We searched for what felt like hours. We checked every room, every hall, every bathroom even, but we never found anything to communicate with. It was a huge letdown! But we did manage to find something, at least.
"These stairs are blocked as well." Sakura had her hands on a set of metal bars, blocking the way to a staircase. The staircase was wedged in between the dorms and the dining hall, and it matched the one by the gymnasium. She pulled against the bars. "And it seems as impenetrable as the last, too."
When we'd tried to go up the first flight of stairs, Sakura and Mondo had tried pulling the bars apart, enough for at least me to fit through. But they hadn't budged.
"I wonder what's up there." I tried kneeling down and pressing my face against the bars to see if I could see what they led to, but all I could see was the wall behind it. "Worth a try, at least." I got back up. "You think maybe Toko or Makoto could fit through these bars? They're both pretty small."
"Maybe, but I don't think that chick'll wanna help. And Makoto's... probably still out of commission," Mondo said sheepishly. "'S probably better not to for now anyway, in case there's something dangerous up there. We don't wanna risk losing anyone."
"Ah, classmates! I've found you!" Coming towards us was Taka. He looked like he was in a good mood!
"I'm gathering everyone into the dining hall to discuss what you've found! Please join us at your earliest convenience!" And with that, he turned on his foot and started to march away from us.
"Will do, Taka!" I yelled after him, then turned to the others. "Ready, guys?"
Sakura nodded in affirmation. "Ready."
Mondo just grunted.
"Oooookay! Then let's go!" I hope Mondo doesn't get all pouty again. I don't know if I have the energy for that right now.
We went into the dining hall, where the rest of the class was waiting. Most everyone was sitting at the long table in the middle, talking amongst each other. Byakuya was sitting apart from everyone else, at one of the round tables, with Toko standing near him, leaning against the wall. Taka was standing at the front of the room, waiting for us.
"Excellent! You have arrived! Then that means we can begin the meeting! Please, take a seat anywhere you like!" He walked over to the long table, sitting himself at the head. I went to sit by Chihiro, while Mondo and Sakura moved to the other end, where there were two empty seats.
I looked over at Makoto, who was sitting across from me. "Hey, Makoto! How are you feeling?"
He rubbed his head. "Fine, mostly. It still aches a bit, but I'm sure I'll be fine."
Sayaka pat his arm. "Of course you will! You have Ultimate Luck, remember?"
"Yeah, no kiddin'," Mondo said, clearing his throat. "Ah, sorry 'bout that, by the way."
"Oh, uhhh... Don't worry about it," Makoto told him, giving him a thumbs up. It looked like he was sweating.
Taka slammed his hand down at the front of the table. "I hereby call this class assembly to order! Who wants to go first?"
Mukuro raised a hand. "Um, actually, I think we're still missing someone."
Junko nodded beside her. "Yeah, that girl with the orange tie. What was her name again...?"
"I think it was Kyoko?"
"Oh, yeah, right! Yeah, no, she's not here yet."
I looked around the table at everyone. Sure enough, they were right. Kyoko was nowhere to be found.
"Well, we'll be sure to fill her in when she arrives! I'm sure she can handle herself."
Byakuya spoke up from the other table. "Unless, of course, someone's already taken advantage of the situation."
A cold chill seemed to fill the room. Even if no one wanted to think it, the possibility was there. And it was very, very real.
"Well, we'll find out soon enough. Let's just keep talking for now, in case anyone found anything," I suggested.
"Then I shall go first!" Taka began. "After Sayaka and I located Makoto's dorm, we searched the living area as much as we possibly could! And we discovered something most interesting about the dorms!"
"The girls all have locks on their bathrooms," Sayaka continued. "But the boys' dorms don't. At least, that's our guess, since mine had a lock and Taka's and Makoto's didn't."
"We also found some sort of locked up trash room with a single key," Taka continued, pulling out a key. "I believe the idea may be that we're meant to take turns on trash duty. I'll take the first shift and come up with a rotation! Everyone can bring their trash there when it fills, and whoever's on duty will take care of it!"
"I checked the dining hall," Sayaka added, "and while I was in there, Monokuma showed up, and told us the food restocks every day in the kitchen! So if anything, we won't have to worry about food, at least."
"Wait, Monokuma showed up again? And you didn't do anything?" Leon asked.
"Well, what was I supposed to do? Fighting with him is against the rules, and he didn't do anything this time!" Sayaka said defensively. "It's safer to just go along with what he says, isn't it?"
"That is true. Speaking back to him could have endangered her," Celeste agreed. "For now, let us all agree not to try and taunt him, in case he decides to take things further. He does have the ability to add rules, after all."
"That sounds wise," Sakura said. "No sense in riling him up any further. He's already trying to pit us against one another."
"Agreed. And while we're discussing rules," Mukuro started, "I'd like to make a suggestion. I think we should all agree to meet every morning for breakfast- just so we can make sure everyone's still alive and well."
"I could agree to that," Chihiro chimed. "That seems like a good way to keep a head count. And besides that, it gives us all a reason to get to know each other!"
"Hmmm, I see." Taka thought for a moment. "Very well then! Everyone must agree to meet at the start of every morning for breakfast! Are there any objections to this new rule?"
"No, I do not believe so. But we do have to keep in mind, this is only a promise between us. Unlike the other rules, Monokuma will not enforce them." Celeste smiled. "But it is something I can agree to, of course. I have no reason not to, after all."
Everyone else seemed to agree. "Excellent! Then everyone must remember this rule! Now, to continue my report! There also seems to be a warehouse and a bathhouse, but both entryways are blocked off, so we weren't able to enter," Taka continued. "Although, the only thing blocking us from the bathhouse is a bit of caution tape, as the glass door didn't seem to have any sort of locking mechanism. Considering the rules don't prevent us from exploration, I believe we could tear it down and check the inside after the meeting has concluded!"
"I could do that," Mondo suggested. "I mean, it's not like it'd be hard, but I could check it out. Ya know, just in case."
"Excellent! Then we'll do that as soon as tonight's meeting has concluded!" Taka replied happily.
Toko spoke up. "Th-that's it? That's all that th-the Ultimate Honor S-Student managed to come up with?"
Taka paused. "That concludes our report! Who wants to go next?"
Toko scoffed. "Wow. H-how disappointing."
Byakuya spoke. "I'll go next. I found nothing of value." He began inspecting his nails again, then looked back up at us. "Oh, that was all."
"Dude, seriously? That's all you have to say?! What kind of report is that?!" Why is he playing around at a time like this?
"Well, obviously, if I'd found something more, then I'd have something to say. But I didn't. So I don't. What about that is hard to understand?"
I let it go, but I was a little concerned. He said he found nothing of value, not nothing. Could he...? No, he wouldn't hide anything... Would he?
Junko interrupted my thoughts. "I guess we'll go next then." She looked bored now, messing with her hair. "Mukuro and Chihiro and I were checking around the school to see if we could like, pry the big metal plates off the walls? But like, we couldn't find any loose ones. So like, I guess those things are there to stay." She shrugged nonchalantly, then started playing with her hair. "It's whatever, I guess."
"We also found a nurse's office, but the door was locked, and there was caution tape over the doors," Mukuro added. "If anyone is able to lockpick, we could try to get in there. Does anyone know how to lockpick?" No one said anything. "Okay. If anyone can get in there, let me know."
"Oh, I guess Hiro and I can go now. We went all over the place to try and find anyone else, but we couldn't find anyone," Leon said, running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, it was just one dead end after another! Totally weird," Hiro continued. "I even tried to look for any wandering spirits, but man, this place is empty."
"It's fucking stupid is what it is," Leon scoffed, blowing hair out of his face. "Well, you won't catch me waiting to kill or be killed, that's for sure! I'm gonna keep looking!" And with that, Leon stood and marched out of the dining hall, throwing the doors open behind him.
"Wait, Leon! You can't leave unsupervised!" Taka called after him.
"Unsupervised?" Byakuya scoffed. "We're all unsupervised students right now."
"Not really! I'm twenty one!" Hiro replied. There was an awkward silence. "Well, don't look so surprised! Jeez!"
Mondo cleared his throat. "Alright, guess it's my turn then, right?" He turned to look at Taka. "I went back to the hall with Sakura and Hina. But even the three of us put together couldn't break that fuckin' thing open. We could barely make a dent in it." He shrugged his shoulders back. "It was nothin' but a waste of time."
"Anyway," I interrupted before his fuse could blow, "after we couldn't get it open, we decided to look for any kind of way to communicate with the outside. A phone, a radio... anything! But we couldn't find anything, not even in the AV room!"
"We also tried to find a way upstairs," Sakura continued for me. "But both sets of stairs were blocked by a strong set of metal bars. They seemed to be about as strong as the vault door, but if Mondo and I were to work together at our full strength, we may be able to pry them apart just enough for some of our smallest to squeeze through." She looked pointedly at Makoto, Toko, and Chihiro. "If any of them would be willing to go up there, of course."
"I could go up there!" Chihiro offered. "I'm smaller than anyone here, and if there's anyway to contact the outside, I could find it! I mean, I'm also the best with computers, so I could even send an SOS if there's a computer lab-"
"I'm sorry, Chihiro, but I'm afraid I'll have to stop you," Taka interrupted. "I can't allow you to go up there without any sort of protection. It's too dangerous!"
"Yeah, I'm with the hardass," Mondo agreed, albeit somewhat reluctantly. "I mean, it's a solid idea, but we don't know what's up there, and none of us would be able to protect you." He and Taka nodded in agreement.
"I hate to interrupt," Mukuro spoke softly, "but if she's willing to risk it, then why not give it a try? I mean, the benefits are worth the risk."
Chihiro, who'd been starting to tear up, jerked her head back up. "Y-yeah! I'm willing! I'm... I can handle it, I..."
"Sorry, Chihiro. You're a brave chick for offerin', but we can't take chances. Not with your life on the line." Mondo shook his head. "It's too dangerous for a chick like you."
Chihiro looked down, folding her hands back on the table. She was shaking. "You're right. Sorry I asked..."
"Your bravery is commendable, Chihiro. Don't apologize for it," Mukuro said beside her, putting a hand on hers. "You'll get your chance."
"Well, I suppose that just leaves Hifumi, Toko, and myself, then," Celeste chimed from across the table, changing the subject. "Well then, I shall tell you all what we did: we stayed in the gymnasium until coming to the dining hall. We did not do any searching of any kind, nor did we bother with speaking to one another. We merely waited for the meeting." She said this all calmly, with a light laugh in her voice, her head resting lightly on her folded hands, elbows leaning on the table as she looked around at the rest of us. "Honestly, we are not the type to wander aimlessly like a team of junior detectives. I hope this does not upset you all, since you were working so very hard to find a way out." Her bright red eyes seemed to glow like hardened rubies, daring any one of us to defy her.
"Yes, in fact, it does upset me!" Taka declared, accepting her gauntlet. "Why would you waste time just sitting around when there's work to be done?! Everyone's lives are at stake here, including yours! How could you be so lazy?! I expected better from Ultimate students accepted into Hope's Peak!"
Celeste opened her mouth to respond, but didn't get the chance as Toko interrupted from her spot at the wall. "It's b-because, you pathetic m-moron, not everyone puts a-all their f-fears into a l-little box wh-when told their life is i-in danger like s-some kind of m-maniac! We were pr-rocessing!" She was gripping her braids in her hands, glaring daggers at Taka. "H-how dare you a-assume that e-everyone here h-has the ability to push aside their f-fear like that!" Her voice was cold and dry, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but she wasn't crying anymore. She looked furious. "N-not to mention, a-anyone here could b-betray us at a-any time! W-we have no way of knowing! So wh-why put ourselves on th-the line like that?! Y-You should be ashamed of yourself!"
And in fact he did look ashamed when I looked back at him. His ears had gone pink, and his gaze was focused on the ground. His hands were balled up into shaking fists. I stood up. "Hey, don't listen to her-"
"What the fuck did you say?!" Mondo demanded, pushing himself out of his chair. "Don't go saying shit like that! Everyone gets scared sometimes, but you don't see him whining about it, do ya?! At least he's tryin' to keep everyone together! And what've you done, huh?! You were bein' all kinds of rude even before we knew what was goin' on, so shut the fuck up! You're lucky you're a chick, or I'd knock some sense into ya!"
"Mondo, that's enough!" Taka snapped back into it, marching over to Mondo. "Stay in your seat and stop threatening our classmates!"
Toko, who looked infinitely more terrified now, pressed herself up against the wall. "Y-you see what I'm t-talking about?! You're all crazy! I-I won't be part of this!" And she pushed off against the wall, holding her braids close to her as she made a beeline for the doors.
I watched her receding form, then looked back at everyone. Taka and Mondo had stepped away from the table and were speaking to each other about... well, I'm not exactly sure, but they seemed like they were finally on the same side, so I wasn't about to interrupt. Everyone else at the table had started breaking up. Junko had started doing Sayaka's makeup, Hiro had pulled out a deck of cards, and Mukuro, Chihiro, and Hifumi had all leaned away from the table towards each other. The only quiet one was Celeste. She and I made eye contact, and she raised an eyebrow. She was asking, Are you going to do something about this? I breathed in slowly. "Alright, guys, let's get back on topic!"
The room quieted, all eyes on me. "We heard why Toko stayed in the gym, but we still haven't heard from Hifumi or Celeste. And no matter why they did it, we all agree that we won't get upset with each other, right? Because we have to be on the same side, no matter what-" I pointed to the doors of the dining hall- "or we'll tear each other apart, just like that. Okay?"
We all looked around the room at each other. One by one, we nodded our heads. Mondo nodded at me, grinning, and Taka gave me a thumbs up. From across the table, Hifumi stood up.
"I suppose I'll explain. The truth of the matter is, I was documenting everything that had happened to us so far in one of my spare journals, so that there'd be a record," Hifumi explained, holding up a journal. "I was also a bit winded from my earlier... encounter, but never mind that! Before we move on, there's something I feel must be addressed for the unity of this class regarding an earlier topic!" He adjusted his glasses. "Specifically, regarding the staircase. Mr. Ishimaru, I found a bit of your earlier statement to Ms. Fukawa to be a tad hypocritical, wouldn't you agree? You claim we should all be doing the most we can to save everyone, and yet you deny our greatest possibility of escape! Why is that?"
Well, shit. "Hifumi, I don't think that's how he meant it-" I tried, but Taka interrupted, returning to the head of the table beside me.
"Hina, thank you for your assistance, but I can address this myself. To be quite frank, Hifumi, you are... correct, to a degree! It was wrong of me to demand too much of her, or any of you, so soon after learning such a horrible reality as our... current situation." He looked back at the dining hall doors, adjusting the collar of his neck. "Toko's attitude may not be ideal, but it is my hope that soon she'll be willing to participate in our investigation of this place!... As soon as I apologize."
Hifumi seemed satisfied with his answer. "Very well, Mr. Ishimaru."
"Oh monsieur Taka, why would anyone want to participate in your little investigation?"
Celeste had stood up and was walking slowly around the table towards us. "Her attitude may be distasteful, but she was correct. After all, we are all enemies here, and one after another-" she made it over to us, and leaned in close- "we are all going to die. You, and Toko, and Chihiro, and Mondo- all of you will die here. And those who do not are the ones who are able to adapt. You must accept your life here and adapt to it. It is as simple as that, is it not? To accept the cards you are given and move on with them?"
Every word she spoke sent a chill down my spine. It was like she didn't even care about where we were, or who we were, or what was happening- she was completely in control. That was the first time I ever really felt this power- the Ultimate power of the Ultimate Gambler, Celestia Ludenberg.
"Do not think I am alone in thinking this, either," she said, walking away from me and Taka, and towards the open doors. "In fact, you have not yet noticed at all, have you? If anyone in this class is meant to escape..." And she smiled at us one last time before closing the doors.
The sound of the doors closing seemed to echo around me, boxing me in. I felt shaken to my very core. I'd always been able to pull people together before- the unofficial leader of the swim team, the soccer team, the tennis team, the basketball team- but now? For the first time in my life, I felt powerless, totally at the mercy of another. And I didn't want to feel that way. I forced myself to turn away from the doors and back at Taka, who looked just as shaken as I felt. He was staring into the void of those eggshell white doors, unblinking. I put my hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look away.
"Taka, we've got this, okay? Don't listen to what she says." Every word I spoke to him, I spoke to myself, letting the words sink in and drive out the haunting presence of Celeste's words. "We're stronger than she thinks! She doesn't know us and what we're capable of, right? Only we know that, and we'll prove it to her! We'll save everyone here, including her, and then she'll have to thank us!" I plastered a grin of confidence on my face. Fake it till you make it, right? And I let him go, turning back to the rest of the class. "Because we're all stronger when we work together! We were all put into this class because we're the very best at what we do! That makes us a team! So we've gotta stick together, no matter what!"
Taka stood beside me at attention, his confidence regained. "Yeah, Hina's right! We all worked together to get the right to go to Hope's Peak, now let's prove that we really are the Ultimate students and escape from this sick trap one hundred percent intact! Are you with me, class seventy-eight?!"
As the rest of the class started to get excited, I went to sit down at one of the round tables, relieved. There's still a lot of work to do, but I think we'll make it. I thought about everyone who left. Leon left early, but that's because he went to keep searching... Taka's going to apologize to Toko, and I don't think she's gonna try and stop anyone from trying to escape... Celeste... I thought back to Celeste's words with a mix of fear and anger. How dare she?! How dare she say that we can't do it?! She has no right to say that! Does she think that she's better than everyone else here-
"If anyone in this class is meant to escape..."
So there's someone here that she thinks is strong enough to make it out. Someone that she thinks could escape. The way she'd said it concerned me- not that someone else would live, but that someone would escape. That twisted girl... Was that a warning?
"Oh, am I late?"
I looked over to the table, then the door. Kyoko was standing in the doorway. She had something in her hand. "I lost track of the time." She walked up to Taka, then handed him the something- some sort of paper- and turned back to the doors. "There's a map of the Hope's Peak floor plan in there, and the first floor matches the building we're in. Whoever's taken us hostage either has an incredible amount of money and resources, or has trapped us in the real Hope's Peak. Most likely, it's both."
Taka unfolded the brochure, slamming it onto the table. "She's right! This is, without a doubt, a map of the first floor of Hope's Peak Academy's Floor Plan! Marvelous!"
"Let me see!" I went back over to the main table, looking over his shoulder. Sure enough, the map looked super similar to what we'd seen so far, even labeling every individual room. And in case there was any doubt, stretched across the top was the label Hope's Peak Academy Floor Plan. "Woah..."
"Hey, are we gonna do this or what?" Mondo interrupted, slamming his hand down over the map. "We were gonna check out that bathhouse, yeah? Hardass?"
"Ah- of course! Let's begin right away!" Taka replied. "Let me just fold up this map and-"
"Eh, let the swimmer chick do it." He grabbed the back of Taka's collar, pulling him away from the table. "Don't be such a control freak! We got work to do."
"Hey- let go!" Taka slapped his hand away, looking back at me. "Hina- keep that map safe, alright? Have a good night!"
"Yeah, night!" Mondo grinned, now pulling Taka by his hair. "Hurry up, hardass!"
"Stop calling me that!"
They fight like an old married couple... a violent old married couple. I folded up the map. "Well, everyone, I guess tonight's meeting is done! See ya for breakfast tomorrow! Goodnight!"
"Night!"
"I'll walk with you," Kyoko offered.
"Oh, sure!" This is the perfect chance to talk to her more... Maybe I'll find out what her talent is!
We headed out of the dining hall and towards the dorms. "So, Kyoko, what's your Ultimate talent?"
"Why should I tell you? We don't know each other," she said coldly.
"Well, no, not yet, but we could totally be friends! I mean, we are in the same class. Besides, it's not like it's some big private secret, is it?"
"I'm not going to tell you. Don't ask again." She stopped walking. "This is my door." She held out her hand expectantly. "Now, give me the map back."
"...Why?" I held it a little closer to my chest. "Taka wanted me to hold onto it."
"It'll be safer with me. Besides, it wasn't his to give you in the first place." Her face was stern, and I got the feeling keeping it was a bad idea.
"Fine." I gave it to her very carefully. As soon as it was in her hands, she disappeared into her room, slamming the door shut. "Gosh, a thank you would've been nice..."
I headed back to the room with my nameplate on it, closing and locking the door behind me. I didn't take much time to look around, kicking my shoes off before collapsing onto the bed. So tired... The day had been full of all sorts of awful surprises, and I was totally mentally drained! It barely took a second for me to fall asleep, too tired to even think.
The curtains rise on a plain wooden stage with a cherry blossom tree growing out of the right. Monokuma sits in the center, shaking his head from side to side, smiling gleefully at his audience.
"In any normal school, I would be a kind teacher. But when I think about what's coming up... I'm just so full of pride and joy! My very first killing game!
"Our ceremony earlier today was absolutely splendid. We couldn't have done any better! Remember, class, you're all students of Hope's Peak Academy, so strive to refine your ideals.
"I swear to you, we will send you all off into a new tomorrow! Puhuhuhu!"
The lights start to fade, and Monokuma and the stage disappear into the darkness, the crimson glow of his eye winking out.
*Ding, Dong, Bing, Bong*
I sit up at the sound, swinging my feet off of the bed. It takes me a moment to realize where I am: not safe at home, but in my room at Hope's Peak. Everything I'd packed was scattered around my room, yet to be fully unpacked. The bell wasn't from my alarm clock, but from the monitor on the wall. Monokuma was making an announcement.
"Goooood morning, everyone! It is now 7 am, and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine~! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"
The screen cut out, and I was alone again. Better than having to see that face haunting my nightmares. I had the strangest dream... But it had already faded out of my memory, slipping out of my fingers and back into my subconscious.
After last night's meeting, we all decided to split up and head to our rooms for the night. I was too exhausted from everything that had happened, so I decided to unpack everything the next day and totally forgot to set my alarm up! Now I've missed a whole morning of training... I'm totally off schedule! I grabbed my alarm clock from one of my boxes and went to set it up.
But wait... Do I really want to unpack in here? If I was gonna try and escape, I'd want all my things to still be packed and ready for if a rescue team came in. Then again, it'd be kinda hard to get everything out, even if we do get rescued... But unpacking here would just feel wrong. I put my alarm back in the box, then closed it again. But I need to keep up my training schedule... I'll just have to use my watch! As I started setting an alarm, I heard a knock on my door.
"Coming!" I shouted, finishing with my watch before opening the door. Standing there was Taka, who looked like he'd been about to knock again.
"Hina! Good morning! I'm gathering all our classmates in the dining hall for breakfast, so please join us at your earliest convenience!" he announced, his voice echoing throughout the hall, before he turned on his heel and went to the next door. Across the hall, I could see Celeste standing outside her doorway, pinching the bridge of her nose, looking irritated. When she saw me, she released it, then walked out towards the dining hall.
Chihiro was also leaving her room, closing the door tentatively behind her. When she saw me, she waved, smiling. I waved back, closing my door. "Morning, Chihiro! Did you sleep well?"
"About as well as anyone could, I guess," she said, hugging herself. "It still doesn't feel very real... being here, I mean. You know?"
"Yeah, it all feels kinda like a fever dream, doesn't it?" We walked towards the dining hall, looking around. "Like, this kinda stuff should only happen in movies, right?"
"Yeah, whoever is doing this must be really sick." Chihiro glanced towards the bathhouse. The caution tape from yesterday was gone. "Oh, I guess they really did open it up last night."
That's right, didn't Taka mention opening it? "Well, it's not like it's against the rules, so it should be fine. I wonder what all is in there!"
"Yeah, I wonder," Chihiro muttered, before going into the dining hall, face down.
Most of the class was already in there. We sat down at the long table. "Morning, everyone!"
"Good morning, Hina!" Sayaka reached for my hands from across the table. "Are you feeling alright? You seem a little upset."
There she goes again, reading my mind! "Yeah, I'm alright. I just missed my morning workout today, but it's nothing I can't recover from."
"Oh, gosh, I hope so! I'm not much of an athlete, but I know I'd hate to miss my vocal warmups! It's the same principle, isn't it?" She sighed. "I guess you won't be eating much then."
She stood up then, smiling at the class. "What does everyone want for breakfast? I'm a decent cook, so I'd be happy to whip something up!"
"Oh, could you make me an omelet? They're like, super cute!" Junko squealed, shaking her hands. "With ham and peppers, please!"
"I'll take one as well," Mukuro requested. "With the same."
"Do you want some help?" Makoto offered, standing up beside her. "Sixteen people is a lot to cook for."
"Awwww, Makoto! You're so sweet! Of course you can help!" She took his hand and they walked to the kitchen, chattering away. Those two are so hopeless... It's adorable!
"Mind if I sit?"
Sakura had pulled open the chair to my right and was looking at me questioningly. "It's not taken, is it?"
"Oh, no, of course not! I mean, of course! Yeah, you can sit there! Haha-" Okay Hina, be cool. You can do this. "Sayaka and Makoto are making us all breakfast!"
"I see. How thoughtful of them." She leaned back in her chair. "Do you know what they're preparing?"
"Oh, well, Junko and Mukuro wanted omelets, so... probably eggs!"
"I see. Very well, then."
"Good mooooorning!" a very cheerful voice sounded from the hall. I looked over and saw... Toko?
Yeah, no doubt about it, that was Toko, but she was acting like a completely different person than she'd been yesterday. She skipped into the room, her braids bobbing up and down behind her, and she kept licking her lips. She was smiling widely, swinging her arms back and forth, until she pulled out a chair from a nearby table and started dragging it over to the main table with the rest of us. "H-how's everyone doiiiiiing?"
Taka walked in behind her, looking just as confused as I felt. He sat at the head of the table, not taking his eyes off of Toko. "Are you sure you're not upset, Toko?"
"Gosh, I-I already told y-you, I'm fiii-iiiine," she replied, dangling off her chair, pushing it back and forth on its legs. "I'm feeling aaa lot better today." She saw me watching her and lit up, waving excitedly. "Hi, H-Hina!"
"Uh, hi," I said back, waving slowly. Are we sure she's okay?
Taka sat down in the chair to my left. "My apologies, Hina. I meant to arrive earlier, but it occurred to me I hadn't spoken to Toko, so-"
"Don't worry about it," I assured him. "I'm glad you guys were able to talk it out!" Even if she's acting a whole new kind of strange now.
Makoto popped out of the kitchen doors with an apron tied over his jacket and a puffy chef's hat engulfing his hair. "Hey, we made a 'Build-An-Omelet' line for everyone that wants one! Come and get it!" he called, holding the doors open for us.
"OooooOoo-ooooOooh, omelets!" Toko jumped out of her chair, running towards Makoto. Her chair clattered to the ground. Mondo picked it back up, looking over to the kitchen.
"God, what a crazy chick..." He shoved his hands in his pockets and headed over too. One by one, we all did the same.
I stepped out of the dining hall, stretching. I really shouldn't have had that omelette... Guess that's even more reason to get in a bunch of training today!
"Hey, Hina, w-wait up!" Toko grabbed my shoulders from behind me, whipping me around to face her. "C-Can I talk to you f-for a sec?"
"Uhhhh, sure?" She was just getting more confusing, to be honest. I'd thought she was the type to push everyone away, but now she was, like... super pumped up?
"Okay, g-great! So, it's about y-yesterday." She pressed her hands up against her chin pointing up. "There w-were some things, that were s-said, a-and they w-weren't really good, o-or true, or n-nice, and uhh... y-yeah. I-I uhhhh... hehe, g-give me a s-sec..." She started chewing her thumbnail, stomping her foot. "Ahhhh, c'mon, we p-practiced this..."
"Toko, are you... apologizing? To me?" It was surprising, but nice! She really is trying, isn't she?
"Ughh, y-yes! S-so, we can f-forget about it now, r-right? We're cool n-now?" She sounded upbeat, but she looked a little nervous as she asked.
"Yes, Toko. We're cool." I could feel myself beaming. Guess I'm doing better than I thought!
"Okay, great! So, I h-had an i-idea about how to b-break down that door," she continued. "Th-that door had a bunch of pieces holding it on the wall, y-yeah? Well, what if w-we pried them off? W-with like, a crowbar o-or something like th-that?"
"A crowbar?" Those latches were attached to the wall... maybe some leverage could work! "Toko, that's a great idea!"
"I know, r-right? Am I a g-genius or what?" She tossed one of her braids proudly. "But wh-where could we find s-something like that h-here?"
I thought for a moment. Then I remembered. "The school store here was full of all sorts of weird junk! Sakura and Mondo and I were looking in there yesterday for a phone or something like that, and we found all sorts of stuff! If there's anything we can use, it'll be in there!"
"O-okay, great! Th-then we'll check there!" Toko bounced on her heels. "C'mon, l-let's go!"
"Alright! Let's get Sakura and Mondo first, since they're the strongest. Then we'll have more manpower!"
Toko deflated a little bit. "Oh. W-well, okay... Uh, m-maybe just Sakura? I mean, s-since there probably w-won't be room for f-four people crowded a-around the door..."
"Huh? I mean, it should be fine..." Then I remembered what had happened last night with Mondo and Toko. "Maybe you're right. Besides, I'm sure Mondo's got other stuff to do!"
"Y-yeah, we don't need him aaa-aaand Sakura! We'll be fine!"
"Right! Anyway, I think Sakura was going back to her room, so let's go find her!"
We headed down the hall to Sakura's door. I knocked a couple times and waited. After a minute, the door opened.
"Hina... and Toko. Is something wrong?"
"We're gonna try and open the door again, with leverage! We're gonna try prying the latches off! Wanna come?"
Sakura thought for a moment, then nodded. "I see no reason to decline. It may lead to our escape, after all."
It was hard work, but after three hours of heaving, pushing, and putting all our collective weight and strength into it, the three of us managed to pry off none of the latches. In fact, we could barely get a start on one!
"Awwww, I r-really thought it w-would work..." Toko slid against the wall, legs splayed out. "Maybe w-we just need m-more of the a-athletic people in here. I-I'm just a wr-writer, after all."
"No, I doubt that, Toko. This stuff is just too tight for us to loosen without some proper machinery." I sat down next to her. "At least we tried, though. Now we know! It was a good idea, really." No matter what we try, the result is always the same.
Sakura rested her palms on the door. "If we can't get out here, then there must be another exit somewhere. It must be on another floor."
"H-how do we know th-that there is a-an exit? This c-could be a l-locked room mystery," Toko retorted. She was starting to sound more like she had yesterday, shocked and afraid. "Whoever kidnapped us all c-could have m-made it s-so that we can't get out f-from the inside. They could be o-observing us f-for some sort of twisted experiment!"
I tried to calm her down. "Maybe that is what's happening, Toko-" I put a hand on her shoulder- "but that doesn't mean we're in danger of them. Actually, if you're right, then that means they won't do anything to hurt us, right?" Weirdly enough, Toko's fears gave me a sense of relief. "It means they can't hurt us, because we're their subjects, right?"
She started shaking. "M-maybe not physically. B-but they'll torture us m-mentally, trying to f-find what makes us all tick... trying t-to drive us to murder." She looked me in the eyes, grabbing my wrist. " Trying to make us play th-the killing game!" And she threw my hand off her and stood up. "I-I'm going to my room now," she said solemnly, then stalked out.
Leon and Mondo walked in, confused. When they saw us, they stopped. Each of them was holding a crowbar. "Aw, shit! So these won't work either?!" Leon threw his crowbar on the ground. "This is so fucking stupid!"
Mondo pushed past him, picking up and shoving the crowbar back in his hands. "Doesn't mean we can't keep tryin.' Besides, what else are we supposed to do, give up?" He walked over to us, thumbs up. "Great muscles think alike, eh? Now let's show this door who's boss!"
Yup. Still nothing.
Eventually, we all decided to split up and try to find another way out. I decided to head over to that staircase by the gym again and see if I could find anything over there. Maybe there's a button or lever on the other side I could reach to lift the bars up! But before I could get over there, I ran into Junko.
"Hiiiiii! How are you, Hina? You know, I was thinking, and actually, I think I saw something in the AV room that should like, totally get double checked! On like, the monitor and stuff? But like, I'm busy, so could you do that for me?" She stood directly in front of me, blocking my path.
"Oh, yeah, sure, Junko! I'm just gonna double check the staircase first and then-"
"NO!" She jumped to block my path again, waving her ponytails around. "No, uh, I mean- it's like, super urgent, so maybe you should go right now? I mean, there's nothing important by the staircase, pfft, that's what I was about to do! So you should go check that monitor in the, uhhhh..." She paused. Then she snapped her fingers. "Laundry room! Right. The laundry room! That's- that's where I saw it, so. Ahaha!"
Yeah, no, this is suspicious. "Junko, why don't you want me going to the stairs?"
She looked offended. "Uhhhh, whaaaaaat?! Why would I want you to stay away from the staircase?! Like, there's nothing special about it! Actually, yeah! Let's go check out that staircase near the dorms together-"
I feinted right. She jumped, and I took off for the stairs.
"That's not fair! Get back here!" I could hear Junko, but I had the advantage. Pretty soon, I saw what she hadn't wanted me to see: Chihiro, wedged between the bars, completely stuck, and Mukuro, trying to pull her back through.
"Mukuro- I can handle it- I swear!"
"Chihiro, you can't fit through to one side without help, you'd be trapped. I have to pull you back out. I'm sorry."
I was taken aback, but rushed forward to help. Behind us, I could hear Junko, huffing and puffing. "She... got around... me..."
They were both surprised, but accepted it as I helped pull her out. "Please, Hina," Chihiro plead, "don't tell Taka or Mondo about this."
"I won't, I promise," I assured her. "Honestly, I don't blame you." It's dangerous, but she's trying her best to help, right? I can't blame her for that.
After some struggling, we managed to get her out of the bars. "Let's get some lunch," I suggested. "It's been a long morning."
We got to the dining hall and found Celeste sitting at one of the tables, sipping from a teacup gingerly. She placed the cup down and waved at us. "Good afternoon," she greeted us. "I hope you are all having a good day."
"Hey, what kind of tea is that?" Junko asked, trotting up to her.
"Ah, it is a very special kind of royal milk tea," she replied, holding it up. "It has always been my favorite. Would you like some?"
"Yes, please!" Junko began shaking her hands excitedly. "Hey, guys, wanna try some fancy schmancy royal tea?"
"I suppose," Mukuro responded. "I'm going to go into the kitchen and prepare us some lunch, but Celeste, please make me a cup, if you don't mind." She bowed, than headed to the kitchen. Junko and Chihiro both sat down with Celeste.
"I'm gonna go help Mukuro," I said quickly, following her into the kitchen. To be honest, I just wanted to avoid Celeste. She still kinda rubbed me the wrong way after last night.
"Hey, Mukuro, do you mind if I help you with lunch?" I decided to spend some time with Mukuro.
"Sure, Hina," she replied. "I can make the sandwiches, so could you prepare some vegetables for everyone?"
"You got it!" I headed to the fridge and grabbed a mix of greens. We worked in a comfortable silence, preparing food for everyone and setting it all up on plates for us- even Celeste.
"Thank you for helping, Hina," Mukuro thanked me in her soft voice. "We got it done much faster."
"No prob, man!" I replied. "Actually, can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Is something wrong?"
I've been wondering this since we met, so... "How did you and Junko get such different talents? I mean, you don't expect to see the Ultimate Soldier and the Ultimate Fashionista as sisters, ya know? They're just so different!"
Mukuro smiled and nodded. "Yes, we're quite a pair, aren't we? Here, let me show you something." She pulled off one of her gloves and held up the back of her hand for me to see. On it was a light blue tattoo of a wolf's head.
"Oh, what's this?" I held her hand with my own, pulling it closer. "It's really detailed."
"It's the mark of Fenrir," she answered. "Do you know who Fenrir is?"
"I can't say I do," I replied, letting her go. "Who is she?"
"Fenrir is a figure from Norse legend," she began, putting her glove back on. "He was the child of the trickster god, Loki, and a giantess named Angerboda. He was the god of wolves and wanted to help bring about Ragnarok, the end of the world." She met my eyes. "There's a mercenary guild that I joined when I was young, named after that figure. That's how I became the Ultimate Soldier. I was the youngest member to enter, and I never failed a mission."
I was in awe. Mukuro really is something special, to become a mercenary as just a kid. It's no wonder that she's become the Ultimate Soldier. I wonder if I'll ever get to see her in action; I bet it'd really be a sight to see!
"Wow, that's... amazing! You must've been such a strong member! Your family must be really proud of you."
She nodded again, looking out toward the door. "Junko certainly is," she said solemnly. "We've both worked so hard to get where we are today." She sighed. "We spent so much of our childhood apart... But I'm glad we're both here. We can watch out for each other." She picked up a plate of food in each hand. "Now, let's take out everyone's food, okay?"
"Okay, good idea!" I picked up a plate. Mukuro's really one of the luckiest of us, I thought, because she has someone she already knows she can trust here. They've got family ties that no one else here has. She always seems so confident in what she's doing and saying, too. It's probably because she's a soldier. I hope one day, I can be as collected as her! I felt like, after talking to her like this, I'd gotten to know her a little better.
After we all ate our lunch, I headed back to my room. I wasn't sure what else I could do. As things stood right then, there was no way I could get out, and no way to send a signal. So I started to break out some of my training equipment, burning off as much as I could. I've gotta pick up my slack from this morning anyway! I worked up an awesome sweat, packed my equipment back up, and took a quick shower. I felt super refreshed! Then it occurred to me. I wonder if the school store has any training equipment I could take to my room!
As I headed towards the school store, I saw Leon in the hall. He had a guitar in his hands, and he was adjusting the frets. He waved me over when he saw me. "Hina! Wanna be my test audience on this acoustic?"
I thought for a moment. Should I hang out with Leon?... Eh, why not. "Sure, Leon," I replied, sitting across from him on the bench.
"Awesome!" We stayed there for a bit as he started to play the guitar. Honestly, he wasn't bad, but he was a little shaky...
"So, whaddya think?" he asked, eyes shining with pride.
"It was pretty good! Have you ever taken lessons before?"
"Yeah, I took a couple before I came here. As soon as I found out I was coming here, I got right on it! That's why I've got this old acoustic and not something cooler, like a wicked electric!"
"Yeah, an electric guitar seems like it'd be more your style," I laughed. He says he only started when he found out he was coming here? Does he dislike baseball that much?
Leon looked at me funny. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking. How does a guy this hot not already have a girlfriend? Well, I could tell you stories, but the short version is I've never really had the best luck, ya know? Girls aren't into some dude whose claim to fame is being really good at the little league, and who could blame them? It's fucking stupid." He strummed the guitar gently as he spoke. "And the ones that are, well, it's never for a good reason. They all just wanna say they've got a boyfriend that's in sports, or they think that since I do baseball, I must do other sports, too. Then they ditch when they find out I'm not."
"Woah, so you've only done baseball?" I may be the Ultimate Swimming Pro, but I was never just a swimmer. I did all sorts of other sports, too! And every other athlete I'd met before at least did other sports, even just for fun. You'd be surprised how many athletes do dance and things like that; it really helps with balance!
"Yup, that's all I was ever good for," he sighed angrily. "I probably would've, if I was ever given the time. Like, paintball or something. But I was either at baseball practice, or I was skipping baseball practice. Our coach was really something else, I swear! He really wanted to feed off my star quality. I even had to skip to do my fucking homework!"
"You were skipping to choose homework?" Maybe there's more to him hating baseball than I thought. "I'm so sorry, Leon. It sounds like you had a really horrible baseball coach. I know if I ever had a coach like that, I couldn't stand it."
"Well, he isn't that bad," Leon said defensively. "I mean, yeah, he's kind of a hardass, but he's a cool guy. I like him alright, when he isn't shoving baseballs down my throat." He grinned. "But I don't have to worry about that anymore once I get out of here. Once we escape, it'll be nothing but smooth sailing!"
"I guess you're right!" Leon was more than I thought he was. I thought he was just trying to get girls to like him, but it looks like he's got a bad history with baseball. He's definitely still trying to pick up girls, but he's got more to him that that! After talking to him like this, I felt like I got to know Leon a little better.
Leon and I checked the school store for equipment and grabbed a few things, then started to head back to the dorms. Before we could get there, though, I heard arguing. Standing outside the bathhouse was Mondo and Taka, and they were yelling at each other and... undressing?!
"Guys, guys, guys! What's going on?! Why would you take your clothes off in the open?!" I yelled at them, rushing over. Mondo had balled up his leather jacket in his hands, and Taka was in the middle of unbuttoning his suit. They both looked over at me.
"Worry not, Hina! I have a shirt on under this! I'd never undress in public!" Taka replied, giving me a thumbs up. "Mondo and I were merely about to settle our differences, that's all!"
"And how were you planning on doing that? Stripping?" Leon was incredulous beside me.
"No, of course not! We're proving that I can take more heat!" Mondo bellowed at us.
"Mondo, please. It is I who shall stand victorious as the true leader of Class Seventy-eight!" Taka declared triumphantly.
I was confused. "Sorry, what do you guys mean, 'take more heat?'"
Leon pinched the bridge of his nose. "There's a sauna in the bathhouse," he explained. "They're gonna sit in there until someone passes out." He looked up at them. "That's it, isn't it?"
"Correct, Leon! That's precisely what we're doing! And I shall win! Hahahahaha!" Taka declared, heading inside.
"Not on my watch!" Mondo yelled after him. He turned back to us. "Yo, Leon, keep watch on this, will ya? Keep him honest when I take 'im down."
"Yeah, sure," he agreed. Mondo went into the bathhouse, and Leon turned to me, frowning. "You know what they're gonna do, yeah?"
"Uhhhh... yell at each other and pass out?"
"No! I mean, yeah, but... those guys have been at it since we got here. Getting all riled up in each other's faces, stuck in a hot sauna... I'll bet they-"
"Ew, Leon! Don't say stuff like that!" I shoved him away. "Gross!"
'I'm gonna have to watch," he cried, head in his hands. "Why me?!"
"They wouldn't do that with an audience!" Although, they did both seem to have... interest in each other, at least. But there's no way! I mean, we've all only known each other for two days. "If they are gonna do anything, they'll at least have the decency to take it somewhere else. You'll be fine."
Leon looked back at the bathhouse entrance. "I hope you're right," he sighed, then went inside. I headed back to my dorm for the night. I guess we'll find out how that's gonna go in the morning.
