"I'm going to head out now. I need to meet up with Kaito to discuss plans for what happens after the time limit expires. I leave things to you. Wish me luck. Hopefully, next time we see each other, this game will have ended." Those were the last words Kirumi heard from Rin before he left the kitchen to do whatever business he had to do. She was confused by his words, but she was even more confused by his actions. She looked back down to the note he had given her. It was written in four different languages, which surprised the maid. She didn't know Rin was multilingual. For all she knew, he only became aware of that fact recently as well. Having been a maid who has worked for many people from all around the world, it was easy for her to read the letter, despite the messy, hastily written hoshposh of the four languages. Perhaps she should help him clean up his handwriting once this is all over? Would that be presumptuous of her? She pushed the thought aside as a more important one came to her mind.
'Keep an eye on everyone in the dining hall right now until the time limit has run out. Don't let anyone out of your sight. It's important.'
Kirumi couldn't help but feel a pit form in her stomach as she read the request once more. Why would Rin want her to keep an eye on the others who were in the dining hall? Why would it matter? And what he said before he left…How would this help bring an end to the killing game? Add the strange request with Rin's worrying behavior from that morning, and it was easy to see why Kirumi found herself concerned about her dear friend. She had just promised to help him as his personal maid once they escaped, so she prayed he didn't do something reckless. Just the thought made Kirumi frown and her hands tighten with uncertainty. She quickly shook her head. There was no time for her to be worrying. Not when she had a request to fulfill. She set her broom aside and walked out of the kitchen into the dining hall. Korekiyo, Tsumugi, and Miu were all still there, each sitting at the dining table eating the pasta the Monokubs had prepared. If she recalled, they said it was 'Pasta That Tastes Like a Lonely Old Lady Eating Her Grandkid's Birthday Cake', which Kirumi wouldn't normally assume would be anything that tasted appetizing, but the other three were eating it as if it was fine, so she didn't question it.
Kirumi looked down at her watch to check the time. 8:30 p.m., giving everyone an hour and a half left before the time limit ends. Rin's note told her to watch everyone until the time limit ends, but Kirumi still couldn't figure out the reason behind it. That wasn't going to keep her from fulfilling the request though. She still had her pride as the Ultimate Maid, as well as her creed of selfless devotion. And so, Kirumi made herself look busy in the dining hall by sweeping some more and speaking with the others in the dining hall, making sure to not let any of them out of her sight for more than a few seconds. After a few minutes, the monitors flickered on, and images depicting chess pieces that seemed to represent the students in the killing game dying in multiple cruel ways as a blackened piece watched in safety. Along with the images flashing across the screen came disturbing music that made Kirumi's skin crawl. It was upbeat, yet also reflected the twistedness of the killing game as it seemed to revel in what was going to happen at the end of the time limit.
"Gee, I don't know about you guys, but that music is really starting to freak me out." Tsumugi asked after a few minutes after the music started, the girl shivering in her seat from the dread and tension.
"What a sick sense of pleasure Monokuma must have, playing something like this right before we all meet our doom. How utterly cruel." Korekiyo muttered as he continued to eat, his voice relaying the displeasure he felt even when his expression didn't show it.
"Like I give a shit! To hell with that Monokuma bastard and this music! I'm too busy to be focusing on something so fuckin' stupid!" Miu yelled at the others in an angry voice as she continued to work on the drone-like device she had with her.
"Yes, it is worrying." Kirumi said as she went back to sweeping. "To think our captors are really going to go through with this. How terrible." Kirumi tightened her grip on her broom as she started sweeping a bit more forcefully. "Why would anyone put us through this? I cannot think of any possible reason."
"Who knows? Perhaps this is just the lot our lives were given." Korekiyo gave a response in a dark tone. "Life is cruel like that, or so I've seen in my own experiences."
"Well I hope there's more of a reason for all of this. Doing something like this to a bunch of teenagers for no reason other than having the ability to do it would be just plain terrible!" Tsumugi cried out.
"What did I just fuckin' say!? Enough about Monokuma and all this bullshit! I just want to work in peace before I fuckin' die!" Miu yelled once again, silencing everyone else with her furious tone. She then growled as she took out a pair of earplugs and shoved them into her ears before she once again got back to her work.
"Geez, does she have to be so rude about it? We're just talking." Tsumugi questioned with a furrowed brow.
"It's just how she is, I imagine." Korekiyo sighed. "While I don't find Miu to be particularly interesting as a subject of observation, it doesn't take much talent in observation to see this countdown is only serving to further increase the amount of stress and aggression she has on her mind at the moment. It's best to leave her be. We all deal with stress in different ways, after all. I imagine this is just her trying to 'let off some steam', no matter how pointless it is considering what is about to happen." Kirumi looked at Korekiyo and raised an eyebrow out of surprise. He came to that conclusion just from simple observation? She was impressed to say the least. Korekiyo was better at it than even Kirumi was. She would have to ask him to teach her some pointers. That is, if she ever got the chance to.
"Hmm…" Tsumugi then hummed as she took out her Monopad before she put it away in her dress pocket. "I'll be back. I need to go to the restroom for a bit."
"Then by all means Tsumugi." Korekiyo told her. "How funny. We all are about to meet our demise, but nature still calls, as it were."
"Haha…yeah." Tsumugi gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, I'll be back in a bit." Kirumi was at a loss as to what to do. Rin's request was to prevent anyone from leaving the dining hall, but before she could do anything, Tsumugi was already gone. She was going to the bathroom, which was just down the hall. She wouldn't be too far away. It shouldn't be a big issue, should it? The sense of dread Kirumi had felt early started to grow stronger the more she thought about Tsumugi's suddenly leaving like that, even if it was just to go to the restroom as she calmed. Why was Kirumi worrying about her now? That's when the monitors started to show a new message on their screens. 'In 1 hour…EVERYONE DIES' was now flashing across the screen, further taunting them with their eventual deaths.
"Well, that's just in poor taste." Korekiyo scoffed as he continued his meal. That's when Kirumi's worry peaked, and she knew she had to do something. She felt that, for whatever reason, if she didn't do anything, something terrible would happen. Rin's request…he said it was important. And now, she knew he must be doing something incredibly reckless. That was just like him. Just like in the tunnel.
"Korekiyo, would you please keep an eye on Miu and make sure she doesn't leave?" Kirumi asked the anthropologist as she set her broom aside and walked towards the dining room exit. Korekiyo made a curious expression as he turned to the maid, intrigue shining in his eyes.
"You sound worried about something. May I ask the reason for your request?" He asked in response.
"I have a request to fulfill." Kirumi simply answered. Korekiyo's curiosity only seemed to grow at that as he nodded.
"How very like you, Kirumi. Even at death's doors, you strive to complete the tasks given to you." He spoke in admiration. "Very well. You can leave this… 'delightful' person in my care while you are gone. Do not worry." He said, sarcasm apparent in his description of Miu.
"Thank you Korekiyo." Kirumi bowed as she left the dining hall. Miu noticed her leave and took out one of her earplugs in confusion.
"Hey, where is the gothic bitch going? And where's Plain Jane?"
"Be silent. Forever. That would make this brief period at least bearable for me." Korekiyo snapped back.
"Eeek!" Miu shrieked as she recoiled from his insult. "Wh-What's the hell? What stick crawled it's way up your ass? I was just asking a question." Miu then seemed to recover as she turned back to her invention. "Whatever. You better not disturb me while I work. And don't even think you can get away with killing me, you Folklore Cunt! I'm armed and ready for you!" Miu shouted as she held her wrench close to her.
"Like I would even attempt something so foolish and pointless." Korekiyo sighed as he continued to eat his last supper, the both of them completely obvious to their future fates that were tied to each other.
Kirumi quickly made her way to the girl's restroom that was right next to the dining hall as the time limit ticked down with each passing second. As soon as she made it to the restroom, she threw the doors open and searched around. "Tsumugi? Are you there? Are you okay?" She asked as she entered the restroom. However, to her confusion, there was no answer. "Tsumugi?" She asked once again, but once again, there was no response. Now even more worried, Kirumi began to search the restroom for the cosplayer, but as she opened each stall, she quickly realized Tsumugi wasn't there. Kirumi's heart sank as the realization that Tsumugi had lied about where she was going became more and more clear. Thoughts began to form at a rapid pace in her mind. Why would Tsumugi lie? Where was she now? What was she planning on doing? Did Rin know something like this would happen? There was a sharp chill when Kirumi had that last thought. Rin. He was doing something reckless, and with Tsumugi missing and the countdown almost over, she couldn't help but start to fear the worst. Rin might be… "No…!" Kirumi almost dashed out of the restroom at that very moment, but that's when something unexpected happened.
"It's 10 p.m.! Time is up!" Monokuma's voice shouted from the monitors across the academy. Kirumi froze in fear. Time was up? Then that means…they all were about to… Kirumi braced herself for the worst, but as each second passed by, she soon realized that nothing was going to happen.
"It was…a lie?" Kirumi asked herself. Another lie? But why? What purpose would Monokuma possibly have for-
"K-Kirumi!?" The maid turned around when she heard her voice, and when she did, she saw Tsumugi come out of the supply closet. Tsumugi's face had gone completely pale at the sight of Kirumi, and that only made Kirumi more nervous.
"Tsumugi? Why were you in the supply closet? And…how did you get in there? I just checked inside there for you, and…" Kirumi suddenly felt a cold chill crawl up her spine. Having been a maid for high class people, whether nobles, politicians, or other high members of society, Kirumi knew what it was like when her life or the life of someone close to her was in danger. She had learned how to detect even faint traces of bloodlust in order to insure she could keep her master safe. But at this very moment, a torrent of bloodlust was coming from Tsumugi. She didn't know why, or if her feeling was even accurate, but Kirumi wasn't about to chance it. Her life was in danger, and she had to escape. But before she could even turn around, Tsumugi dashed towards her, something metal in her hands glistening in the light of the restroom as she did. And then, time seemed to freeze for Kirumi Tojo. Tsumugi was now mere inches away from her, and she had jabbed a knife into her chest. It took a moment, but pain shot through Kirumi, and she felt blood rise up in her mouth as she felt her body grow colder and weaker. With the last remnants of her strength, Kirumi managed to look down at the person she had believed was her friend, but what she saw was only a twisted, malicious grin from something who seemed to revel in what they just did. That wasn't Tsumugi Shirogane. Whoever this was…Kirumi knew she was a monster. One twisted and molded by cruelty and despair.
"Sorry, Kirumi. It wasn't in the script, but you'll have to be our first victim." Tsumugi whispered to Kirumi with a tone of pleasure and excitement. "I hope you enjoy the afterlife. I'll be sure to send another of our friends to join you on the way. Maybe I'll do you a favor and have Rin take the fall. He'll make for a great, unexpected culprit for this, just like Kaede was supposed to be." Kirumi didn't even pay attention to Tsumugi's horrible remarks as her eyes began to close against her will. This couldn't be it, could it? She couldn't die. Not like this. Not when she still had a request to fulfill. Not when she had made a promise with a dear friend of hers. But no matter what she desired, her story ended at that moment. The person known as Kirumi Tojo was dead.
…or at least, that's how it was before the ritual.
When Kirumi finally woke up, everything was hazy, and she had a splitting headache, as well as unbearable pain all across her chest. She slowly opened her eyes, only to find that she wasn't in the girl's restroom anymore, but a black white room that had black paint messily splattered around everywhere. She slowly sat up, placing a hand on her throbbing head as she tried to regain her bearings. The last thing she could remember was being stabbed by Tsumugi after the time limit had ended, but everything else after that was hazy. Had she been sleeping? Was that all merely a dream? No… That couldn't be it. Kirumi might not know what's going on, but she was certain that she hadn't been dreaming. The pain around her chest might as well prove it.
It was at that thought the pain became more apparent, so much so that it felt like Kirumi was still being stabbed. She placed a hand on her chest to see if there were any wounds or bruises, only to find that she had no injuries whatsoever. Knowing that fact didn't seem to stop the pain she was feeling though. The only possible explanation she could come up with was that she was experiencing phantom pains, nothing more. Kirumi rubbed the area where she remembered being stabbed. What exactly had happened to her?
That's when she noticed someone next to her. She turned her head, only to see Angie, who had her back towards Kirumi. She seemed to be praying, though she was still and silent. Curious and still wanting answers, Kirumi got up to her feet and walked over to the small girl before tapping her lightly on her back. Angie seemed to jump before she spun around, a huge, excited smile painted on her face. "Kirumi!" She yelled before she jumped to her feet and nearly tackled Kirumi. Kirumi had to take a few steps back from Angie's impact to stop from falling over, and even then, Angie was now clinging to her in a tight hug.
"Angie? What are you doing?" Kirumi asked in a confused tone.
"Nyahaha! It worked! It really, truly worked!" Angie cheered.
"What worked, exactly?" Kirumi asked.
"I can't wait to tell the others!" Angie continued with answering the question. "This must be a result of the blessings of Atua!"
"Angie, could you please tell me what has happened?" Kirumi asked once more, her polite and patient tone not faltering even once. That's when they heard someone close by grumbling a little. The girls both turned to see Rin, who had been sleeping in the corner, slowly started to sit up while rubbing his head.
"Nyahaha! Rin! Perfect timing! Look at who's back with us!" Angie told him excitedly.
"Angie? What are you-?" Rin began to say before he turned his head to face her. As soon as his eyes landed on Kirumi, he froze. He just stared at her in utter disbelief, his eyes getting bigger and bigger the longer he stared at her.
"Rin, why are you staring at me? And… Why do you look so surprised?" Kirumi asked as she tilted her head. "Angie has been acting strange as well, but I haven't been able to understand why that is. Where are we, exactly? I don't remember a room like this being accessible to us." After hearing her voice, something seemed to click with Rin, because it now looked like he was on the verge of tears.
"Kirumi…!" He shot up before jumping at Kirumi, nearly tackling her like Angie did just moments prior. When it was Angie, Kirumi was surprised, but Rin doing it was even more shocking, as it was completely unlike him to be so emotional with others.
"R-Rin? What are you-?"
"I'M SORRY!" I shouted. "I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SO SORRY!" He shouted as the tears flowed freely from his eyes. "I should have never-! You were-! And I-! I-! I'm sorry!" He was so overwhelmed with emotions that he couldn't even get the complete sentence out. Just from this, Kirumi believed she understood. There was only one reason both Rin and Angie would react like this. She must have been…truly gone before whatever just happened. She didn't fully understand, but she didn't need to for what she knew had to be done now. She wrapped her arms around the sobbing Rin and gave him a warm, reassuring smile.
"It's alright. You've done nothing wrong. Whatever you are apologizing for, know I forgive you." That seemed to do the trick, as Rin looked more relieved after hearing that, but that didn't stop him from crying harder after the fact. Kirumi just let him cry into her shoulder for a few minutes until Rin was able to stop crying again. Once he calmed down, Kirumi sat down with the other two in the room, hoping to get some explanation as to what was happening at the moment. "I believe I can make a guess as to what has happened, but I'll still ask to make sure. The last thing I remember is being attacked by Tsumugi, and then I wake up here with both of you giving such extreme reactions to me. So, before now, was I…deceased?" Kirumi asked. Rin seemed to hesitate a bit, rubbing the back of his neck nervously before turning to Angie, who only gave him a cheerful smile in response. He sighed, knowing he was going to have to explain things himself, before turning to the maid with a serious and sad expression.
"Yes, that would be accurate to say. You were…dead. We…I examined your body myself. I can say with absolute certainty that you were dead." He answered.
"But then…why am I here now?" Kirumi asked.
"Well…" Rin began, but Angie interrupted him with an excited shout.
"We performed a resurrection ritual and brought you back to life!" She cheered.
"Resurrection ritual?" Kirumi questioned.
"It's…a long story." Rin sighed. "I didn't think it would actually work, but…here you are. Just…wow." Rin ran his hand through his hair as he stared at Kirumi in disbelief. That's when Kirumi noticed what was on his hands.
"Are those my gloves?" She asked. Rin stopped moving when she asked that and started to nervously chuckle as he showed his hands.
"Uh…yeah." He said while playing with the loop that was attached to the back of the glove. "When we…found your body, you had a spare pair of gloves on you, and Kaito said that I should…" He trailed off as he tightened his grip on the glove's metal loop. "I-I should probably give you them back, shouldn't I?" Kirumi giggled at his reaction and gave him a smile.
"I do not mind you wearing them, if that is what you are thinking. If you want, you can keep that pair." She told him in a reassuring voice. "But back to the previous topic, if I was truly dead, then what happened after my death? Did the killing game continue?" Both Rin and Angie seemed to give sad looks at her question, with Angie looking disappointed and Rin having an expression of guilt.
"Well, we have time, so I guess I can tell you what's happened so far, but it would be best if you mentally prepare yourself. There's a lot to take in." Rin said. Kirumi nodded before Rin started to explain everything that had happened after Kirumi had apparently died. Her death had sparked the first investigation and class trial, as Monokuma, in regards to Rin's demands and his own schemes, denied the use of the First Blood Perk. This led to Rin revealing Tsumugi as the Mastermind using the trap he had set up to catch her, and with Shuichi's help, managed to prove she was Kirumi's killer. This led to Tsumugi admitting to being the mastermind, but this did not save her from her execution, which threw the entire confession into a pool of doubt and confusion within the group. It was hard, but the group had to move on, and the addition of new areas in the academy was the perfect distraction for them. That's when they found the first Flashback Light and everyone minus Rin recalled the Ultimate Hunt, which only led to more questions in need of answers. After that the second motive, the videos, were introduced, and Korekiyo killed Miu due to the madness the videos could induce. And that leads to the point in time Kirumi had been revived. The third motive, the resurrection ritual, was introduced, and the group of students were split on its use, but Rin and the other members of the student council (minus Tenko) decided to use the motive anyway despite the other's cautiousness towards the motive.
Kirumi took all the new information in, but even just hearing everything caused her head to hurt slightly. There was so much that had happened while she was dead. Another murder, dozens of new areas that were opened up, the memories the others had regained from the flashback lights, and the current state of things that confused Kirumi even more. What's more, while Rin had explained as simply as he could, she could tell he was holding a lot back, most likely the many, many theories he had about everything, and for him to look so overwhelmed with it himself made Kirumi realized even further just how much everyone had been put through while she was gone. She also noticed how tired Rin looked, so much so that she questioned how long he was asleep before she was revived, or if he even slept before then at all. After Rin finished his summary, Kirumi took time to fully process everything she had been told and sort it out in her mind. It was necessary due to the sheer amount of information she was given. She had to fully understand everything if she was going to help the others like before. After doing that, she took a deep breath and looked back to Rin with a stern expression.
"I just have a few things to say about what you've told me. It might be improper of me as a maid, but will you allow me to speak my mind about these matters?" Kirumi asked. Rin looked at Angie with a confused expression, with the girl only returning an equally confused shrug as a response. Rin then rubbed the back of his neck before looking back at Kirumi.
"You really don't have to ask for permission to speak your mind. If you want to say something, go ahead." Rin told her.
"Thank you." Kirumi said with a polite bow before putting her stern expression back on. "Let me first say that I am truly grateful to you all for reviving me. There is nothing I can do to truly express how thankful I am for this second chance at life. I am forever in your debt."
"N-No, really. It was noth-"
"However," Kirumi interrupted Rin. "I do not condone your actions to get to this point."
"What?"
"You might not have gone into much detail about what happened to make your explanation as brief and simple as possible, but I can still tell that your decision to use the resurrection ritual has caused a rift in the group." Kirumi told him. "I understand that your intentions are good and I might not be in a position to say anything, but there must have been a better way to protect everyone. From what I've heard, while you've done well in making it hard to commit a murder, you've also made it difficult for the others to trust that you're truly trying to act in their best interests."
"What!?" Rin yelled in an almost offended tone. "How have I done that?!"
"To put it simply, it's due to your refusal to discuss things with the people outside of the student council." Kirumi said. "You plan with the people in the council and then engage in the plans you make, and while your intent is to prevent death, not discussing it with everyone makes it appear as if you're trying to control them. If you had talked to the others about the rules you planned on adding before putting them in place, the others might not be so opposed to the student council."
"Discussing with everyone is certainly important, but if everyone was allowed to decide whether or not something happened, then nothing would get done." Angie stated.
"That is certainly true." Kirumi nodded. "But you never even gave the others an option to join the student council, did you?"
"Huh?"
"Neither of you have made any mention of it other than Angie forming the student council with its current members, but is it safe to say you only asked no one else other than these people to be a part of the council?"
"No… I also asked Kokichi to be a part of the student council, but he refused." Angie answered.
"But did you ask anyone else?" Kirumi asked. "It is fine that you asked a small group of people that you trusted when forming the student council, but did you ever give the others a fair chance to join the council themselves? Couldn't you have given them a chance to be a part of the council as well?"
"And what if we did?" Rin asked, his expression now showing a bit of anger. "If we let the others 'apply' to join the council, then what? We end up exactly where we were before! With nothing getting done because we all can't agree on something! The others are important to me. They're my dear friends, the only ones I know I even have right now. But they don't listen sometimes! They might yell at us for wanting to use the resurrection ritual since it's a motive given to us by Monokuma and the kubs, but I said the same thing when they wanted to use the flashback light! I pointed out the risks and threats the lights had, yet they refused to even consider my words, blindly trusting the lights as if they weren't given to us by Monokuma! The same thing happened with the motive videos. When the videos were handed out, everyone chose to ignore them, refusing to believe that some of us might have gotten their own videos and were lying about it! We can't just do nothing! Decisions have to be made, and sometimes they'll be tough choices that require us to sacrifice a little bit of comfort or freedom, but we're stuck in a death game. It's either that or risk someone losing their life. We already lost so many people, including…you. The last thing I want is to have someone else die, and if the others are going to refuse to make those tough choices in an attempt to ignore the problems that surround us, then I'll just make those decisions for them!"
"And I am not saying you aren't correct about that. The others certainly are at fault as well. If I trust what you say, then it sounds like they are stubbornly denying change despite the situation we all are in." Kirumi sighed. "However, that doesn't change the fact that the problem here derives from a lack of equal compromise on both sides. Both the student council and the others need to reach an agreement as to what to do and work together, just as well all wanted to do on our first day at the academy. There cannot be a small group of people deciding everything for everyone even if it's for the greater good, but the majority cannot deny change or sacrifice to keep simple freedoms or comforts when it risks lives. As you said, this is a death game, and that means we all have to work together in order to survive together." Kirumi then gave a small bow. "That is all I have to say on the matter. I apologize if my words angered you. You do not have to listen to what I said, but I hope you do at least think upon and consider ways you can improve things." Rin was left speechless after Kirumi finished giving her peace. Kirumi stayed silent, but kept a watchful glance at her friend. His expression, which showed a tired frustration before, now seemed contemplative, as if he was carefully taking everything she had said in. Even Angie seemed to have a thoughtful look on her face as she looked down to the ground. Kirumi began to think that she might have misspoken on the matter, saying something that she had no right saying as both a simple maid and as someone who hadn't been involved in any of the actions that had led to these actions. But just as she started to doubt her actions, Rin began to quietly chuckle, his voice and expression now no longer hiding just how drained he was.
"Of course you'd be the one to point that out. I feel so stupid now." Rin sighed. "I guess I was just frustrated at everything that had happened. If I'm honest, I still feel responsible for the deaths so far, so I was determined to make sure it didn't happen again, but it felt that no matter what I did or said, the others just refused to take note of it sometimes. It felt like the only way I was going to do anything was on my own, even with the student council on my side. It all just felt…impossibly difficult. Like the whole world was just lying on my shoulders." Rin sighed again before moving over to Kirumi with a small tired smile before hugging her again. "Thank you. You always were the one who gave the most sage advice. It was just what I needed." Kirumi was once again surprised by the sudden action that seemed out of character for Rin, but quickly found herself smiling too as she returned the gesture.
"I am glad you found my advice helpful. That's all I could hope for as a maid." She said happily. Rin then moved away from Kirumi before yawning.
"Woah, what time is it?" Rin muttered as he took out his Monopad. "Hmm, it's later than I thought it was. We should go back to our rooms now. We have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow after all." He said with a chuckle, though this time it felt more lighthearted than before.
"Yes, I agree. We have no more reason to stay up now that Kirumi is back now." Angie nodded, now showing a similar renewed expression, one that seemed more relaxed and happy instead of the usual eccentric cheerfulness Angie usually had. "C'mon Kirumi. Let's go back to the dorms!" Kirumi gave her a small smile and nodded.
"Yes. I believe that would be for the best. Despite being brought back to life, I do believe I'll need a bit more rest before I can go back to how things were before."
"Then let's hurry back. Keebo and Gonta are probably wondering where we are now since it's so late." Rin said as the three of them left the Ultimate Artist's Research Lab. Rin and Angie weren't lying when they told Kirumi that the academy had more than doubled in size in the time Kirumi had been gone, and having to walk from the fourth floor of the academy down to where the dormitory just went to prove that to her. Kirumi couldn't believe how many new areas were now opened up to everyone. At first, she was excited at the prospect of getting to explore the new areas before a thought came to her mind. Since she's been gone, has anyone been cleaning up after everyone? Had the academy been thoroughly dusted and sweeped? The greenery that had smothered the academy before was now close to being taken care of completely, but there were still groups of weeds growing inside the school, as well as large unkempt patches out in the courtyard. Had the Monokubs truly been cleaning up the academy and finishing renovations? Kirumi couldn't help but want to start cleaning the academy again, but knew she would have to wait until at least the next day to get started. It would be a challenge, but Kirumi felt a spark of excitement at the prospect.
"Ah Rin, Angie. You're back." Hearing Keebo's voice was what brought Kirumi out of her thoughts as they approached the entrance to the dormitory. Just as Rin said, both Keebo and Gonta were standing guard to make sure no one performed any dangerous schemes during the cover of night.
"If you here, then does that mean…" Gonta started before Kirumi entered his field of vision. Almost immediately, Gonta's jaw dropped, and Keebo's reaction was much the same. The robot's eyes widened, almost to comedic levels, and he began stuttering incoherently.
"Y-You-! Kirumi! I thought-! You were-! H-How-?!"
"Woah there. Calm down and take some breaths, Keebo." Rin said as he grabbed the robot's shoulders. "I know technically you don't need to breathe, but just take some deep breaths and take time to process it. Yes. Kirumi is back. The ritual worked, and yes, she was dead, but she was actually brought back to life." Rin's words seemed to help calm Keebo down, but only before he mentioned how Kirumi was actually raised from the dead. As soon as Rin said that, Keebo nearly fell backwards from the shock of it all. Meanwhile, Gonta had yet to move, simply staring at Kirumi with confusion, disbelief, and a mixture of joy and relief upon seeing his friend once again. Kirumi found herself once again surprised by just how much the others had missed her and how much she seemed to matter to them. She was just a maid, so the sentiment was unnecessary, however, knowing that these people she had always thought of as friends were having such reactions to her being back, even if it was just a small group at the moment, Kirumi couldn't help but feel even more grateful and happy to be back with them.
"I'm happy to see you too, Keebo and Gonta." Kirumi told them as she did a small, polite curtsy. "Rin told me how you both pushed for the use of the Necronomicon to perform the resurrection ritual. For that, I'm extremely thankful."
"O-Oh no! You don't have to thank us at all!" Keebo quickly told her. "If anything, we should be telling you how grateful we are to have you back!"
"Yeah! Gonta really happy Kirumi back! Gonta missed Kirumi lots!" Gonta finally cried out, a few tears of happiness falling from his face as he spoke. Kirumi couldn't help but smile once again. Even though it didn't feel like it had been such a long time since she had last spoken to them, Kirumi still felt a sense of relief and comfort from hearing their voices. Even if she hadn't been conscious while she was dead, she truly did miss her friends.
"So what happens now?" Keebo asked.
"Now that the ritual is done, the three of us are gonna head to bed now." Angie told him.
"Then Gonta and I will remain on watch duty until morning. I assume we'll explain everything to the others at breakfast?"
"Yep. I'll also be making an announcement regarding the student council." Rin said. "But that's for tomorrow. Don't worry too much about it."
"Right. You go to bed and rest. Leave watch to Gonta and Keebo." Gonta responded after wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Yeah. Thanks again, you two." Rin said before the three entered the dormitory. They each walked over to their respective rooms and were about to enter before Kirumi had a sudden realization.
"Excuse me, but do either of you have my belongings that I had before I died?" Kirumi asked them. "I appear to be missing my dorm room key, as well as my Monopad."
"You don't have them?" Rin questioned.
"No." Rin hummed at Kirumi's answer.
"Monokuma and the kubs must still have them. They were taken after you died. Guess we don't have a choice but to call the kubs."
"I-AM-ALREADY-HERE."
"Woah!" Rin shouted as Monodam suddenly appeared next to him. "Geez, how are you guys so quiet?"
"APOLOGIES." Monodam simply stated before he moved over to where Kirumi was. He then took out her Monopad and key and handed them to her. "HERE-YOU-ARE-MISS-TOJO. MY-SIBLINGS -ARE-SLEEPING, SO-I'LL-SAY-IT-ON-THEIR-BEHALF: WELCOME-BACK." That's all he said before he disappeared. Kirumi was left speechless at what he said, but quickly shook the thought away.
"I suppose that fixes that." Kirumi mumbled as she looked down at the key that was back in her hand.
"I suppose it does." Rin nodded. "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow. See you later."
"Nyahaha! Yep yep! See ya tomorrow!" Angie nodded as she and Rin entered their rooms. Kirumi unlocked her room and entered, and was stunned by how clean the room was. From what Rin and Angie had told her, she had been dead for about almost a week now, yet her room was spotless, just as she left it. There wasn't even a speck of dust anywhere in sight. Kirumi set her stuff down and sat at the edge of her bed, taking everything in once again. She had really died, and now she was alive again. Once again thrusted into the killing game that her friends were still stuck in. But even so, she was happy to once again be with everyone and serve them.
"I am glad. Truly." She whispered to herself. "I was given this second chance, so I swear to not waste this chance that was given to me. I swear." And while the young devoted maid made that oath, the young boy with no memories had just finished putting away all of his notes and documents into his desk drawer. Once he did that, he let himself collapse onto his bed, letting his exhaustion take over once again and drifting back into sleep. He was taking Angie's advice to heart. He was taking a much needed break.
