After he decided to quickly look in the classroom on the first floor, Ryoma headed back towards the third floor. There wasn't much up there besides his and Maki's labs, but he just wanted to be sure Kokichi wasn't sneaking around. He doubted the supreme leader would let himself get caught by Gonta so easily, as he knew how to worm himself out of situations easily.

Not wanting to risk being spotted, Ryoma lingered on the third floor for a while. He decided he could stay in his lab, as he would have things he could use to hide in case the entomologist came in. He just hoped he wouldn't have to be here for very long, wanting to find his video before a killing possibly happened, as the motives are discarded after a trial.

The one and only place he hasn't been to in his lab was the shower room, having only peeked into it when he first came here. If Gonta possibly came to his lab to find him, he could just hide in there to trick him into thinking he was just showering. The larger boy considered himself a gentleman, and wouldn't dare to interrupt someone if they were busy like that.

It was a little odd though. He already had a shower in his own bathroom, so why put one here? He didn't really see any use for it.

Adding this one extra oddity to his list of strange things in this school, Ryoma turned the handle to the metal door to the shower room and opened it.

It ended up being a lot more than a simple shower room.

A lot more.

The showers weren't just any regular showers. They greatly resembled prison cells, complete with locks on the front of the barred cell doors. Four sets of handcuffs were hanging on the wall in front of him, and some black and white striped prison jumpsuits hung across from it. There was a large sink made of stone to the left near the handcuffs, and a single window in the center of the wall. The entire room looked like it belonged to a prisoner.

Ryoma simply stared at the sight. This explained why he had this extra room. Whether it was Monokuma or whoever built this school, this room in his lab was clearly made to remind him of his status as a prisoner. It was such a contrast to the rest of his lab, it might as well have been considered a completely separate one.

Ryoma was the Ultimate Tennis Pro, and as such, like the other Ultimates, had a research lab dedicated to their talent, not their personalities or pasts. But this room did not reflect that. It was too personal. Aside from taunting him, was there another reason why this room was the way it was? Were they trying to label him as some sort of Ultimate Prisoner...?

As if his body decided to move on its own, Ryoma stepped into the shower room. Drawn to the window, he reached up and opened it. He realized that the mystery window he saw in the pool area was from this very room, as he could see the gym window across from here, as well as being able to get a view of the entire pool from above.

The tennis player stepped back from the window, glancing towards the sets of handcuffs. The dream he had the other night flashed in his mind. He wanted to believe that they were the reason why he was handcuffed in his nightmare, but he knew it wasn't possible, as he hadn't known what this room truly looked like or all of its contents. If anyone found this part of his lab, they could easily use the handcuffs to restrain someone, which would be perfect for them to possibly carry out a crime.

Choosing not to tell anyone about it, he closed the window and made his way back towards the door, keeping his eyes away from the handcuffs. He wasn't sure if he wanted to stay in here, or risk leaving and being seen by Gonta. Though he could easily dodge him, he didn't want to spend the entire day running from him. He had his motive video to find, and time was wasting away.

After a few moments of thinking it over, he opted to leave, exiting the shower room. He didn't particularly enjoy being in a room that was there to remind him of what his decisions led his life to. Being on death row made him feel like there was nothing left for him in the future, with no chance of having freedom again. But, he found himself wondering now, if there was ever a chance for him to get out of prison. Maybe if he and the others escaped together, they could help him somehow...

He walked out onto the tennis court. Now that he was finally able to face the fact that his passion for tennis wasn't truly lost on him, he thought about if he should play it again if ever got out. The way he felt when he laid eyes on the court when his lab opened up, it was as if that side of himself was desperately trying to reach out to it, pleading with him to play tennis again despite it not mattering to him.

But that was what he meant, right? To pick up what he threw away, including tennis. The regret of his crime still weighed on him, but he didn't want to let it push him away from what he really wanted.

Despite all those idealistic thoughts, only time and how this killing game played out would tell.

Ryoma mentally snorted. He never thought he could think like that again.

The small boy slowly opened the door to his lab, peeking out in case Gonta was on the third floor. From where he was standing, everything was all clear, so he gingerly stepped out of the lab and made his way towards the end of the hallway to go back down the stairs. Thinking of more places he could hide from him, Ryoma quietly went down the steps, ready to dodge Gonta if he needed to while looking out for Kokichi.

o0o

The library and the pool area were two options to hide in.

The library, as he actually stated during the first trial, had piles of books everywhere. He could hide between those, his small size making him less visible like earlier underneath the bench.

The pool area also had the storage room. He could hide in there, likely there was plenty of equipment he could hide behind, not to mention Gonta having already checked the pool area, and he likely wouldn't bother looking in the storage room.

Seeing the latter as the better option, he kept that in mind and continued his search.

A little darker outside than earlier, he stepped out into the courtyard. If Gonta wasn't still out and about, he could've looked for Kokichi in the other students' labs, including the Ultimate Entomologist Lab. It was just a bit risky, however. Someone who wasn't caught could spot him and question why he's entering and exiting other people's labs. The jig would be up.

Ready to move forward, he was about to head further into the courtyard, but then spotted Miu heading out of the dormitory.

Ryoma sighed. She was just as hard to talk to as Kokichi was, being incredibly foul-mouthed and rude, but he felt he should ask anyways. He had nothing to lose... except for time, maybe. "Miu, you seen Kokichi sneaking around? I gotta ask him something."

"You lookin' for that little shit while Gonta's running around snatchin' us up? You got a lotta balls, or should I say tennis balls?" She cackled in her usual brash tone.

"So I'm guessing you didn't see him at all?" He asked again, trying to keep his patience with the inventor. Her off-color joke about him and Shuichi a few days ago had made him the most irritated he's been with any of the students here.

"Hell no, I got better things to do than to care about what that purple-haired virgin is up to. Besides, I got a secret weapon that'll keep Gonta from catchin' me."

"And that is...?" He questioned.

"Hee hee..." Miu snickered to herself. "Only a woman as beautiful and busty as me can utilize it!"

"..." Ryoma just stared. He shouldn't have asked. "I see... I'll leave you to it then."

"Not impressed? Well one day you'll get a good eyeful of this gorgeous body and you'll change your mind!"

He suddenly felt extremely tired, his tone shifting. "I'm sure I will... Anyways, I'm gonna go look somewhere else. I got stuff I need to do later."

"Pfft, fine... Just don't come cryin' to me when you can't get it-"

Her vulgar remark was cut short by Ryoma's signature glare.

"Heeeeeeee! O-Okay, okay, don't look at me like that! I-I'll see you later!" Miu scurried off in some other direction.

Ryoma heaved a deep sigh. Talking to her was a handful and then some, but it was surprisingly easy for him to get her to back off.

Pushing their conversation to the back of his mind, he spent the next half hour looking around in the entire courtyard, including the boiler room. It didn't seem like he was around, not even at the Shrine of Judgment.

He folded his arms and started to think. Maybe he should look for Kokichi a little while later. Gonta was still running around catching people, so he could possibly continue searching after the nighttime announcement, since everyone including him would likely be heading to bed. At least, he hoped they would.

Opening the red doors of the shrine to go to the dormitory, Ryoma headed back out to the courtyard. It was so much effort just to find one person, but he knew all of it would be worth it once he had his hands on his motive video.

He reached out towards the doors to enter the building, but then heard a familiar, intimidating voice.

"Ryoma... Gonta finally found you..."

Said tennis player quickly whipped his head around to face the entomologist standing behind him, still as enraged as earlier when he captured Shuichi. "Gonta will not let you leave this time."

Ryoma shook his head, preparing to sprint. "Sorry, but I still don't have any plans on going anywhere else." Before Gonta could make a move, the tennis pro flash stepped to the side and bolted back towards the school. He was sick of running in and out of there, but he couldn't risk booking it to the pool area with Gonta directly on his tail.

Going with his first option, he ran downstairs to the library, opting to hide amongst the piles of books.

He had no idea what to do now. Gonta was still trying to catch everyone, and it was getting in the way of his quest to find his motive video. Hiding between two piles of the dusty, old books, Ryoma took out his Monopad to check the time.

It was 8:00pm. He still had two hours until the nighttime announcement, and he hasn't made any progress at all.

He was beginning to get a bit frustrated, but tried to keep his cool. With the others' motives still out there and Kokichi's plan, something could happen soon, and his chance at seeing his own video would elude him. He didn't intend on hiding in the library for two straight hours, so he had to find a way to keep moving without being seen by Gonta.

The only other places in the basement were the A/V room and the game room, and he doubted Kokichi was in either, as nobody really hung around there. He stayed put for a bit, not wanting to leave immediately after running all the way down here.

Ryoma started to wonder if the supreme leader had anything to do with Gonta's current state. They were sneaking around the school together, but he wasn't sure how or what he did to make him rampage around the school capturing people. Where were they being taken? What if he had caught the person who had his motive video? He'd have another problem on his hands aside from Gonta chasing him around. He hoped that wasn't the case.

After waiting for a few more minutes, he stood up to leave the library, glancing at the moving bookcase that led to the hidden door. Whether the mastermind stayed in there would remain unknown to them for now, as the dust Shuichi placed on the card reader was likely still there. Either they had another way in like the detective suggested before, or it could just be a complete red herring. Regardless of which is true, it had to be somewhere in the school, as one of the 14 of them were the mastermind. He could rule out some of his classmates as potential culprits, and although Kokichi caused trouble for everyone, his actions made him far too obvious of a suspect.

He trusted Shuichi, and even if he didn't, he knew he couldn't be it either. Everything he had done so far, including saving him, made him an unlikely suspect. Though Ryoma knew anything could happen, he had no reason to believe that those two, and some of the others like Kaito, could be the mastermind.

Ryoma walked up to the rear entrance of the library. He'd think about all of this after he sees his motive video.

Peeking out of the twin doors, he stepped out, taking a quick look in the A/V and game rooms just to be entirely sure nobody was in there. He was honestly surprised at how quickly Gonta gave up trying to find him, only attempting to chase him if he spotted him.

Maybe he couldn't afford to. After all, Ryoma didn't know how many people were captured. Miu was probably still running around, and whatever her "secret weapon" was, it would supposedly keep the entomologist from catching her. It was unlikely that Kokichi was caught, as he believed he was part of this whole thing. Kirumi might still be around, since she was helping to set up tomorrow's magic show, and Gonta might not want to interrupt the maid. If that were the case, maybe after she finished he could ask her where Kokichi was, since the gym is locked at nighttime.

The tennis pro headed back upstairs towards the entrance hall. He noticed hardly anyone was around, so he assumed most of them were either caught or hiding. Leaving out of the school doors once again, he swiftly made his way to the dormitory. His next course of action was to wait until the nighttime announcement, where he might have an easier time looking around.

o0o

10:00pm.

The usual ringing of the nighttime announcement sounded out, the Monokubs appearing on the monitor to tell the time.

Ryoma sat on his bed as the screen shut off. He couldn't leave his room just yet, as people who might be heading to their dorm rooms would spot him. Nobody rang his doorbell either, so he assumed Shuichi and Kaito weren't training tonight. It made sense, since the detective had been captured by Gonta, and he wasn't sure if Kaito was caught at all.

He didn't feel like looking in the same places again, but he had a more of a chance at running into him this time with less people around.

About 15 minutes passed before he peeked out the door.

Fortunately, the dormitory was completely empty, with no sign of anyone around. He left his room and pushed open the doors to the dormitory, ready to start looking again.

Stepping out into the courtyard once again, Ryoma saw that he didn't have to go very far, as a familiar, purple-haired supreme leader was in his line of sight, heading towards the school.

"Kokichi?" The tennis pro called out, pacing up to him.

The short boy in white stopped and turned in his direction. "Ooh, Gonta didn't catch you, Ryoma? You must be pretty speedy." He grinned, speaking with mock interest.

"Hmph, I wouldn't let myself get caught that easily. And besides, I was looking for you the entire day."

"Why? Are you plotting to kill me...?" He sniffed as his eyes welled up with crocodile tears. "B-But I thought we were friends, Ryoma!"

"No, I'm not." Ryoma answered straightforwardly. He had more important things to do than to engage in Kokichi's antics. "I wanted to ask you something, actually."

The tears in the supreme leader's eyes suddenly disappeared. "Alrighty, then!" He placed a finger to his lips. "So... what business do you have with the Ultimate Supreme Leader? Interested in becoming one of my subordinates? We could use someone fast like you."

"Nothing like that. I was wondering if you knew who had my motive video."

Kokichi's expression was blank for a second before placing his arms behind his head. "Are you sure you're not planning a murder? You said you wanted to see it yesterday, right?"

"I'm not 'planning' anything." Ryoma responded simply.

"Then what's your point? Whoever has the other's video is top secret info, you know."

"Why do you need to know? It's not good to be so nosy, you know." The tennis player said firmly.

"Hmmmm... you're right. It's none of my business. After all, we think the same way. Exchanging the motives is the best way to deal with them." He stated.

Ryoma remembered Kokichi agreeing with him about seeing the motive. However, he never had intentions on getting in the way of the other students' cooperation, nor was he interested in engaging in the supreme leader's plans. He wasn't one to take sides often. Seeing the motive was his decision and his decision alone, regardless if he believed everyone seeing them or ignoring them would prevent a murder.

"Maybe, maybe not. I just wanna see mine. I'm not gonna force anybody to see theirs if they don't want to."

Kokichi pulled a pouty face. "Okay... but don't say I didn't warn you guys." He perked up again. "Anywho, I believe our grumpy little caregiver has your motive video."

So Maki has his video, as he figured.

"I see. That's all I wanted to know." Ryoma glanced in the school's direction. "If she's still near her lab, I could talk to her."

"Or she'll just tell you to go away. She's so mean..." Kokichi faux whined.

It was (partially) true. The child caregiver was cold, never wanting to be bothered by the others. She never spoke to anybody, and she spent the past few days in her lab, isolated from everyone.

He didn't realize how much a lot of that sounded like himself. He knew why he didn't want anybody getting close to him, but he wasn't sure why Maki was so distant. Maybe that was just how she was.

"Well, it doesn't really hurt to try anyways." Ryoma hoped that Maki would let him ask for his video instead of simply blowing him off. Perhaps if he offered to swap with hers in return she would...? It sounded a bit like bribery, but he figured it would be okay. She didn't seem interested in anything going on, so it's not likely that she'd try anything if she saw her video. If swapping didn't work out, then there wasn't much he could do. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

"Nee-heehee, good luck with that." He said sarcastically, snickering in his signature, horse-like manner. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some important business to attend to."

"Hmph, I don't know what you're up to, but I guess I shouldn't be nosy, either." Ryoma turned back around to leave. "I'm gonna head over to Maki's lab later tonight. See ya, I guess."

"Bye, Ryoma! Try not to kill anyone on your way there!" Kokichi shouted cheerfully as Ryoma made his way back towards the dorms.

The prisoner simply sighed, exasperated. At least he was one step closer to getting his video.

As he walked up to the doors, he noticed a figure in the distance. He couldn't really make it out, but it looked like someone with a feminine build, walking around the courtyard. He shrugged it off, assuming it was still Miu from earlier. He wasn't sure what she was up to, but he didn't have time to wonder about it.

As he headed back to his room, he decided meeting Maki at midnight would be the best time, as everyone would likely be asleep and he wouldn't draw attention to himself.

A small rush of anticipation suddenly coursed through his veins.

He was so close.

So close to seeing his motive video.

So close to seeing who the most important people were to him.

So close to finding his reason to live.

o0o

The clock on his Monopad struck 12:00am.

Ryoma stood in front of his door, ready to leave out one final time.

This was it.

He left his room and out of the dormitory to head towards the school like so many times earlier. Walking in and out of the school constantly made him feel like he was stuck in a time loop, doomed to repeat the same events over and over, like in a movie. He hoped this was the last time he'd have to do this.

Entering the now completely dark school and making his way up the stairs, he passed by Kirumi's lab in the hallway on the second floor.

"Ryoma, do you have a minute to spare?" A voice sounded from behind him.

Before he could go any further, said maid stepped out of her lab, suddenly stopping him.

Busted.

He was surprisingly running into a lot of people tonight, wasn't he?

The tennis pro turned to face the tall, elegant girl behind him. "Sure, what do you need?"

"May I meet you in your Ultimate lab? There is something that I must need to discuss with you." She asked as she offered him into her lab.

"Hm? My lab?" He questioned as he stepped into the Victorian style lab. "I guess. I'm a little busy right now, so I don't know what time would be best for you." He decided it was okay, as long as it didn't get in the way of getting his motive video from Maki.

"Perhaps we shall meet at 12:45? It is a quarter until 1:00am." She suggested.

"Yeah, sounds good enough for me. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"It is something concerning the motive. I wanted to know what your thoughts were. I asked you to meet you in your lab at such a late hour to avoid arousing suspicion from the others."

"That makes sense. Don't want anybody watching us." He agreed.

"Yes. May I ask why you are awake at the moment? Or am I intruding?" Kirumi inquired.

"Nah, it's fine. I couldn't sleep, so I was taking a walk around the school. Looking for something to do, I guess." He decided to give her an answer instead of brushing her off as being nosy. Deflecting her question and making her suspicious of him was the last thing he wanted.

"I understand. It would have been quite difficult to walk around the school much earlier, what with Gonta capturing us."

"Yeah. Seems like Gonta didn't catch you."

"Indeed. I informed him that I was busy in the gym, so he simply took Himiko and Angie with him."

So Himiko and Angie were amongst the ones that were caught, and he didn't bother Kirumi as he thought. "You were prepping for the magic show, right?"

The maid nodded. "I sewed curtains for decoration and placed them in the gym."

"I see. Sounds like it'll be fun for everybody." He didn't tell her that he was going to be in the magic show. Even though he agreed to it, he was a bit embarrassed to say so, as well as not wanting so much attention on himself. He'd deal with that when the show actually started.

"How did you evade capture?" She suddenly asked. "Gonta was moving at an incredibly fast speed."

"It's a technique from my tennis days called the Shukuchi Method. I used that to get away." Ryoma explained.

"Shukuchi... it is similar to a flash step, correct?" She asked, having knowledge of different sports that she played with the people she had served over time.

"Yeah. Would've been caught without it." His eyes shifted towards the door. He didn't want to take up any more time, and with Kirumi wanting to meet with him later, he was in a bit of a hurry. "I should probably get going."

"Before you go, if you do not mind me asking, how has your recovery been since your accident in the pool?"

Ryoma quickly remembered Kirumi knew about his near drowning in the pool aside from her drying his and Shuichi's clothes from that day. She checked his condition as best as she could without the proper tools, asking him if any complications surfaced, he should come to her immediately. It felt odd having someone take care of him so diligently, but she was serious about her talent, and he couldn't take that from her.

"I'm feeling better now. Thanks."

"You are very welcome. For now, I bid you goodnight." She replied, giving her usual curtsy as he approached the door.

Ryoma nodded and continued on his way to the third floor, not noticing the gleam in Kirumi's eye as his back was turned.

Reaching the top of the stairs, the tennis pro headed down the moonlit hallway to Maki's lab. She wasn't standing outside of the door, so must have been inside of her lab. He lifted a small fist and knocked, hoping she was in there. She wouldn't risk anyone entering her lab without her presence.

The door creaked open a little, a red eye peering through the crack.

"Ryoma? What do you want?" Maki questioned directly.

"Sorry to bother you, but I got a favor to ask." He answered in an equally blank manner.

The child caregiver narrowed her eyes at the smaller boy before sighing. "Fine."

She cracked open her door a little more to slip out, but not enough to allow Ryoma to see the inside of her lab. He knew he shouldn't be nosy, but he still wondered what exactly she was hiding in her lab. It wasn't children, that's for sure.

"What is it? I don't want to stand here all night." She grumbled.

"We won't. I was asking if you wanted to swap motive videos with me."

"...Swap motive videos?" She repeated, eyeing the tennis player. "Didn't we agree not to show them to each other?"

"Yeah, I remember... 'Cause once you watch 'em, you got a motive to kill. But... if it shows someone important to me, I'd really like to see that."

"...Any idea who'll be in the video?" She asked.

He looked away. "I don't... That's why I wanna see it. Once I know I got someone important to me... I'll have a reason to live. If I've got a reason to live, then I've got a reason to escape with you guys. In other words... that video might just give me a motive to live."

Ryoma looked back at her with imploring eyes. "So please..."

"..." Maki pondered for a few moments, processing everything he explained to her before looking his way. "Just take it from my room. I leave my door unlocked."

He looked a little surprised. "You don't want yours? I haven't seen anything past the screen with your name on it."

"I'm not interested." She turned her back to him. "If that's all you wanted, I'm going back to my lab."

"Yeah... thanks."

Ryoma began his trek back to the dorms as Maki firmly closed her lab door behind him. That same anticipation from earlier flowed through him again. He braced himself for the unknown, preparing to see whoever was in his motive video. It made him a little uneasy, as he'd never been this anxious to see something in a very long time.

He reached the dormitory and entered, spotting Maki's dorm room on the second floor. Heading up the stairs, and turning the doorknob confirming that it was unlocked, he made his way into her room. It looked identical to his own, except the interior was colored red instead of blue.

Ryoma didn't have to look around too much, as a similarly-colored Kubs Pad sat on the desk in the middle of the room.

The tennis pro quietly approached the tablet. It almost felt like an adventurer finally finding the treasure chest they had been searching for after a long journey. It just sat there, waiting to be opened.

Waiting for him to pick it up and turn it on.

Not idling a minute longer, he reached out and grabbed the pad.

The light from the screen lit up the dark room as he pressed the button on the front of it.

The video started up the same way as Maki's video, the text reading "Ryoma Hoshi's Motive Video" and his silhouette appearing on both sides of the screen. He tensed up a little.

"Alright, back by popular demand, it's time for the motive video!" Monokuma's voice rang out. "Who is the most important person in your life? And now, without further ado..."

As the screen transitioned to the next, Ryoma wasn't greeted with anybody's faces.

He wasn't even greeted with anything about himself.

Instead, the next screen was a solid black background, yellow, tape-like banners with text under it saying "Under Construction" scrolling on the top and bottom of the screen.

In the middle of the screen stood Monokuma, bowing his head adorned with a construction hat.

"This message is for Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Pro..." He suddenly spoke.

"Unfortunately, there is no one in the world that is important to you. I'm so sorry. Really, I am. You have my deepest sympathies."

The black and white bear suddenly lifted his head, his tone becoming increasingly snide.

"Sorry... sorry, sorry."

After that, the video ended.

The screen turned dark, leaving only the tennis pro's reflection on the tablet's screen, like a black mirror.

...

... ...

... ... ...

... ... ... ...

His whole body felt numb, an empty void taking place in his chest. The world around him suddenly looked duller, almost colorless.

Why did he even think he had a shot...?

He was a fool. An idiot. He should've known better than to think he had anything left.

Even if he escaped here, there was no one out there waiting to see his face.

He was alone.

He put in all of this time and effort to find a reason to live... only for it to amount to nothing.

The treasure chest he had been searching so long for was completely empty.

It was a waste of time. He should've realized that from the beginning.

Ryoma sighed deeply and checked the time on his Monopad.

12:20am.

He might as well go to his lab and wait for Kirumi to meet with him. It was better than just standing here uselessly doing nothing. There was nothing left for him to do.

The crestfallen boy sauntered out of Maki's room, exiting the dormitory and into the courtyard.

He realized he was still holding onto his Kubs Pad. Looking down at the now-source of his disappointment, he swiftly tossed it somewhere in the bushes, not caring where it landed as he re-entered the school. Again.

Going the same route he took when he went to meet with Maki, he made his way to the third floor again, entering his lab.

Ryoma stood in the middle of the court, staring blankly at nothing while he waited for Kirumi.

Maybe he should tell Himiko and Shuichi that he won't be in the magic show anymore. Everything he said about picking up what he left behind and getting out of prison... it was all pointless now.

All of this was his fault. If he wasn't so set on teaching the mafia a lesson, maybe his family and lover would still be alive. Maybe they would've appeared in his motive video if he weren't so naive.

And what about his treasured cat? Maybe he forgot all about him... or worse. Whatever it was, it was enough to where he didn't appear in his motive video, either. He possibly wouldn't ever see his cat again.

If anything, all of this did give him one thing.

A bigger reason not to live anymore.

o0o

Shuichi couldn't sleep.

It had been a little over an hour since he and some of the others had gotten back from Gonta's lab, having checked the time on his Monopad.

Apparently, the reason why the entomologist was running around catching people was for something he called the Insect Meet and Greet, where he claimed they all could meet and interact with different bugs for the sake of making them like bugs.

Shuichi, Himiko, Angie, Tenko, Keebo, Korekiyo, and Tsumugi were all caught and brought to the Ultimate Entomologist Lab, with Himiko and Angie being brought in five minutes before 9:00pm. He remembered waking up around 8:00pm, two hours after he was knocked out by Gonta. According to him it was an accident, he couldn't slow down in time before crashing into the detective.

He woke up to find Kokichi lingering over him. The supreme leader revealed that all of this was his plan, telling Gonta that everyone hated bugs to send him flying into a rage. All of this was done in an attempt to gather everyone and make them watch their motive videos.

Although Kokichi left for a few hours, the rest of them were stuck in the lab, the Meet and Greet starting at 9:00pm.

It was something straight out of a horror movie. Bugs were flying and crawling around everywhere, everyone panicking as they tried to avoid them all. Himiko was buried completely in bugs, Angie just prayed, and he was sure a bug flew into Tsumugi's mouth. The nighttime announcement wasn't even enough to save them.

The madness lasted until 11:00pm, around the time Kokichi got back. He claimed to Gonta that he loved bugs, but that was proven to be another one of his lies. Keebo, using his audio recording function, revealed that Kokichi stated he outright hated bugs.

Needless to say, Kokichi got to have another Insect Meet and Greet all to himself.

After they all left the lab, the Monokubs (well, just Monodam) appeared, redistributing the motive videos Kokichi collected to the correct person's rooms.

What Shuichi was most worried about were some of the others that weren't captured. Even though he already figured Kaito would be okay and they could train tomorrow, he felt himself growing a little uneasy. He tried to sleep on it, but it was keeping him awake, the resulting insomnia preventing him from getting some much needed rest after all the commotion.

Something could've happened while most of them were in the Meet and Greet. That single thought itself was bothering him, even though he kept trying to himself that everything was fine.

Maybe he should check on Ryoma...?

The tennis pro kept telling him not to worry about him so much, but he couldn't help it. Even though he seemed to be doing a little better after their friendly tennis match earlier, he still seemed a bit distant. The motive was still a problem as well.

Shuichi sat up and got out of bed. He was still tired, but maybe it would make him feel better if he just talked to Ryoma. He felt a little guilty however, if the tennis player were asleep at the moment, he'd be interrupting it.

Getting dressed again, he headed out of his dorm room towards Ryoma's. He rang the doorbell, waiting a bit for a response. He hoped if he were sleeping, he simply didn't hear it somehow.

He didn't hear anything, so he rang it again just in case.

No one answered.

If Ryoma wasn't in his room, maybe he was in the school. It's not likely he was at the pool area, it was late at night and swimming is prohibited at nighttime. Not to mention, he wouldn't let himself be so careless, and if he somehow fell in the pool again, the consequences would be a lot worse.

All of this felt incredibly familiar.

Feeling himself getting a little antsy, Shuichi stepped away from Ryoma's dorm, leaving the dormitory and heading into the school. The dining hall and gym were closed at nighttime, so he decided checking his lab first was the best idea.

Walking up all of those flights of stairs always made Shuichi a little winded, but he made it to the third floor. Thankfully he didn't have to walk any farther, as Ryoma's lab always sat near the top of the stairs.

He creaked open the door to the lab, and was relieved to see the tennis pro standing in the middle of the room, facing toward the windows.

"Ryoma?" Shuichi called out to him.

The smaller boy turned to look behind him, spotting the detective approaching him through the doorway. "Shuichi... what are you doing here?" He asked in a low tone.

As the detective got closer to him, he noticed a drastically different look on his face. His eyes were tired, distant, and gloomy, as if the life was sucked out of them. The expression he wore was blank, devoid of any emotion.

He looked utterly broken.

"Well?" Ryoma waited for an answer, his patience worn a little thin.

"I-I couldn't sleep... After everyone who was captured got away from Gonta, I was worried that something might have happened while we were all caught." He answered quickly, tearing his mind away from Ryoma's current state. "It kept me awake, so I... wanted to check on you. I thought Kaito would've been fine, but..."

Ryoma's frown deepened. "Why? You should've just looked for Kaito instead of worrying about me." He smiled joylessly. "Hmph, worry about someone else for a change."

Shuichi was utterly perplexed by his sudden, blunt response. "Ryoma... are you okay...? ...What's wrong?"

The tennis pro lightly sighed, but didn't answer.

"Maybe I should take you back to my room..." Shuichi offered. He didn't want to leave Ryoma here alone. Something happened to change his mood significantly, and he wanted to know what it was.

"Do whatever you want, I don't really care." He responded simply and tiredly.

"Um... okay."

Figuring Ryoma wouldn't appreciate being picked up or carried, Shuichi slowly walked back towards the lab's door, sort of expecting Ryoma to follow. He did, albeit with slow, lifeless movements.

Before they could leave, the door opened, another one of his classmates appearing in the doorway.

"Kirumi? What are you doing here, too?" Shuichi wondered.

The maid looked a little surprised for a brief moment, before her expression settled back into her normal, stoic one. "My apologies. Ryoma and I were supposed to meet here. I wanted to discuss something very important with him."

"Ah. In that case, maybe I should-"

"Don't worry about it, Shuichi." Ryoma suddenly cut in. He turned his attention to Kirumi. "I'm sorry, Kirumi, but I can't really talk right now. I'm... not in the best mood. We can meet tomorrow, if that's good enough for you."

She paused for a few moments, as if she were processing what he just said. "Yes. That is fine."

Something about her response threw Ryoma off a bit. It was like she was a little more disappointed than she let on. He decided to let it go, being too tired to even think about it.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said as he followed Shuichi out of the lab.

"Yeah... Good night, Kirumi." The detective spoke awkwardly.

As they both headed down the stairs, the maid simply continued to stand in the doorway, watching them.

What should she do now?

o0o

The pair made it back to the dorms and were in Shuichi's room. It looked exactly like Ryoma's, except he had a shelf against the wall which had... odd-looking Monokuma plushies on it? Ryoma couldn't even piece together how they got there, as Shuichi didn't strike him as the kind of person who would want to collect anything that resembled the bloodthirsty bear.

He didn't bother pondering further, he didn't have time for it.

Shuichi looked down at his shorter classmate, noticing him staring at the ground blankly.

"Ryoma, what happened...? You looked terrible back there..." The detective asked, concern and worry etched into his features.

Ryoma was silent for a few moments, before he spoke up. "Hmph... this is all pointless, but..." He looked up at Shuichi with sad, dull eyes.

"...I... watched my motive video." He croaked.

"You saw your motive video?! But... but why...?!" Shuichi reacted with shock. He knew beforehand that he wanted to see it, but he didn't think he'd actually go through with it.

"...I got my video from whoever had it. I thought that if..." He sighed heavily. "If I saw whoever was important to me in my video, I'd have a good reason to live. I'd have something to go back to if we escaped. Heh... guess I was dead wrong about that..." He chuckled humorlessly.

"Wait... you mean..."

"Empty." Ryoma suddenly said sharply but quietly. "There was nothing. No one. There's... nobody out there important to me."

"I'm sorry, Ryoma..." Shuichi said softly. He remembered he essentially lost everyone in his life. His family, and his lover. Apparently not even his cat appeared in his video. There was no one left beyond these school walls waiting for him.

"Don't be, it doesn't even matter anymore." The tennis player uttered emotionlessly.

"What do you mean...?" He asked, confused. "You were able to open up to me and we became friends. You got close to me, even though you were convinced that you were someone who didn't deserve good things. You're even here now telling me about what you saw in your motive video. I think that matters a lot." He expressed, trying to make him feel a little bit better.

Ryoma's expression grew dark. "You don't get it, Shuichi. Everyone I knew and cared about is gone because of me, I practically got them killed. I'm in prison because I did something stupid. I'm on death row, wasting away until the day I'm executed. What's the point? What kinda value does my life even have anymore?"

Death row...? Ryoma never told him that he had been given the death sentence for his crime, but he remembered he read about his harsh sentencing in the newspapers. He'd have to ask him about that some other time. "Ryoma... of course your life has value. Everyone's lives do..." Shuichi's voice wavered.

He noticed and slowly shook his head. "I told you that you'd get hurt getting too close to me. None of this is your problem. Someone like me shouldn't matter to you. I'm someone you're supposed to forget about when I'm gone."

"N-No, Ryoma, of course I'd be worried about you over something like this. If I didn't think you mattered I wouldn't have saved your life..."

Ryoma drifted his gaze towards the ground. His expression grew even colder.

"...You should've just left me there. No one needs anybody like me."

The dark-haired boy was taken aback by Ryoma's words. "No...! I wasn't going to do that, Ryoma! You're my classmate! My friend!"

"..." The shorter boy grimaced.

"Ryoma...?" Shuichi breathed.

He continued to stay silent, eyes still focused on the ground.

"Remember what you said earlier... about how you wanted to try your best to escape alongside us? You even said you wanted to pick up what you left behind, right? You... wanted to move on..." He gripped his arm, tears threatening to well up in his eyes. "Can't that be your reason to live...?" He asked, his voice breaking.

Ryoma looked up with mild surprise at the detective. "Shuichi... I... please..." He struggled to find his words. He felt something akin to pain in his chest.

"But... you're trying to push me away again... Why... why do you do that...?" The tears slid down his cheeks. He knew there was no point in asking since he already knew the answer, but he couldn't help it. Ryoma was falling back to how he was before, but this time he was a lot worse for wear.

"I... I don't..." ...want you to get hurt because of me. Ryoma wanted to finish but couldn't.

"Ryoma, please tell me... When we became friends... what did you see in it...?" Shuichi asked, wiping at his eyes. "It hurts... It hurts so much to hear you say that you should be left behind. I don't want you to get hurt or lose sight of yourself, and what's important to you."

The prisoner went silent again, unable to think of a response. He just glared back at the ground again. Here he was, hurting someone again. He clenched his fists. This is why he shouldn't have bothered with him in the first place.

Damn it.

Shuichi took some time to pull himself together. He dried his tears and faced Ryoma, his expression still a little sad.

Ryoma didn't look him in the eyes. "Shuichi..." He muttered lowly. It was the only words he could muster at this point. He was stupidly getting emotional again. He felt like a complete idiot.

Shuichi looked at his dispirited classmate and changed his expression to a softhearted one. "Ryoma... I remember you said something the day I saved you. You said 'you wouldn't let it end so easily.' Did you really mean that...?"

"You... remember I said that?" Ryoma swiftly looked up at him, snapping out of his depressive thoughts.

"Of course... You say you have no reason to live, but you've shown me that you do actually want to live. That was why you sought out your motive video, right? Even before that, I could tell."

"I..." Ryoma trailed off quietly.

"Ryoma, don't listen to what some video or even what Monokuma says. Your life's worth a lot more than what you believe. I know that the people you cared about in your life outside are gone now, but... I think they would want you to keep going."

"Keep... going...?"

He nodded. "Yes. If you find that you can't live for yourself, then live for them. That could also be a reason to live. For someone that you cared about. I'm sure they would be happy knowing that you're still alive."

Ryoma put some thought into it. It made sense. What would be his purpose in dying here? He was the only thing left of his family and lover, and if he died now, there would be no memory or trace of them left to be kept alive, nor to take with him to his grave after he's executed in prison. Even though they were no longer here, they were all important to him, and they still are. If they weren't, he wouldn't have murdered the mafia out of grief, and he wouldn't be missing them to this day.

"...I... I guess..." He pulled at his beanie, gaze aimed at the ground. "I'm... sorry, Shuichi." He apologized quietly.

"Ryoma?"

"It wasn't cool of me to keep pushing you away like that. It's painful, but... you... care about me a lot, and I've mostly just been ignoring it because I didn't feel like I deserved it. I've hardly shown any sort of gratitude regarding that."

He paused. "Hmph, I've still got a ways to go. I really need to do better than that, so..." He looked up, his eyes softened. "I appreciate you-"

Before he could finish, the detective suddenly wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, gripping him in an embrace.

Ryoma froze, unable to process what just happened for a few moments.

He was being hugged.

He couldn't remember the last time someone showed him this sort of physical kindness, the raven-haired boy gently rubbing his hand on his back. Life has been nothing but cruel to him ever since he beat the mafia's tennis match, no ounce of mercy or empathy coming his way. But, none of that cruelty was present at the moment, even in the midst of this killing game.

He slowly brought his small arms around Shuichi. The warmth he felt from the detective's arms wrapped around him was something he hasn't felt in a very long time. He squeezed tighter, almost as if Shuichi would disappear if he let go of him.

Geez.

Despite being so set on not allowing it, he let himself get attached. These past few days were the most emotional he's been, but for once, it wasn't a horrible feeling. He never realized how much he needed this, feeling his shoulders relax as he practically melted into Shuichi's arms. The empty void inside his body was slowly getting smaller the more he held onto him, the colors of the world around him restoring themselves.

"Ryoma... please don't run away anymore." Shuichi spoke, head resting on the tennis pro's shoulder.

"I won't." Ryoma said softly. "I'll... try to keep moving forward."

They released themselves from each other's arms. A part of Ryoma wished it had lasted longer. "Y'know... Kaito said something to me the night before." He spoke up.

"He did?" Shuichi asked, surprised.

"Yeah... He said something similar to what he said to you. Not having a reason to live and that I was nothing... That those were my enemies. He said even if it seemed hopeless, I should fight against those... and myself... to survive. I told him not to get his hopes up but... I think he's right."

"Ryoma..." The detective's face lit up. Kaito wasn't just trying to help him, he wanted to help Ryoma, too.

"So, I'll try. I don't know what it'll lead to, but it's better than not doing anything at all."

Shuichi smiled warmly. "Okay. If you ever need help, I'll do anything I can for you."

"Thanks, Shuichi."

Ryoma straightened his posture and turned to leave. "Well, I should probably go back to my room."

"Yeah, you have a magic show with Himiko in the morning." Shuichi gently reminded him.

"Hmph, wouldn't want to disappoint her."

"Mhm. Good night, Ryoma, I'll see you later."

"You too." He gave him a small smile.

With that, Ryoma left Shuichi's dorm room to go back to his own, getting some rest in preparation for Himiko's magic show.

Little did they know, this magic show would end up being one that would surprise them in more ways than one.