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.
Author's Note: I apologize for this chapter coming out later that I wanted to. This month was a bit of a whirlwind for me. Hopefully, the length of this chapter will help satisfy you. Please enjoy!
Chapter Six
The Night Is Young for Murder
*Ding dong, bing bong*
"Ahem," Monokuma recited his morning announcement as Hikari stretched out her body in bed, yawning loudly, eyes still shut. "Hope's Peak Academy's School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make…" The girl itched her head, squinting a couple of times, slowly getting up and walking to the bathroom. "Goooood morning, everyone! Looks like today will be another beautiful, tropical day!" The squeak of the shower faucet echoed throughout the small bathroom as the recorded announcement finished up. "Now then, let's show some enthusiasm and make sure we give it our all today!"
Hikari took her time in the shower, staring at the wall as the water cascaded down her body. Everything was just too much for her lately…losing her talent…being forced to play a killing game by an evil teddy bear…she felt like she was starting to lose it…
"Do not think about unnecessary things. This is your leader's order." Hikari blinked and took a deep breath. That's right…Togami-san wants us not to think about negative thoughts…Thinking like that won't help us at all.
After about thirty minutes, Hikari was walking into the Hotel restaurant to find Sonia, Teruteru, and Nekomaru already there. She stopped at the top of the stairs, feeling the tension in the air strangling her renewed yet flimsy hold of positivity. The Spirit Medium frowned and walked to the table Sonia was sitting at and sat down across from her, silently grabbing some orange juice. Gradually, the other students showed up and started eating breakfast.
Byakuya looked around, swallowing a huge bite of an omelet before asking, "…Is everyone here?"
Chiaki glanced around her. "…Huh? It seems Kuzuryu-san is not here yet."
"Hehe, maybe he already got killed…" Hiyoko suggested with a smirk.
"Ehhhhh!?" Ibuki screamed in panic. "Dead bodies already!?"
Peko sighed with a hint of annoyance. "Don't go killing people off…I saw him outside earlier...However, he told me that he would not be joining us this morning."
Mahiru frowned, irritated. "Jeez, why does he have to act like a lone wolf at a time like this…?"
"C-could he be planning a way to kill someone by himself…?" Kazuichi asked nervously.
Sonia gave the Mechanic a stern look. "Souda-san! You should not doubt your friend!"
Hikari blinked in surprise when fear won over infatuation with Kazuichi, the pink haired teen standing his ground towards the Princess. "Hey hey hey! He's a yakuza, isn't he? Do you understand what that means? He's part of the Japanese mafia!"
"I presume he's the kind of person who would not come even if we summoned him…I guess it can't be helped…We should just talk among ourselves. Someone can fill him in later."
"Talk?" Hajime questioned. "What are we going to talk about?"
Byakuya smirked, closing his eyes. "Rejoice…I have decided to throw a party tonight."
Everyone appeared very confused. Hikari raised an eyebrow. A party…? Is it someone's birthday? Are we celebrating something?
Byakuya stared at everyone seriously. "Just so we're clear, I will not allow any absences. Your attendance at this party is absolutely mandatory."
Hikari felt even more curious. I wonder why that is… She would have asked this out loud, but Byakuya seemed very intimidating at that moment. She preferred her head not to get bitten off, thank you very much.
"Um, hold on…" Nagito began, looking thoughtful, a hand to his chin. "I agree with Togami-san…It doesn't do us any good to stay bummed out like this…" He looked at his classmates. "In fact, because of the situation we're in, it's probably best if we all strengthen our friendships with one another." He smiled at the group leader. "That's what you thought too, right? That's why you want to throw a party."
That does make sense… Hikari thought to herself as she took a sip of her orange juice, watching the discussion quietly.
Byakuya glimpsed at Nagito. "It doesn't matter why I'm doing it…Anyway…it is of vital importance that we all stay in one place tonight."
That statement definitely raised a red flag in Hikari's mind. Why…?
Gundham seemed to share the same concern. "…You say that with such significance," he muttered, arms crossed.
"It's decided!" Byakuya declared. "We're having ourselves a party!" Hikari still felt uneasy about this, but she knew she had to go. She didn't want to seem suspicious to the others…plus, it might be fun after all. Everyone's enthusiasm for the party steadily grew as the conversation continued.
"Ah, in that case, I'll put my amazing cooking skills on display for you guys," gloated Teruteru.
"Where is the party going to be held?" Chiaki asked. "Would this restaurant be okay?"
The blonde male shook his head. "No, this won't do…We need a location that's impervious to interference from outsiders. A place even Monokuma cannot enter…What we need is an enclosed space."
"…An enclosed space?" Chiaki tilted her head in curiosity.
"If the restaurant won't do, then neither will the lobby…That's not nearly enclosed enough," informed Gundham.
Sonia looked deep in thought. "Nor will the cottages…With so many people, we would all be pressed up against each other."
Hikari nodded in agreement with Sonia. And Monokuma can enter cottages too…I learned that a couple of nights ago. However, she couldn't help imagining the party being in a cottage, with her body accidently pressed up against a certain someone… The Spirit Medium blushed furiously, grabbing her glass and chugging the rest of the juice in order to hide her face for a few seconds to cool down.
Nagito looked out a window facing an old-looking building. "Then…how about the old-looking building near this hotel?"
"Huh?" Chiaki asked, her head tilted to one side slightly. "…That run-down place?"
Nagito smiled cheerfully. "Yeah, but if we do our best to clean it, I think it'd be perfect. Plus, it's basically the only place that meets our need for an enclosed space, right?"
"Indeed. However, Monomi has forbidden us from entering that old place," Peko reminded the group. "As I recall…it is in the middle of being renovated."
"Ding, ding, ding, ding!" Monomi jumped up out of nowhere, arm raised and in good spirits. "I have heard your conversation! Heard it all with my very own ears!" She placed her paws on her hips, looking proud. "Ahem! I have good ears! Cuz I'm a rabbit!"
Byakuya examined the stuffed animal from his seat, still eating his breakfast. "Oh, so you use your ears. That's strange…"
Monomi stared at him, confused. "Huh!?"
Byakuya started to finish his third plate. "Then what is the reason for those surveillance cameras? Are they for Monokuma's eyes only?" At this, Monomi suddenly deflated, her ears drooped and tears formed in her eyes.
Ibuki leaned forward, hand over her forehead as if shading her eyes from the sun. "Ah, she looks so disappointed!"
"Well, it is of no concern…We can settle that issue another time…" Byakuya then pointed at Monomi, chopsticks in hand. "Regarding the old building! You came to tell us something about it, yes?!"
As usual, Monomi quickly recovered and smiled serenely. "Yes, if it strengthens everyone's bonds with each other, then I will not hesitate to cooperate. I shall allow it! I shall allow you all to enter the old building!" She started to get excited. "I'll cooperate so we can all party together!"
Hikari refilled her glass, frowning in thought. If Monomi can enter the old building, wouldn't Monokuma be able to get it too? Monokuma seems to definitely have the upper hand on Monomi so what would stop him from trespassing and crashing the party…?
Monomi sadly disappeared when she was clearly told she wasn't invited to the party. The group continued as if Monomi didn't even show up. Mahiru looked around at everyone. "So…we're all good with the old building?" Everyone nodded or made a noise of consent. "Then what about preparations? If it's in the middle of a renovation, don't we need to clean it first?"
Sonia's eyes lit up at the thought. "Wow! I have never done the dirty work known as 'cleaning' before. I am excited to finally experience it!"
Kazuichi quickly put a halt to that idea. "No way! There's no way we can dirty our dear princess's hands!"
Hiyoko pouted. "Awwwwwww, I don't wanna do it either!"
Hikari sipped her juice. I honestly wouldn't want to either…
Nagito grinned. "In that case, why don't we decide by a random drawing?"
"Random drawing…?" Hajime asked.
Nagito pulled seventeen chopsticks out of nowhere, holding them in both hands, covering the bottoms. "To be honest, I already prepared a drawing because I assumed something like this would happen."
The Spirit Medium sweatdropped. Don't you know what happens when you assume…?
The Luckster explained the rules of the drawing as everyone surrounded him to take a chopstick. "Whoever draws the chopstick with the red mark on it will be in charge of cleaning, okay? Does that sound fair?"
Gundham eyeballed the chopsticks in Nagito's hands. "Well the, let us entrust our destinies to the whims of this drawing!"
Mahiru nodded. "All right. Well, no hard feelings."
One by one, everyone took a chopstick out of Nagito's hands. Hikari pulled one out, her eyes closed. Please don't be red….please don't be red… She peeked one eye open to see hers did not have a red mark. The black haired girl let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Nagito caught sight of red on the last chopstick saved for him. His eyes widened in surprise. "Huh? I'm left with the red mark?!"
Hajime chuckled lightly. "For someone called the SHSL Luckster, you don't seem very lucky right now…"
Nagito smiled sheepishly, hands up. "I guess it can't be helped…Well, if it's just cleaning, leave it to me. I'm actually pretty good at it."
Mahiru smiled towards him. "I thought so. You seem like you'd make a pretty good stay-at-home dad."
"…I'll take that as a compliment."
Teruteru grinned confidently. "Then I'll handle the cooking. All right, first I need to prepare my ingredients, then I'll start cooking at the old building. I, Hanamura Teruteru, will go all out! I will prepare the world's most tastiest dishes for you all!"
"Then I just need to pass along the party details to Kuzuryu-san," Peko said.
Byakuya wiped his mouth on a cloth napkin, standing up; six dishes laid on the table with residue of food coating them. "Let's go about our business then. After Monokuma's nightly announcement, we'll meet at the old building."
Nagito walked down the stairs outside and strolled towards Rocketpunch Market, hands in his pockets. He was pretty proud of himself for holding in his elation when he realized he ended up with cleaning duty. He fondly remembered what Hajime told him…
"For someone called the SHSL Luckster, you don't seem very lucky right now…" Nagito couldn't help but crack a smile. If only you knew, Hinata-san…Well, I better take advantage of all this luck before it all comes crashing down in my face. The scheming teen walked through the market's doors, the chime informing the empty store that someone has entered. Everything is falling into place…just have to get it all ready. By the time I carry the things I need over to the old building, Hanamura-san should stay in the kitchen for a while. Then, I can grab a knife from the restaurant's kitchen…
^o^ ^o^
Hikari was cleaning her glasses in her bathroom sink, sighing heavily. She wasn't sure if she should have agreed to go jogging with Ibuki. Ibuki had the wonderful idea to jog around the animal ranch because she liked to look at the animals as background scenery. Of course that didn't last long once Ibuki decided to chase some of the animals, specifically a pig for some odd reason…Hikari had a feeling not to chase after the Musician, but like any person who didn't want their friend to face the wrath of angry farm animals, Hikari pursued the eccentric girl. That decision resulted in a swift and messy face plant into a patch of mud. When Ibuki found the Spirit Medium laying face first in the mud, she just shrugged and jumped right in next to the raven-haired girl.
A couple hours later and here she was, finally clean from her misadventure. Hikari didn't expect that to happen, but she didn't deny that it was fun. Maybe this is how it feels to have friends…to actually get into silly situations like that and laugh about it afterwards…I'm starting to like that.
Hikari didn't bother to change into her nightclothes since she was going to the party. She walked into the main room, putting on her glasses as she heard the bell.
*Ding dong, bing bong*
The monitor in the room turned on as Hikari walked to the door. "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…" Hikari made a slightly annoyed face towards the Monokuma on the screen before it shut itself off. She took this as her cue to walk over to the old building, leaving her cottage and locking the door behind her.
When the Spirit Medium entered the cabin-like structure, the first person she came across was Byakuya. He stood at the entrance with two steel cases by his feet. "You're here…" Byakuya scanned her from head to toe. "Now then, stand up straight and raise your arms."
Hikari blinked, her face turning scarlet. "W-what? Why?"
He looked down at her with an obvious look on his face. "Because I need to do a body check."
"B-body check!? Am I the only one!?" Hikari looked a bit horrified.
Byakuya scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm performing a body check on all attendees. Since I'm the one hosting this party, it's necessary for me to take all possible security measures. I already promised that I will not allow even one person to become a victim…!" His words soothed Hikari a little, but she definitely felt uncomfortable when the Affluent Progeny started searching her for any kind of dangerous items from the legs up.
Once he felt satisfied, he nodded. "…It appears you haven't brought anything dangerous."
Hikari sweatdropped. "I wouldn't…"
"Well, I'm sure of it now that I checked you. I shall allow you to enter. Everyone is gathering in the dining hall in the back. Go there and wait…"
Hikari sighed softly. "I hope you weren't that invasive with the other girls…a few of them seem to be the type that would knock you out if you touched them the wrong way…"
Byakuya crossed his arms. "I'm doing this body check on everyone in the same manner. I'm not lowering my standards of safety just to appease a certain gender."
Hikari nodded, knowing she cannot convince the blonde otherwise, walking further into the building. She passed the office and bathroom before coming across the double doors that led into the dining hall where quite a few of Hikari's classmates were already chatting with each other. She looked around the room, impressed that Nagito managed to pull off cleaning and decorating this place well. She walked to him with a smile. "Hi, Komaeda-san. You did a very good job cleaning up."
Nagito smiled. "I did say I was good at cleaning."
"Thank you for doing this, even though the job was handed off to you due to an unlucky draw."
Nagito waved his hands, looking a little uncomfortable, but still smiling. "No no, it's all right. It was my idea to hold the drawing. This is no big deal at all."
Hikari smiled understandingly and moved on to talk with the others. She sweatdropped as Akane hungrily circled each of the three tables full of food, her mouth almost drooling waterfalls. Don't worry, Owari-san…everyone's almost here… Hikari smiled empathically towards the Gymnast as more and more people started to show up.
Byakuya walked into the room after everyone seemed to be present. "…Thank you for waiting," said the large teen. "Hanamura-san is in the kitchen, and…it appears that Kuzuryu-san did not come."
Peko closed her eyes, frowning. "I apologize. I did inform him about the party, but…"
Mahiru looked at the swordswoman reassuringly. "It's not like you need to apologize, Pekoyama-san. It's his fault for not coming…"
Byakuya seemed mildly annoyed concerning Fuyuhiko's absence. "I explicitly stated that attendance was mandatory, but…It's fine…If it's just one person, that shouldn't pose a problem…He won't be able to do anything."
Peko stared at him. "…What do you mean by that?"
Byakuya glanced over at the food tables, something catching his eye. "More importantly…hm?" His body tensed up as he glared at one of the tables. "Hey, what is that!?" He pointed straight at a table with food pierced by iron skewers. "…Dangerous." He stomped angrily toward the table and furiously grabbed the three iron skewers that held huge chunks of cooked meat.
Hajime blinked in surprise. "H-hey! What are you doing!?" he asked as Byakuya rapidly ate the seasoned portions of meats from the skewers.
Akane gawked at the scene happening before her, her eyes involuntarily starting to tear up. "You're hoggin' all the food! No fair!"
"No, I'm not…!" Byakuya replied with food in his mouth, still eating away.
"I don't care what you say, but you're totally pigging out!" Mahiru shouted, sweatdropping.
"I'm telling you, I'm not…! Look carefully at this dish."
"Looks like delicious roasted meat…" answered Nekomaru. Hikari was even starting to feel hungry from hearing how appetizing that meat sounded.
"And just what is stabbed into this roasted meat?" asked Byakuya.
Hikari tilted her head. "Obviously, iron skewers…"
"That's right. These iron skewers are definitely dangerous items. I must take full responsibility and collect them!"
Teruteru walked into the dining hall, happy that he was able to showcase his talent to everyone. "Heeeeey! Looks like everyone's here! I should go ahead and bring out the rest of the food…huh?" He saw that many of his friends were surrounding Byakuya who was finishing off the meat from the second skewer. Teruteru started to quiver, starting to sweat nervously. "Whaaaaaaaa-!?"
Byakuya tore into the food on the third skewer. "Who made this dish…?"
"That would be me, but…um…Are you a food critic…?" the Chef questioned apprehensively.
"What are you plotting? Cooking with such dangerous items…"
The shorter man started shaking again. "D-Dangerous…? That's churrasco, a South American meal where you stab meat on an iron skewer to cook it…It felt very tropical and exotic, so I thought that it would totally fit the party's atmosphere."
Byakuya swallowed his last bite of the meat and held the three iron skewers cautiously. "…These iron skewers are a problem."
"Eh!? Iron skewers aren't allowed either!?"
Byakuya studied Teruteru's reaction. "Tch…If that's how you're acting, then there might be more skewers than just these…" The group leader started walking towards the room's exit, passing by Hajime. "Hey…Hinata-san. Come with me. I need your help."
Hajime gaped at Byakuya's retreating back. "…W-why me!?" Nevertheless, the boy went after him. Teruteru scampered after the two, visibly sweating with anxiety.
Mahiru crossed her arms. "I wonder what that was about…" Peko looked pensive, staring at the doors.
Hikari glanced at the other bespectacled female. I think she's still concerned about what Togami-san said about how Kuzuryu-san's absence doesn't matter since it's only one person…But what does that mean? Are we all together for a specific reason besides having a party? Does Togami-san want to keep an eye on all of us tonight? Does he think that someone's in danger?
The three boys returned about fifteen minutes later. "Ah, they're finally back!" Mahiru exclaimed.
Akane looked at Byakuya, hand on her hip, not looking too happy. "Let's eat already! I'm starvin'!"
Byakuya scanned the room of his classmates. "…There's still an issue we need to address first."
Akane stared at him in devastation. "Awww! An issue?" She recovered her composure and started to crack her knuckles. "Who do I gotta beat the crap outta? Just say the word, I'll do it for ya!"
Hikari deadpanned. Does she always resort to violence to solve problems?
Byakuya shook his head. "That won't be necessary…The issue is where to safeguard this duralumin case that has all the confiscated dangerous items."
"Can't we just leave it here?" Kazuichi asked.
"I've already put a lock on the case, so it shouldn't be a problem, but…we should definitely up the security and keep it some place safe."
"Um, some place safe…Oh! There is a storage room at the back of this old building," Sonia suggested.
Byakuya pushed his glasses closer to his face. "I see…A storage room, huh? Even so, we can't leave the case alone in there."
Peko looked contemplatively towards Byakuya. "Then someone should guard it. That would keep it safe, yes?"
Hikari frowned slightly. Meaning someone would miss out on the party…
Peko crossed her arms, her mind made up. "…I'll do it, of course."
The Spirit Medium looked troubled. "Are you sure? You're going to miss the party…"
Ibuki nodded and added, "And you're gonna be lonely all by yourself."
Peko closed her eyes. "I don't mind…I'm really not that good in situations where I have to be around lots of people anyway."
Ibuki seemed to understand the Swordswoman's reasoning because she lit up with a smile. "Nahaha, if I wrote a song about this, the title would definitely be 'Lonely girl in the Storage Room.'"
"However, Teruteru has gone to the trouble of cooking…is it all right for me to bring some of it with me?" the braided girl requested.
Teruteru beamed. "Yeah, it's totally fine!"
Nagito placed a hand to his chin in thought. "But…if you're going to do guard duty anyway, it might be better if you avoid the storage room."
"Why is that?" asked Hajime.
"Well, not only is the storage room packed with lots of stuff, it's hard to see in there and full of cobwebs…" The Luckster smiled nonchalantly. "Also, I was so busy cleaning the dining hall that I didn't even have time to clean the storage room."
"If you stayed in there for a long time…I think it would be bad for your health."
"In that case…why don't you guard it in the office?" recommended Byakuya. "If I recall correctly, there's also a circuit breaker in there, too. It'd be a good idea to guard that as well."
"Yeah, the office sounds nice," agreed Nagito. "I'm pretty sure it's not that dirty, either."
"…Understood. So I need to be on guard duty in the office," stated Peko. "Then, I should get going. Have fun tonight, everyone." She took a plate, placing some food on it before going to the duralumin case, picking it up by the handle with her free hand and walked out of the dining hall.
Ibuki closed her eyes, grinning. "Mmmm, seeing Pekoyama-san's back as she walks away make me feel like she's got this super cool, melancholy vibe…"
I definitely agree, Mioda-san, Hikari thought as she watched Peko leave as well.
"But shouldn't she have taken that other case with her, too?" Hiyoko asked, looking puzzled.
"This…" Byakuya started, carrying the second case by the handle in his plump hand. "…No, this case is fine."
"Ah, no fair! You're, like, the only one who got to bring their own stuff."
He raised an eyebrow and looked at her condescendingly. "When you're as special as me…you get special privileges." Everyone sweatdropped. Byakuya explained further. "This duralumin case stays with me at all times. I've put the key to the other case in here as well. I will take full responsibility for watching over it. There's no way I can let anyone else handle this matter."
Akane was more focused on the food on the table, drooling. "More importantly…We're all done now, right? Let's start the party..." Hikari could tell that Akane was jealous that Byakuya already started eating the food minutes ago and that Peko walked off with food and was most likely eating as they spoke.
Though, once again, Byakuya kept the group discussion alive. "No, there's still more."
Again, Akane cracked her knuckles. "Ugh, who do you want me to beat the crap outta!? Hurry up and tell me already!"
Hajime sighed exasperatedly. "Seriously, it has nothing to do with that…"
Byakuya looked at Akane. "Actually…if you're volunteering, I do have one particular nuisance in mind.
"Huh? Are you talking about…?"
Monokuma, right? Hikari finished Hajime's question mentally.
Byakuya confirmed Hikari's guess. "Monokuma, of course. He's the one thing that could obviously disrupt this party."
The gymnast started to grin, stretching her arms, getting charged up. "Awwww riiiiiiight! So you'll let me eat if I beat the crap outta Monokuma, right!?"
Nekomaru stared at her apprehensively, hands on his hips. "Hold on. If you actually pick a fight with that thing, you're just going to end up perforated…"
Akane glared at the SHSL Team Manager since he blocked her way out of the room. "Are you tellin' me to wait till I starve to death!? Move!"
Mahiru sweatdropped. "Hey…starve to death!? That's a little extreme…!"
"Our opponent is not someone we can actually fight. Rather, it's better if we use our heads and think of a plan…" the Affluent Progeny stated.
Chiaki piped up after a moment of silence. "Hey hey…I'll do something about it." Everyone turned to her with a range of surprised reactions.
"Do something…? You…?" the group leader asked, stunned.
Kazuichi frowned. "Hey now…What can a girl like you do? You're just gonna put yourself in danger."
Chiaki blinked. "Nope, I won't. It's not like I'll personally do something."
Hiakari tilted her head, confused. "You won't…?"
Gundham chuckled, his eyes closed. "…Do you intend to utilize Monomi?"
Chiaki nodded. "Yup, if I can talk her into helping us…"
Oh, I get it. Nanami will have Monomi distract Monokuma or at least prevent him from crashing the party. She can't die so she's our best bet.
Some of the girls completely agreed with Chiaki's idea of using the pink rabbit to their advantage.
Nagito seemed troubled. "But will you really be okay, Nanami-san? I still think it's dangerous…"
Chiaki smiled softly. "I'm going to be fine. If things get dangerous, I'll just run away as fast as I can." She started walking away, giving a wave to everyone. "…Well then, I'll be going now."
Hikari frowned, starting to feel lonely when Chiaki left. I really wanted to hang out with her at the party…Maybe I should go with her… She took one step and felt her stomach rumble. The Spirit Medium sweatdropped when she realized she didn't eat much today. Maybe after I eat a little…
Finally, after the long-winded discussion, the party began. Hikari didn't think it would be much fun since no one really knew each other. However, almost everyone present had such big personalities that it offset any impending awkward silences. She was so distracted by her classmates' antics that her plan to join Chiaki faded from her mind.
"Hey, are we good? Can I finally eat?" Akane asked as she bit into a piece of juicy watermelon.
Kazuichi facepalmed. "You're already eating!"
Akane laughed, tears of joy in her eyes as she took a huge bite from a piece of meat still on a bone. "Haha…hahahaha…I-I can't stop…Hahahaha! I can't stop my hands from shovin' food into my face!"
Teruteru beamed proudly, puffing out his chest. "Of course you can't stop. These are the world's most tastiest party dishes, after all. No matter how full you feel, you can't help but continue eating such exquisite delicacies…That is what I cook, the world's tastiest dishes!"
Mikan wrung her hands nervously. "T-that's rather scary…"
"…You're not eating? Then I'm gonna eat this all by myself!" Akane proclaimed with food in her mouth.
Ibuki gasped. "Leave some food for us!"
Teruteru smiled. "Don't worry. I'll make lots more in the kitchen, and then I'll bring it all out here, okay?"
Mahiru called out. "Hey everyone! While we're at it, why don't I take pictures for you guys?"
Sonia looked delighted. "Wow, that sounds wonderful! Please do!"
Hikari couldn't help by giggle from Akane's reactions to the delicious food as the black-haired girl stood next to Hajime, getting a glass of sparkling water for herself. Their hands collided with each other as Hajime was going for the same drink. The two teens looked at each other and chuckled awkwardly. "Go ahead, Seishin-san," Hajime offered, gesturing to the drink. "I'll grab some mango juice."
Hikari blushed lightly. "Are you sure?"
Hajime nodded with a smile, picking up a glass of juice. Hikari felt her body temperature rise as she slowly picked up the glass of water, staring at it. When she dared to take a glimpse at her crush, he was looking at everyone with a peaceful face. She blushed deeply, staring at him, mesmerized by his aura of serenity at that moment. It was as if they weren't stranded on this island or forced to participate in a killing game, but were just teenagers socializing at a party.
Luckily, Hikari caught herself before Hajime noticed the Spirit Medium ogling him. The girl cleared her throat and said shyly, "U-um…a toast of friendship?" she raised her glass slightly.
Hajime blinked and smiled. "Sure. To friendship." They both smiled calmly as their glasses met with a clink.
*Snap!*
Hikari almost jumped a foot when she heard the snap of a camera and saw a brief flash. She looked around and saw Mahiru moving the camera away from her face, smiling. "Awww…you two look so cute together." Hajime blinked, feeling his cheeks start to burn lightly as Hikari put her glass of water on the back table that held the lone lamp. Hikari then walked quickly to the Photographer and pulled her away from the group. "H-hey!" Mahiru cried out in surprise.
Hikari led Mahiru to a corner of the room, Byakuya's eyes glued to them with suspicion, but stayed at his post with the case by his feet.
"What are you doing, Seishin-san?" Mahiru asked, pulling free from Hikari's grip.
Hikari clasped her hands. "I'm sorry, but…" She took a deep breath. "It's just…I think…"
Mahiru put a hand on her hip, smiling knowingly. "You like him, huh?"
Hikari stared at the floor, focusing on the thin gaps between the floorboards. "I don't even know if…it's really…I never liked anyone like that…" Hikari felt her face burn as she felt her eyes water from embarrassment, waiting for the incoming teasing. What she didn't expect was receiving a hug from the Photographer.
"Don't worry," the redhead soothed Hikari, pulling away with a smile. "I won't tell anyone if you're not comfortable."
Hikari brightened up. "Really? Thank you, Koizumi-san."
Mahiru smiled sheepishly. "Hey now, we're friends. You can call me Koizumi. Can I do the same?"
Hikari felt her body grow light. This is what it feels like to be officially called a friend? She smiled happily, nodding. "Of course….Koizumi…Oh!" The Spirit Medium took a step towards Mahiru. "Um, can you do me a favor, Koizumi? If you don't want to, it's okay…I understand." Mahiru raised an eyebrow curiously.
A couple minutes later, Hikari walked to the back of the room towards her drink. She walked by Nekomaru and Hajime as she quietly placed a photo into her pocket. Hikari jumped when Nekomaru bellowed, "Shitting my pants would totally shame me as a MAAAAANNNNNNNNN!" Everyone was staring at the extremely uncomfortable looking muscled young man.
Hajime sweatdropped. "…So he was talking about the toilet!"
Byakuya had his arms crossed, looking annoyed. "If you need to use the bathroom, there is one in this old building. Why do you need to go back to your cottage?"
The Team Manager clenched his fists, sweat starting to form on his face. "I…I've been trying to use it many times…but the door just won't open at all!"
Hikari stood by the back table, blinking. This situation sounds familiar…didn't the same thing happen to him when we were in the classroom?
Suddenly, Gundham let out a shocked gasp. "W-what is this blasphemy…!?"
Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes tightly. "…What now?"
Gundham looked around him frantically. "M-my Hell Hound Earring…has disappeared! Did it vanish into subspace!?"
"Calm down…You probably just dropped it somewhere."
Nekomaru began moving in place, his face starting to contort. "Oh shit! I'm gonna SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!"
"Shut up! Don't you dare!"
Akane continued to eat enormous amounts of food. "Heeeeeeey, is it really alright if I eat all of this?"
"D-Don't be an idiot!" scolded Byakuya. "Make sure you leave some for me!"
Mahiru held up her camera, smiling. "Heey Togami-san! Everyone c'mon! I'm gonna take a picture!" She placed the camera in front of her face. "All right, say 'cheeeeeeeeeese!'" The redhead quickly tapped her finger on the flash button of her camera.
*Snap!*
Byakuya looked at everyone around him with frustration. "Hey! Why can't you all act a little more mature…?"
*Beep beep!*
Byakuya blinked, confused. "…Hm? What was that sound just now?"
*Bzzap!*
All the lights in the building unexpectedly turned off, leaving everyone literally in the dark. However, as expected in these situations, everyone started to panic.
"Ah! It's a b-blackout!" one of the girls cried out. Hikari wasn't sure which one said it. Hikari was standing in front of the back table, so as long as she had a hand on the tabletop, she knew where she was in the room.
"Hey, I can't see anything!" a boy (Souda-san probably… Hikari thought) exclaimed.
Hikari stayed still as a statue as she heard the voices of her classmates move around the room.
"E-everyone, calm down! We gotta stay calm in a situation like this!" the same feminine voice called out anxiously.
Well, everyone is definitely not calming down… Hikari thought as she heard one of the girls shout at someone for stepping on her.
Byakuya's voice was clearly picked up by Hikari, Hikari being used to hearing him talk for what seemed like hours at a time. "What the hell!? What's going on here!?"
All of a sudden, Hikari felt herself being shoved hard away from the table. She fell to the floor on her side hard. "Ahhh!" she yelped as she felt her glasses slide off from the impact. The girl winced as she got on all fours, groping the floor for her glasses. This is just great… she thought bitterly. What else could go wrong?
After an agonizingly long couple of minutes, the lights turned back on.
*Zap!*
Hikari was still crawling around, still searching for her glasses. She wasn't completely blind without them, but everything was all a blur to her.
"Seishin-san, here," Hajime's voice reached her ears as he knelt on one knee, placing the glasses into her hand. "Luckily, they didn't break amid the chaos…" he said half-heartedly, still recovering from the pandemonium himself.
Hikari's cheeks turned pink. "T-thank you, Hinata-san…" Hajime helped her up as she put on her glasses to find a shocking scene before them. "W-What the…!?"
Mikan was laying on her back, her hands wrapped up above her head with sausage links, her legs spread out. Fortunately for the Nurse, a platter of assorted foods covered her lower area. Another chain of sausage links bound one of her legs and a variety of food and drinks surrounded the poor girl.
"I-I'm sorry! I tripped again!" Mikan whimpered, tears in her eyes.
Hajime sweatdropped. "S-seriously…? How do you trip and land like that!?"
Hiyoko laughed. "Yay! An erotic pose!"
Mikan shrieked. "Eek…Noooooooo…P-please don't! Please don't look at me!"
Ibuki burst into a fit of giggles. "Eeeeeeeeeeee-hehehehe! I can't take this at all…! Mahiru! It's time to snap some shots!"
Hikari rolled her eyes, walking to Mikan, muttering, "Honestly…you all just stand there and gawk when Tsumiki-san is in a bad position…"
Mikan sobbed as Hikari helped Mikan get up, putting the platter of food aside and untangling the sausage links from her. "Please forgive me…! Just forgive me alreaadyyyyy!" Mikan cried. "I'm terribly sorry for all this trouble…so sorry!"
Hikari looked at Mikan. "There's nothing for you to apologize for. Just relax." Mikan sniffled as Mahiru nodded.
"Yeah, from now on…just be careful," Mahiru advised.
Kazuichi walked into the dining hall, hands on his hips. "Oh, I'm glad! The lights are back on here, too!"
Hiyoko smiled, throwing up her arms. "Yay! So you were the one who fixed the breaker, Souda-san! You were unusually useful this time!"
Kazuichi scratched his cheek, sweatdropping. "Well, no…I couldn't find my way to the office with the circuit breaker…"
Mahiru blinked. "Huh? Then why are the lights back on…?"
Kazuichi laughed weakly. "Who knows…"
"What? Are you stupid!?" Mahiru berated. "Don't 'who knows' me! You're so useless!"
"Argh! It's not my fault, you know! There's no way I could've found my way to the office in that darkness!" Kazuichi verbally fought back.
Sonia scanned the room, looking puzzled. "Oh, my…"
Nagito smiled, a hand on his hip. "What's wrong, Nevermind-san…Did something happen?"
"No…Togami-san is missing. Did he go somewhere?"
Nagito seemed at a loss of words. "…Eh? Togami-san?"
Everyone looked around the room. "That's weird…H-he was here earlier…right?" Mahiru asked weakly.
Hikari nodded. "Yeah…I heard him during the blackout…"
Ibuki poked her index fingers together. "Um…did he run off somewhere…during that time…?"
"In that pitch blackness…?" asked a doubting Hajime.
"I'm…a little worried. We should split up and go look for him," suggested Nagito. "I'll look in the storage room." He walked off as the others started to leave the room to search for their leader. The only one who stayed behind was Akane who was still munching on the food that wasn't spoiled by Mikan's fall.
Hikari walked to the office with Kazuichi. The pink-haired boy opened the door and the two walked in to find…an empty room.
"Huh? Isn't Pekoyama-san supposed to be in here guarding the case?" Hikari asked her classmate.
He fiddled with the hem of his beanie. "Very suspicious…in any case, Togami-san isn't here." Hikari nodded solemnly. After another quick glimpse around the room, they walked out and headed back to the dining room.
Hikari frowned. "I was sure he would've went to the office…if not to fix the breaker, then to make sure the case of dangerous items was not tampered with…"
Kazuichi shrugged. "Maybe…"
Some of the classmates, who seemed concerned now, looked up when they saw Hikari and Kazuichi enter the dining hall. Hikari frowned more, shaking her head. "He wasn't in the office…"
A couple minutes later, Hajime walked in, being the last person who came back from the search.
Nagito turned towards the brunette. "Ah, Hinata-san! How did it go?" Everyone stared at him, waiting for his answer.
Hajime's eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement, noting that it seemed Byakuya was not found by anyone else here, the huge presence still missing. "Well, when I talked to Nanami-san, she said that he didn't go outside…"
Nagito looked uneasy. "That's weird…No one was inside the storage room either."
Teruteru, being present in the room now because he heard Byakuya was missing, said, "He wasn't in the kitchen, obviously."
Kazuichi itched his cheek nervously. "No one was in the office…"
Sonia tilted her head. "…Nobody was in the office?"
Hiyoko blinked. "Huh? What about Pekoyama-san? I thought she was supposed to be in there guarding a case."
Hikari crossed her arms. "No…we didn't see Pekoyama-san there…"
Mahiru looked surprised. "What? Even Pekoyama-san's gone too?"
Teruteru rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Maybe the two took advantage of the blackout to have themselves a major makeout session in the bathroom…?" He snorted at the thought. "Totally, totally outrageous!"
Hikari sweatdropped, closing her eyes. "I seriously doubt that…they don't seem like the type to do that."
Akane paused from eating, sniffing the air like an animal. "…Hm? Hmmmmmm?"
Sonia watched her curiously. "Um…Owari-san, did something happen?"
She continued sniffing, closing one eye. "Well…Do any of you…smell somethin'?"
Mikan fiddled her fingers together nervously. "You see…w-when partially digested food is absorbed by the small intestine, it's decomposed by bacteria, releasing gas…which is mostly absorbed in the intestinal tract, but whatever cannot be absorbed is excreted from the anus. Th-those are the mechanics of farting…But…farting isn't something to be embarrassed about!"
Hikari scrunched her face in disgust. I hope to whatever gods are out there that Nidai did not do what I think he did…
Akane studied the room carefully, a hand on her hip. "No, I'm not talkin' about that…" She looked at the group. "…It smells like blood."
Everyone stood there in a daze. "…Blood!?" Hajime shouted.
Akane sniffed the air some more, her nose pointing upwards. She then directed everyone to the back table. "It's comin' from over there!" Everyone stared at the table in silence, no one daring to take the first step. Hajime took a deep breath and slowly walked to the table with the lamp. Hikari felt a knot forming in her chest, but had the courage to follow Hajime. Everyone else moved closer to them, but still stayed a distance away, observing what might happen next.
"The smell of blood…What in the world…is at that table?" Hajime whispered to himself, Hikari barely making out what he was saying. She noticed that her glass of sparkling water was tipped over, the contents dampening the cloth on top of the table.
Akane tensed up. "It's…under there…!"
Hajime raised an eyebrow. "Under…the table?" He knelt down in front of the table, hesitant to lift the tablecloth. Hikari stood behind him, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder, staring ahead at the tablecloth Hajime clenched fearfully in his hand. He closed his eyes shut. "There's no way that's going to happen!" He lifted the tablecloth quickly with a shout.
Hikari's eyes widened and felt that her heart leapt up into her throat. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Her hand gripped Hajime's shoulder so hard that her knuckles were turning white. She couldn't see his reaction…she didn't want to. However, if she were to guess, it might have been similar to hers. What laid before them underneath the table were a knife, a pair of night-vision goggles, and the body of their classmate and friend, Togami Byakuya, the SHSL Affluent Progeny.
Days Left: 19
Survivors: 16
