Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Danganronpa series. I only own Hikari Seishin and her family. I also do not own any video games I mention in this fanfic.

Note: I try to make the story as canon as I can with obvious creative liberties. Please let me know if any of the original cast is OOC and I will do my best to fix it.

Author's Note: Sorry the update took longer than I wanted, I was out of commission for a whole week before the national shutdown (luckily, I only had a bad sinus infection). Also, I did not even plan to post this chapter coinciding with the shutdowns, it just sorta happened. Please make sure to keep social distancing to prevent the spread of the outbreak. Stay healthy, safe and help one another!

Chapter Twenty

In Quarantine

The next morning Hajime walked into the hotel lobby to see his two friends, Chiaki and Hikari, at their usual spot by the arcade machine. This time was slightly different since it was Hikari who was playing, Chiaki standing next to her. Hajime watched as Chiaki gave the Spirit Medium advice as he strolled over to them. "You need to go there… Oh, you fell. It's all right, you have another chance…" Chiaki blinked and turned to Hajime once she noticed him coming. "G'morning…Hinata…"

"Yeah…morning…" he murmured, looking exhausted and gloomy. He didn't get any sleep last night, his mind was racing with worries about Nekomaru the whole time he laid in bed.

Chiaki glanced at Hikari who was starting a new game, her eyes focused on the screen and tongue sticking out in concentration. The Gamer pulled Hajime away and held a hand to her cheek as she whispered to the boy, "I finally managed to distract Seishin from her sad thoughts about Nidai." She nodded matter-of factly, clenching her fists in front of her. "Being depressed won't help. Let's believe in Nidai. C'mon, feel better." Chiaki locked eyes with Hajime's expectantly as if she was silently telling him to be strong not just for his sake but for Hikari's.

Hajime frowned. I…I really don't think I can be right now… Chiaki frowned slightly, gripping her backpack straps on instinct before turning back to Hikari as Hajime continued on his way to the restaurant upstairs.

A couple of minutes later, Chiaki blinked as she noticed Mikan running through the lobby frantically towards the stairs, noticing Ibuki's mismatched and holey thigh highs and white shoes going up the steps ahead of the Nurse. When the "Game Over" screen flashed in front of Hikari's eyes, she stepped away from the arcade machine and let out a deep breath, her fingers cramping up from holding the controls tensely. Chiaki looked at Hikari, the Gamer tilting her head to the side. "Wanna eat?"

Hikari nodded slowly, flexing her fingers trying to get rid of the stiffness in her bones. "Sure…" The two girls were halfway up the flight of stairs when they heard a voice they never liked to hear coming from the floor above.

"My goodness! That's obviously bad!" Monokuma exclaimed cheerily. The Spirit Medium and the Gamer stared at each other before storming up the stairs to the restaurant.

"Monokuma…! For him to appear right now, does that mean this is…?" Hajime shouted as Hikari and Chiaki reached their destination and surveyed the room. A worried Hajime and Mikan stood near Nagito, Ibuki, and Akane while Hiyoko kept her distance, the smallest girl wearing a hint of concern as Monokuma stood on the table closest to Hajime.

"Whoa there, can you just wait a second for the explanation? The others are on their way, too!"

Hikari raised an eyebrow, starting to feel her heart drop. Explanation…? For what…? The sudden sound of crying from Akane immediately brought Hikari's attention to the Gymnast. "Owari? Are you okay…?" Hikari asked gently, slowly approaching the weeping young woman as Hikari heard thundering footsteps coming from both flights of stairs towards the restaurant.

"I-I'm so scared…" Akane blubbered as she flinched away from a confused Hikari. "D-Don't hurt me…!"

Th-This isn't like Owari at all! What's going on!? Hikari thought with an alarmed look on her face as she quickly retracted her hand in mid-action of patting Akane's shoulder. By that point, the other teens reached the dining area.

"N-Now what!?" Kazuichi asked with much apprehension, rubbing his hand against his beanie.

Fuyuhiko gritted his teeth, his whole body tense. "I heard it from Monokuma… Looks like…something strange's going on again?"

Chiaki frowned, a hand to her chest. "Did…something happen, you guys?" Her light pink eyes wandered to Hajime with concern even though her question was directed at everyone.

Monokuma looked around and nodded to himself. "Looks like everyone's here! Now then, let's start with the explanation…" However, before Monokuma could continue, Monomi popped up out of nowhere angrily next to the bear.

"Wait! H-Hold on!" she cried out, her paws in the air. "Monokuma! You're pulling a prank again, aren't you!? And what happened to Nekomaru!? Hurry up and return him first, you robber bear!"

"Nekomaru…are you talking about the boy who turns into a woman when he gets splashed with water?" the creepy stuffed animal asked innocently, tilting his head with a paw to his cheek.

"Who the heck is that, you stupid brother!? Nekomaru doesn't have a weird ability like that!" Finally, Monokuma slugged Monomi hard in the face which sent her flying off the table they were standing on and across the room. "Ugyaaaaaaaa!"

"Jeeez! Shuuuuut up!" he complained loudly, no longer able to withstand Monomi's incessant ability to pester him at that time. Still annoyed, Monokuma turned to the teens. "Now that I've shut up the nuisance, let's get back to the topic at hand. Though…" His behavior abruptly changed from grumpy to giddy as he continued talking, his paws covering his mouth in an attempt to hide any incoming giggles. "I'm pretty sure you guys have already noticed since you're all so quick-witted!"

Hajime paled slightly. "So…it's just as I thought…the true identity of this high fever is…"

"That's right, this is the new motive that I've given you! This is the Despair Disease!" The bear started laughing hysterically, leaning his head back, his paws holding his belly.

Hikari looked at Monokuma very confused. High fever? The new motive is the Despair Disease…?

Monokuma calmed down a little in order to explain further. "You know, there are extremely tiny insects that can't be seen with the naked eye living on this island… It's not like I added them recently. I just never told you about them. Anyway, the endemic disease spread by these insects is called the Despair Disease!"

"D-Despair Disease…" Mikan squeaked in a frightened voice, trembling. "I've never heard of…such a thing…!"

"Then lemme tell you about it! As the name suggests, the Despair Disease is… A reaaaally annoying disease where you get a high fever, along with various symptoms that are full of despair! Those symptoms are different based on the person… For instance, Nagito is afflicted by the Liar Disease… Akane has the Coward Disease… Ibuki has the Gullible Disease, I guess?"

Fuyuhiko looked very troubled, gritting his teeth. "They just had to get symptoms that are the opposite of their normal personalities…except for Komaeda…"

Monokuma inspected everyone carefully, looking pensive. "Hmmm… It's not like all you guys are down with the sickness yet… But be careful~!" he warned in a higher pitched voice mockingly. "Sometimes the Despair Disease can get passed from person to person just like a cold!" All of the healthy teens suddenly felt as if the wind got knocked out of them.

"Y-You mean it is contagious?" Sonia asked breathlessly, her skin turning white as snow.

"Puhuhu… Don't put your guard down just because you don't have the disease," the evil bear giggled behind his paws. "It'd be awful if everyone got sick…"

Hikari bit her bottom lip nervously. That would definitely be a big problem… I'm a bit glad I didn't touch anyone infected…

"Let's run, Sonia-san!" Kazuichi shouted hysterically, grabbing the Princess's delicate hand. "It'd be terrible if you caught the lowly disease of the common folks!" Hikari sweatdropped as the Mechanic yelped in pain and immediately let go of Sonia to nurse his ankle. The Spirit Medium barely spotted the blur of fur which sped from inside of Kazuichi's pant leg towards the SHSL Breeder who stood stoically in the back of the group, arms crossed. Gundham let a small smirk escape his lips as he listened to Kazuichi's howl of agony, Maga-Z climbing onto his master's shoulder and covered his mouth as if hiding a snicker.

"Let's run away! I don't wanna catch such a weird disease!" screamed a panicked Hiyoko.

Chiaki stared at Monokuma with a serious expression. "And why…is that a motive? Are you saying that a killing will occur soon, after everyone falls into a crazy state?"

"Phew!" the bear sighed wistfully. "Isn't this quite a novel idea? A killing that occurs when everyone has a completely different personality! Think of all the murder tricks!"

"…I-Is there a way to treat it?" Hajime asked slowly and with an apprehensive tone.

"Why…is there a need to treat it?" Monokuma asked, tilting his head to the side innocently. "I mean, this Despair Disease isn't supposed to make you suffer. It's a disease that cures your soft hearts! Your soft hearts towards killing! And with this, you can finally take the plunge and commit murderrrr!" He started to laugh uproariously, his paws on his stomach.

Fuyuhiko angrily brandished a fist towards the stuffed animal. "You…you bastard, you better stop talking about this bullshit!"

"…It's all my fault…" Akane cried intensely, tears running nonstop. "I'm sorry I'm always bothering you…"

Hikari felt her heart break as she watched the Gymnast act completely out of character. If only I could just give her a hug and tell her that everything will be okay… The Spirit Medium closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose once she heard Nagito's voice. No, I have to stay calm. I don't want to scare Owari any more than she already is. Let the others deal with him.

"Owari, Komaeda, Mioda…you guys stay put!" Hajime instructed, clearly rattled by this unexpected situation.

Nagito cheerfully turned to the exasperated brown-haired boy. "You're wrong…I'm not Komaeda… To tell you the truth…Komaeda Nagito's a fake name. I'm sorry I've kept it a secret till now."

Hikari looked at the Luckster as if he grew another head. Wh-What the…!? Is Komaeda being serious or is he lying? It really doesn't help that his strain is called the Liar Disease.

"Maaan, whatever, I feel so great today!" Nagito exclaimed despite his pale skin turning even whiter. "This Despair Disease is awesome! Despair! Despair! Despair! Despair! Despair!" He started laughing hysterically, his light green-grey eyes becoming crazed. "It's amazing! You all should get it, too! We're all done for! There's no such thing as hope! We all have to die from this Despair Disease…" The Spirit Medium felt her body tense up as Nagito's laughter subsided. The feverish teen stepped back, gripping his white locks weakly as sweat poured down his skin. "That's…the…o…nly…way…" he sputtered before he collapsed onto his back.

"Whoa! He collapsed!" Kazuichi shouted in shock.

Mikan rushed to the sickly teen's side. "K-Komaeda!?" Hikari completely forgot that Monokuma was still present until she heard his childish giggles.

"Puhuhu, now that I've give you a new motive, how will things develop?" the bear pondered excitedly. "Will the killing start after everyone gets the Despair Disease…? Or even before that…? I'm soooooo excited about it, I'm just gonna stand around naked! Juuuuuuust kidding…I'm always naked." Hikari gave Monokuma a deadpan stare as he jumped off the table and disappeared.

"H-Hey!" Hajime called out to the stuffed animal but to no avail. He whipped around to Mikan who let out a panicked shriek as she hovered over the unconscious Nagito.

"Th-This is bad!" Mikan fretted as she took some napkins from a nearby table. "Komaeda is foaming at the mouth!"

Hiyoko gasped in disgust. "She's right! I've never even seen foam that color before!" The Nurse swiftly wiped Nagito's mouth with the napkins as everyone looked on very concerned about not only Nagito but also what the disease would do to them.

Hikari bit her bottom lip nervously. I never really got terribly ill before. Being this sick looks very…unpleasant. Is everyone going to die by this illness? Death by illness has never been peaceful, huh, Onee-san…

"In this case, the color doesn't matter, so let's hurry him over to the hospital!" Mikan advised urgently.

Hajime nodded and ran over to Mikan and Nagito. "…Got it! I'll help out!"

"Please wait!" Sonia begged politely as Hajime hoisted up Nagito onto the plain boy's back. "Um…what should we do about Owari and Mioda?"

Fuyuhiko sighed a little. "We're definitely going to bring them too… We don't know what they'll do if we leave them alone."

Hikari agreed with a nod. "Not only that, but what if this Despair Disease causes them to get as sick as Komaeda?"

The Yakuza walked up to the two ill-stricken girls with his hands in his pockets. "…Hey bastards, can you walk?"

Kuzuryuu still has some social skills to work on… Hikari thought as she sweatdropped slightly at Fuyuhiko's approach towards Ibuki and Akane.

Ibuki happily saluted the blond boy nonetheless. "Allow me to confirm! I just have to alternate the movements of my left and right leg, correct!?"

"Waaaaaaaaaah…hold on…I-I'll walk so don't leave me…!" Akane bawled as she saw everyone start to walk out of the restaurant.

"Th-Then…let's go!" Hajime called back as he shifted Nagito's body against him a bit in order to get comfortable enough to haul the Luckster all the way to the hospital.

Hikari smiled sadly as she rubbed Akane's back assuredly, the two girls bringing up the rear of the moving group of teens. "Don't worry, Owari. You won't be left behind. I'll stay with you." Choked sobs were the only reply the Spirit Medium got in return before she realized that she touched Akane. Oh crap! I accidently touched her…what if I'm next!? Hikari felt her heart race as anxiety started creeping into her mind. What dispelled her nervousness was seeing Hajime carrying a gravely ill Nagito. Wait…Hinata is close to Komaeda who's infected… Maybe I won't get it or maybe it wouldn't be as bad if we have it together…? The ebony-haired girl barely restrained herself from smacking her forehead very hard. Hikari! What the hell am I thinking!? I don't want any more of us getting this disease, especially not Hinata! No more thoughts like that! Hikari scolded herself mentally with a scowl which, in turn, caused Akane to scream in terror.

"I'm sorry…! Don't hurt me!" the Gymnast pleaded in tears. Hikari sweatdropped and raised her hands in defense as everyone stopped and looked back at the commotion.

"No no no! I didn't do anything!" Hikari protested earnestly as Hiyoko glowered at the Spirit Medium in suspicion.

"Maybe Owari's just scared of your stupid face!" the short girl cackled. "Owari, it's best you keep a distance from her or else you'll also become infected with the Ugly Disease!" Hikari glared angrily at the Traditional Dancer who only laughed louder as Akane recoiled and scrambled away from the bespectacled teen and more towards the group.

Hajime sighed in irritation over the childishness that was going on when one of their friends was seriously sick, Nagito's breathing becoming labored every now and then. The ahoged boy glanced back at the Luckster frequently to make sure that he was breathing. We're almost to the hospital, Komaeda… Just hang in there…

Once everyone arrived at the hospital, Mikan herded the two sick girls through the lobby and into the main hallway. Hajime was taken aback when the Nurse swiftly changed places with him in regards to carrying Nagito, the plain teen amazed that Mikan could handle the weight despite physically appearing fragile. "I-I…will go make the infected change their clothes, and then I'll have them sleep in the patient rooms."

Ibuki nodded and saluted towards Mikan at the hallway's entrance. "Understood! So I just have to change my clothes, correct!?" Akane stood crying next to the quirky Musician.

"I'm scared of changing…" the brunette sobbed, wiping her tears futilely since more just kept flowing from her eyes.

Mikan huffed as she tightened her hold on the unconscious Nagito, sweat glistening on both teens. "A-Anyway! Everyone else, please wait here!" With that said, the rest of the group watched Mikan corral the girls into the main section of the building all the while toting Nagito.

"Dammit…" Fuyuhiko swore once they left, "I never expected us to get sick… What's going to happen…?"

"I would not mind if Komaeda retired…permanently…" Gundham grumbled, his arms crossed.

Kazuichi itched his cheek with a curious expression on his face. "Is…Tsumiki gonna personally change their clothes?" Hikari immediately gave the Mechanic a deadpan stare.

Seriously!? Is this guy for real? Is he just that much of a pervert to want to see Owari and Mioda change clothes? Hikari thought with repulsion, crossing her arms.

"…What's wrong with that?" Hajime asked hesitantly.

The pink-haired Mechanic chuckled nervously. "Does that…include Komaeda, too? Isn't that a little bad?" Hikari stared at Kazuichi with a raised eyebrow.

What does he mean by that…? Hikari wondered silently.

"Kehehe…" Gundham snickered with a grin, "there's no need to panic. Even I…attend to the needs of my Four Dark Devas of Destruction."

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't lump hamsters and teenage boys together!" Kazuichi cawed at the Breeder in annoyance.

"Hey, is this stupid conversation going to last much longer?" Hiyoko butted in, clearly done with listening to the two boys next to her. "Shouldn't we be seriously thinking about what we need to do from now on and stuff?"

Hikari blinked, surprised at seeing Hiyoko taking some form of initiative. "She's right, guys…"

The kimono-clad girl placed her hands on her hips with a small huff. "Well, of course I'm right." Hikari sweatdropped as Hiyoko continued to speak. "That disease sure looks dangerous. Komaeda, Owari, and Mioda aren't acting normal. If it spreads to anyone else, a killing is bound to happen."

"Based on their observed behavior…I cannot deny that," Gundham admitted with a frown.

"But those guys aren't being considerate. I want them to at least have the decency to consider committing suicide before they start bothering us," Hiyoko said nonchalantly with a smile.

Somehow…I'm not surprised, Hikari sighed and pushed up her glasses closer to her face. As soon as we see a redeeming quality in Saionji, she mars it with an extremely offensive remark.

"H-Hey Saionji…" Sonia cautioned in a low voice.

Hiyoko's smile widened as she held back giggles. "I know…it can't be that easy… So it's important to make sure we don't end up catching the disease."

"'Make sure'…what do you mean?" Hajime asked.

"Jeez, why don't you get it? We need to isolate them from us so they won't spread the disease!"

Hajime gaped at the Traditional Dancer. "Isolate!?"

Hiyoko leaned toward Hajime ominously, her hands holding the hems of her sleeves. "If you can't cure it, the only option is to stop it from spreading… Even a preschooler knows that."

"B-But still…isn't isolating them…a bit too harsh…?"

"Hey, if everyone catches the Despair Disease, we won't be able to do anything about it anymore, you know?"

"Y-You're right…" Kazuichi said slowly, gritting his teeth, "there's no way we should allow it to spread…"

Hajime looked helplessly around at everyone present in the lobby. "…H-Hold on a sec!" he interjected though it seemed to him that his friends were backing up Hiyoko's reasoning. He gave a hopeful glance to Chiaki who listened quietly to the discussion before speaking up.

"Isolation…you mean we need to quarantine them inside the hospital, right?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"N-Nanami…! Don't tell me you…also agree to this!?" Hajime exclaimed in shock, a part of him expecting the backpack-wearing girl to always take his side.

Chiaki blinked and then stared at Hajime earnestly with a small frown. "…It's to prevent a killing. As long as that disease is Monokuma's motive, if we just ignore it… A killing will happen again. To prevent that, we also have to prevent the disease from spreading… That's why we need to quarantine them." Hajime frowned, feeling deflated as Hikari looked on silently.

I know you want to keep everyone together, Hinata, but… I want to help Nanami keep her promise in preventing any more murders… This is the most rational option we have right now since there's no cure… Hikari thought as her eyes stayed on her crush.

The Yakuza crossed his arms, looking at the floor in thought. "Even if we quarantine them… Who's gonna take care of them?"

Hiyoko was very quick to answer. "Tsumiki's gonna stay here anyway," she snickered cruelly. "She's been touching the infected all over so it's possible she's already caught the disease."

"B-But…there's no way we can leave her by herself…" Hajime protested hesitantly.

Hiyoko closed her eyes, quickly becoming agitated and whirled towards the plain teen. "Then why don't you stay too?" Hikari felt her body go cold at that suggestion.

"…Huh?" Hajime blinked and stepped back from the intimidating girl.

Sensing his uneasiness, Hiyoko cooled down and grinned smugly. "Now that I think about it, you touched them when you took their temperature, right? You were the one who also lugged Komaeda here, remember?"

"…Oh."

"Heehee… Sooooo I'll leave the rest to you," the blond pigtailed girl said sweetly. "Contact me if something happens."

Hajime felt his jaw drop. "C-Contact you…? How are we supposed to do that!?"

"Oh right, we need to think of a way to communicate," Hiyoko sighed heavily. "If we keep meeting in person, we could catch the disease." She slowly looked around the room and grinned with a twinkle in her eye as if she found the solution to the problem. "Sooooo, I'll let you handle that, Souda."

"Y-Yeah…got it…" Kazuichi said with resignation, not wanting to be hounded by the smallest one of the group if he did decline her demand.

"Fret not…we are not going to abandon you," Gundham said assuredly to Hajime. "I shall station myself nearby in case anything happens."

Hajime raised an eyebrow at the Breeder. "Nearby…?"

"There is a motel on this island. Until this matter is resolved, we shall stay the night there."

"Whaaaaaaat?" Hiyoko whined with her lips puckered out in displeasure. "Do we really have to stay at such a dirty place?"

Hikari tapped her chin with a finger. "Well…our cottages are two islands away. It would take a while to get here if an emergency were to happen. It's best if everyone stayed on this island for now."

"Also…if that disease is airborne, the hotel on the first island might already be unsafe," Gundham added with his deep voice before he went for a dramatic pose with his four hamsters. "We must be vigilant about protection! I have those who I must protect!"

Kazuichi sweatdropped slightly, placing a hand on his hip. "They're just hamsters, dude…"

The Chuunibyou pivoted towards the pink-haired boy angrily, the gothic teen grasping his bandaged left arm as if his hand was going to act on its own. "That is an unkind thing to say, you fiend…!" Gundham seethed while glaring darkly at Kazuichi. "How dare you call my Four Dark Devas of Destruction, 'hamsters'! I'll destroy you!"

Hiyoko sighed loudly, putting up her hands in defeat. "F-Fine…I'll just stay at the motel, okay? Jeez, how annoying!"

Kazuichi grinned weakly at Hajime. "Even if it's a quarantine, we're still gonna be on the same island, so just call us if something happens."

Hikari closed her eyes, trying to remember if anyone else besides Hajime and Mikan who have touched any of the infected. She opened her eyes quickly and gasped. "Oh no!"

Chiaki blinked at her best friend. "What's wrong, Seishin?"

Hikari turned to the Gamer slowly, poking her index fingers together sheepishly. "Uh…I…kinda…rubbed Owari's back in comfort on the way here…"

"What a moron!" Hiyoko berated at the Spirit Medium before sneering at her. "Just as well…one less idiot around the healthy."

Hikari rolled her eyes before she smiled faintly at Hajime. "W-Well, at least you and Mikan won't be lonely…"

Fuyuhiko frowned, his hands in his pockets. "…Tch."

The Mechanic scowled a little at the Yakuza. Wh-What…what're you frustrated for…?"

"This…is obviously a trap. Monokuma's goal is to separate us as a group… Is it really okay for us to fall for that?"

"It's not like…we've stopped being friends," Chiaki pointed out calmly. "I just don't want a killing to happen ever again… We can't prevent that if everyone gets sick, you know?"

Kazuichi nodded. "Yeah, that's right man… There's no way we're gonna lose together here, you know?" His dark pink eyebrows furrowed as he continued. "Cause if that happens…then Monokuma gets what he wants!"

Fuyuhiko sighed and closed his eye. "Hey Saionji, what did you say to me earlier? Something about me being the first one to get cut off…"

What is he planning now…? Hikari thought as she stared at the blond male in both concern and confusion.

Hiyoko pursed her lips. "Wh-What's…wrong with that?"

"This…this might be that moment…" Fuyuhiko said coolly with a smirk. "It's not like Tsumiki, Hinata, and Seishin are enough people…"

Hikari gaped at her friend. "K-Kuzuryuu!"

"You… Are you saying you're gonna stay here, too?" Hiyoko muttered as she gave him a hard stare.

Hajime blinked at Fuyuhiko surprised. "Huh…? You too…?"

The Yakuza looked away indifferently. "This life of mine is a spare anyway…!"

"Can you stop saying that!?" Hikari fumed, glaring at Fuyuhiko with her hands on her hips which elicited the boy to sweatdrop.

Hiyoko rolled her eyes as she placed her hands behind her back. "Fine then…do whatever you want!"

"Hey Kuzuryuu…are you sure?" Hajime asked. "You might be endangering yourself, you know?"

Fuyuhiko closed his golden-hued eye. "Jeez…don't make me repeat myself." He winced once Hikari smacked him upside the back of his head.

"Don't make me repeat myself!" the ebony-haired girl warned loudly. The Gangster rubbed the back of his head as he glowered and growled at his new closest friend who scowled right back at him with clenched fists. Everyone sweatdropped as they watched the two interact before Kazuichi cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Y-You're really, really okay with this? Then…I'm gonna leave the rest to you, too," Kazuichi said with unease.

Regaining his composure, Fuyuhiko grinned at the Mechanic. "Whatever's happening over here, just leave it to us… We'll make sure to keep the disease from spreading… C'mon, shouldn't you guys head over to the motel before you catch the disease?"

"I-I am sorry we are forcing this upon you like this…" Sonia said guiltily, clasping her hands in worry.

Hikari smiled softly at the Princess. "We'll be okay. We have enough people here to take care of the infected hopefully to prevent burnout."

"Thank you, you three…" Chiaki said to Fuyuhiko, Hajime, and Hikari, "I won't let your feelings go to waste. We'll make sure to find out the mystery of the Despair Disease while you're all here…I think. Probably." Hajime and Hikari sweatdropped but also couldn't help but smile at their best friend.

"Now then…I shall excuse myself. I am counting on you," Sonia waved sadly as she started to leave the building.

Kazuichi rubbed the back off his beanie with a weak chuckle. "…Then I'll make sure to figure some way to communicate later." The only one who seemed to be in a great mood was Hiyoko.

"Bye-byeeee!" she called out happily. "Do your best and try to stay alive!" Chiaki was the last to leave in the outside group, the girl gripping her backpack straps as she stared at Hikari.

"Stay safe and try not to get infected, okay?" she advised to the Spirit Medium.

Hikari nodded with a smile. "I'll be fine. I have Kuzuryuu and Hinata with me." The Gamer looked to her right to see Fuyuhiko calmly leaning against the lobby wall with his hands in his pockets and then turned to her left to catch Hajime's eyes. The two gave each other a knowing look and nodded slightly at each other.

Please, Hinata… You need to be the one to watch over Seishin now since I can't… Chiaki thought, knowing there was no way to verbalize her request to the plain teen, but still tried to convey it to him with a look.

I remember our promise, Nanami. I'll do my best to keep an eye on Seishin, thought Hajime with a small, confident smile. This silent exchange did not go unnoticed, Fuyuhiko watching them discreetly.

There definitely is somethin' goin' on between them, the Yakuza mused as Chiaki finally left, leaving the three alone in the hospital lobby. And it seems Seishin knows it… He glanced at the Spirit Medium whose expression saddened when Hajime's back was to her. Could it be that there's a love triangle there or… The blond's eye narrowed slightly as he crossed his arms. It might be that Seishin wants Nanami's undivided attention and friendship as a substitute for her sister… If that's the case, she'll have a lot to do in order for our deal to work. Though I guess I do too if I am willin' to be quarantined with people who have a contagious disease…

Hajime frowned as he started to feel a bit overwhelmed by the current situation. "I never expected…it would turn out like this…"

"It's not like it's their fault…" Fuyuhiko remarked from his spot. "It's that bastard Monokuma's fault… Tch, I can't believe he'd actually arrange something as irritating as a disease…"

"Yeah…" Hikari said morosely, her gaze to the dusty floor. How can we get out of this one safely?

"Ah! Thank you for waiting!" Mikan called out as she came into the lobby from the hallway. "Phew…they've finally finished changing. Everyone's resting in their rooms." She blinked and looked around before becoming antsy. "….Huuuuh? Why's it just you three?"

"Um…you know…" Fuyuhiko began to say before Mikan clapped her hands once with a surprised gasp.

"Ah, I know! They must've left to get fruits to bring back later! Heee…everyone is so kind… I'm so glad everyone is so thoughtful toward their friends…!" The Nurse burst into tears of happiness as the Yakuza glanced apprehensively at Hajime and Hikari. The blond sweatdropped when the two teens shrugged helplessly. Fuyuhiko shot them a deadpan stare before clearing his throat to get Mikan's attention.

"Well…like I said…"

"Hehehe, we're all equals when we're sick," the apron-wearing teen interrupted again. "Let's all work together and do our very best."

"…" At that point, Fuyuhiko hung his head, closing his eyes and turning to Hajime. "Hinata, I'm sorry but…I'll let you handle the explanation…"

Hajime sweatdropped that time. "…That's quite the burden I have to bear." He turned to Hikari hopefully for some assistance. She opened her mouth to accept his silent plea but squeaked as Fuyuhiko dragged the Spirit Medium to the exit.

"I have to talk to Seishin for a bit," Fuyuhiko insisted as he held Hikari's upper arm, leading her outside. Hajime watched them suspiciously with a slight frown.

There it is again… Hajime thought in irritation as he subconsciously placed a hand on his stomach. Why am I feeling this knot in my stomach when Kuzuryuu and Seishin are together? I didn't feel this before. He sighed a little and closed his eyes. Maybe I'm just hungry and stressed out…we all never got to eat yet today… But first I have to explain everything to Tsumiki. He turned to the Nurse, hoping that she would pay attention to him and get this talk over and done with.

Fuyuhiko finally let go of Hikari's arm once they stood outside a short distance to the building. Hikari looked at him with a bothered look once she found her footing again. "What's going on? Why do we need to talk?"

"I was gonna ask the same thing," he said, turning to face her. "What is up with-huh? Something's different with you…" His eye wandered all over her body from top to bottom.

The Spirit Medium blinked and beamed, placing a hand on her chest where her necklace usually was. "Wow, you noticed? I took off my necklace and left it on my nightstand. It was actually my sister's…" Hikari answered when she saw the puzzlement on the Yakuza's face. "I'm really trying to make an effort to keep our promise. I figured not wearing my necklace can be a good start since it's a strong connection between Onee-san and me."

"Oh…I see…" Fuyuhiko murmured as he looked away, ashamed that he once again relapsed into a negative mindset concerning his life's value especially when Hikari was actually making an effort. He stumbled forward in astonishment when the Spirit Medium smacked his back hard.

"Don't beat yourself up, Kuzuryuu!" the slightly shorter girl cheered with an encouraging smile. "You seemed to have forgotten about your promise, but I'll be around to remind you to stop thinking that your life is expendable. Pekoyama knows it isn't and so do I."

Fuyuhiko crossed his arms in aggravation, frowning when Peko was mentioned. "Yeah, well, you don't have to whack me every time." Hikari placed her hands on her hips and leaned toward him just as irritated.

"It distracts you from those thoughts though, right?"

The Gangster blinked for a moment before he closed his eye with a sneer. Damnit…she's right… I hate it when she's right… "Tch…whatever."

Hikari stretched her arms upwards with a yawn. "Anyway…was there a reason to drag me out here and leave Hinata with explaining about what's happening to Tsumiki?"

"Oh, right, there was," Fuyuhiko stated and turned to the Spirit Medium. "What's up with you, Hinata, and Nanami? It seemed that you three were tight, but now…I dunno. It's like there's an unspoken tension between you guys." The bespectacled girl stared at the Yakuza taken aback, her mouth open slightly agape. Fuyuhiko closed his eye and bowed his head forward a little, placing his hands in his pockets. "Why I'm asking is because I'm thinkin' that you see Hinata as someone who is takin' Nanami's attention away from you. You even said it yourself that you were becoming dependent on Nanami emotionally like you were with your sister. Am I right or is my reasonin' comin' outta my ass?"

Hikari sweatdropped at his word choice at the end before she moved her hand to her chin in thought. Does my low-key jealousy of Nanami really seem that way? I mean, I admit I do spend more time overall with Nanami but that's because we've been close since we got stuck on this island… Hikari slowly closed her eyes as she continued to dive deeper into her mind. I am aware that I am envious of her because she's everything I'm not: smart, pretty, calm and collected in any stressful situation, having her talent, and…probably having mutual feelings with Hinata… The jet-black-haired young woman felt the corners of her lips droop down, opening her eyes halfway forlornly and gripping her hand into a fist against where her necklace used to rest. I already know I lost to Nanami. I also don't want to jeopardize my friendships between her and between Hinata because of my unrequited feelings for him. Losing both of them would probably be worse than death.

Fuyuhiko opened his eye, still waiting for an answer. Seeing Hikari start to go into a state of hopelessness, the Yakuza sighed impatiently and strode right to her face and flicked his finger at her forehead. "Snap out of it, idiot, or should I return the favor of smacking you?"

"Ow!" Hikari whined as she pouted and rubbed the small red mark behind her bangs.

The blond male crossed his arms in resignation. "Fine… Whatever your business between those two is your own to deal with." Hikari blinked at him as he gave her a stern expression. "But you really need to stop bottlin' up your worries and frustrations." He turned to the side and closed his eye again. "It's not healthy…and you'll wind up spewin' out all that onto someone who probably doesn't deserve it, like what happened a couple days ago."

Hikari lowered her arms to her sides, listening to Fuyuhiko's words. Stop…bottling up the negativity? "But…wouldn't voicing my worries concern others? Wouldn't my frustrations hurt people's feelings?"

"How would you know that would happen?" he asked as he stared at the Spirit Medium as if challenging her to retort back. "Your anxiety gets stronger if you keep it inside, but it'll become weaker when you form it into actual words… Hell, it might even sound stupid to you once you give the anxiety a voice…maybe to the point that it was moronic of you to even worry about it in the first place. At least, that was what Natsumi told me when we were younger…" Fuyuhiko quickly turned his back to Hikari as he looked up at the sky, his words trailing off into the air.

The petite young woman watched the Yakuza quietly, smiling gently and patted his right shoulder. "Thank you, Kuzuryuu, for helping me lately. You really didn't have to, but you did. So thanks." Hikari's smile grew wider in appreciation when she finished talking, her eyes closed. Fuyuhiko gaped slightly in surprise at her before quickly recovering and averted his sight away from her.

"Well…you've been there for me the past couple days in the hospital. And you're my friend… Friends help each other out…" he muttered as he felt his cheeks heat up. I also told my sister that I would be nicer to you… He frowned, feeling a sting of heartache whenever he thought of his sister and not being able to remember the days surrounding her death. At least…I avenged you, Natsumi.

"So…if we finished talking, want to go back? We are supposed to be quarantined inside the hospital, right?"

Fuyuhiko nodded and started walking back with Hikari. "Yeah, we're done. Let's go. Let's hope Tsumiki understands the situation now…"

^o^ ^o^

Hikari yawned loudly as she stood up from her seat in the hospital lobby and stretched her arms and legs. It was Hajime's turn to rest in the on-call room as Mikan and Fuyuhiko took turns checking on their sick friends and keeping them company. Hikari was hanging out in the lobby to be the lookout in case any of the infected tried to escape. That's very doubtful though, given what diseases those three have… The only one we need to worry about causing trouble is Komaeda but he's not in good shape… The Spirit Medium frowned, troubled that Nagito was seriously ill despite the fact that she didn't care for his antics. She sighed, closing her eyes. I don't want anyone to die, even him… We all are human and deserve to live. The bespectacled girl pulled out her e-handbook to check the time. "Hmm…it's only been an hour? So then just one more hour until we rotate," Hikari contemplated as she put the e-handbook back in her pocket. "Good…that way it'll be Tsumiki's turn to use the on-call room. She really needs a break—AHH!" Hikari jolted when she turned around to find a nervous Kazuichi standing outside the main entrance doors. She stormed to him and crossed her arms, the glass doors acting as a barrier between the two. "You could be a little less creepy when you come over here, you know?"

The Mechanic frowned, fixing his beanie's placement on his head. "Hey, hey, hey! I didn't know how to get your attention and I didn't want to touch the doors if they are contaminated!" he griped, his voice muffled due to the glass door.

"All right, fine. Anyway, what's going on, Souda?"

The jumpsuit-wearing teen perked right up and gave her a thumbs up. "Well, I finally figured out how both groups can keep in contact. You guys can set this baby up over by the receptionist's desk." With that said, he lifted up a paper bag and a folded-up tripod that were laying at his feet. "Inside there's a surveillance camera and a monitor. Do you think you'd be able to set them up on your own?"

Hikari tilted her head from side to side, tapping a foot. "Hmmm… I can at least try. Can you stay out there if I do need help?"

"Sure thing," Kazuichi replied with a grin before blinking. "Oh yeah! Sonia-san and Tanaka went to Rocketpunch Market to get you guys some snacks since we weren't sure if there were any working vending machines in the second level hallway. The snacks are in the bag."

"The vending machines need Monocoins so we have to use it sparingly. Plus, this dispenser in the lobby only has so much water with no cups. So-" Hikari started to say as the Mechanic set the bag down and scampered a few feet away.

"Uh-huh… Well, now you can get the goods."

Hikari sweatdropped and slowly opened the door and picked up the deceptively light paper bag. What's in here…rocks? She peeked inside to find exactly what Kazuichi told her: a pink monitor, a surveillance camera, and an assortment of snacks and four small cans of juice resting on top. The Spirit Medium smiled softly at her friends' thoughtfulness as she brought the bag inside and placed it on one of the seats. She grabbed the tripod and motioned to the pink-haired boy to come back before she walked back inside and shut the doors. The glasses-wearing girl saw that Kazuichi was in front of the doors again once she finished unloading the bag. Hikari placed the monitor and camera on a couple of adjacent chairs, putting the drinks and food back into the bag. She glanced at Kazuichi. "Where should I set this stuff up again?"

He sighed, annoyed. "Did you even listen? I said right over by the receptionist's desk. Put the tripod behind the desk and open the legs. When you get that done, I'll tell you how to install the camera and monitor."

It took longer than both teens expected, Hikari spending more than half an hour figuring out how to correctly plug in the equipment, calibrate the camera, and adjust the settings on the monitor. "Phew!" Hikari exhaled heavily and wiped her forehead after she stepped back to inspect her work.

Kazuichi gave her a deadpan look. "Did you really electrocute yourself trying to plug in the monitor a few minutes ago?"

"I'm really not good with electronics! It's a miracle that I can use the e-handbook," the Spirit Medium glared at him with a small pout.

"Alright, alright, jeez…" he grumbled, raising his hands in defense. "I'm going to go back to the others and see if the range between the two sets work. Talk to you guys soon."

Hikari nodded and waved. "Okay. Thanks for bringing the snacks over and tell the others thanks too!" The Mechanic walked off, a hand in the air to acknowledge that he heard the petite teen.

The Spirit Medium strolled over to the paper bag and took out one of the cans of juice, opening it. Just as she started drinking, Fuyuhiko walked in from the hallway. "Yo, just letting you know that it's time to rotate." The boy raised an eyebrow, noticing that the lobby appeared different from when he was there a couple of hours ago. "Where did all stuff come from? Did Souda finally get somethin' for us in order to communicate with them?"

"Mmmm…" Hikari hummed as she gulped down her beverage, gesturing to the camera and monitor on the counter beside the Yakuza. "Ah… There are snacks and a couple more cans of juice in the paper bag." She pointed to the chairs where the bag rested.

"Why pink?" the blond boy asked out loud as he quickly looked over the setup before going over to the seats with a grin. "Nice. I really didn't want anythin' in the vendin' machines. I got sick of that shit fast."

"Told you hospital food is not that great," Hikari remarked as she threw the can away. "Let's give Owari, Mioda, and Komaeda some snacks too. They'd appreciate it…maybe."

He picked up the bag and gave his friend a blank expression. "Seishin, I think you've been spendin' too much time with Nanami…" Hikari blinked as she followed the Gangster into the hallway. The first room they walked into was Akane's, the Gymnast sitting on her bed anxiously. Akane baulked visibly when she saw Fuyuhiko and Hikari.

"I want to go home…" she sobbed, clutching a few used tissues. Tens more were scattered around her on the bed. Hikari smiled sadly and patted the brunette's head gently.

"I know, Owari… We all do. We have to make sure you're feeling better first," the bespectacled girl said in a soothing voice. She glanced to her left, watching Fuyuhiko take out a couple of bananas and a snack-size bag of chips and placing them on top of the cabinet. "We do have some snacks for you. Kuzuryuu's putting a couple of them over there, okay?" Hikari said, showing the crying athlete exactly where to look before taking her hands gingerly. "I'll come by and keep you company once we finish handing the food out to everyone and getting everything settled, okay?"

Akane sniffled, her eyes glassy with tears. "O-Okay…" Hikari smiled warmly and let go of Akane's hands, following the Yakuza out into the hall and into the next room.

"Greetings, friends. Thank you for visiting me and checking to see if I'm okay," Ibuki enunciated in a monotone voice. The usually energetic Musician sat in bed leaning against a couple of pillows. "I am resting my body like Tsumiki has told me."

Hikari sweatdropped slightly, still not used to the sudden change in Ibuki's personality. "That's very good, Mioda. Your body needs plenty of rest to fight off this disease. We came by to give you some snacks to eat if you get hungry."

"Okay. I will eat when my stomach growls for food. Thank you for the kindness," Ibuki said, shaking the Spirit Medium's hand as Fuyuhiko took some random snacks from the bag and placed them on top of the cabinet next to the potted sunflower.

"Of course, Mioda. I'll come back later to check on you, okay? Just keep resting," Hikari asked with a smile.

"Understood." With that, Ibuki gave the black-haired girl a salute and a grin.

When Fuyuhiko and Hikari left the room and approached Nagito's room, the two paused in front of the door. The Gangster glanced over at his friend with a tiny smirk. "You all right? You're not gonna go berserk on me and strangle Komaeda if he sets you off?"

"I do have self-control, Kuzuryuu…" Hikari huffed lightly as she turned the doorknob and opened the door, holding her head high as she strode into Nagito's hospital room. She felt blood drain from her face when she saw how pale the Luckster's skin was, the girl briskly walking to Nagito's side and felt his forehead. Still searing hot… Her eyes examined Nagito's face carefully before feeling her heart try to climb up her throat. "Kuzuryuu, when did you last check up on Komaeda…?"

The Yakuza put the paper bag on the stool next to the cabinet across the room before coming over. "About thirty minutes ago…why…? Shit! His lips are turning blue!" Hikari stepped back as Fuyuhiko took her place to check his pulse. "Damnit! His pulse is weak!" Hikari was already sprinting to the door at that point.

"I'll go get Tsumiki! She should be upstairs in the on-call room, right!?"

"Yeah. You better hurry it up! Komaeda's breathing isn't normal…!"

Hikari yanked the door open and raced out the room. I should let Hinata know what's going on… He should be in the lobby by now… She dashed down the hall and burst into the lobby, panting heavily. "H–Hinata…!" The pigtailed girl blinked in confusion when she saw that the hospital lobby was empty. "Hinata…?" She scanned the area quickly before realizing she was wasting too much time, spinning 180 degrees and running at full speed back down the hall to the stairs. Something's wrong… Hinata's supposed to be in the lobby now… Did he even come down? Is he still sleeping? Did he contract the disease? Is he in danger like Komaeda? Would he hurt Tsumiki if he got some violent disease? The questions were never-ending as she clambered up the stairs and stumbled towards the on-call room. Please, please, please let them be okay! Hikari thought desperately as she reached her destination and opened the door with bated breath. The Spirit Medium stood frozen in the doorway, not quite believing what she was seeing in front of her.

Days Left: 11
Survivors: 13