After discussing what we could about the flashback light and the Ultimate Hunt, we each went our own ways for the rest of the day. The day was already halfway done since we spent all of the morning and afternoon exploring the new areas. The rest of the 2nd floor and 2 more were now opened, along with the casino and Himiko's lab. Lots of new stuff. It would be nice, if it weren't for the killing game and 2 deaths. I sighed as I walked down the halls of the 3rd floor. I wasn't really sure what to do with myself at the moment. I hadn't felt like doing anything. I sort of wanted to just think. I knew that wouldn't do me any good, since I did that last night and I got nothing from it. I should probably head to my dorm and attempt to recover from the sleepless night. As I turned a corner, I bumped into someone. "Sorry. My bad-" I then realized that I had bumped into Kaede. She looked at me and immediately averted her gaze.

"I-It's fine. It's my fault." She said before attempting to leave quickly.

"Hey, wait!" I reached out and grabbed her wrist, not too tightly, but enough so she couldn't slip out of my grip. "Kaede please. Talk to me. You're my friend, I forgave you, so please stay and talk to me." Kaede turned back to me, guilt painted in her eyes. She bit her lips before turning her head to the side and slowly nodding. I smiled at that and we sat down on one of the benches that was here on the 3rd floor. We sat in silence for a bit before she spoke up.

"Do you… really not hate me?" She asked softly.

"What? Of course not!" I exclaimed. "I told you multiple times that I forgave you, didn't I? Do you not believe me?" Kaede still couldn't look me in the eye as I saw her shoulders stiffen and her back start to slouch.

"I just...I just can't believe you can forgive me so easily. I don't get it… you should hate me. Everyone should hate me for even attempting it. But you guys don't." She cried out. "You all are...so weird."

"Kaede…" I put my hand on her shoulder. She was shaking a bit, but she seemed to relax when she felt my hand. "You made a mistake, but everyone makes a mistake. I'll be honest, if you did end up killing someone, I'm not sure if I could have forgiven you." I then turned and looked her in the eyes. "But you didn't. I don't even want to think about what could have happened. And you're not the only one to have made a mistake back there. My mistake cost Kirumi her life. No matter how much we wish we could just change what we did, we can't. We have to bear with it. That's the only way we can make up for the mistakes. So please. Believe me when I say that I forgive you. And please, forgive yourself. I want to see the confident and cheerful Kaede that helped me for the past few days." Kaede looked at me in shock before she began to wipe away at her now glossy eyes.

"Y-You should really take your own advice." Kaede said through her tears. "You haven't forgiven yourself either, have you. The way you spoke gave it away." My eyes widened a bit before my expression softened.

"You're right. I haven't. Guess I shouldn't be giving you lectures about that then." It's then that I felt Kaede grab the sleeve of my jacket.

"I...I'm pathetic. You must be feeling so much worse than I am, but I'm acting like I'm worse off. You helped us all, and set a trap for Tsumugi. Kirumi wouldn't blame you for what happened, I'm sure." Kaede said with a shaky voice. Before I could say anything, she wrapped her and hugged me tightly as she began to cry into my shoulders. "So please, for your sake, forgive yourself. I...I don't know if I can forgive myself, but if you try, then maybe I can try to. Please, forgive yourself, and I'm sorry." Kaede sobbed. I was taken aback by what she said. I looked at her with a somber look before returning the hug.

"...I'll try then, so you try too. And I forgive you. I'll say that as many times as you want." I said softly. She cried a bit more before she started to laugh a bit.

"Thank you." After that, we let go of each other and went back to sitting in silence. She rubbed her red eyes with her sleeve as she sniffled. "I feel… a lot better now."

"Me too." I said, my voice somehow refreshed.

"I should...probably go talk to Rantaro soon too."

"You'll be fine. I talked to him earlier and he doesn't hold anything against you. It'll probably be a weight off your shoulders."

"Yeah… I'm just nervous about it. Even if you made sure he wasn't in danger, he still was set up to take the fall because of my plan, so I still should apologize."

"He'll forgive you. If you want, I can come with you."

"You don't need to. I think after this I can do it by myself." Kaede then turned to me with a small but warm smile. "Geez, you're too kind. You and Shuichi both."

"When did we start talking about Shuichi?" I asked in a teasing tone. Pink appeared on Kaede's cheeks as she began to stutter.

"Th-That's not what I was implying." Kaede cried out. "A-Anyway, that's enough crying. Since we're together now, we should do something. Last time we hung out, all you did was listen to me play piano."

"Yeah, that and I got chased around the entire damn campus by you." I said in an exasperated tone.

"Haha, yeah." Kaede then perked up, having just realized something. "Hey wait a minute! I only chased you because you refused to tell me what caused you to start having a panic attack in my lab! You still haven't told me!"

"Huh?" I tilted my head as I remembered what had happened. "Oh… OH…" Oh right...Foresight showed me Kaede's supposed execution. Right… "W-Well, you see I…" I trailed off as I tried to come up with a response. Kaede just sighed as she shook her head.

"Geez, you still don't want to talk about it? Well, I guess that's fine. Not sure I would be able to properly help you like this. I just broke down in front of you and you had to comfort me." She said with a small laugh. I chuckled as well as I nodded.

"I guess we both have seen each other at our worst." Kaede nodded at my words.

"Then let's just forget about everything for a few hours at least and do something!" She turned to me with a curious look as she asked me her next question. "So last time you wanted me to play piano, so this time we should do something you want to do. So what do you want to do? What are things you like doing?"

"Umm… I haven't actually given much thought." I said with a hint of nervousness. "I've been worried and in a state of panic and deep thinking for the past few days that the last thing on my mind was...well, myself. Just from what I've done and how I've reacted to certain things, I think I have experience with machinery and slot machines… Maybe?"

"Woah, so you could be like Miu?" Kaede gasped.

"Haha yeah no. I know for a fact that I'm nowhere near her level. I just had enough knowledge to take a look at Keebo to see if he was fine during the Death Road to Despair attempts on our first day."

"Oh, I see. Do you know any of your other hobbies?" Kaede asked.

"Umm… no not really." I shrugged. "What about you? Maybe if you talk about your hobbies, then maybe we'll find something in common or trigger a memory for me." Kaede thought about it a bit as she put her finger on her chin.

"Well, it's obvious that playing piano is a big hobby of mine." She joked. "I'm honestly really glad there's a piano here now. I don't feel as anxious as I was before." She said as she lifted her hands up to, what I assume, play air piano. "Nothing beats a real piano. I was really happy when you wanted to listen to me play. Now let's see, what else…" Kaede thought for a straight minute before her face paled.

"Kaede, is something wrong?" I asked.

"Well, it's just...even while thinking for that long, I couldn't come up with any other real hobbies. I'm too worried about my hands to really get into some things like cooking or sports. If I damage my hands, I might never be able to play piano like I do now after all. But now that I think about it, I think that my love for piano has caused me to have no other hobbies outside my talent. Without the piano I have nothing..." We sat there for what felt like another minute in silence. We both paled at ourselves. An amnesiac who can't remember anything he used to enjoy doing and a piano freak who does nothing but play the piano. Two people that have no real hobbies. "Rin, we need to find some kind of hobby!"

"Agreed!" I quickly said. The situation was quite dire. And so we quickly began to search for things to do, anything that we could find to be our new hobby. After a long search, we eventually tired ourselves out without finding any real hobby to do. "This...might take a while…" I heaved.

"Yeah...I'm not sure we'll be able to find a hobby so quickly." Kaede agreed. "But now I feel determined to find one. I mean, I'll always love playing piano, but maybe there's something else out there that I might enjoy doing too. So this has sort of given me courage to try to find that by doing different things."

"That's the spirit." I nodded at her response.

"Don't act like that doesn't apply to you too, Rin." Kaede said. "If you try different things too, maybe you'll remember something. At the least you'll learn more about yourself."

"Heh… I suppose. Might be nice to find something enjoyable to do here."

"We'll find something, I know it! Let's work hard for this new goal of ours!" Kaede said while shooting her fist into the air.

"Hell yeah!" I agreed while doing the same thing. We then began to laugh again. I was happy. I'm glad we could move past what happened and start having fun together again. Kaede's still my friend, and I hope it stays like that.

After Kaede and I talked for a bit longer, Kaede went to go talk to Rantaro. I'm glad. Kaede seems a lot better than she was this morning. I never thought I would see her break down like that, but I'm glad we had the chance to talk about it. It's a relief, for her and me. I feel like there's one less thing for me to worry about. As I walked around, I began to wonder what I should do next. There's still a lot of time left before nighttime. Maybe I should try to find something I enjoy doing, like what me and Kaede agreed to do. But what? I'm a blank slate, so maybe I can just start doing anything. I shrugged as I thought. I really don't know much about myself, and I haven't even thought too much about that topic because of the killing game.

What a crappy situation. I already knew that, of course, but seriously, screw Monokuma, screw the killing game, screw the mastermind(s), and screw my seemingly incurable amnesia. I think for a moment, pondering any sort of possible way that I could regain those memories. My mind wandered to the flashback light again and I stifled a groan. Monokuma must have done something to make that flashback light not work on me. But how would he do that? More importantly, why? Is me having memories of the Ultimate Hunt more important than the others' having that memory? Or would I have gained more memories than the others? Then again, maybe it's a blessing in disguise. If those flashback lights actually contain false memories, then maybe it's better that I'm immune. The entirety of Tsumugi's case is proof of that possibility, though I pray that isn't the case. If it is, then who or what are we dealing with exactly? I can't help but think of that first word that Foresight gave me when I first woke up. Danganronpa...

I take another deep breath. I need to take my mind off this, and I know just how to do that. I quickly made my way to the 4th floor and entered the vast library that is Kiyo's lab. Kiyo, who is of course there, looks my way before proceeding to, what I assume, smile under that mask of his. "Afternoon, Kiyo." I greeted with a smile of my own.

"Yes, good afternoon to you as well, Rin. I take it you are here to enjoy the knowledge here as well?" Kiyo asked me.

"Naturally. There's so much here. I can't wait to dive into it all." I said, earning another pleased smile from the anthropologist. Kiyo leads me to a table near one of the many bookcases and helps me pick out a few books. For the next couple of hours, I sat there and read, occasionally stealing glances at Kiyo, who was also reading but was mainly examining the tools that were in the lab. He was very thorough with the caged dog village tools, which makes sense given how he said he didn't know they even existed. He must really want to try that seance he mentioned before.

The books that I had were about basic concepts that most people have heard of, but these went into more detail about them, such as yokai, ghosts, senances, and other things about folk tales and legends, particularly stories about oni and warriors that fought them. The ones about Minamoto no Raikou and his heavenly kings were the most interesting so far, what with the many oni they fought. But while these stories and books were interesting, I couldn't help but get distracted away from them. The thoughts of my lost memories were more worrying than I realized. Defeated and now looking for answers to solve this dilemma, I closed the book I was reading and turned to Kiyo, who had finished with his testing of the caged dog tools. "Hey Kiyo, are there any anthropologist methods you know of to regain memories?" Kiyo stops what he was doing and immediately begins to think deeply about my question.

"There isn't any real way that I can recall. I have studied memory loss as part of my research, but I doubt any of that will give you the cure-all answer you are wanting." Kiyo's response got a sigh out of me.

"I figured. I just can't help but get hung up on what I could have forgotten. It's...worrying." I told Kiyo. Kiyo nodded and closed his eyes thoughtfully.

"I can imagine. After what happened, I believe I can safely assume that the weight you are carrying is quite immense."

"I don't know if I would say that…" I say while rubbing my neck.

"Not true. To be quite honest, I am a little concerned for your wellbeing."

"Huh? How so?"

"You appear to have experienced trauma in your life." My eyes widened at Kiyo's words. I wasn't sure why, but I started to get nervous, sweat now forming on my forehead. Why does it feel like he can see right through me now?

"Well… I mean… Wouldn't you say that we all have? That class trial was quite traumatic." I say, trying to deflect off from this topic.

"That is not what I am referring to. I am talking about your past that you can't remember." Kiyo clarified. The cold sweat continued as I averted my eyes. I really didn't want to start talking about this, because as soon as we do, then we'll have to bring up what Tsumugi said about me. "If you need proof, then you just need to look at how you've been acting since the killing game was announced."

"Huh?" I was taken aback by that. What was Kiyo talking about? How I acted…? Were there other things besides what Tsumugi said?

"The main event I am thinking about is when the additional motive, the time limit, was introduced. As soon as it was announced, you went into a dangerous panic attack, one that looked like it was a response to a mixture of fear and trauma." Oh yeah. That motive did freak me out pretty badly. Worse than anything else that's happened. Guess I sort of forgot that happened too. It's been...a long few days. I didn't say anything as Kiyo continued. "In other words, it reminded you of something bad that happened to you. If I had to diagnose it, I would even go so far as to compare it to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

"PTSD? You think I have that? Really?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, not really believing what he said. No, I refuse to believe that. There's no way. The only way I could have something that bad is if… was she speaking the truth back then? Is that why I get those horrible nightmares and thoughts?

"I can't say with certainty, but it is something that has come up in my studies, I feel as though I can say there is a similarity between how you acted and that condition. There are also other actions you've taken that I found strange, but can be explained if you have experienced something traumatic."

"L-Like what?" I questioned, now a little scared of what Kiyo's observations could be.

"When we were trying the underground passage, you were constantly trying to be useful and help us escape, even at the cost of injuries. Once the motives were given, you spent the remaining time building a plan to prevent murder, even at the cost of your life. The plan you made was very risky to your wellbeing. You could have easily died to either Kaede's trap or Tsumugi's, yet you put that aside and risked it all, just for a chance to end the game. I do not believe those actions would be taken by a normal person surrounded by strangers. Truthfully, I find it fascinating and beautiful, the way you fight to protect everyone, even if it may cost you your life. It is very admirable." Kiyo finished. I shook my head and rested it on my open palm.

"I wouldn't call it that. I still failed to protect two people. And I don't really know what to say to my actions being 'not normal for an average person'. I just… did what felt right. It felt like I needed to do that."

"Exactly. You didn't even question it, because your body already knew what it wanted. What it needed to do." Kiyo then explained. "You may not remember what has happened in your past, but your body still remembers. Even if you forget about scars you have received, they would still be there, correct? It is the same concept. That is why you have panic attacks when certain things trigger a reaction. It would also explain memories or thoughts you might have had here."

"Wait, how did you-"

"Just a guess." Kiyo answered. "The way you hold yourself is not in the best of light today. I can only assume Tsumugi's words are still affecting you. You may have remembered something or a part of something related to what she was saying. That would explain why you would not want to talk to the others about it or why you did not receive much needed rest last night. Am I correct?" I stared at the anthropologist with wide eyes. I took a deep breath and released it, along with my pent up tension.

"You're way too smart, you know that? No wonder you're an Ultimate. Your insight and observation is on point."

"I thank you for the compliment, but I believe I'm not the only one. Even if the others cannot understand why, I believe most if not all of them feel and can see that you are in pain." I then remembered how everyone was back at breakfast. They all looked worried. I run my hand across my face and groan. What a mess.

"...So what do you suggest I do?" I asked in a soft voice.

"Talk to someone about it. The burden will be easier to bear if you trust friends and loved ones with it." Kiyo answered somberly.

"It sounds like… you've had experience with that."

"...I have. I'm that person for my sister." Kiyo began to explain.

"You have a sister?" I asked.

"Yes. She is the most important person in the world to me. She has always been extremely ill, so her life is limited to what she can experience while bedridden for most part. She's trusted me with this burden, and it's because of her that I found what I am passionate about. I am forever grateful to her, so helping her with her troubles is the least I can do. I am sure the others here, your friends, would think the same way." I stay silent as I take in what Korekiyo said.

"Maybe you're right." I finally say after a moment of silence. "It would be nice to-no. It would be a relief to not be constantly worried about this, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that. I just…" I sigh before continuing. "I'm afraid of how they will react if I turn out to be someone worse than how I appear."

"If you are referring to what Tsumugi implied before her execution, you need not worry about that. None of us really believe anything she said." Kiyo told me. "Those were but fleeting words of one who never cared for any of us. Whether that was her true nature, or if she was turned into that, she still used those words to break you down in the trial. I would not so easily believe those words, even if you feel as though you remember them being true. Until you can say for certain that her words were true, you should not believe them." I stayed quiet after he said that. I thought about what he said before nodding, a new look of confidence being placed onto my face.

"...Alright." I say with a deep breath. "I can't guarantee anything, but I'll try." Korekiyo smiled under his mask at that.

"I am glad I could help you with this. I hope you find a solution to the troubles you face."

"Thanks." I then got up from my seat and stretched my arms. "I oughta get going. It's getting a little late, and I should probably get a lot more rest today to make up for the few days of no sleep."

"Very well. I wish you the best in whatever course of action you take."

"Thanks." I started walking out of the lab, only to stop and turn to Kiyo. "And Kiyo, you're my friend too. Remember that." I then left the lab, leaving the anthropologist alone to chuckle to himself.

"How dazzling. His light that shines in the darkest shadows is too beautiful."

I started walking down the stairs, yawning as I did. It really has been a long few days. The mere thought of just letting myself pass out without a care in the world truly sounds like heaven. I might actually sleep through the announcement tomorrow morning. Just when I was entranced by the thought of sleeping in a bed again, I was rudely interrupted. "Hey, white-hair fucker! Perfect timing!" I immediately groaned. Loudly. That groan was the biggest groan I've made in my life, I'm sure of it. Why, god, did I have to run into her?

"Miu...sigh...What do you want?" I asked, deciding to at least attempt politeness before just leaving.

"The hell was that loud ass groan for? What? Still got a stick up your ass from what happened in Ryoma's hoity-toity lab?" My already strained polite smile cracked a little. I had forgotten about that...until now.

"Answer the question or I'm leaving." I told her.

"Eep!" Miu shrieked before she collected herself. "W-Well… I… I made something earlier today and I wanted you to help test it."

"You want me to test one of your inventions?" I asked with a raised eyebrow before I crossed arms. "Let me guess, it's something absurd like your while-you-sleep brand items, right?"

"Don't talk to me in that condescending tone, Wakuri!" Miu shouted while pointing at me. "You're talking to Miu fuckin' Iruma, the gorgous blonde genus girl!" I raised an eyebrow again after she finished.

"You called me by my last name and not something offensive? I must be dreaming." I sarcastically said. "...So what's this invention of yours?"

"Oh, so you are interested in testing it. Perfect. I was sure this invention would entice you, especially since it might help you with that problem of yours."

"My problem?"

"Duh-doy! Your memory loss, you crimson-eyed virgin!"

"..." I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last part and focus on what's important. "You actually came up with something to help me? I apologize for saying this, and if you're telling the truth then I'm extremely grateful, but why? Why help me of all people?"

"Well…" Miu muttered as she pressed the ends of her finger tips together. "I...sort of felt bad after getting chewed out by Kaeidiot and Ryom-dick back there, so I thought about making something to try to...make up for what I said." I was stunned. Rendered completely speechless with wide, dumb eyes. "Wh-What's with that look of confusion?" Miu stammered nervously.

"O-Oh, it's just...I never would have thought that you would do something like that. It almost feels out of character for you." I said as I brought myself out of my stunned daze. "If that's the case, then sure. I'll help you test it."

"Great! Follow me." Miu then led me to her lab, which I had never seen until this point. Miu's lab was interesting, to say the least. It was designed like how I imagined most mad scientist's labs would look like. Machinery was everywhere, scattered around like junk, and the room was colored hot pink from the light in the lab. In the middle was a chair surrounded by dangerous equipment, making me think of horror movies like Saw, yet knowing Miu, it's probably to satisfy some kind of kink of hers. "Here." After rummaging in one of the boxes filled with machines, Miu tossed me something. I caught it and examined it, seeing what looked like a small scanner of sorts.

"Is this it? What is it?"

"That's the Hookup Counter! It's my latest and greatest invention!" Miu cackled.

"I'm not fond of that name… What does it actually do?" I asked, feelings of concern lacing my voice as I spoke.

"This baby tells ya how many people someone has fucked!" She said, excitement clearly showing on her face.

"..."

"Wh-What's with that face? You constipated or something?"

"...I have no memories of my life before coming to this academy, but I am 100% confident in saying this. You are one of the few people who I have ever met in my life that I just can't stand sometimes." I deadpanned. The only good thing about this invention is that the name is pretty straight forward. "There's...no way that's possible. How can this thing even calculate something like that?"

"I'm the beautiful Miu Iruma! I can make anything! If you doubt me, then just test it to see if it works!" Miu told me. I raised an eyebrow at her before looking down at the scanner. I then shrugged. If she's so adamant about me testing it, then sure. I pointed the scanner at her and pressed the button. "Eeeeek! Wh-Who do you think you're pointing that at!?" Miu shouted.

"You wanted me to test it, so I'm testing it." I replied as I looked at the scanner. It hummed as it calculated before showing the results on the tiny screen. "See. It doesn't work. It says 0." I told her as I showed her the scanner. Miu only blushed heavily as she looked at the screen before covering her face embarrassedly. Wait… "Miu...Are you actually…?"

"Sh-Shut up! Yes, I haven't gotten any yet! There isn't any man who could handle me! Why did you even use it on me!? It was for you to use on yourself!" Miu shot back with a face that was as red as my eyes.

"I didn't...think it would work at all." That was the only answer I had for her. Great...now I feel like a jerk. "I'm sorry, Miu. I shouldn't have doubted your talent and used it on you to reveal that personal information. And I'm...sorry for assuming that you were...more loose with yourself than you actually are."

"Why are you trying to be so polite about it now? You thought I was a slut, just say that!" Miu shouted.

"Well with the way you act, do you really blame me for thinking that? You're so vulgar and the only things that come out of your mouth are lewd insults or dirty jokes. You're not exactly who comes to mind when I think of 'a pure maiden'. I guess in hindsight I shouldn't have assumed such things, considering you're just a highschooler. It would be greatly concerning if you had a high number despite your age." I sighed. "But honestly, how is this supposed to help me with my missing memories? Who I 'hooked up' with in my past is quite literally the last possible thing I want to know right now."

"W-Well…" Miu began. "I thought that if you learn about that stuff, it would help you remember stuff like relationships you were in. With that, maybe you could remember people in your life...and stuff." I sighed as I pressed my palm against my face.

"That kind of info wouldn't be helpful in the slightest. I doubt it works like that…" I sighed as I put down the scanner. I'd rather not know that. It'd probably be more confusing than helpful. "I thought you invented something similar to that flashback light we found. Something that actually brings out memories and not...something related to my past love life."

"You could at least try it out since I, the genius girl Miu Iruma, made that specifically for you." Miu told me frustratedly.

"I'd really rather not." I responded before putting my hand on my chin. This was a disappointment, but while I'm here, I can actually do something I wanted to do. "If you really want to make up for what happened in Ryoma's lab, then can you do me a favor?"

"Favor? I already did you a favor by making this baby!" Miu growled.

"No, that was something you made for yourself, I didn't ask for it. Instead of that, do you think you could make a special lock or two?"

"Special lock? What for?"

"Some rooms don't have locks, and these rooms sometimes have dangerous items in them. If you can make a lock we can attach to these doors, we might be able to prevent a few murders."

"Hmph, you really think something like a lock can stop murders?" Miu scoffed.

"No, but it's a start. If we can make some rooms inaccessible, even to Kokichi, who can pick locks, then it would make things harder for potential murderers." I told her. "I'm not so naive to think that another murder is impossible. Monokuma is going to try his hardest to get us to properly kill this time, so I just want to be proactive in trying to prevent them instead of doing nothing." Miu looked at me with a skeptical look before she went to another box of junk and took out some parts before taking them to one of the work tables in the lab.

"Fine. Might as well. It's an easy task to make a simple lock, at least for me." Miu said as she fiddled with the parts. "I should be finished with this 'special lock' of yours in about half an hour."

"Thank you, Miu." I said with real gratitude. As Miu was working on the lock, I began to examine her lab a bit more closely. I took a look at a few of the other inventions that were in the lab, and was utterly bewildered and disappointed by all of them. I thought her while-you-sleep brand of tools was ridiculous, but these blow that out of the water. Why do they all have something to do with lewd things? I sighed before something caught my eye. They were blueprints and designs for objects that weren't built yet. Well, calling them 'blueprints' might be a bit much, as they just looked like children's drawings. Yet despite their appearance, these drawings are incredibly detailed. But something about these designs is strange, and these invention ideas are incredibly different from the inventions I've seen so far. I wonder… My curiosity piqued, I took the drawings and searched for other blueprints to compare them to. After finding one for that stupid hookup counter, I confirmed my suspicions. The handwriting wasn't Miu's, and they had different layouts, and yet they were just as complex and detailed as hers. "Hey Miu, what's with these blueprints?" I asked while holding up the drawings.

"Huh?" Miu mumbled as she turned to me. "Oh that stuff? Kokichi came by today and asked me to make that stuff."

"Kokichi?" I repeated as I examined the documents. "I didn't expect him to ask you to make something, but these designs feel right up his alley."

"Like hell I'm going to use those lame ass white and black designs! If I'm going to make them, they're going to have the Iruma touch!"

"...So they'll be hot pink?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Of course…" As long as they still work, it's fine, I guess. "But what even are these things? 'Electro Hammers?' 'Electro Bombs'? You're not making him weapons, right?"

"Of course not! I'm not an idiot, you fuckin' moron! These only disable electronic devices."

"Disable electronics?" I muttered. Why would he want that? And these things, from what the blueprints say, are incredibly powerful. What could he possibly need these to shut down? And then it hit me. The Exisals. These can take out something as big and powerful as an Exisal with ease. But why would Kokichi of all people want that? "And what about these other two items mentioned? A remote that can hijacked devices and a 'bug vac'?"

"They're exactly what they say they are. A remote that can control other devices and a vacuum for sucking up bugs." If he plans to take out the Exisals, the remote makes sense, because then he could use them, but what about the vacuum? There aren't any bugs...here… Wait, Gonta told us he saw one earlier today, but it was so small that even he couldn't see them. Could this be for that? But why?

Another thought then came to me. Bugs...bugs...as in the devices used to spy on people! Could Gonta have seen the hidden cameras!? I never even considered the possibility. Is Kokichi thinking that far ahead? With the bug vac, not only could he suck up those cameras for later examination, but he could clean an area of cameras temporarily. It's amazing. No, it's ingenious. And so fast, too. Kokichi might act like a brat, but he's certainly not dumb. But the thing I can't understand is the bigger picture. Why is he doing all of this? Why does he need all this stuff? Is he planning something? Well, in any case, I don't think it's anything too bad. All this stuff is helpful for our cause, so I think it's fine to leave him be. What's the worst he could do?

Hmm...now that I think about it, perhaps I should do something similar. The bug vac might be able to suck up those hidden camera bugs, but I doubt anyone could see them normally with how small they probably are. It's still useful, but I'd rather have something to confirm they exist and not just go on assumptions. Not again, at least. "Hey Miu, could I ask you to do me one more favor? Do you think you could make a radar or something that can detect electronic devices? And, if it's possible, can you make it so it can disable them for a short time?"

"A radar? The hell you gonna use that for?"

"I want to check for those hidden cameras we talked about in the class trial. Might as well find out if we're being watched or something, right? You don't have to make it as strong as these Electro devices Kokichi asked for. It really only needs to work within a room's worth of space." Miu just narrowed her eyes at me before she sighed.

"Fine. Whatever. But don't ask me for any favors again. And if you use my inventions to kill anyone, Imma beat your ass until ya can't stand anymore." She grumbled.

"Kill someone? Who would-?" I stopped mid-sentence. Kaede tried to kill using the cameras Miu upgraded. Miu sighed before she turned back to the lock she was working on.

"Kaeidiot tried killing with something I made for her. She stomped all over my trust." Miu growled as she tinkered with the metal parts angrily. "And here I thought I could trust her, out of anyone here, even if just a little. I might be able to tolerate her, after hearing the 'why' and after everything that happened, but I won't let go of what she did. She took something I worked so hard on and tried to kill with. What if she was trying to kill me? I would have given her the tools for my own goddamn death trap. If she can't fully be trusted, then no one here can."

"...If no one can be trusted, why did you decide to help make Kokichi's devices and my stuff?" I asked.

"Tsk… The fuckin' gremlin wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed to help. He can be so goddamn persistent. He was like a virgin who was begging a girl to suck him off."

"Did not need the description." I said. "And me?" Miu didn't say anything for a while before she sighed.

"I trust that little prick as far as I can throw him, but if I'm helping him, then I can help you a little. You're a bit more trustworthy than that annoying shota grape is. You caught that bitch Tsumugi after all." She then pointed at me with an angry expression. "Don't think that means that I trust you completely. You're still one of the most suspicious bastards here, and I still want to know what the hell Tsumugi meant with what she was saying in the trial! In this place, anyone could kill anyone else at any time. You'd have to be a moron like Kaito if you believe no one is gonna kill again." I was silent before I looked to the ground solemnly.

"I have to say, when you're not shouting out some obscene joke or rude insult, you actually sound pretty smart."

"Hey! The fuck did you just-"

"You're absolutely right." I continued. "It would be completely arrogant of us to go on thinking nothing bad will happen again. Even with Tsumugi gone, even if she was the true mastermind of the game, Monokuma and the kubs are still here. They're sure to have more motives for us. Even stronger motives too, I imagine. They even told me they figured out who I am, so they'll probably have a special motive for me to try to get me to kill." I sighed as I leaned against the wall behind me. "Once that motive comes, anything can happen, whether it's good or bad. Everyone will be in a position where they might kill, even me. Hehehe...it's funny how you mention how I'm one of the most suspicious here. Honestly, you're right in not trusting me completely. I'm starting to think I shouldn't trust myself either. I'm worried about what I might do if I had the right motive. But that's why I have to be proactive. Instead of waiting for something to happen, I'm going to do everything I can to make it harder for everyone, including myself, to do something stupid. That's why I need your devices. That's probably why Kokichi needs them. Funnily enough, you might be the most useful person here in this scenario. With your tools, a murder my be prevented. That is, of course, I don't fuck it up again." Miu just stared at me for a while before she grabbed a notebook that was nearby her and started jotting stuff down.

"That remote should be finished in a few days. I'll let you know when it's done."

"Cool. Thanks. I look forward to seeing the finished product." I told her with a smile. I took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling before closing my eyes. Yeah...that's all I can do. I can only do what I can.

Click!

I opened my eyes and looked back down to see Miu pointing that stupid hookup counter at me with a nervous, slightly cracked smile on her face, along with a deep shade of red. "M-Miu! What are you doing!?"

"C-Consider this payment for agreeing to make that radar of yours!" Miu stammered as she looked at the scanner as it calculated it's results. "I made this to use on you, so I'm going to fuckin' use it on you!"

"You can't just-!" That's when the scanner finished and made a noise as it showed Miu the results. Miu just stared at the device for a few minutes. She wasn't smiling any more. She barely emoted at all. "Uhh...M-Miu?" I asked. "What does it say?"

"..." Miu didn't respond as she turned to look at me. She then turned around and threw the counter at the wall, breaking it into a million pieces. "What the fuck is this shit!?"

"M-Miu?"

"How in the…!?" Miu shouted as she tugged her hair out, her face now violently red.

"Wh-What did it say!?" I yelled, getting more nervous at her reaction.

"One! It said 'one'!" Miu yelled in a flustered voice. "How does someone like you have one and the smokin' hot Miu Iruma doesn't!?"

"One?" I repeated. I slowly felt my face get red as I processed that answer. It was...unexpected. What was expected was how despite learning that, nothing new was coming to mind. The only thing I got was just a flustered expression and confused emotions. What does 'one' mean!? Do I have a girlfriend? Did I just 'do the deed' with someone? That doesn't tell me anything, least of all give me something to work with! Then I saw something. Something sparkled in the light of the room. I am older than everyone else. I'm probably in my early 20s, if not my mid 20s, so it's entirely possible… "Am...I married?" I asked out loud as I stared at the silver ring on my hand, the blue gem inside it sparkling.

"Who would want to get hitched to someone like you?" Miu scoffed.

"Well rude!" I shot back. "I'm sure I'm old enough to have found someone."

"Oh please…" Miu shook her head.

"Hey, at least I might have someone, Miss Zero." I bluntly said. There was nothing but silence after I said that. Miu and I just stared at each other as the seconds ticked by. "...Nothing that was said or discovered in this room today leaves. Agree?"

"Agreed." Miu nodded as we shook hands. She then walked over to the work table she was at and tossed me something. "There's that lock you wanted. It can't be picked, for one thing, like you wanted. You attach it to any door and it'll merge it's locking mechanisms into the door and frame, becoming it's lock until you use this key to take it off. Speaking of keys, this will lock and unlock it." Miu then handed me the key before turning back around to her work table. "That's all I have for you today." She said as she scribbled swiftly into that notebook of hers.

"Thanks again for this. I appreciate it." I told her as I left her lab. As soon as I left her lab, I realized how late it was. I took out my Monopad and-wow, it's almost 10pm. Really long day today. I still have time though, so I should deliver this lock to its new owner. I made my way up to the third floor and saw Maki, still standing outside her door. She was just standing there, keeping guard of her lab. It actually looked a little sad. "Yo, Maki." I greeted her as I approached, showing the lock and key to her as I did. "Got you that lock I promised." Maki narrowed her eyes at the lock before looking at me.

"So it would seem. I'll be honest, I didn't think you would do it, at least not so fast."

"Oh ye of little faith. When have I ever lied to you guys?"

"Do you really want me to answer that? There were quite a few lies before the class trial." She shot back with a small smirk.

"...Point taken. Here, let me set this up for you." I said as I started attaching the lock. After it was firmly attached to the door (It sort of looked like a metal parasite instead of a lock), I handed Maki the key and smiled. "There we go. Now no one can get in or out without your explicit permission, Miss Harukawa. No need to be the security guard here now."

"...Why did you do this?" Maki asked me.

"Why? Isn't the reason simple? It's because we're friends, and I trust you, no matter who you are." I told her.

"...Do you want to die?" She asked with a stern expression. Completely taken aback by her question, I gulped before responding.

"...No?" I said with my hands raised in a defensive manner. "I'm...confused, I thought you'd be happy."

"You're the one giving me the strange answer." Maki chuckled. "...Thanks, I guess. For doing this."

"Don't mention it." I told her. "I'll tell you what I told Ryoma. I have no memories of my past. I have no idea who I was before all this, much less any of you guys. I'm in no position to judge you for your past actions. What matters to me is what you do now, in this moment, and so far, you seem chill. Pretty normal compared to everyone else."

"That isn't a high bar to reach when the only people here are us."

"True again."

Ding dong, bing bong

At the familiar tone, the monitors flickered to life, showing only Monodam. "OFFICIAL-ANNOUNCEMENT-FROM-THE-ULTIMATE-ACADEMY… IT-IS-NOW-10-P.M." Monodam then looked to the ground, his face still stoic. "EVERYONE-IS-OUT-NOW… ON-WORK-DUTY…" Monodam kept silent before looking back up to the camera. "...BEDTIME-URSINE." With that the monitors turned off.

"How annoying...still, I can't help but feel bad for that green kub." I sighed. "Well, I'll be heading off. I'm looking forward to sleeping in a bed again."

"Jeez, you should really take better care of yourself." Maki sighed. "I suppose I'll head back to now. No need for me to stay here now."

"Then let's head back." I told her as I guided the way. After a nice walk in comfortable silence, we made it back to the dorms and entered our respective rooms. Oh sweet dorm room, it's been too long. I immediately flopped down the bed and moaned in delight from it's softness. This feels so nice. I turn to my side and look around the room. That bag full of those casino coins is here. Other than that, nothing's changed. I found myself frowning at that thought. Have I already grown fond of this room? So much so that it feels natural to be here? Urgh...I think I just threw up a little in my mouth at that thought. If this place can give me feelings of comfort, I'm not in a good spot. Still, a lot happened today. "...A reason to live, huh?" For some reason, my mind went to Ryoma and his words. A reason to live. I'm sure everyone here has a few. Family, friends, goals they want to achieve. But what about me? I have nothing from my past except for a few vague ideas. Do I really have something out there for me to look forward to? Something that might give me a reason to escape? I shook my head at the thought. It doesn't matter. It's like I said before. All that matters is what happens here, and what I do. What I do now is what will define who I am. So with that, I already have a reason to keep living. I need to stay alive for everyone here. I won't die on them. Not anytime soon. With that thought, I closed my eyes, and immediately drifted into sleep.