Is it nearly midnight? Yes. Did I almost forget to post today? Don't worry about it. It's motive time.
I went back to my room emptyhanded- metaphorically. I still had Byakuya's coffee cup. It seemed really funny at the time to take it, but now I just kinda had it? I'll put it in the kitchen sink later or something. Anyway, what do I do now? I think that was the worst part of Hope's Peak- you know, other than the whole murder game thing- the constant boredom. At least I have a locker room to train in now. Hey, maybe I should get a session in! I could use some strength training.
When I got there, I saw Mukuro using the pullup bar. She smiled when she saw me. "Hi, Hina. Since you're here, could you be my rep partner for today?"
"Sure! I'll let you go first."
The two of us got some good training in, and I actually got a new weight limit! "That's ten kilos higher than my highest, and I'm still good to go!"
"Wow, congratulations." Mukuro started to attack the punching bag, using techniques I realized were similar to Sakura's.
"I didn't know you knew martial arts!"
"I asked Sakura to teach me," she replied. "I thought since we were here, I might as well take the opportunity."
"Oh, that's a good idea. I wonder if you and Sakura fought, who would win?"
"It would take a long time, but I think Sakura would win. Most of my experience is with weapons, and my reflexes may be good, but I think Sakura's endurance is stronger. It would be a matter of wearing me down."
"Oh. You've thought about that, huh. Oh! Whose reflexes do you think are better, mine or yours?"
"Mine. You're trained for sportsplay, but my life was on the line on a daily basis in Fenrir. Yet I still managed to never get hit."
"Wait, really?" That's really impressive! Holy shit!
"It's true. The only mark I have is the Fenrir wolf and my freckles." She stopped punching. "Would you like a turn?"
"Oh, uh, I think I'll work my legs out instead." I got on the treadmill. "I guess it makes sense that the Ultimate Soldier wouldn't have any scars."
"Well, physically, yes. War doesn't leave anyone untouched, but I'm lucky enough to not have any physical traumas." Her eyes became unfocused as she picked up a pair of dumbbells. "I wake up there sometimes. The smell of gunpowder, the screaming, the sirens... That sort of thing just doesn't go away."
"Oh..." I wasn't sure what to say. What could I say? Mukuro had seen horrors the rest of us couldn't imagine. That's why she seemed okay after Sayaka's execution- she'd never been okay in the first place. I wonder what she was like before she joined Fenrir.
"It's okay though. I wouldn't ever go back. I joined Fenrir because it was what I had to do, and I did my job well. Well enough to be reunited with my sister." She smiled sadly.
"That's still so sad though. Didn't you have to leave Junko to join Fenrir in the first place?"
She turned to face me again. Her eyes seemed clear again, at least. "Junko and I were forbidden from seeing each other when we were young. We were never supposed to meet each other in the first place."
"Wait, what? Why would something like that happen?"
"I wouldn't worry about it." Her voice seemed distant. "It was a long time ago. And besides, it's all over and done with now. We found each other again eventually, and that's what really matters." She slammed the dumbbells back down on the rack and picked up the next set, squatting up and down. "I try not to think about it."
Gosh, I wonder what could've separated them. I mean, who wouldn't be allowed to know their own sister? "How long have you guys been in contact again?"
"Not long before coming to Hope's Peak, I got a letter. I guess Junko had gotten access to the roster somehow and saw my name. We were supposed to meet up before going into the school, at a nearby cafe, but…"
"That's where your memories cut off?"
"Right as I was getting off the plane, everything went dark. Then I was in our dorm room." Her brows furrowed as she set the dumbbells back down. "However it is that we got here, it's certainly strange. That was over an hour before we were meant to be at the opening ceremony."
"That's so weird." Whoever did this to us definitely couldn't've been alone. If some of us lost memories before even getting to the school, how many people were out there nabbing us? "But at least you were able to find her anyway, right? You'll get out of here eventually, together!"
"It should be impossible." She started hitting the punching bag again. "Not once was I hit before. Every sense, every muscle, fine-tuned to avoid danger, and yet somehow I was hit without any warning whatsoever. I've been attacked in my sleep and come out unscathed. So how, in such a public area, was I bested so easily?" Her face revealed nothing, it looked almost blank, but she sounded afraid. "I don't understand it at all. Maybe I'm not smart enough to." She grabbed the bag and stopped. "Maybe it's obvious how, and I just can't see it."
Despite the sweat building, my muscles all felt ice cold. An unscathed Ultimate Soldier, somehow completely stripped of her autonomy and captured in the blink of an eye... I don't think we've been giving Monokuma enough credit. "Did you eat or drink anything coming off the plane? Something that could've been drugged?"
"I never eat public food without testing it first." She turned to look back at me. "I don't mean to frighten you by telling you this, but since it was brought up, I thought you should know. I don't know what it means for us, but it's better than keeping it to myself."
"Well, thanks, I guess." I got off the treadmill. "Maybe we shouldn't focus on that too much right now. It's not gonna be very good for your mental state." Or mine.
"Alright." She moved over to the treadmill. "Then, what's your family like? Are you close to them?"
"That I can talk about!" We finished the workout on a higher note as I told her about my own family. "Yuuta's a good kid, but he's kinda headstrong, ya know? He's really impulsive, and he doesn't really think before he leaps. Oh, and then there's my parents. They're both super sweet, but my mom can be a little strict sometimes. Still, they're super supportive, and they both work really hard so I can do all the different sports that I do. Oh, and then there's MomMom- that's my grandma- and she lives with us in our apartment. She watches Yuuta when everyone else is out, and she makes the best ramen! Plus she has this bird named Inko, which is weird, because he's actually a conure and not a budgie? He's really loud sometimes, and messy, but we love him. When we get outta here, you should meet them! Yuuta would love you. Plus, we have a guest room, if you end up needing a place to crash. It's technically supposed to be Yuuta's room, but he never liked sleeping alone-"
"You'd let me stay with your family?" She sounded surprised. "Just like that?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, I know you're probably normally busy with soldier stuff, but if you ever need a place to crash, I've got you! Plus, you'd be able to see Junko whenever you wanted! Cool, right?"
"Yeah. Maybe I'll take you up on that." She smiled. "I think I'd like that, if you'd let me."
"Yeah, of course! Don't even worry about it! Maybe Junko could even stay with us for the first night or two, and we could make it a big sleepover! Wouldn't that be fun?"
"I've never had a sleepover before," she thought. "What would we do?"
"Sleepover stuff. Makeovers, ghost stories, sugary snacks, pillow fights- all kinds of fun! But you gotta promise to live till we all get out. Okay?"
She offered her hand to shake. "Alright. It's a promise then."
"Awesome!" I'm happy I get to spend this time with Mukuro. I feel like we've really gotten even closer than before today. "Now, I dunno about you, but I'm feeling kinda ripe, so I'm gonna go take a shower. See ya later!"
After that workout with Mukuro, I was in a much better mood. Hm. What to do now? I've already worked out a bunch, but maybe I could go for another swim! Yeah, that sounds fun! I went to get my swimsuit, but it was still dirty from the day before. Oh, right. Okay, laundry day it is, then!
I got all my stuff in the washer. Should I use the lavender scented stuff this time?
"Hey, Hina! You're doing laundry too?"
Hiro had come through with a basket full of dirty clothes. "I was about to put some colors in myself."
"Yeah. I didn't realize how much my laundry had been piling up. Hard to believe how long we've already been here, huh?"
"I know, right? It feels like forever already. But it's also gone really fast. It's kinda strange how timeless this place is, huh? All cut off from everything..." They rubbed their hand against their chin, thinking. "But eh, better to just power through it for now, right?" They opened up a washer and started throwing clothes in. "Besides, there's not much we can do."
"Well, maybe not right now. We've just gotta keep our eyes and ears open, and our spirits high! And whatever Monokuma offers as 'motive,' we ignore!"
"Yeah... it's kinda funny, isn't it?" they snickered a little as they closed up the washer.
I felt my blood cool a little in my veins. Are they really laughing about this?... They're going mad. I've gotta snap them out of it! "What do you mean, 'funny'? We've already lost three people. What about that could be funny? Hiro, are you okay?"
"Ah, I didn't mean it like that! More like... what's the word..." They snapped their fingers. "Ironic! That's what I'm looking for!"
"...Ironic? Are you sure?"
"Yeah! I mean, remember when we all first got here, and most of us were all super bent on finding a way out right away or getting some sort of signal out? And we all got mad at people like Celeste and Byakuya for saying it was gonna be pointless and we should focus on adjusting instead. But now, after just like, a week or so, we're doing exactly what they suggested to survive. It's weird how quickly we moved from escape to survival, is what I'm saying."
"I hadn't thought of it like that." Their goals in telling us that might not be totally clear, but what they'd been saying to us had actually been pretty sound. But we'd all been too scared to listen. I'd been too scared to listen. "But you're right. In order to escape, we have to survive first. I guess that's what they were trying to say after all." Well, kinda. Maybe?
"Huh? Yeah, I guess so." Hiro put their basket down. "Hey, do you know if any of these magazines have horoscope sections? I like to read them when I want to laugh."
"I don't remember, but I can help look!" A subject change was just what I needed. We spent some time flipping through the magazines and looking for horoscopes. We managed to find a few pages of them, too!
"Hina, what's your zodiac sign? I'll 'read your fortune,'" they said sarcastically, making air quotes with their fingers.
"Uhhh, I don't know... What's it based on again?"
"It's based off of your birthday. For example, I was born on July 25, so I'm a Leo."
"Oh, okay! Then what's April twenty-fourth?"
"That one's Taurus. Let's see..." They picked up the first page. "'You will soon receive good news from a friend.' A positive one!"
"Let me read yours!" I grabbed another page. "'Unexpected money will find its way to you.' Well, now it's not unexpected, is it?"
"Yeah, that's the thing about horoscopes- they're all bull, but in the funniest ways possible. Like this one for Capricorn- 'you will find a newfound love of chicken farming.' Like, who comes up with that?"
"Haha! Chicken farming?" It is kinda weird to hear a clairvoyant mocking this stuff, though. Isn't this kinda their whole thing?
Their face shifted to defeat. "I know that look. You're surprised, right? That I'm dissing this stuff. But here's the thing- these tabloids are no more real than fortune cookies. They're fun, sure, but in the end, they're just made up by randomized generators to make more sales. Nothing like the real thing."
"Really? So the whole zodiac thing is just made up stuff?" Learn something new every day, I guess.
"Oh, no, there is such a thing as the zodiac. This-" They flapped their page around- "just isn't how it works."
"Oh! Then how does it work?"
"It's sort of like a manipulation of energies. You know how the moon can control the ocean's tides? Well, it's similar to that, but on a metaphysical level. The way that the solar system moves around us has an effect on what happens on Earth, and vice versa. If there was life on another planet in our system, I guarantee you they'd feel similar shifts, albeit not at the same rate."
"Okay... but how does it work?"
"Well, I don't know everything. But I know enough about the Milky Way's systems to make an educated guess. That's sort of how my predictions work: I look at how space is moving around us, and I make a guess about how I think it'll affect my client. It's not exact; no one's figured out exactly how it works, but the longer I study it, the more accurate I've gotten."
"Wow, I had no idea you had to know so much about science to do this stuff. That's super cool!" I always thought clairvoyants and such were just illusionists and con artists. Maybe they still are, but Hiro is pretty convincing.
"Well, it's not just that. All the knowledge in the world won't help if you have no way to see it. That's why I've got this," they continued, pulling out their glass ball. "You can think of it as a kinda conduit- the energies around us are pulled to it, and let me connect and see things from another angle. Sometimes, if someone dies with unfinished business of some kind, then they're stuck in that plane, and I'm able to see them that way. There's more to it, but those are the basics." They tucked it away. "Any more than that, though, and I could start losing business to you! Besides, there's stuff to this that I can't fully explain. You've kinda just gotta experience it."
"Wow. There really is a lot to this stuff. Do all clairvoyants operate like that?"
"Not as far as I'm aware. Actually, most of the big ones or the ones that ask for money are scams," they said angrily. "But hey, sometimes we can be pretty cool!"
"Huh. I never really knew much about clairvoyants and such. I'll have to remember that." I noticed them pulling the glass ball and red cloth out. "What are you doing?"
"Why don't I show you?" They held out their hand. "Free of charge. You've earned it!"
"Oh, really? Well, okay!" If it's for free, no harm in giving it a try. Besides, I am curious, especially after the seance.
They took my hand and put it back on the glass ball, their fingers overlapping mine. "Okay, now you ask me a question- any question- and I'll try and find the answer."
"Any question? Then..." There's one thing that scares me more than anything right now. "...Am I gonna die here?" I heard my voice drop, almost to a whisper.
They smiled reassuringly at me. "Close your eyes."
Gladly. Now that I'd asked out loud, my fear was overwhelming. The idea that I could die here was debilitating. I might never see my family or my friends ever again. I might never compete in the Olympics or get another gold medal. I could be killed here.
I could be pushed to kill here.
*Ding!*
The washer forced me out of my state. I pulled my hand away without even thinking about it. Then I saw their face. "Hiro?"
They were drenched in sweat, gasping. Their eyes were flighty and unfocused, and I saw a crack had formed over the glass ball, long and deep. "Oh, no... Did I do that?" I broke their glass ball! Fuck! Is that why they're all sweaty?! "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'll pay for a repair or a new one or whatever's appropriate when we get out-"
"I couldn't find anything." They sounded terrified, more than I'd heard from them yet. "Everything is so twisted in here... Every thread is all tangled up. So many more will die, and I don't know how many or who they'll be... Hina, I'm so sorry. I can't even try to answer your question." They stood shakily, taking their glass ball and cloth and putting them away. "I can't see. Something's congesting the energy around us, a red and black smog of what I can only call despair. It even cracked my conduit."
Seeing Hiro so broken as opposed to what felt like seconds ago was just scary. This is all my fault. "It's okay, Hiro. I think, maybe I'm happier not knowing anyway. Here, I'll finish your laundry for you, okay? I'll bring it to you when it's done. You go get some rest."
"Yeah... yeah, good idea," they managed. "You're a good kid, Hina. Thanks." They stumbled to the door. "Uh, I hate to ask, but-"
"No problem." I helped them to their room. "Does clairvoyancy always take this much out of you?"
"No... I've only felt this bad once before. It was for a family reading... and it was a big family..." They could barely even speak.
"Well, here we are! Your room! I'll unlock it." I took their key from their pocket and opened the door, leading them inside. "Better?"
"Yeah..." They practically threw themselves onto the bed, shedding their jacket almost immediately. "Thanks..." They were asleep in seconds.
I set their key on the desk and went back to the laundry room. Poor Hiro... They're overworking themself so much. They even tried to read my fortune even after I broke the rules this morning... I should do something nice for them, so they don't feel unappreciated! But what to do...
After their laundry was finished, I put it in their basket and slipped a note under their door. I don't wanna wake them up. They need their sleep, especially since they've been doing night watches.
"Hina. I've found you." Sakura stood behind me, leaning against the opposite wall. "You must've forgotten. I didn't imagine it would be this easy."
Oh, shoot! I completely forgot we were gonna have lunch! I felt my stomach growl. And I skipped breakfast. "Okay, yeah, you got me. But I don't want tonkotsu twice in a row, so let's make something else."
"I can accept that." She nodded sagely. "What would you like to eat then?"
"Let's get to the kitchen first before we decide!" What I really want is a protein shake, but I doubt there's any mix for that in the kitchen... Oh, but maybe the warehouse has some! "Actually, can we check the warehouse first?"
"I don't see why not. I suppose it could have something."
We checked the warehouse, and I found the best tasting candy ever! "Sakura, you should try this honey candy! It's really good!"
"Really?" She took a piece, inspecting it carefuly. She slowly unwrapped it, giving it a sniff, before touching it with her tongue. "Hm. It's sweet." She finally ate it. "I can see why you were drawn to it."
"Yeah! I'm totally taking these to my dorm later!"
"So, what exactly are we searching for?"
"Oh, well, I've been wanting a good protein shake for forever, but there's not any good mixes in the kitchen."
"I see you're also an avid lover of protein." Sakura nodded approvingly. "Then our search is over. How do you feel about peanut butter protein shakes?"
"Um, they're only my favorite kind!" Did she really find them? Score!
She picked up a box and opened it for me to see. It was full of all kinds of mixes- peanut butter, banana, chocolate- all the best kinds! "Yes! This is perfect!" Finally, I'll get to have my post-workout protein shakes again!
"Then let's go make them." She pulled a couple mixes out. "Shall we?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Let's go!" I practically teleported into the kitchen, pulling out a large blender and plugging it up. "Oh my gosh, I'm so hungry, I could drink a hundred protein shakes!" Or maybe like, two.
Sakura handed me ingredient by ingredient. "I haven't tried these packages of protein mix before. I've always made mine from scratch."
"Oh, trust me, these taste great! You can barely tell the difference," I assured her. "Plus it's less chunky this way."
That first protein shake with Sakura was the best I ever had. It kinda just hit me differently, having something so familiar in a place that was anything but, with someone I'd only just met that I felt like I'd known forever. It was little moments like that that made Hope's Peak bearable- not good, but bearable. I was so afraid, but little things like that made me want to freeze time. Is that weird?
"Oh, Sakura! You should help me pick out a gift for Hiro! I was gonna look around the school store; wanna come when we're finished?"
"A gift for Hiro?"
I told her about what happened in the laundry room.
"I see. Then perhaps we can find a new 'conduit,' as you put it. Or at the least, an adhesive for their current one."
"What's a conduit?" Leon and Makoto had come into the kitchen. "Aw, man! You guys made smoothies without us? Not cool."
"I thought we were gonna make salmon?" Makoto asked behind him.
"For shame." Leon kept going, feigning hurt. "I mean, really. Not inviting your good friends to enjoy a smoothie?"
"Jealous?" Sakura asked simply, slurping on her shake. I could see Makoto hold back his laughter.
"Chillax, I'm just playing. Besides, we've got bigger fish to fry! Literally!"
"Then don't let us stop you. Let's go ahead and start looking!" I took Sakura's hand, and we went around the boys and all the way to the store. "Leon's kinda funny, isn't he? And not in an actual funny way, but more of a weird in a good way kind of funny, you know? He's okay though, when he's not angry. I think he needs some counseling or something for that temper of his, honestly. What do you think? I think it could be good for him, but then, who am I to say? Plus, we're all gonna need counseling when we get out of here anyway, living through three deaths in our class. And they were all pretty bad, too. Taka and Mondo were my friends, and so was Sayaka. Or at least, they were gonna be. Is it bad to call them my friends? We only knew each other for a few days. Come to think of it, are any of us really friends yet? What constitutes being friends? Is there a certain amount of time you have to wait between knowing each other and talking, or is it just whenever both parties agree? Are we friends? Am I your friend, Sakura?"
"I'd think so," Sakura replied. "I'd say enough time has passed."
"Okay, good! I got myself worried for a second. Oh, look, we're here!" I threw the school store doors open. "Okay, let's do some shopping and then not pay!"
"I believe that is commonly refered to as theft," Celeste chimed from the school store desk. "May I help you?"
"Huh? Celeste, are you running the store?"
"Oh, goodness, no. I was just appreciating all the different items to be found and was taking an inventory. I am afraid I have not yet finished, but you are welcome to look at my list so far." She held up a roll of parchment and handed it to me. "Be a dear and leave it on the desk when you are done. I am going to take a break. Sorting through all this rubbish is such hard work." And she stood and left.
"I can't imagine this would be an entertaining use of time," Sakura mused. "But perhaps it will make this task easier."
"Yeah, hopefully!" I unrolled the parchment. Gosh, she really is dedicated to her aesthetic. This one piece of fancy paper is so long! The list had all kinds of weird stuff- weapons, cheap food, fancy clothes, literal historical artifacts- but there were a couple things on the list we could use.
"This 'crystal skull' could be appropriate," Sakura suggested. "His 'conduit' was a crystal ball, wasn't it?"
"I think it was just glass, but yeah, that could work! We've just gotta find it!" I rolled the list back up and set it back on the desk- and noticed the small skull-shaped crystal resting on the wood. "Oh. Found it!"
Sakura picked it up, turning it over. "It doesn't appear to have any chips, or at least none that look out of place. Here." She handed it to me.
I held it cupped in my hands. "It's a little big for my hands, but I bet it'll be perfect for Hiro!" I held it higher, and it caught a ray of light from the ceiling lamp, scattering pieces of light across the room and forming a small rainbow on its surface. "Oh, wow..."
"Beautiful," I heard Sakura say.
"Isn't it?" I lowered it, wrapping it up in some of the school store wrapping. "I think I'll give it to them first thing tomorrow morning! They're gonna love it, don't you think?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Perfect. Now all we gotta do is get this to my room. Hopefully, they haven't woken up yet. But just in case, you walk ahead and warn me if you see them, okay?"
"Very well."
"And then we can go for a swim!"
"...It's been a while since I've worn a swimsuit."
"Oh, don't worry! I'm sure there's one your size in the warehouse!"
We got the skull back to my room undetected, and I got a really good swim in! Sakura said she couldn't find any swimsuits that fit her, though, so she couldn't swim. Still, she insisted that I go ahead, and she moved some of the weights into the pool area so we could talk while we trained! She's so sweet.
After my swim, I went back to my dorm to shower before girls' night. I wonder what we'll do tonight? Actually, who's turn is it to pick? We never really discussed it.
I headed to the dining hall. All the other girls were there, with two exceptions.
"Chihiro isn't coming," Junko huffed.
"Toko hasn't shown up either," Mukuro pointed out.
"I wonder if she even will, considering her little announcement this morning," Celeste mused. "After all, she seemed quite adamant about remaining separate from the rest of us."
"Well, yeah, but that was just cuz of the food, right?" That is what she said, wasn't it? Or was that part just Byakuya? "She wouldn't just miss out on girls' night. I mean, we all helped her."
"Let's put Toko's intentions aside for now," Kyoko suggested, "and decide on the objective of this meeting."
"The objective? Uhhh... have fun and be friends?" Junko waved jazz hands in the air. "Oh, or did you mean tonight's thing?"
"Yes. Tonight's 'thing,' as you put it."
"Well, who's turn is it? Celeste, Junko, and I have already picked," I reminded them all. "So who's turn is it? Also, are gonna go in a set order or just whoever has an idea? How will we keep track of who's already gone and how many times? Is someone keeping a tally? Who's keeping the tally?"
"Too many questions," Celeste sighed. "How about we just open the floor to suggestions and pick whichever idea we like best."
"Oh, yeah. Good idea!"
"Well, then, I have a suggestion." Kyoko raised a hand. "We should take a bath together in the bathhouse."
Ooooo, Kyoko! I didn't realize she could be so frisky!~ ...Her face looks serious though. Hina, you useless lesbian, not everyone here is a disaster gay like you! "What makes you suggest that?"
"It could be the closest thing we have here to a spa treatment of sorts," Kyoko replied. "It could be a nice distraction."
"I would like to second her suggestion," Celeste chimed. "A private bath between girls could be just what we all need."
The two of them made eye contact, and I swear they both nodded just the slightest bit. Are they planning something? If they are, it's probably best to go with it for now. They're both super observant, after all. "Well, that sounds good to me! Who else is in?"
"Oh em gee, a spa would be amazing right now! Plus, there's like, a sauna in there. I'm in!" Junko declared.
"I'll agree as well then," Mukuro decided. "I've never had a spa treatment, and even if this isn't the real thing, I'm sure it'll be nice."
"I could use some time in the sauna," Sakura agreed.
"Then it's unanimous. To the spa!- er, bathhouse!" Junko marched us out of the dining hall and straight to the bathhouse.
Once we were all in the locker room, Kyoko stood up on the bench. "Everyone, look around. What do you see- or rather, what don't you see?"
What we don't see? There's something different about the bathhouse. I've noticed it before. "There's no monitor, and no security camera. Monokuma can't see or hear anything we do in here, and we can't see him."
"Goodness. I am surprised you figured it out so quickly," Celeste gasped. "I would not expect that from you."
I'm just gonna ignore that. "Once, I was in here when the morning announcement went off. I didn't even hear it. I only knew it was past time because of my watch."
"I remember that morning," Sakura recalled. "It was when Monokuma told us that the bathhouse didn't operate under the same water rules as the bathrooms."
"Yeah, that was it!" That explains why I didn't hear the alarm- it could never play in here without a monitor!
"It seems the bathhouse is the only place we're safe from Monokuma's constant surveillance, other than our own bathrooms," Kyoko thought. "I wanted you all to be aware, in case we need to speak somewhere Monokuma can't hear us."
"This would also be a good place to hide things from him," Mukuro suggested, "like weapons."
"Or clues," Celeste agreed. "I still believe adaptation is our best chance of survival, but a girl needs her privacy from grizzly eyes on occasion."
"We'll all have to promise not to talk about this or anything we bring in here outside of this room," Junko reminded us. "Like, if it's a secret, then not a word to those cameras or nothing. You got me?"
"No need to remind us." I don't wanna know how Monokuma would act if he found us forming some kind of plot against him. He could end up putting cameras in here... Gross!
"Since we're all here," Kyoko continued, "then if anyone has information to offer, now would be a good time. We'll have cover for a little while, since Monokuma thinks we're giving ourselves spa treatments."
"I have nothing you would consider useful," Celeste sighed, "but I did find the most exquisite items in the school store, if anyone needs room decorations."
"I'm afraid I must deny your request as well. I have nothing I can share," Sakura agreed.
"Honestly, I'd be amazed if anyone other than you had found something," I told Kyoko, "except maybe Chihiro. But that's only if she had some tech, and the laptop from the library went missing."
"I'm aware. It's unfortunate, but I haven't been able to locate it since its disappearance." Kyoko tapped a finger to her chin. "I'm afraid I haven't found much of anything beyond what I've already shown you, and not for lack of trying. It seems like we're at a dead end for now." She clenched a fist, but otherwise was still totally calm. "We'll have to see what we can find hidden within our next motive, whatever and whenever that may be."
"Then, while we wait, why not have a spa for real?" Celeste had reached into her hair and was pulling her twindrills away from her head. "I could most certainly use it. Hina, do you know any good massages by chance, as an athlete?"
"Uh, I know a few, but they're meant for torn muscles and ligaments, not for leisure. I don't wanna hurt you by mistake."
"Shame. Very well, then. Sakura?"
"My answer is the same."
"Ah, how unfortunate. Oh, well. I am certain I will find some way to enjoy myself."
"Oooo, how about face masks?" Junko had started mixing up a big bowl of thick green goo, while Mukuro was slicing cucumbers. Did they have that stuff the whole time? "It'll like, totally clean out your face and make it feel all fresh, I swear! You guys are gonna love it!"
So, we ended up having a really nice spa day! Between the cold, goopy face masks and the hot steam from the sauna, I felt as clean as I'd felt the morning I came! You know, before we all got locked inside. "Aaaaahhhhh~ This is totally what I needed!"
"Amen!" Junko shouted. "I feel bad for Toko and Chihiro missing out, though."
"It was their decision to make. If they wish to join us, then they must join us on their own terms, not ours," Sakura said.
"You're right, but it still feels incomplete."
"Do you think the boys do a boys' night?" Mukuro wondered. "I've never heard any of them talk about one."
"Gosh, I've never even thought about that before." What are all the boys doing?
"I still don't get it." Makoto holds up a wad of paper. "Do I just throw it, or...?"
"I am begging you to understand." Leon picks up a paper wad of his own. "It's. Just. Trashketball!" He throws his wad into the trash can across the room perfectly. "See? Now you throw it."
"Ooooooh! I get it! TRASH-ketball! Like basketball, but with TRASH! Hahaha!"
"Please just throw it. We've been talking about this for literal hours."
"I'm still a little confused. Can we make another comic book explaining it?"
Leon held his head in his hands, utterly defeated. "Why are you like this?"
"Maybe the boys do have a boys' night, but if they do, where would Hiro go?" Celeste wondered. "They are not a man or a woman. How would they spend their nights?"
"Maybe they just keep sleeping so they'll be ready for the night shift!" I suggested.
"Through over half a day?" Junko countered. "Uh, I think not."
"G-Guys?"
"Toko!" I sat up so fast my cucumbers fell off my eyes. She did come, after all! I knew she would! "We're having a spa day! Care to join us?"
"Um, a-actually... M-Monokuma made an an-nouncement. E-Everyone has to go to the gym. Now." She chewed her thumb, eyes darting all over. "So, h-hurry up."
"Oh." I guess she didn't want to, after all. "Okay. We'll be there in a sec."
The class all turned to the podium, waiting. Watching. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen students that have learned what to expect. Then, springing up from behind the podium and landing on top is a black and white bear, with a crimson eye and a sinister smile. He looks at all his students, then laughs.
"Puhuhuhu!"
"Gooooood morning, class! Monokuma has a beary special-"
"It is about to be nighttime," Celeste interrupted. "I do not see how you could possibly call this morning."
"You can cut the theatrics," Byakuya droned. "Just give us our motive. There's no need to make a fuss."
"I'd also like to know what motive you have planned," Kyoko agreed.
"Aww, you guys are just plain no fun! At least, right now, you are... Puhuhu! But I bet you all have big, dirty secrets! Don't you?! Well?! Don't youuu?!"
"So you're gonna like, do something with everyone's secrets?" Junko tossed her hair. "Well, I've got nothing to hide. Lay it on me!"
"With pleasure!" He pulled out a stack of envelopes, each one labeled with a name. "In each of these letters, I have dug up your most disgustingest, dirtyest, darkest secret ever! Go on, take a look!"
I looked at the folded letter in my hand. I don't know what he means by my darkest secret; I don't think I really have any. I unfolded it and read the printed letters:
Aoi Asahina doesn't know how to skate.
That's... embarrassing, I guess, but that's nothing! I couldn't stop a small laugh from escaping me.
"What? What is it, Ms. Asahina? Do you find this funny?!" Monokuma pouted.
"I mean, a little bit." I held up my letter. "I mean, this is ridiculous! No one's gonna kill over something like this."
"Yeah, this is stupid!" Makoto agreed. "I don't know how you figured this out, but this isn't worth killing over!"
"Well, yeah. That's cuz you two are boring! You had nice, happy, functional families and well-adjusted childhoods! I gave you letters so it would feel fair," Monokuma harrumphed, "but if you're gonna be so arrogant, then go ahead! Hey, maybe you'll be a target!"
"Why, you-" This stupid bear is getting on my nerves tonight! "Why would we even need to kill over these in the first place?"
"Well, I'm getting to that," he scoffed. "You see, if no one is killed in the next twenty-four hours, then these secrets will be leaked on the internet for anyone to see worldwide! And, as a little bonus, I'll include your fallen classmates' secrets, too, just so they won't feel left out. Safe dreams! Have fun tonight!~"
He disappeared in the rafters. I looked around at everyone. "Hey, guys, I get that not everyone's secrets are gonna be pretty, but no one's gonna kill over this stuff, right?"
"No way! I mean, it'll hurt like a bitch when this comes out, but it's been coming anyway," Leon scoffed.
"Yeah, same here," Chihiro agreed.
"I would prefer if this were not made available to the public, but it is nothing to spill blood over," Celeste agreed. "Not for me, at least."
"I wouldn't decide that so confidently," Byakuya mused. "None of you look nearly afraid enough to kill someone over this, but that doesn't mean we're safe yet. It's best not to take chances." He turned on his heel and started to walk out of the gym.
"Huh? Wh-where are you going?" Toko asked.
"My room. I'd rather not be vulnerable over the next twenty-four hours."
"Oh, r-right." She trailed after him.
I watched them go. Behind me, Leon shouted: "Hey! I've got an idea! Why don't we all just say them right now?"
"That sounds like a good idea. Then, at least the pressure will be off later," Mukuro agreed. "Of course, it's entirely voluntary. None of us are able to access the internet, after all, so there's no need to confess to everyone here."
"Oh, yeah, I totally forgot about that," Hiro thought. "Well, not like I've got anything to hide! I'm glad most of us are on the same page!" We all sat down in a circle.
"I hope Byakuya and Toko don't turn on each other," Chihiro worried.
"I doubt it. From his words, I'd say they're staying in their own rooms separately," Kyoko assured her.
"Okay, then. I'll go first! It's kinda silly, being the athlete I am, but I never really learned how to skate." I folded the letter back. "Alright! Who's next?"
"I was a bed wetter until I was eleven," Makoto said sheepishly.
"Once, I had a wealthy client with a horrible prediction. I lied about her prediction to avoid getting offed by her connections, but she ended up fine anyway, so no one knew," Hiro told us. "I still felt awful, though."
"Much of my hair is actually nothing more than clip-on extensions I attach to my headband," Celeste smiled.
"I actually have no idea what I want to do with my life," Leon added. "I just said I wanted to be a musician cuz I thought playing a guitar would get me in good with girls. I still hate baseball, though."
"For my very first fashion line, I ended up getting in a fistfight with my first agent because he didn't want me to model my own clothes. And I'd do it again!" Junko shouted. "Honestly, I'm surprised people don't know about it already."
"I'm not actually an undefeated champion," Sakura admitted. "I had a rival once that I could never defeat."
"I've actually started to grow apart from Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess," Hifumi told us, "but I'm afraid if I stop making Princess Piggles content, then I'll lose my platform entirely!"
Kyoko, Mukuro, and Chihiro were the only ones left, but none of them spoke. I stood up. "Well, that's that then. I hope this helped relieve some of everybody's tension! Now, let's all get some good sleep!"
Chihiro stood too. "Wait. I... I want to tell you guys. All of you. I just need to prepare myself over the night. Then I'll tell you all, I promise!"
"If you're going to tell your secret, then I will too," Mukuro decided. "Tomorrow morning, then."
We all looked at Kyoko. She just walked to the doors. "You do that, then. Goodnight."
"Awww, I think she's warming up to us!"
I got back to my room and thought about everyone's secrets. Some of those secrets were really close and personal to them... I guess it was kind of inappropriate of me to just laugh about it like that. This is really serious, even if no one's gonna die over it. My feelings of guilt and my relief mixed together like a vortex, eventually pulling me to sleep.
The curtains rise on Monokuma's wooden stage. A calendar hangs on the right of the wall, partially obscured by cherry blossoms, a swimsuit model on the page. Monokuma sits in the center, shaking his head from side to side, smiling gleefully at his audience.
"If fate does exist, does that mean your future is decided the moment you're born? If all your yesterdays pile up to create your tomorrow, is your future as final as your past?
"I just don't know. That's why I'm still alive- because I don't know. That's why I desperately cling to life!"
The lights start to fade, and Monokuma and the stage disappear into the darkness, the crimson glow of his eye winking out.
"Goooood morning!" I woke up to the sound of Monokuma's voice floating above my head. I opened my eyes-
Monokuma was leaning over my bedpost, smiling gleefully at me. "Huh?"
"What?! No screams of terror? No cry of fear and despair?! I snuck into your room and watched you sleep! The one time I need you to show some emotion..." he whined, hopping down and crossing his little arms.
"I mean, you were already watching us sleep," I groaned, pointing to the camera as I sat up. "Ugh, what time is it...?"
"Why, it's seven am! I thought, poor Hina has been working so hard, she deserves a morning off! So I shut your alarm off!"
"You did what?!" I reached to the table for my watch, but it was gone. "What did you do with my watch?!"
"Oh, well, actually, I couldn't figure out how it worked," he replied, pulling himself up on the table, "so I threw it into the pool instead! Hope you don't mind!"
"I hate you..." He doesn't need to know that my watch is waterproof. I'll have to remember to get that later. "You made me miss my morning workout! Thanks a lot! Why did you even come to my room?"
"Well, I was getting bored of the morning announcement, so I thought I'd switch things up today and wake you in person! And, since you've been doing such a good job helping your friends, I thought I'd give you a little hint at your morning surprise~"
"What's the catch?" Whatever he's got cooked up, I won't let him get to me. I'm better than that!
"Well, don't look at me like that! I'm not the one responsible for the body," he snickered.
I felt my blood run cold, and my head started to swim- partially because I'd gotten up so late, but his words weren't helping. "The what?"
"That's right! Something terrible has happened to one of your dear classmates in the night! Isn't it just despairful?!"
"You... You're lying! You're trying to psych me out!" It can't be... Who would've-
"Well, maybe I am. But then, you won't know for sure unless you look for yourself! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have eight more students to wake up! Byeeeee!"
He wedged himself under my bed and disappeared. There's no way he's serious... He can't be! We all shared our secrets! Although, I guess someone could've lied... No! I trust my friends! I was out the door in a second. I'll just check every room in the school! Then I'll know! Monokuma was lying for sure!
I burst through the dining hall doors. Celeste, Byakuya, and Toko were there already, arguing amongst each other.
"I do not understand why you are being so difficult. There is no reason to rush into things."
"What, were y-you the one to do it? Trying to d-delay the inevitable? Huh?"
"Both of you, shut up. We need three to set off the discovery alarm; now hurry up." He noticed me in the doorway. "Hm?"
Okay, that's three safe. I ran back out. Down the halls, looking in every classroom, checking place after place. Nothing, nothing, nothing... I bolted up the stairs.
"Wait... up..."
At the bottom of the steps was Toko. Byakuya stood calmly at the bottom. "Hina... y-you're too fast..." Toko panted.
"Sorry!" My heart was still pounding. I could feel the blood in my veins. He can't have been telling the truth... It has to be a lie!
"No, by all means, go ahead of us. Maybe the killer is still there," Byakuya suggested.
"Uh, okay!" I ran down the second floor. The library, the classrooms, the study space- all empty. All that was left was the pool lockers. As soon as I was in, the monitor clipped on. "To assist in the investigation, I have taken the liberty of unlocking the doors. Search to your heart's content!"
The doors? Does he mean the locker rooms? Both doors swung slightly open. Oh no... That wouldn't be necessary unless-
"Well? Don't just stand there," Byakuya demanded from behind. He and Toko had caught up. "Take a look."
"Y-You guys look," Toko managed. "I'm not good with bl-lood."
I took a breath. It'll be okay. There's not really a body. There's not really a body. I opened the girls' locker room-
-and it was empty. Oh, thank God! I checked the pool. No body here, either!
I went back and closed the door in relief. "It's empty!"
"That one is," Byakuya replied. He stood in the open doorway of the boys' locker room. "Take a look in here."
He's being rude. He's being insensitive, and he's messing with me. He stepped aside. Just one look, and it'll be over. I peeked in, and...
On the left side of the locker room, behind a bloody dumbbell and an open duffel bag, there's a bench with a pair or hairy legs dangling off, black pants having rolled back as a body rests against the lockers behind it, dreads loose and scattered around the bloody face and bloody neck of what was once a friend.
Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, is dead.
Selfishness and Selflessness are Often the Same- Daily Life- End
Selfishness and Selflessness are Often the Same- Deadly Life- Begin
