I managed to relax after a while, but I couldn't fall asleep. I couldn't stop thinking about what I was dreaming about before I came to. I just… couldn't stop thinking about what it could mean. Just thinking about it made my injuries burn. After a little while, I hear what sounds like footsteps. I turn to the entrance and see Kiyo, Kirumi, Angie, and Shuichi walking back. Angie and Shuichi seem to be more injured than before, since they are being helped by Kiyo and Kirumi to get back. "What happened this time?" I asked.

"We managed to get farther, but when we were opening a second gate, bombs appeared and got all of us at once. How unfortunate." Kiyo explained with a dejected look. "Shuichi and Angie got the worst of it, however. They were caught in multiple explosions."

"Do not worry. Atua protected us from the worst of it." Angie beamed, though she seemed less peppy than before. Shuichi didn't say anything. He just stayed there in deep thought. The four settled down, waiting for any news of the other's success, or, more likely, for the others to fail and come back. I sighed. Things are looking like they'll go the way my intuition is predicting. People are going to start having a grudge against Kaede. I should probably intervene before that happens.

"How are you doing, Rin? Are you feeling better?" Kirumi asked as she walked up to me.

"I'm fine. I feel a lot better for the most part." I said with a smile. She smiled back as she nodded. "Want to sit down? You must be tired after another round of the Death Road."

"No, I am fine. Besides, that would be improper for a maid."

"Oh c'mon. Don't be like that." I reach out and grab Kirumi's hand and forced to take a seat. She didn't look too happy about me forcing her to sit down, though, as her eyes seemed to narrow a bit.

"I should not be sitting down right now."

"Relax. You were one of the people who wouldn't let me go into the underground passage when I was injured, so you shouldn't be standing either when you're injured as well." I say as I point to her. Before she could object, I grabbed her arm and checked to see if I was right, which, not to my surprise, I was. She was doing a good job hiding them, what with her long sleeved dress and gloves, but I still saw them. She had multiple cuts and bruises on her hands and arms. I caught a slight glance at them when she first came up to me, but she immediately covered them with her sleeves and gloves. She also seemed to be shifting her slightly shaking legs a bit when she was standing, which probably means her feet or legs are also injured somehow.

I sighed and reached over to the bag of bandages and other things Kirumi brought after our first run of the Death Road To Despair. "Seriously, you shouldn't hide these things. Especially after you were one of the people who didn't want me to go through the passage with injuries." I lectured as I began to patch her up, much to her surprise it seemed. "I wonder when you got these. Was it this recent run, or did you perhaps get them the first time around and didn't tell anyone?" Kirumi didn't respond. She remained silent as I finished wrapping the bandages around her cuts. She began to examine the wrappings a bit with a scrutinizing look. "I'm not an expert when it comes to this stuff. I just...have muscle memory, it seems. You could probably do a better job, but it's better if someone else does it right now. You can fix it later once you have the time. Now, what's wrong with your legs?" I asked sternly. She was silent for a bit before she responded.

"I got caught in a fire trap and hurt my right leg a bit due to that." She said.

"If that's the case, I should probably treat it, but if you're uncomfortable with that, I'll let you handle this." I said as I handed her bandages and wet towels, since I already knew she would want to do it herself. I sighed. She really is committed to that "selfless devotion" stuff. "Seriously, you need to take better care of yourself. I can't believe you managed to walk all the way back here when you have an injury like that." I said as I grabbed a couple of water bottles from the bag. "Hey! Angie! Kiyo! Shuichi! Catch!" I yell out, getting their attention before throwing the water bottles their way. Luckily I didn't hit any of them in the face with the bottles, as they managed to catch them.

"Nyahahaha! Atua and I are most grateful, Rin!" Angie said happily.

"Ah! Thank you." Shuichi also replied.

"Kehehe… you really are too kind, Rin." Kiyo chuckled to himself as he thanked me. I then took another water bottle and gave it to Kirumi. "Here. You don't want to get dehydrated." She stared at me for a moment before taking the bottle. Once she did I got up and stretched a bit. My legs still feel a little tingly due to slight pain, but it's not nearly as bad as it was before. I tapped my feet against the ground a bit before grabbing the bag with supplies and walking towards the passageway.

"Where are you going?" Kirumi asked, about to get up before I motioned her to stay seated.

"I'm just going to check if there is anyone who needs help getting back. Someone might be unconscious like I was, right? I might not be as strong as Gonta or capable as you, and I might not be at 100%, but I can still help them make their way back here." After I said that, I walked down the pathway. I looked around as I did and saw what Kirumi was talking about. Near the first gate that has to be pushed open, there is a little area where the water under the path flows. Coincidentally, I found some people there as well. Tenko, Himiko, Keebo, Miu, and Gonta were all there. Himiko was the only one unconscious however, which seemed to be causing Tenko a great amount of distress. "Hey guys. Need help?" I asked.

"Oh, Rin. Yes. That would be… most appreciated." Keebo said with a sad look. I'm guessing this run wasn't any better for these guys.

"Alright. I have the bag Kirumi brought with water and bandages. Just show me if you have any injuries and I'll do my best to help. And Keebo, let me know if you're having problems as well. I'm no mechanic, but I might be able to help, perhaps with Miu if need be." I began to apply what first aid I could to the group. Tenko and Miu and a few bruises and light burns, most likely from bombs and the stupid fire traps. Gonta was the most beat up, with multiple bruises, cuts, and burns across his entire body. Big guy must have tried hard to protect everyone. Himiko was also in pretty bad shape, but not nearly as much as Gonta. She had a few more cuts and bruises then Tenko and Miu, but she didn't have any burns, which is good. She most likely passed out due to exhaustion more than anything. Keebo said he was fine, but I gave him a quick once over to check. From my knowledge of robotics (which, by the way, I have no idea how much knowledge I have), I couldn't see anything that might be damaged, with Miu agreeing with me, which was reassuring.

While I was treating the group, Tsumugi and Kaito floated down the water to us. Tsumugi was also unconscious, with Kaito keeping her afloat the whole time. I sent the other group back as I examined Tsumugi and Kaito. Kaito had many light burns on his arms, but luckily only had a couple of minor scratches and cuts. Tsumugi, according to Kaito, had a bomb explode near her face, so she's lucky there isn't any damage there. She did however have a few cuts on her legs. Exhaustion and the shock of the bomb is most likely what caused her to pass out. I offered to carry Tsumugi, but Kaito insisted that he did, since he said he was still in better shape than I was, which he was unfortunately correct. I have to say though, we're getting pretty lucky that none of these traps are giving us major injuries. Unless, that's the intended purpose. I doubt they would let us try this if we could actually die there. That would defeat the purpose of this killing game after all. What's the point in holding a killing game if we're just going to die from something unrelated. Still, it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.

With Kaito carrying Tsumugi, we made our way back. I wanted to stay to help anyone else who floated back, but Kaito convinced me otherwise, saying how they'll be fine and how once he brings Tsumugi back, he'll take over for me. I was skeptical at first until he mentioned how he had extensive medical knowledge from his astronaut training. Oh yeah… completely forgot he was an astronaut. I also completely forgot that astronauts, unbeknown to most people, go through some pretty tough tests to actually get up to space.

With him reassuring me, he convinced me to come back with him. After a little bit of walking and talking, we made it back to the entrance. Tenko ran up and took Tsumugi from Kaito, without mentioning how he was a degenerate male, much to my surprise. Tenko laid Tsumugi down next to Himiko, who was still unconscious. Angie actually gave Himiko her jacket to use as a blanket, which I didn't expect from her. Miu was sitting next to Keebo, and Gonta was making sure everyone was alright. Kiyo appeared to be watching the scene unfold as he leaned against the wall, and Shuichi sat down by himself, deep in thought about something. Probably about the tunnel, if I had to make a guess.

I gave Kaito the bag of supplies after I made sure everyone had water bottles and anything else they needed. He then headed back to the passageway, with Gonta following him, since, as Gonta put it, "it gentleman's duty to help others". I tried to stop him, but he insisted. If it was any other person, I probably would have forced him to take a seat like Kirumi, but considering this is mountain man Gonta, I think he'll be fine. Kirumi also offered to go, but I stopped her before she could get up, saying how she still had leg injuries and shouldn't be walking. With Kaito and Gonta gone, I sat back down where I was sitting before. Surprisingly, Kirumi was still sitting there, looking a bit better than she was before, though she still didn't look too happy when she saw I had returned. I chuckled as I made myself comfortable again. Didn't expect Kirumi to have a petty side. "How's your injuries? Are you doing better?" I asked.

"I am fine. You do not need to concern yourself with me." Kirumi said, speaking like that was a basic fact.

"You're kidding, right?" I scoffed. "I consider it my responsibility to worry about you all, especially after you come back from something like that." I pointed to the passageway. Kirumi just shook her head at my reply.

"That is very kind of you, but I assure you I am fine. You should be more concerned about yourself, as you still looked a bit shaky while walking through the tunnel earlier."

"Says the person who was hiding her injuries." I muttered pointedly. I took a sip of my water bottle as I looked at the tunnel's entrance. "I hope they're all ok." I said out loud.

"I am sure they are fine. I have faith in them." Kirumi said. "And if they do fail, Kaito and Gonta are there to help them." She didn't say it, but I could tell by her voice and tone she wished she was there helping as well.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sure Kaito and Gonta are fine by themselves. They're definitely capable, so I'm sure they don't need any help. They'll get the job done." I say. Kirumi seemed to have caught on to what I was trying to say and turned to face me.

"It is my duty as a maid to help others. I do not understand why you wish for me to remain here." She promptly stated.

"Because just like you all told me, you can't help others when you yourself need help. I could tell standing was hurting you, so I told you to sit down. It's not hard to understand. You may be the Ultimate Maid, but you're still a person who needs rest from time to time. Besides, you're not a maid right now. You're Kirumi Tojo. You shouldn't have to be a maid 24/7. No one, not even maids or servants, are tools." I said, a little upset that she didn't seem to understand that. She thought about it for a moment, her gaze softening a bit.

"And what about you? You feel obligated to help as well, despite your injuries." Kirumi pointed out.

"That's because I'm older than all of you by a couple of years. I told you all before, but I'm pretty sure I'm a college student. Compared to you highschoolers, I'm essentially the only adult here, so the responsibility falls to me to make sure everyone's alright. Besides, it would be pathetic if I couldn't do anything while you all are trying so hard to escape." I mumbled that last part, but it seemed Kirumi still heard me.

"You are not pathetic or useless, if that is what you think. After all, just now you showed how incredibly reliable you can be in these situations. You are also very observant to have noticed my injuries despite my attempts to hide them." Kirumi said politely.

"I appreciate the compliment, but I'm sure you or someone like Shuichi could have done a better job." I say while rubbing the back of my head.

"Even if that is true, that doesn't mean your attempt was inadequate." Kirumi said. She then looked at me with a concerned look. "If I may, I wish to ask you something."

"Hmm? Go ahead. I'll answer to the best of my abilities."

"Why did you push me out of the way of those bombs during our first try at the underground passageway?"

"Because I believed you had a better chance at completing the Death Road than I did, so I took the hit for you." I said without hesitating.

"But you could have been seriously injured because of such recklessness." Kirumi lectured.

"Yeah, but if put in the same situation with you or anyone else here, I'd probably do the same thing again." I said while playing with my ahoge. "After all, if anyone has a shot at beating that tunnel, it's gonna be one of you Ultimates." I softly respond.

"I also do not understand why you place yourself below us simply because you feel as if you don't have an Ultimate talent."

"I… probably wouldn't, if I still didn't understand what Ultimates were or what they're capable of." I said quietly. "After introducing myself to everyone, and hearing everyone's stories, it's hard to think I could compare when I have nothing to my name, which might not even be my name."

Before Kirumi could say anything, we heard footsteps approaching us. I turned to see who was arriving and saw Kaito and Gonta, along with Kokichi, Maki, Ryoma, Rantaro, and an unconscious Kaede. Gonta was carrying Kaede in his arms, while Kaito was letting Kokichi lean against him. Kokichi seemed to have a limp, so his leg or foot must be injured. Maki and Ryoma seemed mainly ok, but I could see a few bandages wrapped around them. Rantaro looked exhausted, but seemed to have the least amount of injuries. Kaede seemed to have many cuts on her, probably because she was the one trying the hardest to make it. I looked around to count heads, seeing that everyone had come back. I sighed. Everyone looked exhausted and beat up. They all have disappointed looks on them. Himiko, Tsumugi, and Kaede started to wake up too. Is Kaede and the others going to want to try the tunnel again? If so, I might have to intervene. Kaede winced before she opened her eyes and looked around, a bit dazed and confused.

"I-I see… I lost...consciousness again…" She said sadly.

"And I was lookin' forward to a happy ending!" Miu said with a depressed expression, mushrooms growing on her head due to the depressed state she's in.

"Not yet! We're just getting started!" Kokichi said determinedly.

"O-Of course! This will...be a piece of cake!" Tenko said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Gonta gonna escape. Become friends with everyone. Gentlemen...never give up!" Gonta said.

"Th-This time…! This time… we'll reach the exit!" Kaede said, but it almost sounded like it was to convenience herself to believe that. "This time", she says. Those words seemed to spur the others to try again, but I can see it. Despair has settled in. I say nothing as the others prepare themselves for another attempt. Should...should I stop them? But what if this time we do make it? I see Kirumi stand up and offer me a hand. I hesitate for a bit before taking it. No, this time will be different. I'll be with them this time. I'll make sure they all stay safe. That's...the only way I can help them.

"Kirumi, are you sure you can go again? Does your leg still hurt?" I asked as Kirumi helped me up.

"I am fine, I assure you. It doesn't hurt to stand or move around anymore. I will be able to help with the next attempt." She says calmly. I look at her, not fully believing her, but I don't say anything. I can't really talk when I'm coming this time. I sigh as I watch everyone enter the tunnel once more, following them by the back. This time, we'll make it. I'm sure of it.

But it was no good. Even so, we refused to surrender… We kept telling ourselves that "this time" we'll escape. But...we failed each time… With every attempt, we repeated the words "this time" over and over again… But in the end, we couldn't do it. I'm sure me and the others thought we'd be able to escape as long as we never gave up, but it made no difference in the end. No matter what we did, we would always fail. The traps remained the same throughout the attempts, so we thought we were ready for the next try, but we were always sorely mistaken. For each new foot of the tunnel we managed to reach, a new trap would come and claim people to the waters below. This last try was no different from the others. We all failed and returned to the start once more, more ashamed than before.

"Failed...again." Gonta grunted.

"Damn it…!" Kaito spat angrily.

"I can't…go on…" Tsumugi said while clutching her shoulders.

"Wait, we can't give up." Kaede began to say. No. This has to stop. We can't take failure anymore. I then noticed Kokichi. He looked visibly pissed. Oh no… knowing him, he'll probably be the one to start ganging up on Kaede, whether he intends that or not. "This time, we'll-." Before she could continue, and before Kokichi could say anything, I interrupted.

"Kaede, I think we should stop here for today." Kaede, along with everyone else, turned to look at me with mixtures of confusion and shock at what I said, though some seemed to be elated at my suggestion.

"Huh? But if we keep trying we-." I cut her off again.

"I'm not saying we should give up. I'm just saying we should take a break." I say as I raise my hands in a defensive manner. "Look...I know you want to help us, but we all need a break. We can try the tunnel again tomorrow, after we all get some rest and recover from today's attempts."

"B-But, we...no can give up!" Gonta tried to say.

"Are you really okay with not getting out of this place!?" Kaito asked, angry at my suggestion.

"I'm not saying we should give up. All I'm saying is we rest. The tunnel isn't going anywhere, so if we want to try it again, we can later. Maybe we'll be able to make it after we get proper rest. Even better, we might find another way out of the academy. Who knows? We might have missed something while exploring today, or perhaps new areas will be unlocked tomorrow." I said, sighing a bit. "Look, I know that escaping is not going to be easy. We're going to have to work extremely hard if we want to get out, but that doesn't mean we should run ourselves ragged. The tunnel, as it is now, should be considered a last resort, and even then, we should only try it a few times before taking a break. I don't want to see anyone get seriously hurt from this."

"I agree with Rinny!" Kokichi chirped happily, skipping to my side with a mischievous grin. "We shouldn't have to push ourselves, Let's just find another way out, okay?"

"...You're talking about the killing game, aren't you?" Rantaro asked with a serious expression.

"Oh, so you're gonna interpret it like that, huh?" Kokichi said with a laugh.

"That's not what he said and you know it." I said sternly. "Kokichi is right. We should see if this tunnel is really the only exit, or perhaps search for a way to avoid or deactivate the traps. We're all tired, so we should just take a break. There's nothing wrong with that."

"B-But…" Kaede trailed off with a look of defeat and sadness. She must be realizing just how long we've been trying and how exhausted she and the others are. "I'm...sorry...this is my fault. I'm so sorry…"

"No, Kaede…" Shuichi tried to reassure her.

"I-Idiot! What're you apologizing for!? It's not your fault at all!" Kaito said.

"...Really? I think it is Kaede's fault." Maki said. "We've been wasting our time because of her insistence to try again."

"Maki, it's not Kaede's fault." I said. "She just wanted to help us escape. Sure, she may have been a bit forceful, but no one told her to stop. No one said anything about wanting or needing a break until I spoke. So if anyone's at fault...it's me."

"Huh?" Kaede gaped, looking more confused than ever.

"I knew that everyone was getting exhausted, but I didn't say anything. I was caught up in everyone's desire to leave and I didn't want to seem like a burden by suggesting we take a break. I should have spoken up sooner. If anyone should bear the responsibility for this, it's me. So...I'm sorry." I said without wavering. The others looked at me, surprised by my words, but before anyone could say anything-.

Ding dong, bing bong.

A bell rang out and the monitors flashed to life, showing The Monokubs on that couch again.

"This is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles." Monosuke began.

"It is now 10 p.m. Nighttime officially starts now." Monotaro said.

"Whether you've been good or naughty, it's time to go tinkle and go beddy-bye!" Monokid said.

"The dining hall and gym are locked during nighttime, so be careful." Monophanie stated.

"..." Monodam still didn't say anything. He just stared at the camera blankly.

"Kyahahahaha! Bedtime, ursine! Sweet dreams!" The Monokubs chanted before the monitors shut off.

"Nighttime, huh? Welp, no sense pushing our luck." Rantaro said. "Rin is right. We should probably just get a fresh start tomorrow."

"Fresh start?" Angie asked.

"We've each been assigned a room in the dormitory. Perhaps we should rest there?" Kirumi suggested.

"Heeee! We're gonna rest there!?" Miu asked while panicking.

"The rooms aren't that bad. Much better than my prison cell, that's for sure." Ryoma said.

"But...it makes me nervous to think we'll be staying the night at this creepy school." Tsumugi said nervously.

"Well, nothing we can do but suck it up! So what's our plan for tomorrow?" Kokichi asked. "Since the dining hall opens at 8 a.m., how about we meet there at that time?"

"Sure, I think that'll work. I'm okay with that." Rantaro agreed.

"Can we go to our rooms already?" Maki asked.

"Yes, we should get as much rest as we can and regain our strength." Kirumi added.

"Nyeeeh...I dunno if I can go pee by myself in the middle of the night." Himiko said.

"I'll come with you! If you don't mind, that is! Just lemme know!" Tenko said.

"Hey, guys? Just...as a warning…" Rantaro began to say. "We shouldn't let our guards down. We'll be easy targets at night."

"C-Cuz of killing game, you mean?" Gonta asked.

"I see no need to worry about something as illogical as murder taking place here." Keebo said matter-of-factly.

"But Rantaro's still right. You never know what will happen. It's best to stay cautious." I said, trying not to think about how anyone here could be already planning murder, or how Maki is probably an assassin. After that, people started to head up the ladder. I walked up to Kaede, who seemed ready to burst into tears. "Hey, Kaede. It's ok. You did nothing wrong." I said with a calm smile. She looked at me, but didn't return the smile. She looked so defeated. I should have done something sooner.

"Hey, why did you both apologize before?" Kaito asked as he came over. "You both didn't do anything wrong, y'know?"

"Well...when we tried to escape, I felt like we were united behind a common goal. But after I put everyone's lives at risk, that unity is gone now." Kaede said sadly.

"But that's not your fault Kaede. Like I said, I knew people were unhappy and I could have stepped up sooner, but I didn't. This is my fault, so you shouldn't blame yourself." I said.

"Shut up! That's just the stupid end result! It's not like you both wanted it to go that way!" Kaito said. "Listen up. Don't apologize for something that's not your fault! It'll just make you feel bad!"

"..." Neither me or Kaede said anything, most likely due to the shame we were feeling.

"People just decided to blame you and give up. I'm gonna give 'em a piece of my mind later." Kaito said before sighing. "Well, anyway, let's just go to sleep for now. See ya tomorrow." And with that he left.

"Thank you, Kaito." I heard Kaede whisper, a small smile back on her. Now the only people still here are me, Kaede, and Shuichi. I walked up to Shuichi before leaving.

"Try to cheer her up, ok. I didn't want the others to start ganging up on her for something she didn't do, so make sure she knows she isn't at fault." I say before climbing the ladder.

When I reached the top, Gonta was still there, staring at the manhole cover. "Gonta? What's wrong?"

"Gonta worry about manhole… Think it okay with cover gone?" Gonta replied. "What if someone fall in? Get hurt real bad? Gonta gentleman. Gentlemen no can ignore that, but Kirumi tell Gonta, leave cover off. Gonta not know what to do."

"That's really kind of you, Gonta. I don't think you should worry though. Everyone knows it's here, so I'm sure we'll all be careful. Not to mention, the boiler room is pretty far away from everything else, and the only reason someone would come here is for the underground tunnel, so you don't have to worry about it." I said.

"Okay, you right. Maybe Gonta just keep eye on it. Thank you Rin. Gonta go back to room now." And with that he headed off to the dorms, with me following close behind. Once we all arrived at the dorms, people began to head to their dorms before-.

"Hey, where's Rin's dorm?" I heard Kaede ask. When she said that, everyone quickly glanced around, gasping when they saw I really didn't have a room. All eyes landed on me, much to my shame. That's when they noticed I was sneaking out of the dorms. I was trying to hide the fact that I don't have a room the best I could, even though Kirumi and Shuichi already knew. In fact, Kirumi has been staring at me the entire time we got here, though it seemed to be a look of concern. Mostly. I felt sweat drop from my face as I chuckled, trying my best to play off the whole "I don't have a dorm room yet" thing.

"Hey! Rin! Where do you think you're going?" Kaito asked.

"Umm…well…" I began, thinking about what I should say. "I already knew I didn't have a dorm room. The Monokubs weren't expecting me to be here, apparently, so they didn't make a dorm room yet. They said that I'll have one soon though, probably in a few days."

"If that's the case, what were you planning to do tonight?" Ryoma asked.

"Umm…" I began as I rubbed the back of my head. "I was...planning to go to one of those empty classrooms to sleep at one of the desks…"

"That's not proper sleeping arrangements for a human!" Keebo pointed out.

"If that's the case, then Rinny just needs to bunk with one of us." Kokichi said, wearing an evil grin. "And since no one's asked yet… Hey Rinny! Want to stay with me?"

"Huh?" I was taken aback by his sudden suggestion. Before I could answer-.

"Rin can stay with Gonta if he want to!" Gonta said.

"You are welcome to stay in my room as well." Kirumi said.

"Huh!?" Suddenly, way more people than I expected started to say I could stay with them. "Umm… I really appreciate you all wanting to help, but I don't really want to impose on you all." And I would want to stay with another guy, if anything.

"Don't worry about it. There's nothing you can do about it, and it's not your fault anyway. Besides, it'll only be a temporary arrangement, right?" Kaito said with a smile. Then, before I could object, Kaito grabbed the back of my jacket and started to pull me towards his room on the second floor.

"Huh!?" I was completely bewildered as Kaito dragged me away.

"Heeeey! No fair! I wanted to have a sleepover with Rinny!" Kokichi pouted.

"Don't worry about him! He'll be fine!" Kaito said with a smile before we entered his room.

"I...hope he's ok." Kaede said with a chuckle.

"Whatever. I'm sure he'll be fine with that idiot." Maki said before entering her dorm. Inside of Kaito's dorm, he finally let me go. I sighed. Guess I'm staying here for the night. Well, I am happy that I won't be sleeping in a dark creepy classroom. I looked around the room. Ryoma was right. These are pretty nice. It was fairly large, having a king sized bed, a coffee table, a few desks and drawers, and a TV. There was also a fancy stand on the coffee table that had the key to the room on it. Near the back of the room was a bathroom and shower.

"Oh wow! Where did they get all of these?" I looked at Kaito to see him looking in one of the closets. Inside were multiple of the same outfit that Kaito usually wears. They were each identical to it.

"How did they manage that? Does everyone have multiple outfits as well?" I asked.

"Probably. Whoever brought us here was really prepared, it seems." Kaito said as he took off his two coats and kicked his shoes off. I did the same with my hoodie and carefully placed my shoes near the door. "Alright. So, where do you want to-."

"The chair. I'd feel bad if I was sleeping in the bed when you're already letting me stay in your room."

"I wouldn't mind either way, but I don't think I'll be able to change your mind, will I?" Kaito sighed as I shook my head. "Fine. Do what you want. Just ask if you need anything." With that we headed to bed. We found extra pillows in blankets in one of the drawers for me to use, so I was pretty comfortable despite being in a chair. I couldn't help but think about everything that's happened today. So much happened. I woke up in a locker within a strange academy with no memories. I met 16 highschoolers who were also kidnapped. I was chased by 5 teddy bears piloting dangerous weaponized mechs. I then woke up again in a locker and had to meet everyone again. I saw how incredible Ultimates are, and then I was thrown into a killing game with them. Then we tried to escape, only to fail multiple times. It's hard to believe all this happened in one day. Well, I should probably try to get some sleep. I'm pretty exhausted from the tunnel. But I really don't want to have another nightmare like I had after the first tunnel run. Just thinking about it makes me shutter. My thoughts are soon interrupted by Kaito's snoring, which causes me to laugh a bit. I shouldn't worry about it too much. With that, I slowly closed my eyes, and let whatever dream or nightmare that awaits me take hold.


There were no nightmares that night. At least I think so. I don't really know what happened in the dream I had. I remember a small barely noticeable rocking, and the smell of salt water. I think I was on a ship or something. I remember...smiling I think. Having fun? I remember hearing music. And laughter. And cheering. Fun. That's what it was. Yeah...the karaoke party we threw our first few days there. Asuka looked so happy, singing her heart out and spreading happiness, as she always does. Her singing always seemed to even cheer me up. I even forgot about-.

Ding dong, bing bong.

I groan as I hear a school bell, a sound that rings out before the monitors come to life.

"Rise and shine, ursine!" The Monokubs announced.

"Nyum-nyum… This is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy." Monotaro began.

"It's 8 a.m., bitches! Time to wake up and face the blood-drenched day!" Monokid shouted.

"I wonder who's dead this morning?" Monosuke asked.

"Stooop… If I suddenly see a dead body, I'll puke again!" Monophanie cried.

"Oh! And before we forget!" Monotaro suddenly brought out a doll of some kind that was hanging from a string. Upon further inspection, it actually was a doll of me. The Monokubs then hung it from the ceiling, along with the others.

"Great! Now Rin won't feel so left out! We actually finished his dorm before the announcement! How wonderful!" Monophanie cheered.

"Enjoy your killing school semester!" Monotaro said before the monitors turned off. I groaned. God, I am not a morning person. And what's with that weird alarm. I don't remember using that before. Ugg… five more minutes. I turned over, shifting my body once more to reenter the dream I was just in. That hope was short lived, because I only had my eyes closed for what seemed like 30 seconds before I heard a doorbell. Who could possibly be at the door right now? Whatever. I might as well greet whoever is out there before I head back to bed. Stumbling off the chair with a thud (wait, why was I in a chair? Did I fall asleep while working again? Damn paperwork.), I got up and walked to the door.

"Coming, coming. Geez." When I opened the door, I was met with an unfamiliar location and unfamiliar faces. One was a man with magenta hair and a goatee, and the other was another boy with green hair and eyes.

"Hey Rin. You coming to breakfast?" The Avocado boy asked. I blinked a few times, processing what was going on around me, before swiftly turning back to the room and flopping onto the bed.

"H-Hey!" The Goatee dude stammered as he entered the room. "We all agreed to meet up in the dining hall yesterday, so we need you to come too!" We? Whose we? Whatever. Kaito and Rantaro can just leave me for all I care. I'd rather sleep.

…Kaito? Rantaro? I shot up immediately and looked at the two boys. Yep. It was Kaito and Rantaro, who now looked shocked at my sudden movement. That's right, I remember what happened yesterday. The killing game, everyone I met, and the failure at the tunnel. "A-Ah… I see…" I say, embarrassed at my shameful display. "S-Sorry… I was still half-asleep." Kaito begins to laugh at that, while Rantaro just smiles.

"Don't worry about it. It's understandable after what happened yesterday." Kaito said.

"Well, you should hurry up and get ready. Everyone else is waiting at the dining hall." Rantaro said. I nod and grab my jacket. I used Kaito's bathroom to clean myself. After rushing the morning prep-work, I rushed out of the room and followed Kaito and Rantaro to the dining hall. Kaito said that he woke up before the morning announcement and left without waking me, since I seemed to be really tired. The three of us chatted for a bit as we walked. We eventually made it to the dining hall. Kaito was right about everyone already being there.

"'Bout fuckin' time you got here!" Miu yelled angrily.

"S-Sorry. I'm the exact opposite of a morning person." I defended poorly. I took the last remaining seat at the table, which was in between Kokichi and Maki. Maki didn't seem to care too much, but Kokichi seemed to beam when I took the seat. I quickly took a look around at everyone. Everyone's injuries from yesterday seemed to have healed for the most part. Now that I'm thinking about it, even my injuries seemed to have healed overnight. Huh…weird.

"Now...all of us have arrived." Kiyo said. "Kehehe...I'm glad. It looks as though there were no victims."

"But of course!" Keebo stated.

"By the way...are you ok, Kaede?" Kokichi asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kaede asked. I was also confused. Wait...is he going to-.

"Well...you looked really bummed out after Rin pointed out how you were strong arming us yesterday." At Kokichi's words, I choked on the water that I was drinking.

"Wh-What!?" I said, completely flabbergasted.

"H-Hey… What are you doing all of-" Tsumugi tried to ask but Kokichi continued.

"Seriously, you're so mean Rinny. Poor girl… She tried her best to encourage everyone, and everyone started getting mad at her anyway."

"I…" I tried to say but trailed off. Is that how I actually came off? I tried my best to not do that.

"What's the point of bringing that up again?" Keebo asked, a little upset.

"What are you saying? Kaede and Rin did what they thought was best for the group! What typical degenerate male behavior, trying to act like you're not trying to start something again." Tenko accused Kokichi.

"Eh? N-Now it's my fault? Why are you guys ganging up on me?" Kokichi asked as tears welled up in his eyes. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! You guys are terrible! So horrible, so mean!" As one of the people right next to Kokichi, I immediately covered my ears in pain as soon as he started to loudly wail. Ryoma, who was on the other side of Kokichi, also didn't seem to appreciate the noise.

"Hmph, you're too noisy. Cut it out." He said while using his hat to cover his ears.

"But it's true. Everyone looked like they were going to blame Kaede without taking any responsibility themselves, and right before they did, Rin spoke up and tried to take on that blame for Kaede." Kaito stated.

"Hey, come on now. Everyone was probably just tired." Rantaro said, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Shut it! That's no excuse!" Kaito said.

"No, it's okay! It doesn't bother me!" Kaede explained. "It's just...I should've been more considerate of everyone's feelings. I was too focused on the tunnel… I'm actually glad Rin spoke up when he did so I didn't force everyone to enter the tunnel again… So, I'm sorry."

"But, I probably could have chosen better words when I did speak up. I also should have spoken up sooner so that it didn't all just blow up on you, so I don't mind being blamed. I kinda deserve it to an extent. So I apologize as well." I said.

"...Alright, well… If you guys are okay with it, then so am I." Kaito gave in.

"Phew, cool beans! Now everything's settled!" Kokichi said happily.

"...But you did start this argument, didn't you?" Keebo asked.

"Well, that was a lie. Y'know, one of those lies to make us more united or whatever. Did you know that half my lies are actually told with good intentions?"

"Now that sounds like a lie." Himiko pointed out.

"I'm...not too sure about that. They do say that there is a truth in every lie, after all." I say. After all, after Kokichi said what he did, the atmosphere around the group does feel like it's improved after we officially put yesterday's debacle behind us.