grin as she stretched out her arms. "Sounds fun…Gimme your best shot…!"

Hajime glanced at the Gymnast uneasily. "W-what's gonna happen if you're this easily provoked!?"

"Enough!" Byakuya's voice boomed. Everyone stopped and looked at their leader. Byakuya looked at Fuyuhiko. "Kuzuryu-san…I understand what you are saying. I do not intend to dismiss your feelings. There was a time when I also thought the same way as you…"

Fuyuhiko seethed. "…Are you treating me like a kid, too!?"

Byakuya continued speaking as though he didn't hear Fuyuhiko. "But what would reckless killing accomplish? If you fail to get away with it, you know you'll be executed…Or perhaps…that's what you really want? If so…You'd only be killing yourself to run away from this predicament. That's what a child would do."

Fuyuhiko's face paled, unable to retort back.

"Listen!" Byakuya declared, pointing a finger at Fuyuhiko. "So long as we're here, I will not let any of you die! I will not let any of you become a victim! And that goes for you too, Kuzuryu-san. I will not let you die!"

Fuyuhiko gritted his teeth in frustration. "W-What the hell…? Everything you're saying…they're just empty promises!"

Byakuya crossed his arms, smirking. "It's true my words would ring hollow if anyone else spoke them…But my name is Byakuya Togami, and I am destined to bring these promises to fruition!"

"Yowza! He's soooo cool!" exclaimed Ibuki.

It appeared that Byakuya's words calmed Fuyuhiko down. The Yazuka put his hands back in his pockets and seemed a bit deflated. "…I don't care what you say. I'm just gonna do whatever I feel like…"

Byakuya nodded. "Do what you will. However, remember the words I said earlier. 'I will not let any of you become a victim.' That is the duty that I appointed to myself." Fuyuhiko looked away, frowning. Hikari observed him for a few seconds, thinking quietly.

I don't think he is as bad as he think he is…he was just born into that kind of environment…I can't even imagine living a yakuza's life…

Suddenly, Monokuma popped out of nowhere, wearing a white button up shirt, red necktie, and a light blue blazer. "Um…It looked like you guys were arguing…so I wasn't sure when to actually show up…It looks like I showed up at an awkward time!"

A couple of the students jumped in surprise at his entrance. Sadly for Hikari, she was slowly getting used to it. Chiaki blinked, tilting her head. "Hey hey…why…are you dressed like that?"

"Oh, didn't I mention it in my recent broadcast? It's my costume for the fun time!"

"Don't tell me you're going to…" Peko began to say.

"That's right! Since we're on a tropical island, I'm here to do my two-man comedy routine!"

Sonia sweatdropped. "But can you do a two-man comedy routine by yourself?"

"Of course not! That's why I brought my partner," Monokuma replied as Monomi magically appeared, wearing a pink ruffled dress. She looked around in a daze.

"Ha-wa-wa-wa! What is this!?" she whimpered.

Nekomaru picked his nose, unamused. "Hmm, that figures…"

"Thank you for waiting!" Monokuma said courteously. "Now then, without further ado, I'm pleased to present 'Monokuma's Side-Splitting Live Two-Man Comedy Show'!"

"Wait! I didn't hear anything about this! Are you telling me that I have to improvise!?" Monomi said, starting to panic.

Everyone reluctantly stood in front of the stage. Hikari fingered her necklace. I hope it isn't literally a side-splitting show… The comedy show wasn't very…comical; in fact, it was downright awkward and boring.

Monokuma must've realized that he was losing his audience because the next thing he said got everyone's attention. "Believe me, it's a fact that Monomi's a villain. I'll let you in on a little secret of hers…Monomi…went out of her way to erase your memories!"

"Say what!?" cried Monomi. "…Wait, huh?"

Monokuma ignored her and continued, looking at his audience. "You guys don't remember how you got to this island, am I right? Well, that's because Monomi stole your memories!"

"W-what are you saying all of a sudden!?"

"But wait, there's more! She didn't just steal your boring memories, like how you guys got to this island. She completely took your memories of the years you spent at Hope's Peak Academy! What a shocker! Phew, I feel great now that I've shared that with you…" Hikari felt all the blood drain from her face. She looked at Monomi who was at the verge of a breakdown, nervously sweating and looking suspicious. Hikari wasn't sure if she herself was going in shock since Monokuma's voice sounded a bit distant. "Puhuhuhu…Wasn't that a huge surprise? In truth, you guys aren't freshmen students at all. You guys just thought you were because you've lost all your school memories…!" Hikari took a couple of ragged breaths before she felt a strong yet gentle arm linking with hers. She looked to her right to see Chiaki beside her, the Gamer's eyes never leaving the stuffed animals. Monokuma punched Monomi off the stage, the bear obviously done with his two-man bit.

"We don't know any of that, Seishin-san…" Chiaki whispered. "Just relax." Hikari stared at her friend before taking a deep breath, gradually regaining her composure. She took a glimpse around to find that a few of her classmates were also in disbelief regarding Monokuma's leaked information.

Nagito asked in a soft voice, "What…did he mean…?"

Monokuma pulled off his costume in a flourish and looked at the teens with a grin. "How was it? Was it funny? Or was the comedy too high brow for you?"

Byakuya frowned at Monokuma. "What…were you just saying now?"

Monokuma tilted his head. "What I was saying just now…" he chuckled, his paws covering his mouth. "Oh…you mean when I said that your school memories were completely stolen?"

Everyone was still in the skepticism phase. Ibuki laughed nervously. "T-there's no way…Cause…I just entered Hope's Peak Academy, and then I was brought to this island…right away…" People nodded, agreeing with the eccentric girl.

"That's because that's how you remember it. All thanks to Monomi stealing your school memories…"

"What are you saying!?" Hajime shouted, clenching his fists. "That's impossible!"

"Man…how many years has it been since you guys first entered Hope's Peak Academy…? I wondered what happened to your friends and family. They're probably worried sick about you…maybe?"

"Our school memories were stolen!? How ridiculous!" yelled Nekomaru, nervous sweat forming on his face.

"That's right! There's no way I have memory loss!" Kazuichi shouted at Monokuma.

Monomi looked at her students desperately, her dress gone and wearing a diaper again. "D-don't…don't listen to what he says…"

Ibuki was on the verge of a seizure, feeling overwhelmed from taking in this shocking news, her mouth foaming. "Limit breached…"

Teruteru started sweating, shaking his head. "I won't believe it…Yup, everything's okay…"

Mikan whimpered, looking at Monokuma in fear. "You're lying, r-right…? Stealing our memories…that's a lie, right? You're just trying to make fools out of us, right?"

Monokuma waved a paw, grinning evilly. "Wrong! It is not a lie. If it's a lie…then how do you explain this? The moment you arrived at Hope's Peak Academy, you all experienced a strange dizziness…"

The students stared at the stuffed animal, stunned. "Wha…? How do you know that?" questioned Hajime.

"Pupupu…that was the cut-off point. Your memories beyond that had been completely removed."

Hajime stood there, mouth agape. "W-what the hell!?"

Mikan was at the point of breaking down. So…a long time has passed…since then?"

"Impossible!" bellowed Nekomaru. "There's no way!"

Monokuma tilted his head in curiosity. "Like…why is it impossible?"

"Whether or not it's possible…there's no way we can believe it," stammered Nagito.

"No no! You just don't want to believe it, right?" Monokuma chuckled, looking quite happy. "But don't worry…I'm a generous guy! I can restore your memories to you!"

"…Huh!?" Monomi gasped.

"However…there's a catch," added Monokuma.

"Don't tell me the catch is…" Chiaki started to say.

"Pupupupu….figured it out yet?" He roared in laughter. "That's right, you guys have to kill each other! That's my bargaining point!" Hikari swore that if Chiaki wasn't holding her arm, the raven-colored hair girl undoubtedly would have fainted.

"Hwa-wa-wa!" sputtered Monomi, her paws to her cheeks in shock.

"You guys wanna know, right? You want your school memories back, right? Then you better start killing! A penny for your thoughts, and a murder for your memories!"

Byakuya tightened a fist, looking angrily at the bear. "Stop this at once…! Do you really think your delusional rambling will convince us to commit murder…?"

Mahiru glowered at Monokuma. "I don't even believe in that memory loss crap in the first place!"

Monokuma calmed down, eying everyone with an evil glint in his red eye. "But more than that, what you guys really don't believe is each other, right?"

"What do you mean…?"

"You guys don't know each other. Which means…None of you realize that there's a traitor hiding among you, right!?"

Hikari felt her heart stop. A…a traitor…? Many of her classmates looked puzzled.

Monokuma grinned. "Hey, why are there seventeen of you? Every class selected for Hope's Peak ends up being sixteen students. And…if a total of sixteen students from Hope's Peak Academy were arranged to come to this island…" He burst out laughing. "That's right! There's probably a traitor I don't even know about hiding among the group! ...Just kidding."

"What are you saying?" Fuyuhiko exasperated. "All this shit about traitors doesn't make any sense!"

"…It's obviously nonsense," agreed Peko.

"For real, you guys," Monokuma went on. "How can you be so sure? You guys don't know anything about each other. You don't know each other's true natures. That's why, if one of you is planning to kill someone, it's impossible for any one of you to know." No one was able to say anything back at him. He was right in that they hardly knew each other. Monokuma continued, looking innocent. "Even so…if there really is a traitor, isn't that gosh darn awful? Pretending to be your ally and tricking you guys…It makes sense for someone like that to get killed, right? C'mon! Make the preemptive strike! It's first come, first serve and the winner takes all! If you want to survive, you gotta find that person before they find you…Ahahahahahahaha!" Monokuma disappeared with a poof, his laughter echoing throughout the park.

Everyone stood unmoving at their spot, processing all of this into their overwhelmed minds. Mikan looked at everyone, terrified. "Is it true…? Is there really a traitor among us…?" She recoiled, her arms shielding her. "Ah! It's not me by the way! I know I may look suspicious but…it's not me!"

Nekomaru scrutinized everyone around him. "Who is it!? Hurry up and show yourself! You're only making things worse for you staying silent!"

Hikari bit her lip, feeling herself start to panic internally. What if they don't know they're the traitor…? What if it's someone who can't use their talent unless they start the killing game…? She felt a tug of her arm from Chiaki, welcoming the small distraction from her depressing thoughts.

"…Just stop," commanded Byakuya. "There's no way there's a traitor. There's no way…It's pointless to discuss something so foolish."

"T-that's right…I won't believe it…" stammered Teruteru though his body couldn't stop trembling in anxiety. "Because there's no way I can believe it…There's no reason in the first place to believe it…"

Peko stared at Monomi. "Monomi…you would know."

Monomi jumped in surprise, acting nervous. "Eh!?"

"Is what Monokuma said true? About our memory loss…and about the traitor…?"

Monomi looked even more frazzled, looking at the ground. "Um…I mean…Everyone needs to look towards the future…That's why…you shouldn't look back to the past…" She raised her arms abruptly. "Keep your eyes fixed to the future. L-let's do our very best!" With that said, she quickly ran away.

Hikari watched her, dumbfounded. What was that all about…? Look to the future…? Forget about the past…? What does this all mean? She frowned as she felt another headache coming on, her mind feeling overworked.

*Ding dong, bing bong*

The monitor next to the square mysteriously turned on to show Monokuma relaxing in his chair with his usual drink. "Ahem! Hope's Peak Academy's School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make…It is now 10:00 p.m. Please return to your rooms and relax. Let the sound of the ocean gently rock you to sleep. Now then, sweet dreams, everyone. Good niiiiiiiiiight…" Monokuma said mockingly before the monitor switched off.

Chiaki stared at the screen in a serious but quiet manner before asking, "Hey…what should we do?"

"It's better to call it a night here," Byakuya answered. "We should get some sleep…and try to keep our minds calm."

Chiaki frowned, letting go of Hikari's arm to pull up her kitty hood, looking worried. "I guess…you're right."

Byakuya observed his classmates carefully. "Just so you all know…Do not think about unnecessary things. This is your leader's order. Tomorrow morning…let's meet at the restaurant after Monokuma's morning announcement."

Everyone walked back to their cottages together in an uncomfortable silence. Once Hikari entered her cottage, she got ready for bed and decided not do a repeat of last night. Even though Hikari took a nap before the night gathering, her brain felt like mush. Her mind graciously thanked her for letting it rest as she got under her bedcovers and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

Days Left: 20
Survivors: 17