Running to make sure I didn't lose her, I soon caught up to Miu. "Hey Miu! Haven't seen you since yesterday. How are you?"

"Heeh? What the hell do you want?" She asks oh-so-politely.

"C'mon, don't be like that. We don't talk much, so I wanted to see how you're doing. You seem to be off somewhere, so where are you going?" I then notice she's carrying some sort of mechanical device and equipment. "And what is that?" I asked, pointing to the device.

"Oh? You interested in this?" Miu asked while holding it up proudly. "Well… I suppose I could let you in on what I'm planning, but I'm not sure you can handle how bombastic this baby will be once I finish it!" She boasts. "As for where I'm going, I'm heading to the dining hall so I can eat while I work. Why? You planning to stalk me or somethin'?"

"Why would anyone want to stalk someone like you?" I bluntly asked without thinking. Too late to take it back, as Miu shrieks a bit at my response and recoils a little.

"Wh-What?"

"F-Forget it. I was being rude. I'm heading to the dining hall too, so we might as well go together. Is that ok with you?" Miu hesitantly nods a bit before seemingly returning to her normal demeanor.

"I-I suppose I could grace your presence for a bit. It's probably the closest you'll ever get to gettin' any action, so you better be grateful." Miu said. I sighed a bit, but chose not to say anything. Miu's the kind of person I can't stand. If I try to say anything to her, it'll probably end up turning into something rude and offend or hurt her. Even with Miu, I don't want to be rude or be offensive. I walked with Miu to the dining hall, trying my best to listen to her go on and on about how incredible the machine she's working on will be.

Thankfully, it doesn't take too long to reach the dining hall. We enter the dining hall and see Tsumugi and Kiyo sitting at the table eating while Kirumi is cleaning. Surprisingly, it seemed as though the Monokubs were the ones preparing the meal. Not sure if eating whatever the hell they made is a good idea, but whatever. Miu took a seat at the table and started tinkering with her device. The Monokubs brought her a bowl of what looked like pasta. Seeing as she took a few bites and didn't seem to react negatively, I guess it's fine. Still not gonna eat it myself though.

But this is perfect. The remaining 4 are here. All I need now is… but who should I ask? I only thought about it for a few more seconds. The answer was obvious. One person here strives to fulfill any request, after all. I walk up and greet Kirumi as she cleans. "Kirumi, how are you?"

"I am fine. What about you? You seemed a little strange this morning." She asked me.

"Oh that? Don't worry about it. I didn't get much sleep last night, so I was probably a bit more agitated than I usually am. Sorry for worrying you. Mind if we talk for a bit, though? I know you're cleaning, but…"

"I do not mind at all. It is not an inconvenience." Kirumi said with a smile. We started to talk a bit as she cleaned. I offered to help, but she declined the assistance, as expected. After talking for a bit, I noticed Kirumi seemed troubled by something.

"Is something wrong Kirumi?" Kirumi then sighs, but immediately grimaces at it.

"My apologies... It was rude to sigh in front of you…"

"No, I don't mind. If you're worried about something, maybe I can help."

"That does make me feel better. To be honest, I am worried about something." Kirumi then made a distressed face as she thought about it. "But I don't want you to hear me complain. I would fail you as a maid if that were to occur."

"Now that's not true! Friends rely on and help each other. You did that with me, so go ahead and tell me. I'm sure we can solve the problem together."

"Well… to be honest, I am worried about not having a master to serve."

"A master?"

"I said I would serve you all, but a maid having no master is incredibly dishonorable. It is the same as having no existence… I am but a stray maid." Kirumi said.

"Hmm… So that's what's bugging you." I thought about how to help Kirumi for a few seconds before coming up with an idea. I didn't really like it, but it was all I could come up with. "If having no master is the problem, then what if I became your master then, even if it's just for a bit? You said you saw potential in me, so being your master might help me realize that potential. Of course, this is only if you're okay with it." I suggested. I didn't really like the idea, mainly because I'd rather Kirumi be an equal than a servant to me. Just because she's a maid doesn't make her below me or anyone else, which is why I never like it when she acts like it does. But if having a master will make her feel better, I suppose I can help her with that.

"If it is you, then I do not have any complaints. But you will have to pay me. After you sign the contract, I will serve as your maid." Kirumi said.

"Money, huh? I don't have any here, and I'm not sure how much I have outside of this place, but sure. That seems fair. How much do you charge?" I asked.

"For my usual service, the standard is $10,000 per day."

"10,000!?" I exclaimed, already feeling my pockets empty into nothing.

"Of course. The salary matches the quality of my service. If I say my service is valuable, then perhaps it will encourage you to hire me. But it is also my duty to provide you a service that will be worth your payment." She said confidently.

"That's a bit much" I grimaced before hardening my expression. "But… I'll pay it."

"Are you sure?" Kirumi asked me.

"To be honest, I'm not even sure I have that kind of money, but from what I've seen and heard from you, it's definitely worth it. I suppose I could see this as….an investment for the future." I chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to remember stuff if you help me out. And most importantly...you get to keep your honor. I'm sure I can come up with it somehow. You'll have to wait until we get out of here though." Kirumi gave me a blank stare as I said that. "Is something wrong Kirumi?" Her mouth then twists into a smile and she puts her hand on her mouth.

"Pft…!" Is she...laughing!? For the first time since I met her, Kirumi was laughing. Kirumi then composed herself and turned to me with a sly smile. "I was joking."

"H-Huh?"

"$10,000 a day is definitely too steep of a price! Also, I was kidding about the stray maid thing."

"..." Kirumi left me a bit stunned. I don't believe it. She played me! Great...now I feel stupid. "I… didn't know you had a sense of humor."

"Yes, such humor is needed from a maid to calm their master. For me, I would tell jokes to my master."

"Master? Wait… then-?"

"Rin… I have told you this before, but I feel something within you. I want to serve you regardless of the money. As your personal maid... Allow me to support your future. Once we escape, will you give serious consideration to employing my services?" Kirumi said with a smile. I stared at Kirumi with wide eyes after she spoke. I then laughed a bit and gave her a smile.

"Totally. I'll definitely hire you once we get out. But if I do hire you, I hope I can still treat you as my friend, and not just a servant." Kirumi gave me a warm smile before giving me a curtsy.

"I would like nothing more." Kirumi told me. "You have my gratitude... I hope it will be a wise choice."

"Actually, could we start right now? I have an important request I would like you to fulfill."

"If that is the case, I will do everything I can to complete the request. What is it you wish for me to do?" I took out the notepad and wrote my request down before giving her the sheet of paper. "You can understand this, right?" Kirumi looked over the note with a stern look before nodding.

"Yes, but for what purpose did-?"

"I mentioned this morning how secrecy is key, right? The less my opponent knows the better. So make sure no one finds out about this request for now. You trust me, right? So can I trust you to do this?" Kirumi gave me a concerned look before nodding.

"Of course. I will fulfill this request to the fullest."

"Thank you." I said as I pulled out my Monopad. It's 8:25. It's almost time to start the plan. With Kirumi's involvement, everything is in place. All I need now is to act out the plan. I subconsciously put my hand into my jacket pocket and brushed my fingers against the knife handle. It's almost time to end this. I hope everything works out and doesn't get too… messy. I would hate to...go...without saying goodbye to anyone here. Especially after making promises with my friends here. Kirumi, Tsumugi, Kaede, everyone.

"Rin, are you alright? You look… worried." Kirumi asked. Hearing that, I put back on my reassuring smile and nodded. It's fine. Nothing to worry about. I won't have to use this knife unless things get drastic.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm going to head out now. I need to meet up with Kaito to discuss plans for what happens after the time limit expires. I leave things to you. Wish me luck. Hopefully, next time we see each other, this game will have ended." I said, muttering that last part. Before she could say anything, I left the dining hall and headed towards the entrance hall.

When I got there, I could see Kaito already waiting. With him were the 6 others he told me he would gather: Maki, Gonta, Tenko, Angie, Himiko… and Rantaro. Perfect. Kaito smiled and waved to me when he saw me approach.

"There you are Rin! I was just telling the others you would be showing up soon." Kaito said.

"Yah-hah! Hello Rin! Are you here to fight Monokuma as well?" Angie asked cheerfully.

"I suppose you could say that." I chuckled.

"It very good Rin here. More people mean better chance at victory!" Gonta said happily.

"Yeah! With the 8 of us, Monokuma doesn't stand a chance!" Kaito said while giving us a thumbs up.

"Of course! While some of you may be degenerate males, I will assist you using my Neo-Aikido! I will not fail!" Tenko shouted confidently.

"So where is this meeting taking place?" Rantaro asked.

"We'll be heading to the basement to have it in the game room." Kaito answered.

"The game room? Why?" Maki asked.

"It was Rin's idea. He said it was a good place where we wouldn't be bothered and have an easy time discussing what our plan of action will be." Kaito explained. Maki looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Nyeh… That's fine. We should hurry though. Time's almost up." Himiko said while shaking a bit.

"Then let's go!" Kaito said while leading the charge. We talked amongst ourselves as we walked. Maki didn't really say anything and was kind of distancing herself from everyone else. Himiko and Angie seemed to be talking about something, as well as Kaito and Tenko, which was shocking to see. Maybe Tenko sees Kaito in a better light since he's planning to fight Monokuma head on? Or maybe it's because he thought her Aikido would be useful. Either way, it's nice to see her get along with the other male students. Gonta isn't saying much, but he seems very happy to be involved with this. He must be glad he has a chance to help everyone. As I'm looking at the others, I feel a tap on my shoulders. I turn to be greeted by Rantaro, who's wearing a serious expression.

"What exactly is your goal here? I thought you were going to end this game?" He asked me with crossed arms.

"I could ask you the same thing. I thought it might be possible for you to decline Kaito's offer, and I would have to figure out how to deal with you myself, but it figures you would want to come. It gives you an excuse to go to the basement, right?" His eyes widened at the comment, before turning into a deadly serious glare.

"What do you know?"

"More than you, apparently. I chose the game room for the same reason that you're here. Unfortunately for you, I won't let you get in my way." He seems to be trying to understand what exactly I'm saying before giving me a forced chuckle.

"Welp, I guess we'll just have to see about that." He said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I guess we will." I said, turning back towards the group. It was at this moment something very strange happened. All the monitors turned on, as if it was another announcement; however, what showed up on screen was anything but that. The screens showed images of chess figures that most likely represent us dying as a blackened figure stands above everyone. All the while, strange and disturbing music played as the images flashed between one another.

"What is that noise? And what's with those images?" Himiko asked, shaking a bit more than before.

"A warning, or perhaps added incentive to start killing. Either way, it doesn't matter. It's just a distraction." I said, mainly to myself more than anyone there.

"Yeah. No way this will cause anyone to kill." Kaito said. I gulped instinctually, knowing what will happen if I don't do anything. We continued walking and made it to the basement stairs. As we were walking down, I felt someone watching us and turned a bit. I was met with Kaede and Shuichi's peering eyes from within the classroom next to the stairs. So that's where those two are. That's a good place to keep watch over everything. Has a perfect view of the stairs and everything. Pretty sure there's even a vent in there that leads to the library that they're guarding. Smart.

They seem to notice that I've seen them as they immediately try to hide themselves more. I chuckled and gave them a smile and a wave as I continued downwards. We made it to the game room and started entering. Before I went in, I saw Shuichi hiding around a corner as he watched us. He probably wants to make sure we stay away from the basement so we don't ruin his trap. Unfortunately for him, his trap is now far too dangerous to leave alone. As I entered the game room, I watched as everyone settled down to start the meeting. Gonta, however, thought for a bit before walking to the AV room in the back. I rushed over and stopped him.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Gonta glad he invited to meeting, but worried he won't be much help cuz Gonta not smart. So Gonta decide to get ready to fight by watching bug movie." Gonta responded.

"I-Is that so? If that's the case… go ahead." I said hesitantly. Gonta thanked me and then entered the AV Room. It should be fine. Gonta is alone, but he has to come out to the game room to leave, so he'll still be seen if he tries to leave. With that in mind, I walk over to Tenko and Kaito, motioning the both of them towards me. "I'm sorry about this, but I need to check up on something really quick."

"Really? Is it that important?" Kaito asked.

"Yeah. Incredibly so. I'll come right back, don't worry. I should be gone for just a few minutes at most. But before I do, I need to ask you both for a small favor."

"A favor? It better not be anything dirty or lewd, you degenerate!" Tenko claimed as she entered a fighting stance.

"No, nothing like that. It's about Rantaro." I said in a whisper, leaning in closer to them. "Whatever you do, don't let him out of your sight, no matter what."

"What? Why?" Kaito asked.

"Well…" I need to give them a good reason for this. I guess I can let a few things slip out, since this is the most important part of the plan. "To be honest… I think someone is planning to murder Rantaro." I said as quietly as I could to avoid anyone but the two of them hearing. Despite my attempts to be discreet, both of them immediately flew into a panic.

"Wh-Wh-What!?" Tenko cried out, waving her arms around in shock and fear.

"Y-You're kidding me!" Kaito shouted. I immediately motioned them to kindly shut up and continued.

"Be quiet! I can't let anyone know! Especially not Rantaro! He's planning to do something stupid and he's going to die because of it! I'm not going to let that happen! So please, make sure he stays put! I'm begging you." Kaito and Tenko look at each other, then to Rantaro, before returning their gaze to me.

"...Ok. The way you're talking makes it sound like you're planning something dangerous as well. Don't be stupid. One of us should go with you." Kaito whispered to me.

"That's probably the smarter thing to do," I muttered. "But I don't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. Besides, it'll probably take the two of you to keep Rantaro here, and having someone with me might cause...unnecessary problems. I promise you I'm not going to do anything I can't handle or haven't planned for. I've thought about how to handle this for a while. So please… trust me."

"...Alright. You better not get hurt. You promised." Kaito said through clenched teeth.

"If you're so certain, I won't stop you. But please, be careful." Tenko said nervously. I nodded and looked back at the others still in the game room. Maki and Rantaro are eyeing me suspiciously. Whatever. It doesn't matter now. My plan is now in motion. I can't stop before I cross the finish line now. I looked back at Tenko and Kaito, both of whom gave me a nod. With that, I took my leave. I could hear Kaito saying that I'm going to use the bathroom before the meeting starts. I'll have to thank him for covering for me as well once I'm done. That is… if I even survive. This is the moment of truth. I can't mess this up.

I start walking towards the library. I ignore the main entrance and head to the side entrance. That's when I notice something horrifying. There was a door that connected the AV room to the hallway directly across from the side entrance to the library. Fuck!

I rushed to the door and tried to open it to check on Gonta, but the door only slid an inch before getting stuck. Thank god. Trying it again proves the door gets stuck whenever you try to open it, making it impossible to exit with it. I peered into the crack though and saw Gonta doing exactly what he said he was going to do: watching a bug movie. I almost chuckle as I saw how entranced he was by the film. Now's not the time for that, though. I closed the door quietly and looked back at the library door. Before I could open it, the monitors dinged before showing Monokuma laughing at us while the message "In 1 hour… EVERYONE DIES" flashed across the screen. One more hour. Then it's time. Let's do this.

I opened the library door and took a few steps into the library. I've really done it now. Shuichi and Kaede set up hidden cameras somewhere in the library, most likely at the entrances and the moving bookcase. Now that I've entered the library, they're going to have proof of my coming in here. I wonder how they'll react when they see me? Would definitely suck to die now.

I continued cautiously walking until I reached the hidden door. There has to be a camera focused on here, right? Not like I can do anything about that. They'll have a picture of me entering the room and opening the hidden door. This will be hard to argue against, but if my plan works, then it'll be fine. I fix my eyes on the moving bookcase. This is it. Time to set everything off. I place my hands onto the handle inside the bookcase and begin opening it. This will probably alert Shuichi and Kaede, but once I explain everything, I-.

Ch-chk! Flash!

"Huh?" I turn around, almost getting blinded by a flash of light aimed right at me. Once the light dies down, I finally see a camera. One of their hidden cameras. "The flash is on!? Why?" I almost yelled. How could they just leave that on? That completely ruins the plan they have. I walked up to the camera and turned off the sensor before investigating it. The last thing I needed was to be blinded by the flash every time it took a picture. I looked closely at the camera. Tape is keeping the flash on. Was this...intentional? Wait! If that's the case then-!

I immediately began to move out of the way, but-.

Wooosh! Slam!

I turned around and looked down. At my feet was suddenly a shot put ball. I looked up, where the ball had fallen. Oh my god… I could have… Kaede almost… So that's how she was planning to kill the mastermind! I didn't know what to expect at first, and the camera flash took me by surprise. She planned to lure the mastermind over here with the camera so that the shot put ball fell onto them. But where did the shot put ball come from? And more importantly, why was it so off target? I managed to move a bit, but even if I didn't move, the ball wouldn't have hit me. It was about a foot or two off target. If Rantaro were here, he would have survived as well. But then the reason he died would have been because-!

The millions of thoughts I had within that one second all stopped as I quickly turned to the hidden door and took out my knife in a defensive manner. The mastermind should be here! They're here to kill me and frame Kaede! That's their insurance! I expected to see the mastermind and have to fight for my life, but no one was there.

"...What?" I asked out loud. No one… exitted the hidden door? Why? Did the mastermind not plan to have insurance? Or is the mastermind not here at the school? Does that mean it's not one of us? Either way… this is not what I expected. The hidden door then began to close on it's own. I watched as the hidden door closed, but I then heard the main entrance doors of the library open. I turned and saw Kaede, Shuichi, Kaito, Tenko, and Rantaro entering the library in a hurry. They all stopped as soon as they saw me, knife in hand and in front of the hidden door. Oh boy… here we go.

"...Hey guys. What's up?" I said in a blank, emotionless tone, unable to force my usual painted smile on my face. I wanted to try and sound happy and reassuring, like I always try to be, but right now, I can't help but feel a bit… conflicted. After all, my would-be killer is right in front of me, most likely shocked that I'm still alive.

"R-Rin!?" Shuichi exclaimed as confusion twisted onto his face. Kaito and Tenko have similar faces of confusion and disbelief as they stare at me. Rantaro, however, just gave me a dark glare. It looked like a mixture of confusion, anger, hatred, and betrayal.

"W-Wait! Does that mean that Rin is-?" I cut Kaede off before she could finish.

"Before I answer any questions you have for me, I just want to ask you all something." I casually turned and walked over to the weapon that could have ended me and picked it up. I walked over back to where the group could see me and lifted it up in front of me. I then gave them what probably was my darkest, most malicious, and most pained expression I had.

"I think I already know who it is, but I just want to make sure. Which one of you tried to kill me?" I asked in a dark tone. When I said that, the group fell into chaos.

"WHAAAAAAT!?" Tenko shouted.

"Someone tried to kill you!?" Kaito gasped.

"What?" Rantaro's expression now was that of total bewilderment and fear as he stared at the shot put ball I was holding. I then pointed to the bookshelf.

"It fell from the bookshelf and nearly smashed my head in. I would have certainly died instantly." I explained. Shuichi's face was heart-wrenching to see. In an instant, he went from completely clueless to immediately having figured it out to then go to complete shock and betrayal. He turned to look at Kaede, who wasn't even moving anymore. She was just staring at me and the shot without saying anything. I bit my lip at her expression. It was her.

I wonder what's going through her head right now. Does she feel regret? Regret for trying to kill or regret for failing. Is she sad? Is she angry? Does she still want to kill me? I couldn't tell as she stared endlessly with a blank expression. I should probably be angry with-no, I should probably hate her. Hate her for breaking all of our trust and attempting to kill someone, no matter who she was aiming for and no matter what her reasons were. She promised us that no one would kill, and yet she goes behind everyone's back and tries it herself. We trusted her. I trusted her. And she nearly killed me. I should hate her… but all I feel for her… is pity, I suppose. Out of the many confusing emotions I have right now, the one that I can recognize at the moment is pity.

Poor Kaede. Even someone as strong and pure hearted as her was dragged down to the dark depths and almost sullied her hands with blood. I was almost killed by her, and she could have been executed, knowing after everything was said and done, that she killed someone innocent. A friend. I will probably never understand what she might be feeling right now, but I do know that I feel pity and sorrow for her.

I see Shuichi shoot me a glance. I knew just from his expression he was asking me if I thought it was Kaede too. He almost looked desperate to hear that he was wrong in his assumptions. I couldn't find it in myself to do that though. I could only painfully avert my eyes, causing him to stare at me for a moment in horror before turning away, ashamed and pulling down his hat. He must feel guilty.

This whole situation is horrible. There's no easy or right way to explain this. We can't just brush it under the rug either. This was an attempted murder. No one will accept it just like that, especially when they find out it was Kaede. The most I can do now… is try my best to protect her from it. That's all I can do now. That's all I should do now. No matter what, Kaede is still my friend, and I know she didn't do this maliciously. I can't fully blame her for doing this, and for some reason, I still want to trust her. Maybe that's the naive part of me, but I still think she's a good person. Someone who should never have been put in this situation that forced her hand in the first place.

I sigh and toss my knife to the side, no longer needing it. I set down the shot put ball beside me and looked up at the group, trying my best to have a happy reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it! It's fine! I'm still alive. Heck, I'm not even injured! The ball missed me by a few feet, and even then I sorta saw it coming. There's no need to freak out."

"There are PLENTY of reasons to freak out! You almost died! How are you so calm!?" Tenko shouted.

"There's no possible way you're okay with this. Tell us what happened. We'll find out who did it and make sure they're detained." Rantaro said, giving me a concerned look.

"I told you that it's fine! I already know who did, so there's no need to panic. They won't try again."

"You know!?" Kaito gaped, not believing the words he was hearing. "Then who was it!?"

"I'm not telling you." I say without hesitation. Shuichi and Kaede looked at me in total disbelief. "After all, I forgive them. I won't hold this against them, nor will I hate them for it. I also don't want them to suffer from public persecution because of this situation that forced their hand. So it's fine. Let's drop it. You all have questions for me, I'm sure. I mean… aside from almost dying, I probably seem incredibly suspicious, right?" I said, trying to change the subject.

"Y-You what?" Kaede asks softly. Everyone else had similar reactions. I guess telling them I was almost killed and immediately forgave the person would be jaring.

"You forgive them?" Shuichi parrotted, wanting to make sure he heard me correctly.

"B-But-!"

"No buts. It's my decision if I forgive them or not. You guys can't change my mind." I cut Tenko off. The room was silent, not counting the horrible music coming from the monitors. Eventually Shuichi spoke up.

"A-Alright. If that's your decision, we can't stop you. I do have some questions I would like you to answer. First off, how-?" He can't continue as a bell sound is heard from the monitors.

"It is 10 p.m.! Time is up!" Monokuma's voice said from the monitor. The monitors shut off then. Everyone looked worried.

"I-If time is up, then…" Kaede trailed off. Everyone else looked around nervously, expecting Monokumas to come out and maul us to death. But nothing happened. All was still as the bluff was revealed.

"I knew it." I said, smiling.

"Knew?" Rantaro asked.

"Yes… please tell me more about what you knew." Monokuma appears with a furious expression. "How did you not die!? You were supposed to die and start the killing game!"

"Sorry, but I don't plan on dying any time soon. Especially not when you were bluffing about killing us." I said while laughing.

"B-Bluffing?" Shuichi asked.

"I'm a little surprised you didn't take that possibility into account, Shuichi. There are plenty of hints to show Monokuma wasn't going to kill us." I told the detective.

"Oh I see… A smartass, is it?" Monokuma said while shaking with rage. "But before you go and spill all of my secrets, how about you tell me some of yours. How did you know what was going to happen here? And how did you know who was originally supposed to be killed?"

"I wonder…" I think about it for a bit before shrugging. "Can't say I really know myself to be honest."

"...What?" Monokuma asked blankly.

"It was very confusing, suddenly knowing that someone was going to die and someone was going to be executed all of a sudden. There was no warning, so I thought I was going crazy. I was panicking so much because of it." I admitted to the bear. "But you know what? It doesn't really matter. I fulfilled my first mission: preventing the murder. And it was all because of those seemingly random bursts of sickening knowledge. So know this, Monokuma. I won't let anyone die. Every effort you make to try to start the killing game, I will always stop you. Heh… maybe that's my talent. The Ultimate Clairvoyant, or something like that. I'll figure out your plans and make sure they fail. I promise you that." Everyone was silent from my words. Even Monokuma was silent, processing my threat to him and the game. But then… Monokuma started giggling.

"Puhuhuhuhu…"

"...Why are you laughing?" I asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you see… you're so adamant about stopping anyone from dying, but you've already failed."

"...What?" I had to process what Monokuma said before it hit me fully. I've… already failed…? A sharp cold chill hit my back when I realized what he was implying. Oh my god! I immediately began to run out of the library in a blind panic.

"Rin! Wait!" I heard Kaede shout as she and the others ran after me. I skidded to the entrance to the game room and slammed the door open. Angie, Makit, and Hinkio were there. Gonta must still be in the AV room.

"Ah Rin! There you are. We were wondering where-?"

"Is Gonta still in the AV room!?" I shouted, cutting Angie off.

"Huh? Yeah. Why?" Himiko asked. I don't have time for this!

"Stay here! Make sure Gonta doesn't leave either!" I ordered sternly in a shout. I didn't wait for a reply as I ran out of the basement. I made it to the entrance hall before someone grabbed my arm to stop me.

"Stop running and explain what's happening, Rin!" Rantaro asked sternly.

"Shut up!" I screamed as I pulled my arm away. "I need to-!"

"Calm down! We can help." Shuichi claimed as he and the others caught up. Help? Right! I'm not alone!

"Then Kaito, Tenko, search the courtyard. Check the dorms too! Make sure people are still there!. Kaede, check the second floor. Shuichi, go to the warehouse. Rantaro, go to the gym. I'll check out the dining hall!" I then ran off again without waiting for a response. I ran to the dining hall as quickly as I could. It was like I suddenly had tunnel vision. The only thing I could focus on right now was making sure no one was dead. It felt like my heart was now in an adrenaline induced overdrive as I sprinted to my destination, not paying anything around me that wasn't important any mind.

Once at the dining room, I slam open the door once more. Miu and Kiyo. Where are Tsumugi and Kirumi? "Kiyo! Where are Tsumugi and Kirumi!?" Kiyo and Miu seemed shocked by my sudden appearance and outburst. Miu shrieked a bit in terror as Kiyo gave me a curious glance.

"Tsumugi went to the bathroom. Kirumi left a few moments later, saying that she had a request to fulfill. She actually asked the two of us to stay here until she returned." Terror sank into my stomach. My eyes widened in terror at the multiple possibilities. No! No no no no no NO NO NO NO NO! I rushed from the dining hall into the girls bathroom. "Tsumugi! Kirumi!" I shouted. Someone then came out of one of the stalls. Tsumugi. She looked extremely confused when she saw me.

"R-Rin? Why are you here? This is the girl's bathroom." Tsumugi asked me, but I wasn't fully listening.

"Is Kirumi here!?" I yelled the question, sounding borderline furious. Tsumugi took a few steps back out of fear before she shook her head. Damn it! I ran out of the bathroom, running into Rabraro, Shuichi, and Kaede as I did.

"Rin? Why were you in-?"

"Kirumi is missing!" I shouted over Rantaro, terror dripping from my voice.

"What? Kirumi? She wasn't in the warehouse." Shuichi said.

"She wasn't on the second floor either." Kaede added.

"The gym was also empty." Rantaro then said. If she wasn't in any of those places, then where is she? I thought for a second before the answer came to me. The hidden door.

"Oh no… oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no!" I spun around and dashed to the basement, the others following behind. I jumped down the stairs and ran into the library. I ran to the hidden door, but before I could open it, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I slowly turned my head, and nearly collapsed just from the sight. There she was. Leaning against the bookshelf and slouching down a bit, was Kirumi Tojo, sitting in a pool of her own blood.

...There's that familiar feeling again. The feeling that the world is collapsing in on itself and I have to be the one to hold it together. But I couldn't do anything. I failed. Because of me… Kirumi is… "This...isn't real. This is just like before. It's just a vision or hallucination. Any moment now, I'm going to blink and be brought back to reality." I said quietly to myself, ignoring the presence of the others. I slowly walked up to Kirumi, each step more shaky than the last. I slowly reach out my hand to Kirumi and touch her face. I draw it back immediately, my eyes widening. Already getting cold. I touch her neck, praying for a pulse. Nothing. I put my hand in front of her face to feel for a breath. None.

"This...isn't funny anymore. Please tell me this is fake. Tell me I'm going crazy and I'm just seeing things. You're still alive, right? Please tell me you're alive…" I obviously got no response from Kirumi. I suddenly realize that I'm on my knees now. I soon find myself slouching down, staring blankly at nothing. "No… this can't be happening. I said I was going to end this game. I was going to prevent anyone from dying. You… you told me that you would serve me. You were going to help me see my potential. I promised to hire you after we got out. So why…? Why did you have to die...?"

I collapsed. I couldn't feel my knees anymore. I felt empty. Worthless. But those only lasted a moment, because they were soon overtaken by a worst emotion. Numbness. That was the scariest part. No matter how much I wanted to cry, not a tear would form. All I was able to do was stare blankly at nothing, unable to take in anything at that moment. "It should have been me. It should have been me..." I started muttering those words, unsure if anyone could hear me. Someone, I don't know or care who, tried to comfort me in a vain attempt. I didn't even register it. Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid, my friend… is dead. Not only that. She was killed. And it's all my fault. I'm the reason one of my friends is dead again. Kirumi was wrong. I am a horrible person.