When I woke up, I was back in my room on my bed. I was confused, dazed, and sore. I slowly got up from my bed and placed my hand on my forehead. How did I get here? Last thing I remember is being tossed around like a rag doll by Tenko. Did she bring me back here after I blacked out? Urg...my head… I slowly got out of bed and took out my Monopad to check the time. It's a little after 10 p.m. now. I must have slept through the nighttime announcement. Man, it's funny how I'm getting all this rest now after having none for a few days. I sighed as I left my room. I need to speak to Rantaro and discuss what we learned, though for me I didn't get much. When I left my room though, I saw something a little strange. Kaito, Shuichi, Kaede, and Maki were leaving the dorms and going somewhere. It looked more like Kaito was dragging the other three somewhere, actually. Still, out of everyone, that's a strange group. And Maki's with them, despite Kaito knowing her real talent. What is he thinking? I thought about it for a bit before ultimately deciding it was more important to check out what they were doing before I talked to Rantaro.
Following them from a distance and as stealthily as I could, I watched Kaito lead the group to an open area in the courtyard. I hid behind a corner of the dormitory building and watched as Kaito began saying something to the others. Then, strangely enough, all four of them got down and started doing push ups. Now I'm even more confused. Why are they just doing push ups in the courtyard? Kaito seems to be pushing the others on, but I don't know why. After watching them do push ups for a bit longer, each of them having varying levels of success, I decided that they weren't going to do anything I needed to worry about and went back into the dormitory building. I found myself scratching my head as I headed over to Rantaro's room. I don't know what Kaito is planning, but it's probably fine. He's a good guy.
Once at Rantaro's door, I rang the bell and waited. The door soon opened, revealing the lime colored owner who was inside. "Rin. You're awake. Good. I was starting to get worried."
"Sorry about that. You know how it is with Tenko." I jokingly said.
"I figured as much after seeing Tenko carrying you back to the dorms." Rantaro replied with a chuckle.
"Either way, you owe me. I got thrown I don't know how many times." I groaned. "So, mind if I come in. We should talk about how everything went."
"Yes, I agree." Rantaro nodded as he led me inside and closed the door. "So what did you learn about Shuichi and Tenko?"
"Tenko isn't letting the motive affect her at all really. She's placing her focus on preventing murders that might happen in front of her, and when I asked she said she agreed with what everyone suggested this morning. As for Shuichi, he seemed really worried and unsure of what to do, but after talking to me, he seemed to know what he thought he should do."
"And what's that?"
"He told me that he was going to try to find specifically which of us got their own video."
"Really? He can't possibly think he can actually do that, can he?"
"I don't know. He seemed really confident about it, and he said that he already had a head start." Rantaro pondered about that before sighing.
"He might say that, but I have no idea what this head start could be. It seems almost impossible to figure out who has which videos without taking the video itself and watching it."
"Yeah. I can't think of what he might be referring to. What about you? How was your chat with Ryoma and Kokichi?"
"About that…" Rantaro began. "I learned why Ryoma even wants to see his own video."
"Really?"
"Yeah. He said it was so that he would have a reason to live. He thinks that if he watches the video and sees whoever is the 'most important' person in his life, then he'll have a reason to escape with everyone together. He wants a reason to be fighting against the killing game alongside us." I was speechless at the explanation. That's his reason? He wants a reason to fight against this killing game for us? A reason to live?
"Ryoma… That's so sad, and so foolish." I muttered. I sighed before turning back to Rantaro. "So what about Kokichi? Did you get a reason why he wants to swap videos?"
"Not really. He kept dodging the question whenever I asked him. However, he did allude to a plan he was working on."
"A plan?"
"He mentioned something about a meet and greet." Rantaro explained.
"Meet and greet? But we already know each other. What could he be planning?" I pondered.
"I don't know, but it seems Gonta is helping him with it."
"Of course. Kokichi did trick Gonta into following him this morning. This plan is probably something that is tricking Gonta so that he helps with it. Gonta is naive, but he isn't stupid. He'd know if Kokichi was blatantly trying to do something with the videos. Kokichi must be using this 'meet and greet' as cover for trick Gonta. Hmm...what could he have tricked Gonta into?"
Insect Meet and Greet.
"Aaaah!" I screamed in terror from the suddenness of that, almost falling over as I did.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Rantaro asked immediately, making his way to me.
"I-I'm fine. Just almost tripped." I told him. What was that? Another Foresight? What does 'insect meet and greet' mean? I thought about it and came up with an idea, but I really didn't want to entertain it. No...Kokichi wouldn't...would he? "Was there anything else you found out?" I asked Rantaro.
"Well, Ryoma said something too that concerned me." He answered. "He mumbled something about maybe having a way to get his video."
"Now how would he go about that?"
"I don't know, but he seemed confident. And serious."
"Hmm… Then we need to keep an eye out for Kokichi and Ryoma both." I said. "Perhaps I should talk to them tomorrow. Maybe I can figure out what they're going to do." I checked the time again and sighed. "I should head back now. It's getting late, and I'm still sore 'cause of Tenko."
"Yeah. We should definitely get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow seems like it'll be a hassle."
"Right. Then I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah. Good night." With that, I left Rantaro's room and started to head back up to my own. There's a lot on my mind now. Kokichi's plan, this Insect Meet and Greet, Shuichi's declaration, and Ryoma's desire to see his video. That last one worries me the most. Foresight gave me a vision where he died. That most likely means he's going to be the next victim if I don't do anything. If this vision isn't wrong, that is. I sighed at the thought. I can't go doubting Foresight now that it gave me wrong info once. It's been right or insightful every other time. I have to trust it, otherwise I don't have anything to rely on. Though there is one strange thing about that vision. Ryoma wants his video, and he wants it so that he has a reason to live. But if he ends up dead, then why? Is it because he got his video? Shouldn't that mean he's the next killer? Yet that's not what I got from the vision. He was already dead in the vision. He was killed before the spectacle. Executions aren't like that. I know after seeing two of them. So then how does Ryoma end up dead? Is it while trying to get his video? Is it because he got his video? But how would that make sense? If only I knew more, like who's going to kill him, then things would be easier.
I sighed as I opened the door to my room and entered, but stopped after closing my door, my eyes widening when I opened them again. This wasn't my room. It was completely barren and grey. It looked like the area where we found the Despair Road, but even emptier. It didn't even have the factory style going for it like that underground area did. Why...am I here? This should be my room, but-
Drip.
I stopped when something wet dripped onto my face. Instinctually, I put my finger on the wet spot and examined it, almost yelping when I saw what was on my finger. Blood. That's when I noticed the weird thing about this room: it was cylindrical. It was small but had a tall ceiling. I slowly looked up above me, only to be greeted with a worse sight. An execution. What I saw above me was a bunch of buzzsaws lining the walls of the room, and in the center was someone climbing what looked like a thread, though it looked like the thorned body of a rose. They must be feeling immeasurable pain throughout their entire body right now. Yet despite that, they keep going, climbing higher and higher. There's a bright light near the top. Perhaps that's what they're climbing for. Their hope for an exit is pushing them through the pain. And yet, when it seemed they reached the top, the light immediately disappeared. Then, there was a large SNAP! It happened within just a few seconds. The person who was at the top of the room, who had climbed a rope of thorns and allowed themselves to be cut by saws, was now falling at maximum velocity. They landed in front of me, causing a loud CRASH sound along with the sound of multiple bones breaking. They...she had fallen with such force that the ground beneath her had cracked. Yes, she. I could now see who was being brutalized before death. Kirumi. Kirumi was the one who climbed and had fallen. The final blow was the object that fluttered down and landed on Kirumi. It was a drawing of the outside world, with a light that was attached to the back of it that had been turned off. She was tricked into thinking there was an exit, only to be met with despair right before she died.
I had fallen on my knees and covered my face with my hands. Why…? Why did I have to watch Kirumi die again?! Two times! Why did I have to see her lifeless body two times!? She's already dead! Why must she still suffer even in my visions?! After failing to calm myself down, I moved my hands and looked at the room. It had gone back to being my dorm room. I slowly got up and moved to the bed, collapsing onto it as soon as I reached it. I felt lifeless. It was just as bad as when I saw Kaede's execution. It was just as bad as when I saw Tsumugi's execution. Terrible doesn't even describe a fraction of it.
I laid on my bed for a while longer before I sat up and composed myself as best as I could. I can't go into another panic attack. I need to focus. Think about this logically. This doesn't make any sense. Kirumi is already dead. Why would Foresight give me a vision of her execution? It's impossible for her to be the next blackened. So what was it? First the motive videos, now Kirumi's execution. Why are these two the only things Foresight has gotten wrong? Everything else was right. It was right about Maki's talent. It was right about Rantaro's talents. It was right about the Survivor Perk. It was right about Kaede's...wait...no…
It hit me like a metal bat to the head once I realized what it might be. Rantaro and Kaede. It was them! Foresight showed me that Rantaro was originally the one to die and that Kaede would be executed; however, I changed that. I made changes and plans, and in the end, those two survived, while Kirumi and Tsumugi were the ones to perish. So what if Foresight isn't showing me visions or facts from the future. What if it's showing me things that were going to happen originally? If I didn't save Rantaro, he and Kaede would have died, and if they were dead, suddenly, things would start to make more sense. The reason why Foresight didn't tell me who had Rantaro and Kaede's videos is because they were originally supposed to be dead, and it told me who had Kirumi and Tsumugi's videos because they were supposed to be alive right now. Kirumi, being alive, would have gotten her own video, and she would have killed Ryoma. Foresight isn't showing me the future. It's showing me a specific future, one that we're no longer a part of.
The revelation hit me hard. I was blown away. This means I can't fully rely on Foresight anymore. I can't even call it that anymore, since that's not what it is. It's...more like I know the original outline of this game somehow. Tsumugi did mention something about the script being ruined, so perhaps what I actually have is the script of this killing game. The plan that was laid out for everyone to follow unknowingly. That's why some of what I've learned is still right, because those parts of the script haven't changed. I felt myself recline once again onto the bed as I continued to think about what Foresight really was, staring at the ceiling as I did. "So...that's what Tsumugi meant when she told us that 'Kirumi wasn't supposed to die that soon'. She had it planned she would be the second killer." I murmured to myself. Now what do I do? I can't rely on Foresight completely, and I can throw it out the window now that I know it's only showing me who would have died if everything went to script. Ryoma might be alive, but I can't guarantee he's the one being targeted as a victim now. I don't have anything to determine how to deal with the next murder. I'm blind, just like everyone else. No, I'm even more blind, because one of us is going to murder another, and they'll have a plan for how to do it.
I guess I can admit it now. I'm terrified of what's going to happen. I have no information, and that's the scariest part of it all. I don't know how to stop it. Fear was coursing through my body as I felt my breathing quicken. Hundreds of theories as to what might happen began to flood my mind, so much so I felt like my head would burst. I don't know who to trust. Anyone could kill anyone. The next victim could even be me. That thought sent violent chills up my spine. Okay...time to stop thinking about this, otherwise I won't get any rest. I quickly covered myself with the bed's sheets and blankets and did my best to fall back to sleep. I don't know how long it took, but it eventually happened, yet the fear and paranoia didn't leave me as I fell into dreams and nightmares.
Ding dong, bing bong
"Rise and shine, ursine!"
"Nyum, nyum...this is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy..." Monophanie said while munching on something.
"Nom, nom… It is now 8 a.m. Time to wake up...nyum, nyum…" Monotaro added while also nibbling on something.
"What are you eating!?" Monosuke shouted.
"IT-IS-OKAY."
"What's okay!?"
"IT-IS-NOW-8.A.M… EVERYBODY-WAKE-UP. UNLESS-YOU-ARE-DEAD, THEN-DISREGARD." Monodam then said. "LET-US-ALL-BE-POSITIVE-AND-EXCITED-TODAY."
"So long! Bear-well!" And with that, the monitors turned off like they usually do.
"8 a.m, huh?" I muttered as I slowly got out of bed. I felt more sluggish today. Probably because I didn't get any real rest. I just couldn't stop thinking about Foresight and what it means for me. Urg! What a pain! "Stop thinking about that. I should head over to the dining hall." It was still strange saying that. Ever since we came here, going to the dining hall first thing and eating breakfast with everyone was sort of a routine for all of us. I don't think I ever really eat breakfast or meals with friends often, so it's sort of refreshing being around everyone like this. With a small smile forming on my face, I headed out of my room and walked over to the dining hall. Once I entered, I saw that for the first time in a long while, I wasn't the last one to arrive. The only people inside at the moment were Keebo, Angie, Himiko, Tenko, and Kaito. I greeted everyone and got some food to eat while we waited for the others.
Soon, Rantaro, Shuichi, Kiyo, Kaede, Maki, and Miu arrived as well, yet no one else seemed to be showing up. "According to my calculations, not everyone has gathered today." Keebo stated.
"You can see that without doing any calculations…" Kaede said quietly with a weak smile.
"Geez, what's everyone else doing?" Kaito asked while scratching his head.
"I saw Kokichi and Gonta sneaking around in the courtyard before I came here." Rantaro said.
"A couple of virgins sneakin' around sounds like bad news to me!" Miu grumbled.
"I saw Ryoma on my way here, but he said he wasn't coming today." Shuichi added.
"I see. Well, we don't need that guy around here until he's got his head on straight." Kaito replied before sighing. "Tch… How did the famous Ryoma Hoshi end up like that?" Rantaro and I stole glances at each other at those words. It just made me feel worse for Ryoma.
"Let's talk about something else." I interrupted. "Actually, there's been something on my mind since I got here. What are those two doing?" I asked while pointing to Himiko and Angie. Angie was doing her signature meditation pose that she had done a couple times already, but the strange thing about this time was how Himiko was mimicking her to a 'T'. It was sort of unnerving.
"Huh. What are they doing?" Kaede asked.
"Praying to Atua, of course." Angie swiftly and cheerfully replied.
"Praying to Atua." Himiko repeated.
"Huuuuh!? You too, Himiko!?" Tenko yelled.
"I didn't know you were a true believer in Atua as well." I jokingly said, though I was a bit surprised.
"Nyeh… As long as I pray like this, I don't have to waste energy on useless stuff." Himiko explained. "No matter what happens or what trouble might lie ahead, my heart will be calm."
"I see. So escapism." I reiterated.
"No… She has merely abandoned reality to speak with Atua." Angie corrected.
"By definition, that is escapism." Keebo told her with a concerned expression.
"Really!? I didn't know that!" Angie exclaimed while pressing her cheeks together. I felt sweat drop from my forehead at Angie's words. I can't tell which I should worry about more: Himiko's escapism or Angie's prowess in religious recruitment. I didn't even sense malicious intent in Angie's words. She really is devoted to Atua.
"Hey, Angie! When did you brainwash Himiki!?" Tenko demanded of the artist.
"Nyahaha! On the contrary, I've undone her brainwashing." Angie told us.
"Undone it?" Rantaro repeated in a bewildered tone.
"Hm…! I was brainwashed before, back when I couldn't feel Atua's presence." Himiko added.
"Kehehe… it seems it's too late." Kiyo chuckled as he watched from his seat.
"Himiko, please get a hold of yourself! You need to face reality! Hey, Himiko! Himikooooo!" Tenko pleaded to her friend, only to be met with rejection.
"S-Stop it… When you interrupt me, it messes up my calm heart." Himiko whimpered while still praying. "I-I...remembered this nightmare reality I'm in. A-All my insecurities and loneliness...the pain th-that makes me want to die…"
"Sheesh, Tenko. Don't interrupt Himiko while she's praying." Angie said with a dark expression. And then, with the same smile she always wore, Angie walked over to Himiko and hugged her. "Hmmmmmm…"
'Nyeh!"
"I understand, Himiko. You're not scared. You're just sad., aren't you?" Angie began. "You feel frustrated, anxious, and worried, but you have no one to confide in, do you? It's okay. You're not alone, Himiko. I know a handsome god who is keeping a watchful eye on you."
"A...h-handsome god?" Himiko exclaimed as she immediately began to calm down. "Nyeeeh… What a mysterious miracle. I'm not scared anymore."
"Ahhhh, how wonderful. It's all thanks to that handsome god." Angie declared happily.
"Oh wow. She's good. Really good." I commented. That's not brainwashing. That's just knowing what to say to someone who needs to hear certain words. Angie is more clever than I thought. No, 'clever' isn't the right word. I think the right word I would use right now is 'kind', even if the others see it as just brainwashing. With just a few words, she comforted her friend, calmed her down, and gave her hope within just a few seconds. That's truly something.
"Huh?! What handsome god!?" Tenko shouted. "Wait. Himiko, you like handsome men? Why can't it be meeee!?"
"Are...you playing for the other team?" Himiko asked with a concerned look.
"Huh?" Tenko squeaked before becoming completely flustered. "Wh-What are you talking about? It's nothing like that!" Many of the others, including myself, gave a small sigh at that. It was easy to tell that even if Tenko wasn't lying, she still felt more towards Himiko than just being acquaintances. Whether it was romance or strong friendship could still be debated though, I suppose.
"Angie, what did you do to Himiko?" Kaito asked.
"Huh? What did I do?" Angie parroted while bobbing her head around. "I did something? I did? What did I do?" Angie then raised her hand and smiled at all of us. "Ah, yes, yes. Atua has spoken to me. I shall convey His message to everyone.
"Where is this conversation going?!" Kaito muttered.
"Angie, what are these 'divine messages'?" Shuichi asked.
"Atua says the academy suffers from the same sins as the outside world. You're all unhappy cuz your greed is making you treat each other like adversaries. Atua has spoken… your desire to leave this place is only worsening your greed." Angie explained.
"Greed?"
"She's got a point." I said. "So far, the only motives Monokuma has used are incentives from the outside world. The only reason we want to leave is because of what's outside this place."
"Yes. I knew Rin would understand. That's exactly it. That's why Monokuma was angry he couldn't remember anything at the start, remember?" Angie chirped happily. "So we must cast aside our sinful greed, and rejoice in our new lives here."
"So, you are saying we should live here for the rest of our lives?" Kiyo questioned.
"No, noooooo. That's wrong." Angie said. "It's not enough to simply live here forever. Our lives must also be full of divine purpose. In other words," Angie then excitedly spread out her arms in pure joy. "We must make this academy heaven on earth!"
"...What?" I found myself asking, tilting my head as I did.
"In doing so...our desire to leave will vanish, and the killings will cease." Angie finished her explanation with a smile.
"Are you...being serious right now?" Keebo asked.
"This place provides us all with shelter, food, clothing, and wonderful friends!" Angie said as she pressed a paint brush onto her cheek. "What more could you possibly desire? Do not give in to your greed."
"Wh-What?" Kaede muttered nervously as Angie spoke that last part with a dark expression.
"Himiko, do you hear this nonsense!? Snap out of it!" Tenko cried out.
"Atua's divine messages are never wrong." Himiko responded angrily.
"What?" Tenko exclaimed.
"Himiko is a good girl and a fast learner. Together, we devised a truly divine plan." Angie cheered. "Nyahahaha! The best plan ever to help us live lives of fulfillment here!"
"The best plan?" Rantaro repeated.
"Tell them, Himiko. Make them burst with happiness." Angie told her.
"Nyeeeh, explode with excitement! It's finally happening…" Himiko began before jumping up happily, or as happily as the tired Himiko could express. "The Amazing Himiko's Magic Show is finally opening!"
"A magic show…?" Shuichi questioned.
"Don't worry, admission is free. Er, actually, I guess admission will just be your smiles." Himiko giggled happily. Wow, this might be the first time I've seen her act giddy. She must really be excited to show off her talent to us. And what she said...it must be to cheer us up. That's...really kind of her.
"A magic show, huh? It sounds like fun. It'll probably be amazing, especially since you're the Ultimate Magi-I mean, Ultimate Mage." Rantaro said, correcting himself when saying Himiko's talent.
"Of course! Over the years, my show has given many smiles to people with broken hearts…" Himiko explained. "Now is the time to demonstrate my powers. My magic is the only thing that can heal your twisted hearts."
"But in our current predicament, performing magic tricks is quite illogical-"
"Nyeeeh, don't disturb my concentration. You gotta learn to read the mood already." Himiko cut Keebo off. "And...it's called a magic show cuz I do magic. Not tricks."
"S-Screw your magic show. I don't get excited about that crap." Miu said, holding back excited giggles.
"You're obviously excited…" Kaede pointed out.
"Nyeeeh, the show opens tomorrow morning. Come to the gym after the morning announcement." Himiko told us. "You guys better get excited and look forward to it with antisterbation!"
"Surely you mean 'anticipation'? Or have I misunderstood the nature of this show…?" Kiyo asked.
"Himiko and I will begin the prepwork, and I'm supposed to ask others to help, too…" Angie added. "I'm counting on you guys to help. Nyahahaha, bye-onara!"
"Nyeeeh...farewell." With the magic show announced, Angie and Himiko made their way out of the dining hall.
"H-Himiko…? What happened to her…?" Tenko asked in a sad tone.
"Kehehe… Faith as intense as this can be quite terrifying." Kiyo commented.
"There may be no cause for concern. This does not appear to be related to our motive videos." Keebo added.
"You're only worried about that?" Kaito asked.
"Of course. We cannot afford to take Monokuma's motives lightly." Keebo replied.
"It's not like we have to worry about that, anyway, right? We all agreed we wouldn't share them, right?" Maki asked, finally saying something after sitting through the conversation in silence.
"Yeah, but I'm still worried. I don't think Angie has any bad intentions. She just wants to prevent someone from dying from what she said, and I don't think she's lying. But after seeing Angie in action, I can confidently say she might make a cult one day." I sighed.
"A cult? Aren't you going a bit too far?" Kaede asked me.
"Oh trust me. I've dealt with cult leaders before, and Angie has some unintentional similarities to them. Even better at recruiting, actually." I responded.
"You've dealt with cult leaders?" Shuichi asked. I turned to him with a raised eyebrow before I thought about what I said.
"Wait… Why did I…?" I muttered before shaking my head. That's been happening a lot more recently. Is it because Tsumugi's words have caused things to start coming to the surface? If so, why is it only the bizarre things?
"Are you okay?" Rantaro asked me.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just...forget what I said. I don't know why I even said it."
"Well, then we'll just have to wait and see what happens." Kaede sighed.
"Arghhh…! G-Give...Himiko back!" Tenko whimpered with tears in her eyes.
"Don't worry Tenko. I'm sure Himiko will be fine. If you're still worried, then maybe after her magic show you could find some time to have a heart to heart with her. Maybe it'll help get your feelings of concern and care across to her. She seems a little dense when it comes to others around her." I suggested. Tenko sniffed before she nodded.
"Y-Yeah. That sounds good." Tenko then wiped her sleeve against her eyes before getting all of her energy back. "Alright! Then it's decided! I'll help set up the magic show! They said they needed help with it, after all!"
"Right on! I'll help out too! It sounds like a fun time, after all." Kaito declared.
"A magic show…" I pondered. It does sound like a nice way to relax if it actually happens. I'm looking forward to it. Everyone discussed more about the magic show as we ate before we all headed out to do our own thing. A few hours went by, and I was left alone with my thoughts, thinking about what I should do. Rantaro said that Kokichi and Ryoma seemed to be make plans for themselves, so perhaps I should-
"Rin! There you are!" I turned to see Miu speedily walking towards me.
"Miu? What do you-" I didn't get to finish as Miu latched herself onto my arm and began dragging me away. "M-Miu!?"
"Shut up, you jacket-wearing shit-for-brains!" Miu yelled back at me. "I need you for something so come on!"
"Could you at least explain then!? I'm in the middle of something!"
"No you aren't! You're wandering around just like you usually do!"
"And who said that's nothing!?" We yelled at each other more as she dragged me away from the academy. She eventually brought me to the casino, where a few people were waiting.
"Oh hey, Rinny!" Kokichi chirped happily.
"Huh? Kokichi? And...Kiyo, Ryoma, and Shuichi?" I said upon seeing them.
"Looks like this pubeless virgin was eavesdropping on me and Poo-ichi." Miu grumbled.
"Nee-heehee… As an evil supreme leader, I can't pass up the chance to watch you win a jackpot!" Kokichi happily stated.
"Ryoma and I have just arrived as well." Kiyo then said.
"This place is pretty suspicious… We'd better investigate it thoroughly." Ryoma added.
"Eavesdropped on what? And what's this about jackpots?" I asked again. "Again, you just dragged me over here. I still don't know what's going on."
"Miu didn't tell you?" Shuichi asked. "Well, I found this case of rare medals from the Monomono machine, and Miu said that they're 'back items' that'll allow us to play a special game that will give us higher rewards than usual."
"Wait, really?" I asked, my interest now sparked.
"Hell yeah! And since we'll be playing the secret back item games, I thought it'd be good to have you on our side, Mister 10 jackpots in a row." Miu told me.
"If that's the case then count me in!"
"Really? I didn't think you would be interested in this sort of stuff." Shuichi gave a nervous chuckle.
"Well, no, I probably would only be slightly intrigued normally, but after I beat Monokuma in that bet, I kinda want to do it again. Even better this time, actually. Maybe with this back game I can run Monokuma dry. Maybe that'll win me enough to buy a key for us to escape this place. You never know."
"Right…" Shuichi responded, still not sure about this himself.
"Well? What are we waiting for? We can play that secret game with Shuichi's medals, can't we?" Kokichi asked with stars in his eyes.
"What? Who came up with that rule?" Monokuma asked as he popped into the room. Surprisingly, no one seemed to react to his sudden appearance. I guess we have gotten used to him, sadly.
"You, doh-doy!? Who else could it be!?" Miu shouted.
"But it wasn't me." Monokuma replied.
"Qu-Quit fuckin' around!"
"I'm not playing dumb! I never tell a lie! Cuz bears do not lie!" Monokuma shouted.
"Depends on the bear…" I muttered.
"Yeah, that's not very persuasive…" Ryoma added.
"First of all, that medal is just a special knick-knack I made for the Monokubs." Monokuma explained. "There's no reason for you guys to have it. Stick it in a slot machine if you want. Maybe you'll win a few jackpots like Mister Wakruri did a few days ago." Monokuma then turned to me with an angry expression. "And no! I will not allow you to take all this casino has! You probably could if you really, really wanted to, so I'll put my foot down if it even looks like that'll happen!" With that, Monokuma took his leave.
"Well that's disappointing in many ways." I sighed. "Not like there was anything here that's worth that many casino coins anyway…"
"Whaaaaaaaaaat!? You mean I got fake info!?" Miu shouted angrily.
"Typical useless Miu… You would get jerked around by fake info like that." Kokichi mocked her with a coy smile.
"Hnghhhh!" And just as Miu would do, she moaned in delight in the face of the snark remark. Geez, she's the strangest person here by far, and that's including Monokuma and the kubs.
"Well, it's fine if it was just fake info. It's not the reason I came here, anyway…" Ryoma said.
"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked. Ryoma was about to answer when Kaito and Rantaro entered the casino as well.
"Oh? What are you guys doing here?" Kaito asked us.
"Ah, Kaito?" Shuichi tilted his head.
"Why're you here, Kaito? I thought you swore off gambling forever." Kokichi asked.
"Typical naive Kaito… Can't keep your addiction in check, can you?" I asked with a coy, teasing smirk that sort of mimicked Kokichi's from a few moments earlier.
"H-Hold up! Why do you think I came here to gamble!?" Kaito raised his voice as sweat formed on his face.
"Would one come here for some other reason?" Kiyo asked.
"He's got a point. This is a casino." Rantaro chuckled.
"No, you're wrong! I didn't come here to gamble!" Kaito told us. "I just don't understand why the instincts of Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars, were off!"
"He came to me and asked me if I could help him test his instincts. I thought it might be fun, so I agreed." Rantaro added.
"So you're positive you'll win it this time?" Kokichi asked with an amused expression. "Kaito, it's good to be confident, but not when you're wrong about everything all the time."
"Huuuh!? You take that back!" Kaito shouted. "Don't you dare underestimate the instincts of Kaito Momota! I challenge you, Kokichi!"
"Nee-heehee… I accept your challenge." Kokichi smiled playfully.
"He's so easily manipulated…" Ryoma sighed.
"Kehehe… So simple. Like a moth to a flame." Kiyo added.
"Yeah…" Shuichi gave a weak smile.
"H-Hey, he has his good moments. For example…" I began, only to trail off as I tried to come up with something. "...Huh."
"H-Hey! C'mon, Rin! You're my sidekick! At least try harder to back me up!" Kaito exclaimed. And so, Kaito, Kokichi, Korekiyo, Ryoma, Shuichi, Rantaro, and I each used our coins and competed at the slots in a competition. It sounded like a lot of fun, so why not? I need to relax more anyway, so this is a good chance to do that.
"Wait, why am I gettin' shoved aside!?" Miu shouted angrily.
"You might rig the slot machines so it wouldn't be a fair match." Kaito immediately said.
"Wha-!? N-N-No fuckin' way I'd ever do that!" Miu tried to defend herself.
"Spoken like someone who was just about to do it." I sighed.
"Hmph… It's written all over your face that you would." Ryoma added.
"Well then, let's start!" Kokichi shouted. And so the competition started, and it ended in a heartbeat. At the bottom was Kaito, who had lost everything as expected, followed by Rantaro and Shuichi, who only broke even. Next was Kiyo and Kokichi, who had earned more than what they started with, but at the top was me and Ryoma, tied with multiple wins. Kaito was on the floor sobbing as the competition came to an end.
"Wh-What? Why? But I'm...Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!"
"Whooooaaa! That was so awesome, you two!" Kokichi exclaimed excitedly as he came to me and Ryoma.
"Winning at something like this isn't anything to brag about." Ryoma said with a proud smirk.
"Yeah, it was nothing really. Besides, it was a lot of fun." I added.
"Hey, do you guys have some sort of trick?" Kokichi asked.
"I was thinking the same thing. To win at such a consistent pace is quite something, especially with slot machines." Rantaro nodded.
"Nothing like that. I've just got a knack for it, I guess." Ryoma answered.
"Yeah, I can't think of anything specific I'm doing to help me. I'm just watching the slots and pulling at the right time." I explained.
"What, you mean you guys are just lucky!? That's just superstition!" Kaito declared.
"I cannot ignore that comment. Do not relegate luck to the realm of superstition." Kiyo stated.
"Ooohh! My Kokich-ey senses are tingling! Kiyo's about to give an anthropology lecture!" Kokichi exclaimed cheerfully.
"For example," Kiyo began, not missing a beat. "It is said that certain words or phrases will 'jinx' a difficult challenge."
"Oh yeah. Like when someone says 'this will be easy' or 'what could go wrong' right before they do a challenge and fail." I said.
"Yes. This is deeply connected to the Japanese concept of 'kotodama', the power of words." Kiyo explained.
"Like saying 'green' if you want me to go harder or 'red' if you want me to stop!" Miu said as she cackled.
"Please be silent…" Kiyo said in a threatening tone to the inventor.
"Wh-What…? I'm just tryin' to lighten up the mood…" Miu murmured sadly.
"Kotodama is a belief that words contain power that can influence reality itself." Kiyo continued his lecture. "Speaking positive words lead to fortune, and negative words lead to misfortune."
"Yeah, like when you rephrase a sentence so it doesn't sound as unlucky." Kokichi said.
"Yes. When someone facing a challenge hears negative words, they might feel it is unlucky. That feeling of misfortune may then affect their focus or motivation, yes?" Kiyo told us.
"That's understandable. The last thing you would want to hear right before doing something is that it will be impossible to do or something like that. It would psych you out." Rantaro nodded.
"I see… In that case, perhaps the belief in superstition is what affects them." Shuichi suggested.
"If we go even farther, then perhaps someone could actually become talented in 'luck'. Maybe there's an Ultimate Luckster or something out there in the world. Or perhaps an Ultimate Lucky Student." I mentioned.
"I don't let silly things like that affect me." Ryoma then said. "I win simply because I'm confident in my skills. That's all it takes."
"Yes...and words have the power to grant or rob someone of such confidence." Kiyo nodded. "Words are powerful. Truth or lies may both be fired as powerfully as a bullet from a gun."
"Truths and lies...as powerful as bullets…" I muttered as I thought about those words. Why does that sound...familiar? Now that I think about it, the phrase 'Truth Bullets' was one of the first things that came to my mind on our first day. It's strange, but I doubt it means anything.
"I-I see… I guess you can't underestimate luck." Kaito said. "Hey, Ryoma… Didn't you have any pre-game rituals or something?"
"Well, now that you mention it…" Ryoma said as he put his hand on his chin. "When I was playing a match, if I entered the court with my right foot, it'd go well. So I did the same thing with this slot machine here. Hmph, but that's it."
"Hehehe! I bet your racket bends to the right, too!" Miu commented.
"Please be silent...forever." Kiyo once again threatened with a dark tone and expression.
"St-Stop glaring at me… It was just a joke."
"Hmm...what about you, Rin? Any pre-game rituals?" Rantaro asked me.
"Hmm… I don't actually remember any from before coming here, but I noticed something from this time and the last time I played slot machines." I said. "With the slot machines, I sort of held my breath and put all my focus on the slots as they spun, and then when I felt the pattern would give me the perfect result, I'd pull the level. It's nothing really."
"Hmm...Alright! Then I'll give this stuff a try!" Kaito said, eager to do at least a little bit better this time around.
"Nee-heehee… You're so gullible, Kaito." Kokichi giggled evilly. Not even 2 minutes later, Kaito was back on the floor again, tears in his eyes once again.
"..."
"K-Kaito…" Shuichi tried to comfort the Luminary of the Stars, yet couldn't find the words to say anything.
"Ryoma and Rinny win agaaaiin! Too baaad!" Kokichi declared loudly.
"Bwah-hahahaha! Serves you right! Why don'tcha give it a tug with your other hand!?" Miu cackled madly, finding the scene of Kaito's second downfall absolutely hilarious.
"Luck alone doesn't produce results as consistent as these, you two." Kiyo told the two of us.
"Well, of course. If I was just lucky, I wouldn't be undefeated on court." Ryoma commented.
"Yeah, it's like I said. I identify the pattern before I do anything. It's just that I identify it quickly." I told them.
"No kidding. You both were going at it as if you were pros." Rantaro said with amazed eyes.
"Y'know, Kaito… You don't have any skills when it comes to gambling!" Kokcihi told the defeated spaceman.
"Sh-Shut up! My skills are suited for the universe!" Kaito shouted. "That's why they don't work on gambling! I can't waste them on that! That's why I don't gamble anymore!"
"Spoken like a drunkard trying to convince people he'll quit drinking the very next day." I sighed.
"Well, I think that's all the medals and coins I had." Shuichi told us.
"That's a shame. This was quite enjoyable." Kiyo replied.
"Yeah. This was fun!" Kokichi smirked. He then turned to me and gave me a playful smile. "Actually, this is good. I wanted to speak to you about something, Rinny. Do you mind coming with me for a bit?" I raised an eyebrow at his request. Kokichi wanted to talk to me too? Well, I suppose this makes things easier for me, but I wonder what he could want. Maybe it has to do with his plan.
"Sure. I don't mind." I then turned to the others and gave them a wave. "We'll be heading off then. See you guys later." After saying goodbye, Kokichi led me out of the casino and back into the academy. "So where are we going, Kokichi?"
"That's a secret!" Kokichi chirped as he skipped along. I sighed softly as I kept following him. We eventually got to the second floor before Kokichi led me inside one of the empty classrooms. "Alright, this is a good place to talk."
"...Did you want to find a place where people would be less likely to interrupt or hear us?" I asked him.
"You got me! Just as expected from you, Rinny!" Kokichi laughed happily before his expression became one of sadness. "Still, even if it's you, Rinny, I can't believe you just forgot about your supreme leader so easily…"
"Forgot?" I repeated.
"See, you don't even remember! I told you before that you were part of my secret organization when we met!" Kokichi told me.
"I thought you were joking about that…" I gave a dry chuckle. "But are you serious, Kokichi? If so, I'm sorry that I forgot. Can't really help what I forget when you get amnesia. Maybe if you tell me more about it, I'll remember. Like how we met and stuff like that."
"Hmmm, let's see. We met...under hostile circumstances similar to this." Kokichi told me.
"Hostile circumstances like this, huh?" I questioned with a doubtful look.
"Yep! We met on a cruise ship! I was trying to hide from some of my enemies and fled onto the ship to escape. That's when I met you! You joined my organization and helped me out of that sticky situation using your amazing talent! But then I framed you for the crime I committed and you were hunted down by my enemies instead! You were then caught and swiftly executed on the spot!"
"So I'm dead, huh? Good to know. Maybe that's why I can't remember anything. Perhaps when you die and become a ghost you lose your memories." I said, playing along with Kokichi.
"Riiiight? That has to be it!" Kokichi nodded with his usual childish smile.
"So that means you know what my talent is then, right? You said I used it to help you, so what is it?" I asked.
"It's so obvious, you should already know it!" Kokichi said. "But if you really want to know…" Kokichi then put on a mischievous smile before continuing. "You're the Ultimate Spy! You're a master of disguise and were my key minion for stealth missions! That outfit of yours is one of your disguises now, actually! 'Rin Wakuri' is just a cover." I couldn't help but laugh at Kokichi's absurd answer.
"Y'know, I could see that being true. I don't actually have proof that 'Rin Wakuri' is my name yet." I chuckled. "And I do have a suit in my closet. Maybe that's my 'professional spy' attire. Maybe I'll go all James Bond or Mission Impossible with my talent here one day."
"Nee-heehee… Man, Rin. You really just roll with my lies, huh? You don't react like the others do." Kokichi commented.
"I don't really see the point of getting upset at little lies like this. If it were a more serious moment, then maybe, but not when we're just talking like this." I replied.
"Wow, that's really mature of you. I guess you really are older than the rest of us." Kokichi said while placing a finger on his chin mischievously. "And that's what makes you smarter than the others. More reliable. And more dangerous."
"Huh?"
"You're the worst off in this situation when compared to everyone else, yet you're one of the more calm and collected people of the group. You're able to actually think about the motives and come up with plans to counter them. You're most certainly a 'player' in this game." I felt a chill start to crawl up on my spine as he spoke. Kokichi was making me put up my guard, whether he intended it or not.
"I'm not sure I appreciate being called a 'player' in this game. I just want to make sure I do what I can to help everyone survive." I told him.
"And that's what makes you so interesting. So I'd like to give you a business proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. I have a...plan of sorts. One I think you might find suits your own goals, I thought I might ask you to help out with it." Kokichi began. "I call it the Insect Meet and Greet."
"Insect...Meet and Greet." I repeated, nervousness forming in my gut at the mention of the name.
"Yep! Well, Gonta helped come up with the name. I told him that most of the people here hate bugs and that they're trying to get rid of them, and that made him really upset. So we came up with the idea of getting people together in his lab so that they could 'learn to love Gonta's bug friends'." Kokichi told me before a sinister grin formed on his face. "And while Gonta is keeping them in his lab, I plan to go collect all the motive videos so that I can host a video screening party. Then everyone will know what's on all the videos. See? Isn't that what you wanted?" Lots of things were going through my mind after he asked me that, the main thing being confusion.
"...Why are you asking me to help you?" I asked him. "I thought you said we shouldn't work together, or else Monokuma would retaliate. The only reason you're working with Gonta is because you tricked him into it, so why are you coming to me and openly asking for my help?"
"I said so earlier. You're interesting." Kokichi responded in a blank tone, his face now serious and not showing emotion. "You're one of the only people who is playing this game seriously. You're actually using your brain to try to win." Kokichi then spread his arms wide open as he put on an evil smile. "It's because of those parts of you that I think you make for such a good minion. You're the perfect person to help me make this killing game so much more interesting! Once everyone knows what's on the videos, things will certainly become more entertaining!"
"More...entertaining?" I asked, almost mortified from hearing his words. "Do you know what you're saying? It almost sounds like you're trying to get the killing game to continue."
"Of course!" Kokichi immediately responded. "Once everyone is here, they'll all know their motive and a killing will be more likely to happen! But that's fine. I like playing on Mean difficulty. Also, I don't run from battles in RPGs, either!"
"W-Wait! You actually want a murder to happen!?" I shouted.
"I wanna win this killing game, so of course I want a murder to happen!" Kokichi yelled back at me. "I'm not gonna run from it, I'm gonna crush it!" Stars then formed in his eyes as he gave me a giddy smile. "That'll be waaaay less boring, don'tcha think?"
"Wh-What?!" I stuttered, horrified by Kokichi's innocent, child-like, smile. H-He's...gotta be lying, right? There's no way he really wants a murder to happen. That's not...who he really is, right? Come to think of it, I've just been assuming he's a good person up to this point. That he's a decent person like the others. But...what do I really know about him? He's a complete stranger to me, and the fact that he hides behind a veil of lies, it makes it hard to discern which things he says are actually lies or not. Was I...wrong in thinking of him like an innocent kid with a mischievous streak? That's when a thought hit me. It made me completely stop where I was and forced me to reconsider everything. Before I come to conclusions and start making assumptions, I need to make sure of one thing. "Kokichi...if you really wanted a murder to happen, how come you're plan is to force everyone to watched all the videos together?" I asked him.
"Hmm?"
"That was my plan. I told everyone that I thought it would be best for us to watch everyone's videos and work around the information together. So why are you taking it for yourself here? Why not just steal the videos and give them each to their owners for them to watch at their leisure? Why bother with a screening party?" Kokichi seemed taken a bit off guard by my questions before he regained his composure in an instance.
"I suppose it's because when I heard your plan, I couldn't help but think how pathetically bad it was. It was so awful, that it made me want to show you how bad it was, so here we are. Once everyone watches all the videos, we'll see how well your 'cooperation' and 'trust' go. This is a death game, and you all need to learn that you can't rely on anyone but yourself." Kokichi told me.
"Yet you got Gonta to help you with this, and you're even asking me to help as well." I said, now calming down. "Your actions don't match what you're saying."
"I'm only using Gonta because he's so gullible and naive. It's too easy to manipulate him into doing what I want." Kokichi said with an evil grin. "And as for you… well, I think you could become something like a rival for me in this death game. Once you really start playing for keeps, this game will become super fun! So I want to do everything I can to get you to start playing this death game like your supposed to, even if that means making a murder more likely to happen." The two of us stared at each other in silence for a bit after he said that. Eventually, I sighed.
"Alright. You're the supreme leader here, so I might as well follow you." I told him.
"...Are you serious?" Kokichi asked me with the blank look he had before, though now it seemed to have hints of confusion and doubt. It's as if he expected me to shoot him down. Most people probably would have, but…
"Of course. I agreed to be a part of your organization when we met here, after all. It only makes sense I help you out with this. Besides, it's not like I have anything to do." I answered. It was true. Unlike before, I don't have any information regarding this motive or people's actions. I'm completely lost, and it's making me feel completely powerless. But Kokichi has a plan. He's using the plan that I suggested earlier.
I know… He doesn't have to admit it, but I have a feeling. I don't know why, but I just do. It's like when I was playing on those slot machines. I just...have this feeling that I can trust Kokichi, at least to an extent, though I don't really know why. I have no proof, but I think that I can maybe see what he really wants, and it's certainly not to cause a murder to happen. I get this feeling sometimes when he lies, like I can see the slightest motion or tell without having to see it. It's incredibly hard, especially with Kokichi, but still. From what I know of Kokichi, he's a logical person. He wouldn't do something stupid if he didn't have to, and he wouldn't let emotions stop him from getting things done. So these inconsistencies in what he's said to me make no sense if he's being honest. And then there are the other things I know about him. The tools he asked Miu to make, and that information I got about his group when I met him, the group called DICE, all of that doesn't match what he's told me. His group is actually against violence, only performing harmless pranks, so I can't see Kokichi trying to kill someone. But while I have that feeling, I have nothing to really back it up. For all I know I'm completely wrong and I'm playing right into his hands. But...for some reason, I want to believe in him. Even if it's stupid or wrong.
Still, Kokichi doesn't seem to trust me. That must be why he's giving all these excuses. But can I blame him for not fully trusting me? If anything, I'm surprised he's trusting me enough to ask me to help him with this, especially when he's giving me reasons like that. So, why shouldn't I help him. This plan of his is the best way to begin preventing a murder from happening. It's the only thing I can really do right now. Kokichi seemed to perk up after I spoke and he smiled widely. "Alright! I knew I could count on you, Rinny! Then let's get to work!"
"So how exactly are we going to do this? Can you tell me more?"
"Of course! It's the duty of an evil supreme leader to make sure his underlings understand his plans after all." Kokichi told me as he led me out of the classroom. And thus, I formed another partnership, this one with Kokichi. Whether for better or worse, I guess I'm in it for the long haul now
