"Umm, not to be rude, Rin, but you look terrible." Kaede told me as I sat down at the dining hall's table.

"Ugh…" I only replied with a loud groan before letting my head fall onto the table, creating a loud thud that resonated in the room. One night. It's only been one night and I already feel like my eyes are burning on top of this minor headache I now have. My eyes hurt and it's taking a little more effort just to open my eyes again after blinking and then keeping them open. I'm not going to fall asleep anytime soon, but I certainly feel the consequences of staying up all night. I've always had poor sleeping habits before this, but I haven't stayed up all night since the day after Kirumi died. It was bad back then, but it's slightly worse since I've been pulling partial all nighters before this happened. I'm grateful to Rantaro for trying to help me stay up by talking to me and figuring out ways to kill time, but I still feel like crap.

"Was nightwatch for you too much?" Kirumi asked with a small chuckle.

"Of course not. I'm an expert at pulling all nighters!" I shouted while pointing my thumb at myself before realizing I said that on instinct. I'm not sure if I said that because that's what I would normally say before I lost my memories, or if I'm just tired enough to start spouting things without thinking. "Uh, forget what I just said." I quickly added before sighing. "Is there any coffee here?"

"You drink coffee?" Rantaro asked with a curious look.

"No, but I need something with caffeine in me right now." I replied groggily.

"I do not think drinking coffee after staying up all night is exactly healthy, but yes. There is coffee in the kitchen." Kirumi told me with a frown.

"Cool. Hope there's also some sugar in there." I said as I got up from my chair, muttering the last part as I went to get my drink. After quickly brewing it, adding some cream, and sitting back down with both my cup of coffee and the entire bag of sugar that I found in there. I put in a humble amount of sugar before I took a quick sip and nearly gagged at the bitterness. I then poured maybe a quarter of the sugar bag into my drink before I was able to drink it without my body rejecting it.

"Geez, Rin. Want some coffee to go with that sugar?" Kaede asked with a laugh.

"Shut up…" I muttered as I continued to drink. "I hate bitter things. Why can't coffee be sweet normally?"

"So you have a sweet tooth? I can see that, but I think maybe you put in a bit too much sugar in your drink." Rantaro chuckled.

"There's no such thing as too much sugar!" I gave a swift rebuttal. "Anyway, people seem to be handling this rather well, all things considered." I gave a quick glance over and saw the others who were here at the dining hall happily enjoying their breakfast. It seemed like a normal scene that we have everyday, though, under the normality of it, I already noticed some slight differences.

"Yeah, but I bet the motive is still weighing on people's minds." Kaede said.

"Indeed. It's certainly something I am still concerned about." Kirumi added in a solemn tone.

"I know. This happiness is rather forced. Some people aren't here, like Ryoma, Maki, and Keebo. And some people aren't even properly hiding their FA."

"FA?"

"Forbidden Action is a mouthful, so I'm just gonna call it FA." I told Kirumi. "And forget what I just said. It's a bad habit of mine, and speculation on this sort of topic is only going to make things worse." I grumbled about that last part. I can't help but try to figure out everyone's FAs, but I really need to remind myself to stop. Thinking about that stuff is only going to tempt me to say something I shouldn't or tempt me to take advantage of what I know. Who knows if even making a good guess on someone's FA might cause someone else's to go off. That's the last thing I want or need right now. Still, some people make it obnoxiously hard to ignore when they do such a poor job hiding it. Namely…

"Gonta…" I sighed quietly while rubbing my forehead. The big doofus didn't even grab a plate for breakfast this morning. He's acting normal, but if anyone is even paying attention to him for more than a second, it's easy to realize that he hasn't and probably doesn't plan to eat breakfast, which can only mean one thing.

"What's that about Gonta?" Kaede asked me.

"Nothing. Just wondering if I should ask Gonta to help me check for dangerous items today like we were planning, but I'm not sure if I'm up for it myself." I responded before rubbing both my eyes. "All of this stuff is already stressing me out."

"Then maybe I can go do that for you if you need a break." Rantaro told me with his usual 'Rantaro' smile.

"I almost want to say you're too nice, Rantaro, but I'll take you up on that. Thanks. I'd appreciate it." I told him while taking another shot of my sugar water/coffee. "On an unrelated note, this is a strange little group we have here."

"What do you mean?" Kaede asked me.

"Well, Rantaro usually eats with me anyway, but you and Kirumi being here too sort of surprised me. I mean, before Kirumi would wait for everyone to finish eating before making something for herself, and you're usually with Shuichi and the others. I'm not complaining, since this is nice." That's when I snapped my fingers upon having a thought. "Oh! I know why you're here now! It's 'cause Shuichi isn't here for you to attach yourself to him like usual! Guess that means I'm your rebound. Liking Shuichi must be exhausting, huh?" I asked with an evil smirk, and my day immediately got better when I saw Kaede's typical flustered expression.

"Shut up! No I don't! Stay attached to him, I mean! I like him, of course. Wait! I mean as a friend, not like-UGH!" Kaede shouted, her face now completely dark red and her ahoge pointing straight up out of embarrassment, before punching me in the shoulder. The same shoulder as last time she hit me.

"Ah… It's been a few days since I've suffered some physical abuse from you. Man, you still have a solid punch." I noted while rubbing my now sore arm. "You're lucky everyone here is typically loud while eating and talking, or else they would have heard your outburst just now."

"Ugh…!" Kaede moaned while hiding her head in between her arms, which only got more laughter out of me. God, I missed messing with her. It's soooo easy. And hey, I did tell her it was coming yesterday, so it's her own fault for taking the hit so hard. That's when I noticed Kirumi giving us a curious look before she tilted her head.

"I am sorry, but am I misunderstanding something? Is Kaede hitting you a good thing for you to be smiling like you are?" Kirumi asked me.

"Yep! The two of us are friends, and that gives me full reign to tease Kaede to the fullest, though she tends to react violently when I do such innocent actions. But I've learned that's just her way of showing she cares, so I bear with all the bruises, insults, and sores she gives me since I know she'll be all alone without our friendship." I said in a fake serious voice, hyperbole coating every word as I made exaggerated hand motions.

"Stop making me sound so horrible!" Kaede squeaked embarrassedly as she started shaking me by my shoulders. I just did my best to keep a straight face like nothing was happening as she continued to shake me like a soda can, my face breaking nearly every second she kept going on. So. Much. Fun.

"But yeah, in all seriousness, it's a sign of how our relationship has grown over the course of these few days. It proves she's comfortable around me more than others, and there's a mutual understanding that it's all in good fun. Not like it ever really hurt in the first place." I explained.

"I will hit you again and prove you wrong." Kaede threatened, her cheeks still red as she raised a fist in my direction.

"Message received, you violent pianist." I quickly said as I grabbed her hand and lowered it. I was bluffing a little, of course. Her punches do pack…well, a punch, so I'd rather not subject myself to it again and have her actually want to hurt me, cause I know she'll be aiming for the spot she just nailed a few seconds ago. But still, it's all in good fun.

"Hmph! It's what you get for teasing me all the time." Kaede huffed as she puffed out her cheeks. That's when Rantaro started lightly laughing.

"You guys almost remind me of my siblings. They act the same way around me sometimes."

"Right!" I smiled at the adventurer. "I bet I would be a great older brother."

"Do you have any siblings, Rin?" Kirumi asked.

"No idea, but I wouldn't be opposed to the idea." I said. "Welp, I think I'm gonna head off now. If you need me, I'll be in my room."

"Alright. We'll see you later." Rantaro gave me a wave. Kaede and Kirumi waved as well as I left the dining hall. As soon as the door behind me closed, my cheerful expression returned to the tired and groggy one I had before I got my coffee. It's exhausting, having to pretend to be completely fine, even though I feel like garbage. And this is just the first day. Tomorrow's going to be worse, and then the day after that will be even more terrible. It'll just keep getting worse and worse and worse, until I finally either break and go crazy, or I slip up and get myself killed one way or another. Yet even still, I can't let anyone else know. My FA is one that can easily be turned into a weapon someone else can use.

With a sigh, I slowly made my way back to my dorm room. I didn't feel like talking to anyone. I'm sure most of the others feel the same. Again, many people didn't even show up for breakfast. Speaking of which, now that I'm here, I can do something since I now have privacy. Well, I will in a minute. I walked over to my desk and opened up the drawer, and stopped when I saw something I had forgotten about. I wanted to grab my electro-radar to disable the hidden cameras in my room so I could think in peace, but the glint of the knife I had taken for the ressurection ritual caught my eye. I forgot I still had this. I guess I forgot to return it after Kirumi came back.

…No. None of that. That'd be too cruel, even for me. No rest for the wicked, after all.

I quickly grabbed the radar and shut the drawer, removing the evil thing from my sight. I put the radar on the low setting and clicked the button, and after confirming all the hidden cameras in the room were short-circuited, I sat on my bed and began to think. Finally, I can think about this without having to worry about anything. I wanted to ignore it, but I just can't. I need to think about this. It's like a terrible itch I can't get rid of. My brain keeps constantly pestering me to think about the situation so I can figure out some way to fix things, so that's what I'll do now that I'm in complete privacy from everyone.

I know my FA: no sleeping. It's a pain, but at least it's clear, simple, and straightforward. Rantaro's is also pretty easy to figure out, since he pretty much told me without telling me outloud. If he hinted to his FA last night, and then gave me his most prized possession, then it has to be this: Rantaro isn't allowed to use his Survivor Perk. It's a very strange FA, but it does suck for Rantaro. The Survivor Perk is one of the only things he has that can be useful to him in the killing game, so disabling it for him must be annoying or aggravating to him. Gonta's is simple as well: he can't eat, or at the very least he can't put anything in his mouth. The big guy really ought to hide his FA better, because that one is very easy to exploit. Then there are the people who didn't show up for breakfast. Ryoma, Shuichi, Keebo, and even Maki didn't show up, so I'd bet that their FAs have to do with people. That means that their FAs are a little bit unpredictable and uncontrollable. Could they have something to do with other people other than them? If so, theirs might be extremely dangerous. Then again, it doesn't mean they're the ones we should be most concerned about. The ones who are doing a perfect job hiding theirs are the ones I'm a little unnerved with. Namely, Kokichi…of course. He seems perfectly comfortable with how things are…as usual.

"So what can I do about any of that?" I asked myself as I started to lie down on my back. For those who's FAs I know, I can just keep an eye out for them, but there's nothing I can really do. The only person who seems safe from their FA is Rantaro, since he gave me his Survivor Perk. "Speaking of which…" Since I have it, I might as well check it out again. Maybe it's been updated since Rantaro first showed me it? I doubt it, since he would have told me about that, but still. I took it out from my back pocket and turned it on and started checking the map. Nothing new so far. Actually, now that I'm looking at this again, doesn't this show all the rooms of the academy? Including the Research Labs? Is one of these mine? If so, which one? Which one of these symbols is for me? That's when I found a room on the fifth floor that had a weapons icon that was a knife covered in blood. Yeah…I hope that isn't mine.

Who's room would that be anyway? Maki already has her own room, and it doesn't match anyone else's talent. Maybe Kokichi? No, definitely not. His gang has a no violence rule, so his room shouldn't have any references to violence. Could it be…Rantaro's? He's the Ultimate Adventure, but this perk is called the Survivor Perk, and Foresight told me he was also the Ultimate Survivor. The Ultimate Survivor…someone who can survive the most deadly situations… If that's what that talent means, then a bloody knife might make sense, though it's a little unnerving.

I was just about to turn the Monopad off, but that's when it started glitching out. "What in the world?" I muttered as I stared at the device. Oh goddamnit, don't tell me I broke it. I didn't do anything to it! I stared at the device for a few more moments, hoping that it wouldn't just break on me, and that's when something really weird happened. The screen turned black, and then…a message began to type itself out for me.

A clue to find the truth…

Those were the words that appeared, along with an icon for me to tap. I raised an eyebrow at this. What the hell? What…? Why? I didn't understand anything, and yet, before I could think more about it, I found myself moving my finger towards the icon. After I tapped it, the rest of the message appeared.

Within an unfamiliar world lies the key, hidden within a fractured chain of memories. Then, after gazing upon the stars, walk through the realm of demons and angels to find the way. Don't let anyone know about this message. If anyone finds out about it, death is all but certain for all of you.

K.K.

…What does any of that mean!? An unfamiliar world? Chain of memories? And then a realm of demons and angels? And who is 'K.K.'? Whoever you are, if you want to be helpful, don't give hints that sound like they're for some video game! Don't be purposefully vague with this stuff! Ugh…fine. I'll take what I can get. Still, that doesn't make this any easier to understand. None of this stuff makes any sense to me. Like, what could it possibly mean when it talks about an unfamiliar world? Something like that doesn't…even… Wait. The Monokubs mentioned something similar to that, right? About how that supercomputer on the 4th floor can create a brand new world or something like that? Could this hint be about that? So something useful is hidden within the world that computers can make? And what about the chain of memories? Again, that just sounds like the start of some over complicated JRPG.

I sighed as I turned the monopad off. I'll have to keep that in mind. And there's that last part of the message. If anyone finds out about that message, everyone will apparently die. Whether or not I believe that isn't the point. The point is that it's a possibility, so I can't risk it. Guess that's just another secret I have to keep. Might as well toss it onto the ever growing pile.

"...Screw this. I want to read." I grumbled as I shot up from my bed and left my dorm room. I need to distract myself with something. Anything. I'm going to go crazy if I don't do anything except think. This is why I didn't want to start theorizing in the first place, but here I am, a slave to my own whims and desires. My mind's already jumbled thanks to everything that's happened, so I need to take my advice for once and just try to relax my brain. "Urgh! Why is this so hard!?" I screamed, nearly pulling some of my hair out as I did. Great… Now I'm pissing myself off. Am I always like this, or is it because of the lack of sleep, or perhaps it's from the motive. Or maybe it's all the above.

Still mumbling curses to myself, I stomped off to the library, grabbed something I could distract myself with, and when I entered the library, I most certainly got just that. The moment I opened the doors, a pungent smell invaded my nose, and it almost made me gag. It was a burnt smell, one akin to burnt meat, and the smell of blood was also present. And of course, there was a horrific sight to go along with the smell. Korekiyo was in a giant wooden pot, and there were silhouettes of people all around him tossing wood onto the flame that was lit under the pot. With eac hlog thrown in, the water he was in became hotter, and Korekiyo slowly began to melt from the inside out, so much so that his eyes started melting, and he began to cry blood. After a few more agonizing minutes of this, Korekiyo finally sank completely into the dark pink pool he was now bathing in, and his clothes slowly rose up to the top a few moments later. He had been boiled alive.

After that, the vision slowly began to fade away, and I was back in the library, with the only smell I could find was now one of old books. I hadn't noticed, but I had started sweating while I watched the scene play out. I felt sticky, and that just added to my annoyance. So Korekiyo was supposed to kill both Angie and Tenko? Am I getting that right? That was the third execution I've witnessed, and there were two bodies I saw before this, so that's the logical conclusion to make. Great…just great. This helps me out a lot. Kiyo was already an exception, what with his unique 'motive' he was given. Killing for his sister was the only reason I could see him killing for, no matter how twisted it was, and with how he mentioned how he said he wanted to send 100 friends to his sister, it makes sense that he would have killed two people if given the chance. But now he's gone. There isn't anyone who would willingly kill two people if they didn't have to. After all, there's no benefit to killing a second person. It just leaves behind more evidence.

I groaned as I grabbed a book and started walking back to my room, now in a more foul mood than before. I didn't need that vision. All it did was frustrate me more. It doesn't help me at all with dealing with this motive. What a useless ability! Well, if it even is one. Whatever… For now, I just want to get back to my room. The last thing I wanted was to run into someone and get dragged into a conversation when I was like this. I was already aggravated, and I didn't want to end up yelling at someone or getting angry at them for no reason. I didn't want to be in another situation like the one I was in with Kaito. Unfortunately, I can never get what I want, and I ended up getting spotted by someone. One person who I desperately did not want to see me like this, only because of how easily they would see through me and begin to question me about it.

"Rin? Are you okay? You seem irritated."

"I'm fine, Kirumi." I told her in the calmest voice I could summon.

"Are you? You were glaring a few moments ago."

"Ah…here we go, I guess." I sighed softly before turning to the maid. "Okay, fine. I'm just a little annoyed right now. It's got nothing to do with anything anyone's done to me, and I think it's just because I'm a little tired today. I'll be fine, so you don't have to do anything for me."

"...I was not going to offer to do something to help you." Kirumi replied softly before her voice became more stern. "What you do is none of my business, I know; however, it still concerns me if you aren't taking care of yourself. If you are tired, please, get some rest."

"Yeah… Yeah, I know. I'll do just that." I held back another sigh as I pinched the bridge of my nose. If only it were that simple. "You better do the same. I better not see you doing something impossible like cleaning the entire academy."

"Of course. I'll make sure to-" That's when Kirumi stopped talking and her eyes widened a little. Her breathing became more ragged, and her hand moved towards her chest and clutched it tightly, as if she was in pain.

"Kirumi?" I asked immediately, my frustrated annoyance vanishing immediately as I moved towards her in concern. She was now on her knees as she began panting heavily, her grip on her chest getting tighter and tighter. "Kirumi, answer me. What's happening?" I asked sternly, getting straight to the point so I didn't delay any help I could give. She did her best to try to responde, but she just couldn't when she appeared to be in so much pain. However, just as my panic began to take control, it suddenly stopped. Her breathing started to steady again, and she was able to release the tight grip she had on her chest after that. Once she was no longer in pain, she took a deep breath before she composed herself and looked at me with a calm expression, though there were hints of nervousness in it.

"I'm fine, Rin. Thank you for your concern, but I assure you that you do not need to worry yourself over me."

"Are you kidding!? Kirumi, you looked like you were having a heart attack!" I shouted at her. "What the hell just happened? Has this happened before? Ah! That's why you jumped back then when I was showing you around the campus yesterday morning!" Kirumi twitched when I said that last part. Bullseye. "Kirumi, please. Please tell me what's wrong. With everything that's going on, I honestly don't know what I'd do if something happened to you now and I didn't do anything to stop it. I'll do anything I can to help, so please stop being stubborn and just tell me!" Kirumi still seemed hesitant, and she averted her gaze a little before she replied.

"It is…unbecoming of a maid if she needed constant help in regards to her own health and worries."

"Oh for the love of-!" I nearly screamed at that. I probably shouldn't be the one who should be having this discussion. I'm bad enough when it comes to hiding things about myself, and I've hurt plenty of people because of that. Kaede made that clear as day to me. But I don't care about that right now. Let me be a hypocrite. Kirumi is in physical pain right now, and she is refusing to let me help her. This needs to be said. "Kirumi, you're not a maid right now!" I yelled at her, her expression now shifting to one of confusion.

"I've told you countless times! So many times now that I'm not sure if you're actually hearing me! Forget about that Ultimate title for once in your life and take care of yourself! You go on and on about how you're the Ultimate Maid, but I don't care! You're Kirumi Tojo first before anything else, and you're someone important to me, just like everyone else here! It's not because you're a maid that I want to help you. It's because you're my friend that I want to help you! So why are you being so stubborn about this! Didn't you agree that you should rest more often yesterday? That you'd prioritize your own satisfaction? If that's the case…If you were honest when you said I gave you a new perspective on how to perform as a maid, then let me help you!" Kirumi seemed stunned, her face now one of dumbfounded confusion as she just stared at me with her olive green eyes.

"...But what if there is not a way to help me with this?"

"I don't care. I'll find a way." I told her. "And if I can't find a way, I'll make one, because that's the kind of resolve I have. That's the sort of person I am."

"And what if there is nothing you can do? You should not concern yourself with something that can't be helped."

"I agree. If there's nothing I can do, I probably should ignore it. Now tell me what's wrong and let me help you." I responded, confusing her even more.

"...Why do you want to help so badly?" She eventually asked me.

"Why? Haven't I told you many times already? It's because I'm friends with Kirumi Tojo, and she's only a teenage girl. She might be capable of a lot, but she's still a normal person who needs help every once in a while. So what's wrong with offering my hand to a friend?" I then gave her a small smile before I continued. "It's a lesson I've been forced to learn a few times here too. Kaede made sure of that. I guess even with how old and mature we are, we're just two stubborn children, huh?" Kirumi was silent, but giggles soon began to escape her lips. They were soft, almost fragile little laughs that were made from relief. Kirumi's body relaxed as well as she nodded to me with a smile.

"Alright. I'll tell you, but please promise me you'll keep this between us." My own eyes widened at that. She sounded like she was speaking in a much more casual way now. It was less formal, and she was using contractions now, which was a little weird to hear, but I couldn't help but smile more in response.

"Good. We can head to your room and talk about it." I told her, to which she softly nodded. I helped her stand to her feet, and the two of us walked over to her dorm room. After entering, we both sat down on her bed, and she began to explain.

"It's only been happening since I was brought back two days ago. I remember feeling this pain when I first woke up after you and Angie performed the ritual, yet the pain doesn't compare to what it is now at times."

"You mean you've been having these sorts of attacks for a day and a half now!?" I exclaimed.

"Yes. I haven't told anyone about it. That was because before, it was just slight bouts of pain that I could ignore. I didn't want to concern anyone with this when it wasn't an important matter. But sometimes, the pain intensifies, to the point where it's unbearable at times. All I can do then is bear with it until it passes."

"That's awful." I said with a grimace, remembering my painful panic attacks. If these were anything like those… I don't want to imagine how it feels. "Can I…ask you…more about these sudden pains?" I asked, hesitant to delve further if she didn't want to keep talking about it. Luckily, she nodded, seemingly not minding it.

"As far as I know, there is nothing wrong with my body. I have no injuries that might cause the pain. I do have an idea as to why it's happening." Kirumi began before placing a hand on her chest again. "The pain is a burning sensation. It feels as though someone is driving a blade into my chest rapidly, making it nearly impossible to even catch my breath sometimes."

"Wait… That sounds like…what happened to your body after you died." I muttered, realization now hitting me fully. "These are phantom pains caused by the method of how you died."

"Yes, that's what I thought as well." Kirumi nodded. "That's why I told you that it couldn't be helped. There isn't anything anyone can do to help remove pain that's caused by a memory of an event in the past." I didn't say anything as I looked down at the floor. She was right. What could I do to fix this? How can I help her? Did I just stick my foot in my mouth, or is there something I'm actually capable of doing to relieve her of this pain? That's when I felt Kirumi place a hand on top of mine.

"If you really want to help me, then all you need to do is one simple thing." She began. She then looked away from me, hiding her face in the process, before continuing in a much softer voice than I usually heard from her. "If you wouldn't mind…could you…stay with me for a while? That would be reassuring to me." I stared at her for a bit in mild surprise. Is Kirumi…embarrassed right now? It sounds like she is, but she's never been embarrassed by anything before. If she's ever felt like that before, I'm certain she wouldn't show any sign of it to anyone, but for her now to be like this after asking me to do something for her, it must be a new feeling for her, since she's probably never needed any help like this before. For her to willingly show me this vulnerable side of her now just goes to show me how far she trusts me with this.

"Of course. I'll stay for as long as you want if I can." I told her. She turned back to me and gave me a small smile in return. And that's how I spent the rest of my day. The two of us stayed in her dorm room and just hung out. Sometimes we chatted, and other times we just enjoyed each other's company in silence. It was…oddly nice. Without even realizing it, my tired body had relaxed and eased up to the point where I had forgotten that I was annoyed and tired before this.


"So, how are things? Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Please just get to the point. You called me out here, and I don't want to waste my time."

"Wow, touchy! You seem really different, and it's only been a day since the motive was given out!"

"My Forbidden Action is a terrible curse for me. Even though it's only been a day, I am feel like I'm being driven mad, but you already knew that, correct?

"That's what I figured. That's why I called you out here."

"Yes… It's very strange how you've singled me out, Monokuma. What is it exactly that you want to do, I wonder…"

"Oh, you know me. I'm just super duper bored! There's been like what, over a dozen chapters in this arc and we STILL haven't gotten a murder yet? It's absolutely ridiculous! What is the author doing, seriously!"

"I cannot say I fully understand what you are saying, but you're only doing this so that something entertaining for you finally happens?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. So in order to stir things up, I'm here to offer you a deal!"

"A deal? And why should I even consider a deal with the devil that you are?"

"Don't be like that! Here, let me show you what I'm talking about."

"...What is this?"

"A way for both you and me to get what we want. What do ya say? If you accept, I'll give you all the juicy details that you'll need to get started, though as per the rules, it'll still be up to you if you want to succeed."

"..."

"Well?"

"...Alright. I'll take you up on this 'deal'. Go ahead and show me what this 'tool' is capable of."

"Pupupupu… Very well! You've made the correct choice!"


"Wow, it's already so late." I said as I checked my Monopad. It's almost nighttime. I really did end up spending the whole day here with Kirumi. I rubbed my eyes, which were now feeling even worse than they were before. Another night without sleep. How…fun.

"Oh? I suppose you're right." Kirumi said as she checked her own monopad, frowning a little afterwards. "Will you be leaving now?"

"Yeah. Don't want to overstay my welcome." I said as I got up from the chair I was sitting at, stretching my legs as I got up. That's when I caught Kirumi moving her gaze to the ground out of the corner of my eye. She was touching the same spot she was tightly holding earlier when she was in pain. I held back a chuckle as I turned to her with a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll be just a few steps and a knock away. If you need anything, just come get me and I'll do everything I can to help."

"...Are you sure?"

"What did I tell you earlier today? I want to help you. You can rely on me. Or what, do you need me to stay here all night just to prove my point?" I asked with a laugh.

"I-I could never ask you to do something like that." She quickly replied with a slight stutter. Kirumi might have long bangs that cover a good chunk of her face, but that didn't stop me from seeing a very light blush appear on her cheeks. The sight was unusual, that's for sure. So much so that I nearly let out a laugh.

Ding dong! Ding dong!

That's when the doorbell rang out, causing both my head and Kirumi's to turn and face the door. The two of us looked back at each other and nodded before Kirumi got up and walked over to the door. Meanwhile, I made my way to a corner outside the view of the door so that I didn't get spotted by whoever was wanting to speak with Kirumi. This was her room after all, and despite the reason I was here, I was still a guy. I'd rather not have to explain all of this to whoever was out there, and it seems Kirumi feels the same as we moved in sync with each other. As soon as I was secure and out of sight, Kirumi opened the door.

"Keebo? Did you need something?"

"I'm sorry to bother you at such a late hour, but something's happened."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I just heard from Rantaro. It seems the computer on the 4th floor is finally ready for us to use, and Monokuma wants us all to gather there right now."

"If that is true, why did the Monokubs not just simply add it to the nighttime announcement?"

"From what I heard, it's because the Monokubs have spent the entire day working on finishing the work needed for the computer to become operational, so they are much too tired to make any sort of announcement. Of course, that's just what Monokuma has told us."

"I see. I will head over as soon as I can."

"Good. I'll go alert anyone else who might be in their room and then head over myself. I'll see you there." With that, Keebo left and Kirumi closed the door.

"So you're back to speaking formally now?" I asked as I peaked around the corner with a smirk.

"Be quiet." Kirumi swiftly chided me with a stern look. "What could Monokuma possibly have prepared for us?"

"It is a curious thing, isn't it? He hasn't called us all to one area for no reason before." I noted. "There must be some reason why he wants to show us this computer, and knowing him, it can only be bad."

"So you think it is a trap?"

"I know it's a trap, but what can we really do other than take the bait? Our lives are in his hands, so we might as well obey to prevent unnecessary problems." I then sighed as I rubbed the back of my neck. "What a pain…"

"Indeed. Still, we should begin to head over."

"Right, right." I grumbled as the two of us left the dormitories and began heading towards the 4th floor. It took a few minutes, but we eventually made it there. We actually ran into Tenko and Himiko outside of the computer room, with Tenko dragging Himiko by the hand and shouting 'I'll protect you, Himiko!' as the two entered the room. It was a typical sight, though I was surprised to see Himiko not putting up any resistance to it, instead going along with it with a small smile. Kirumi and I followed them in, and I immediately noticed a difference within the room. Namely, there were a bunch of chairs now sitting around the gigantic computer, and each chair was behind a small table, with each one having a strange headset device resting on top of it.

"So we all were called here, huh?" Kaede questioned as she looked around the room.

"There's no way any of us wouldn't come when Monokuma tells us to. Who knows what will happen if we disobey him after all!" Tenko replied.

"I still think it smells fishy." Himiko sighed.

"Really? Doesn't it smell like something fun is gonna happen instead?" Kokichi asked.

"I think you have a very different definition of 'fun'." I noted with a chuckle.

"You always make jokes about this sort of stuff. Even with all of this, you still act really strange…" Kaito said as he rubbed his head.

"That's just how I am, I'm afraid. I would have thought that you'd have gotten used to it already. I guess that's why we're not close friends like how I am with Rinny!"

"Don't drag me into this." I quipped.

"So, why did Monokuma call us here anyway?" Ryoma asked.

"I heard that the Monokubs finished working on the computer. Could that be the reason?" Angie suggested in her usual cheerful tone.

"That's what he told me." Rantaro answered. "Though he didn't give me any explanation about it."

"So we still don't know what this computer does?" Shuichi asked.

"Well, when me and Rin found it, the cubs said something about this thing being able to make a new world." Kaede said.

"A new world? What does that mean?" Maki questioned with a glare.

"It means exactly that! You all can use this computer to enter a whole new world!" It was at that moment that the bear himself entered the room. It was strange though. Did he have more of a pep in his step right now, or is it just the way he's waddling around?

"Uh…what you mean by 'new world'? How big box take us there?" Gonta asked.

"Do you see those devices sitting on those tables?" Monokuma asked. "They're connected to the computer, and you put it on your head to use it. Once you do that and turn it on, it'll upload your consciousness into the world inside the computer!"

"A world created by a computer program?" Kirumi asked.

"You mean this is virtual reality?" Maki asked.

"Oh, this goes much further than that. It's not just virtual reality, it's a perfect Virtual World!" Monokuma claimed. "Since your consciousness is uploaded to the world itself, it'll be like you're actually inside the virtual world as if it were all real!"

"What, like the matrix? Or that one show? What was it called? Spear Skill Offline?" I asked.

"You've just offended many people with that single comment, Mister Wakuri." Monokuma growled at me. "But anyway, you all should go ahead and go there!"

"Huh? Go? You mean inside the virtual world?" Kaito asked for clarification.

"Well duh! C'mon! Go ahead and put on the headsets!" Monokuma said once more.

"No way!" Tenko shouted. "If you want us to go, it's definitely a trap!"

"There's no doubt about that. This has all the wrong vibes." Ryoma noted with a glare of suspicion aimed at the bear.

"Don't be like that! It'll be fun!" Monokuma pleaded, trying to make himself seem more cute in order to convince us. Of course, it's hard to be cute when people know that you're a freak with a fetish for killing teenagers.

"Just in case, I should ask a question…" Shuichi spoke up. "What's going to happen to our consciousness when we're inside the computer?"

"I'm curious about that too. Are we going to have bodies for us in this world? Like video game avatars or something?" Kokichi asked. "That's the norm for stuff like this, isn't it?"

"So you are knowledgeable about this stuff. Yet you still made fun of Tsumugi whenever she made a reference." I noted softly, only getting a cheeky laugh out of the supreme leader.

"U-Uh, I'm sorry, but could you clarify? What's an avatar?" Tenko asked, poking her fingers in an embarrassed manner as she did.

"They're characters that will represent you while you're in the virtual world, I imagine." Keebo told her.

"In other words, our consciousness will be transferred from our bodies into virtual ones that are inside the virtual world." Kaede said as she looked at the computer. "That's pretty cool. I've never heard of something like this."

"And what happens to our real bodies while we're inside the program?" I asked.

"Your body will basically be asleep for the duration." Monokuma told me before smiling widely. "And don't worry, Mister Wakuri. This won't cause any problems for anyone, I promise you that."

"I see… Interesting." I muttered. So I won't get punished for entering the virtual world, huh? It seems like Monokuma really wants us to go there.

"Well, now that I've explained things, hurry up and go to the virtual world! Your headmaster commands it!"

"No! We're not going!" Tenko shouted again.

"It's definitely dangerous. He's hiding something." Himiko added with an annoyed look.

"This virtual world was probably made by Monokuma, and that means nothing good can come out of it." Rantaro agreed with a nod.

"You guys are so rude! I have my kids fix this thing up out of the goodness of my heart, and this is how I'm rewarded!? Teenagers these days are so ungrateful!"

"Then why don't you tell us what this 'new world' really is." I told him.

"Fiiiiine." Monokuma groaned. "Okay, here's the truth. I used a certain program as a template to create this virtual world, and that program is the killing game simulator!"

"Killing game simulator?" Maki repeated with an angry tone.

"And that confirms that. This virtual world isn't worth our time." Ryoma said.

"But what could be so dangerous about a simulation? It isn't real, right?" Angie asked.

"But this is Monokuma, and with how he is, this 'killing game simulator' is most likely far more dangerous than any of us might think." Kirumi responded.

"But if Monokuma is so adamant about us entering the virtual world, do you guys think he might have put an incentive for us in there? He must have laid out some bait to lure us in." Kokichi stated.

"...Damn it, Kokichi's probably right." I growled before turning to the bear. "Out with it. What did you do?"

"Pupupu… You've got me! I have hidden a few things in the virtual world!" Monokuma told us. "Specifically, a few super duper secrets!"

"Secrets?" Shuichi repeated with a doubtful look.

"Yes! Secrets!" Monokuma shouted before giving us a mischievous look. "It could be anything really. Such as clues about why you're here, clues as to a possible exit to this place, and…clues regarding Rin's past."

"...Huh?" I made a noise of bewilderment when I heard that last part.

"Did you just say that you hid parts of Rin's past inside the virtual world?!" Kaede shouted.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. It could be anything, really. Or maybe it's none of the above!" Monokuma teased. "All I will say is that there is most certainly something in there that'll be crucial if you really want to find the truth of the killing game!"

"The truth?" I repeated. There's that phrase again. The truth. Does Monokuma know about that secret message? No…there's no way he should know. I had the cameras disabled when I got that message, and he wouldn't be sending me messages through Rantaro's Monopad when he can just come to me in person. Then could that message be from the one controlling Monokuma. That would mean that 'K.K', as he called himself, is the real mastermind of this game. If that's the case, then what exactly is this truth, and why does he want me to find it? "...I have a bad feeling about this."

"B-But there might be something that will help you remember who you are!" Kaede told me.

"Not only that, but there might also be other useful clues in there that we could find." Ryoma added.

"Clues as to why we're here…why the killing game is even happening… There's even the chance of a possible exit…" Himiko muttered softly.

"Is it really worth the risk, though?" Shuichi asked.

"Well, I don't think we should ignore it. Any info we can get is crucial, after all. I say we should just dive right in." Kokichi told us with a smirk.

"Nyahaha! I agree! This might be a new way for us all to live together peacefully in this academy, after all. Besides, we all said we'd trust each other, so there's no reason not to trust each other and be hesitant."

"Hmm, Angie does have a point. We did agree to try to work together, even through risky situations like this." Kaito grumbled before putting his fists together. "Alright, let's go! Let's find all of those secrets that he hid inside this virtual world! Who knows? If we're lucky, we might even find a way to end the killing game there!"

"End killing game? Okay, then Gonta will go! Gonta will go to this…'ver-chew-ul world' place!" Gonta shouted.

"B-But we can't! It's a trap set up by Monokuma!" Tenko shouted. "And what if entering this virtual world activates someone's bangle?"

"Don't worry about that. No one has a Forbidden Action that will prevent them or anyone else from entering the virtual world." Monokuma replied. "And about Forbidden Actions, they still apply in the virtual world, but if you keep that in mind, it'll be just like the real world, so it's no problem, right?"

"He seems way too into this." Ryoma noted.

"But if there's even a small chance that we can stop the killing game, we should take it." Keebo then said. "...Yes, that's what my inner voice is telling me."

"Didn't you mention that before too? Geez, Keeboy, stop being creepy! You sound like Angie when she talks about Atua!" Kokichi complained in a childish tone. Keebo only huffed and crossed his arms in a pout in response.

"You all are idiots…" Maki groaned before sighing. "But…I guess I'll be an idiot, too."

"You too, Maki?" Shuichi asked.

"Of course. You're coming along, right, Shuichi? And don't say no because it's dangerous."

"You're not giving me much of a choice here."

"Well, Maki does have a point. We've been in danger since the moment we were brought here, after all." Rantaro chuckled.

"That's true…" Shuichi replied before putting a hand on his chin. He thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I'll go too."

"I'm coming as well. I want to help everyone escape, even if that means walking into this trap!" Kaede exclaimed.

"Wh-What are you all…" Tenko couldn't even finish her sentence due to how shocked she was. That's when Himiko tugged at her sleeve.

"It'll be fine. 'Cause you'll protect us, right? I'll go if you'll go." Himiko told her. That got Tenko to strengthen her resolve right then and there. She gave a fierce shoute before striking her fist into the air.

"If you ask me so sincerely, I don't have any choice but to go, Himiko! I'll definitely protect you from any danger that's in the virtual world!"

"Well, I guess that means I should come along too. It wouldn't do anyone any good if I stayed behind." Ryoma said before looking at me. "You got that, Rin? That means you should come too if everyone else is going."

"I suppose you're right. It can't be helped." I sighed. "So, how do we do this?"

"Fantastic! This is going to be great!" Monokuma cackled like a maniac, despite how we were still in the same room as him. After he stopped laughing, he coughed into his paw and pointed at the headset devices. "First you go take a seat and grab a headset." We all did as he said and picked a chair to sit at and grabbed the device that was sitting in front of our seats. The chairs were all placed in a circle surrounding the computer, so it was sort of like the class trials in that regard. On the left side was Keebo, me, Kirumi, Tenko, Himiko, Angie, and Gonta in that order, and on the right was Kokichi, Ryoma, Shuichi, Rantaro, Kaede, Kaito, and Maki

"Okay, what now?" Kaede asked.

"There should be two ports on the back of the visor. That's where you plug in the two cords that connect you to the computer. The red is for consciousness, and the blue one is for memory. It's too complicated to fully explain, but all you need to know is that it's those cords that are moving your consciousness into the virtual world."

"Okay, so where do we plug in the cords then?" Maki asked.

"The red cord goes in the right port, and the blue cord goes in the left."

"Out of curiosity…what happens if you switch the cords?" Keebo asked.

"Oh, just an avatar error. I haven't actually seen it, so who knows what will happen. For all I know, it'll just kill you on the spot!" Monokuma replied happily.

"Guess we'll have to make sure we don't mess up the cords, then." Rantaro said as he began to plug in his cords. And so, we all did as Monokuma said, although some of us, namely Himiko and Gonta, needed some help with their setup. As soon as everyone was done, we all then put the devices on our heads, and Monokuma told us to press the button that was on the side of the headset. There was some hesitation, but we all did as he said and pushed the button. As soon as I did, the world went dark.

Welcome to the Neo World Program…