Beta Read by Lupus Overkill


Shizu is vaguely aware of the fact that she is awake, but, in an effort to fight it, she pulls up her covers and squeezes her eyes tighter. Desperately seeking the return of her comfort, she freezes her entire body, as if moving another inch will wake her up. Alas, her efforts are in vain, and she begrudgingly reaches over for her glasses.

She takes her sweet time getting dressed. Normally,, she'd say that she's used to this. There have been many times in recent memory that she hasn't gotten a good night's sleep. However, this time, her body doesn't feel heavy, and she doesn't have any aches or pains. For whatever reason, she just can't force herself to move quickly.

By the time she gets herself out of her room, she's wasted a good fifteen minutes or so. By sheer coincidence, she hears another door open right as she's starting to walk away. Turning her head, she finds Sawako looking in her direction.

"Good morning Shizu." Sawako's smile looks a little strained, and her eyes have dark rings around them. "May I accompany you to the dining hall?"

Shizu briefly considers saying no. "We're both going there anyways. Even if I refuse, we'll both take the elevator anyways. We don't have a choice in the matter, unless one of us feels like taking the stairs."

Sawako averts her eyes to stare at the tile flooring. "I suppose that was a silly question then. In that case, I shall follow your lead."

Nodding, Shizu turns back and speed walks to the elevator lobby. A bit taken aback by the speed of her escape, Sawako stares for a moment before following. She needs to sprint in order to catch up with Shizu, though she slows down to match her speed once she's there.

While Shizu presses the button for the elevator, Sawako decides to speak up. "I apologize for the sudden thought, but I wanted to thank you for stopping me from blocking off the storage room. The clocks have been very helpful, and, after giving it a lot of thought, I was definitely in the wrong on that argument."

"It's not a problem," says Shizu, stepping inside and selecting the second floor.

As she does this, the daily announcement chime plays. "Good morning everyone! It's officially 8 AM, so let's greet the morning with a smile, shall we? That's all!" Neither of them acknowledge it.

Sawako, instead, chooses to disagree with Shizu's last point. "I believe that it certainly would have been a problem. As I said before, the clocks are a very helpful thing to have around. However…" She begins to trail off, letting the sound of the elevator dropping fill the void. "I was thinking about what you said in our discussion. About how blocking an area off would lead to increased stress and nervousness."

She has a feeling she knows where this is going. "What of it?"

"Well, the motive we were given," Sawako begins. "I was thinking that, if we had blocked off the storage room, then this certainly would have been the tipping point for freaking out, if not sooner. I was actually unable to sleep well last night. I couldn't help but think of what might have happened if things were more uncertain here."

The elevator dings, and the doors open. Before she steps off, Shizu replies, "I see. Then, I take it you are concerned that someone will attempt… murder."

Quickly catching up to her again, Sawako answers, "It is in my nature and my profession. I believe in everyone as much as I am able to, but I cannot abandon the facts. Even with a motive that lacks direct proof, I have to worry…"

"And what do you plan to do about this?" She's not entirely sure why she's continuing to indulge Sawako, but something about the way she's speaking calls out to her.

"The most that I can do is to make sure that everyone is safe and unwilling to hurt any of the others. I suppose it is similar to what you've been doing these past few days," Sawako responds confidently.

…That last line came out of nowhere. "Hmm?"

"Oh, was I wrong?" Averting her eyes to the metal walls, Sawako mumbles, "Were you not taking notes on everyone to keep tabs on them all?"

By this point, they've reached the dining hall. Shizu pushes open the doors as she answers, "…You wouldn't exactly be incorrect, I guess."

Their conversation gets put on hold when they see the doors to the kitchen swing shut. Someone else must have just gotten here, right before they did. If Shizu had to hazard a guess, judging by the empty seats at the table…

…It's Takumi. She catches a glimpse of his bag before he vanishes into the pantry. Ignoring that for now, she opens up the fridge, takes out some bread, and begins making some toast. Sawako mentions wanting some waffles and goes into the freezer to look for them. Eventually, Takumi comes back out. He gives her a weary look but ultimate ignores her in favor of opening a new box of cereal and pouring it into a bowl.

"…You were serious about not trusting the food then," Shizu finally states.

He flinches at the sound of her voice but responds, "Of course I am. Do you think I'd change things up after what happened yesterday?"

That does make sense, though she's still a bit bothered by his wasting of food. Thus, she attempts another angle of discussion. "Have you apologized yet?"

"N-not yet," he stutters, nearly spilling his cereal. "I wasn't feeling up for talking last night anyways… I'll get on with it later. I'm not that petty."

"Okay then," she says evenly. That's the end of that, as he steps outside the moment Sawako walks back in.

"Was Takumi doing alright?" she asks, putting her breakfast into the toaster oven.

"As well as he can be, considering the circumstances." They both return to silence, waiting for their food to finish cooking.

The breakfast meeting is quieter than it was yesterday, though the reason for that is obvious. At the very least, Joshua and Soraru seem to be in good spirits, so it's never completely quiet. Michio also attempts small talk with just about everyone, though only a few people seem responsive. Shizu is tempted to say that the quiet is nice, but she's not that selfish.

Once everyone goes their separate ways for the day, Shizu makes for the laundry room immediately. She's relieved to find that nobody is using it at the moment, so she's free to claim it for her own. She's starting to run out of clean clothing after all. Thus, she rushes to head back to the fourth floor.

As Shizu gets off of the elevator, she sees Kazuha pacing around the lobby nervously, muttering to herself. She's so distracted that she doesn't even seem to realize or even hear all of the noise that the elevator made, let alone that someone had just gotten off of it. Taking pity on the poor woman, Shizu whistles sharply.

She yelps and looks up from her movements. Holding a hand up to her heart, she says, "Oh, Shizu! You nearly gave me a heart attack there. Is everything okay?"

"I feel like I should be asking you that," Shizu points out. "It looks like you've walking around here since breakfast. There are better places to pace around, you know. For instance, your room. You're much less likely to run into someone there."

Biting her lip, Kazuha groans, "Oh…. I know… But I can't help it. I'm so worried about everything that I can't even think straight. And I wanted to head back to my room, but I couldn't stop worrying, so I started walking and walking and I didn't even realize I was going in circles and I know that's a lame excuse and-"

Shizu grabs hold of Kazuha by her shoulders, snapping her out of her panicked ramblings. "Kazuha, breathe."

"O-okay," she whispers. Closing her eyes, she takes several deep breaths, each one a little longer than the last. Finally, she opens her eyes again. They're still full of worry, but they aren't shaking around in their sockets anymore.

Removing her hands, Shizu says calmly, "Would it make you feel better to get all of this off of your chest?"

"M-maybe? I don't know." Kazuha takes one more shaky breath before saying, "B-but I'll try. I'll power on through it so that you don't need to worry anymore."

It's a rather selfless goal, though Shizu thinks that Kazuha should focus on herself a little more before worrying about anyone else's feelings. "In that case, should we head to one of our rooms to discuss?"

Kazuha shakes her head rapidly. "No way! If we do that, then I might lose my nerve, and there's no way I'm going to let that happen now. Not after I've made my promise!"

Her sudden burst of energy is a little overwhelming. Still, if it's getting her spirits back, then, by all means, Shizu is okay with that. "Very well then. What is on your mind?"

"The motive, what else?" Kazuha states bluntly. Then, she quickly apologizes. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to be so harsh there, I just-"

"It's fine," Shizu cuts her off. "Are you worried about your family?"

Giving a little half nod, Kazuha explains, "I mean, of course I am. Anyone would be worried that their loved ones might be killed. But that's not the only thing. After all, Monokuma didn't really give us a whole lot of proof that he was being serious…" From her tone, it's clear that even she doesn't fully believe her last statement. She starts pacing again. "I'm starting to get more worried about everyone else. Monokuma is really living up to his predator nature."

"What exactly does that mean?" Shizu asks.

Kazuha's eyes widen. "I should really explain that, shouldn't I? Well, basically, think about a lot of herbivores that live together in large groups. They may not be the toughest animals out there. After all, they don't need to eat meat, so they might lack adaptations like sharp claws or lots of teeth for chewing or even eyes placed on the front of their heads. But they make up for their weakness by being together in a large group."

"It's much harder to launch an attack when your opponent outnumbers you." Shizu is familiar enough with that idea, though admittedly in other areas.

"That's right!" Kazuha beams. "A hungry predator can't just waltz on in and start eating. They'd get totally destroyed by all of the other animals in the group, even if they're all running away. It's hard to get a good bite in when you're being trampled to death." Having said this, her grin starts to fade. "But that herd protection relies on all of the herd members being strong enough to work with the others in their escape. The weak, the sick, the young… they tend to get left behind. And those animals are the ones that get eaten because they're unable to protect themselves."

With this explanation, Shizu has a pretty good idea where Kazuha is going. "I see. So, with this motive, you're saying that Monokuma is artificially weakening some of us. By making us worry about the fates of our friends and families, we will be ripe for the picking for a potential killer."

"Yeah, that's part of the issue." Biting the inside of her cheek, Kazuha's tone gets glummer still. "He's not just creating weak prey. He's also inserting a predator. He's giving people a reason to kill. That's obvious though, since that's the whole point of the motive."

"Then you're worried that someone is going to fall for this." It's not a question.

"…I don't want to believe it." Kazuha doesn't even want to say it at all. "But what's going to happen when we're all separated like this? Monokuma hasn't just made some us of weak. He's trying to completely destroy the herd. He's making it so that none of us can ever trust anyone else here ever again, and I hate it! I have no idea what to do." Tears start to form in her eyes.

This is going to require some tact, and Shizu and tact mix very poorly, at least going off of some of her previous conversations. Still, she has no other choice. "I wouldn't say that he's succeeded thus far."

"H-huh?" Sniffing loudly, Kazuha looks up at her.

"We aren't completely split up yet," Shizu explains. "We're all nervous and worried, but, even so, we all still came to this morning's breakfast, did we not? Even the most paranoid among us still trust everyone enough to spend time together. It may be superficial, but unity still exists." She moves on to her second point. "Besides, I don't think you can say that we have been completely united even before the motive came to light. Several people have been very reclusive during those times. I would say that, even though we have been threatened, things are about the same as they were in the previous days."

"Even though things are worse, nobody is acting very differently…" Kazuha mutters to herself, as if saying the words over and over again will unlock some kind of hidden meaning. Finally, she looks back at Shizu, adjusts her cap, and lets out a quick puff of air. "Alright, thank you Shizu. I feel a lot better now!"

"I'm glad to hear it." There's always something a little rewarding about making people feel better.

Clicking her tongue, Kazuha then says, "By the way, you never answered my question from before. There's not that much to do up on the fourth floor. Are you feeling alright?"

Well, that didn't take long. Shizu smiles but shakes her head. "I'm fine. I was just about to grab my laundry before anyone else could use to the machines."

"Huh? Why not just claim them before you walked up here?" Kazuha asks. "I mean, you were on the second floor for breakfast, right? You could just set something down to let people know that you wanted to use them."

"Perhaps, but I don't have many things to set down. All I have is my notepad." She pulls it out of her blazer pocket. "I'm not about to leave this around in an unsupervised location. I suppose I could tear out a page and write a message, but I loathe dismembering my notes in any fashion. It's a mental thing, if that makes sense."

Kazuha isn't done offering up suggestions quite yet. "Yeah, that's completely fine. I don't want you to be worried or anything. But why not just use some of the laundry supplies instead? Like, stick a container of pods on the machine. That should indicate that someone wants to use it, I think."

"That…" Shizu adjusts her glasses, thinking for counterarguments. She finds none. "Hmm… I suppose I didn't even consider that. I assumed that personal objects would work best since they would show who claimed the washing machine. In the end, as long as people know someone wants to use it, that should work. Thank you, Kazuha."

Jumping around in place, Kazuha beams. "Any time! You just helped me out a lot too, so we're even!"

"In that case, I believe I have somewhere to be. I'll see you later." She turns around and gets right back on the elevator.

Before the doors close, Kazuha calls out, "See you later, Shizu!"

Now, she's once more all alone with her notes.


Conversation with Kazuha Kimura (1)

- Very worried both for herself and others, though mostly about everyone's mental state

- Talked about predators and hunting instincts

- Monokuma seems to be using similar techniques to corner us from both sides, forcing some to be weak and others to kill

- Needs to calm down and stop worrying (not saying that worrying is not a reasonable response, but she's going to make herself break down completely at this rate)


When the doors open on the second floor, Shizu is a little surprised to see both Fumika and Tsubame standing there. Now that she thinks about it, this is one of the first times that she's actually intercepted someone else trying to use the elevator. With sixteen people living here, this should probably be at least a little more common.

"Hello Shizu," Tsubame greets. Fumika merely waves, content with remaining silent.

Stepping out into the lobby, Shizu greets them as well. "Tsubame, Fumika. It's nice to see both of you. Are you heading somewhere together?" It seems unlikely, at least given Fumika's standoffishness and Tsubame's nervousness.

Tsubame nods. "That's right. We were about to head to the lounge. It's a nice place to sit and talk, after all."

"It's also the only place to sit and talk," Fumika says, a hint of bitter humor in her voice.

"That too," giggles Tsubame.

"In that case, I will get out of your way." She takes a large step to the side, away from the panel. The doors have already closed, but it's the thought that counts. Probably.

"Would you care to join us?" Tsubame extends the offer and her hand in the same instant.

"You're not that bad, Shizu, so I'd be okay with having you around." Fumika almost compliments her, but, coming from someone like her, Shizu will take it.

Still, she has to decline. "Thank you, but I have somewhere I need to be."

"Are you going to go question someone else?" Fumika asks.

Looking a little surprised, Tsubame leans over and says to her companion, "Oh, she did that to you too?"

Giving a little grin, Fumika says, "She woke me up in the middle of the night to ask me a lot of questions. It was kind of weird."

"That's not-" Shizu attempts to defend herself.

Seeing her panic, Tsubame decides to tease her a little as well. "When I went to check up on her, she forced me to hang up clocks for a few hours."

"I didn't take her for someone that lazy," Fumika laughs.

Frustrated, Shizu says, "As I remember it, you offered to help."

Tsubame's smile fades, and she starts fidgeting on the spot. "I'm sorry. Maybe that was a little too far."

"I think she can take a little joke." Despite her comment, the look on Fumika's face is somewhat guilty.

Shizu sighs. "…It's fine. There's no harm done, so I don't care that much. In any case, I don't want to waste any more time here. Stay safe, you two."

"Take care, Shizu!" Tsubame calls as she and Fumika step into the elevator. Moving Shizu walks towards the laundry room, she faintly hears the elevator doors closing and the rumbling as it moves upwards.

However, that's not the only noise that she hears. As she gets closer and closer to her destination, she continues to hear a low rumbling. By this point, the elevator should be far enough away to not cause any noise. That must mean that, much to her displeasure, someone else has started doing their own laundry. Hopefully, they're only using one of the washing machines.

She pushes open the door to the laundry room to find Kaixi putting something in his backpack. Upon hearing the creak of the door, he swivels around and says, "Hey Shizu! What's up?"

Glancing past him, she's disappointed to see that both functioning machines have started. "…Nothing much. I was about to do some laundry but…"

"Oh no!" He slaps a hand to his head. "I'm so sorry! I just started my loads a minute ago. I had no idea that you were coming, I swear."

"You don't need to apologize," she says. "Everyone needs to start washing their clothes." She inspects the inside of one of the washing machines. "And their sheets, I suppose. This is the function of this room, after all."

Kaixi purses his lips. "Still though, I feel awful about it. We've got limited resources available to us, and I feel a bit selfish taking some of them away from you, even if it is only temporary… Plus, you would have had to drag your stuff all the way down here from the fourth floor. That's way more work than I have to do." Then, he looks behind her, craning his neck to see if he's missing something. "Wait, where's your laundry?"

"As you mentioned, it is a long trip, even if there is an elevator to help move things along quicker," Shizu explains. "I decided that I didn't want to bring my stuff down unless I was certain that the machines weren't in use already. If they weren't, then I would mark them to stake my claim."

"Oh man, now I feel even worse," he moans. "You put all of that thought into your plans, and I just messed everything up. I'm really sorry!"

Adjusting her glasses, Shizu responds, "What are you talking about? Figuring out if someone had already been here was part of the plan. This just wasn't the best possible outcome for me in particular. Besides, this is a public space. You have every right to use it whenever you like."

"I guess…" He plays with the straps on his backpack. "It's just that you put a lot of thought into everything, even something as simple as this, and now I've gotten in the way mere minutes before you could put it into action. It just feels like I'm taking the spotlight off of you…"

"Spotlight?" she asks, narrowing her eyes.

Kaixi scratches the back of his neck. "Err… sorry. I guess that's not really a metaphor you'd be used to hearing on a day to day basis. I'll explain." Clearing his throat, he says, "Well, you know how I'm a sports photographer, right?"

"That is your talent, yes," Shizu states flatly.

He explains, "Well, I'm sort of relegated to being on the sidelines, you know? There's a lot of amazing athletes out there, and, in every event or game or whatever else, they have plenty of opportunity to show their skills. It's my job to capture those moments, so that they can be appreciated forever. But, if I jumped in front of the camera or made myself the focus of those pictures, then that would be a huge problem!"

Well, he's correct in his assessment. However, his explanation is a bit lacking in one area. "…I see. And this relates to the current situation how, exactly?"

Looking at the floor, Kaixi mumbles, "Disrupting your strategy, the thing that you'd most well known for, is kind of like jumping in front of the shot, in a way."

She sighs. "I already told you that you didn't disrupt anything. You're completely fine, so there's no reason to worry."

"Oh, thank you so much!" He clasps his hands together happily.

"That being said, I am a bit curious about what you just mentioned. I agree that good photographers, will put the focus on what's in their pictures rather than on themselves when on the job, unless they are also meant to be in the picture. However, that does not extend to when they show off their work. The way you are talking makes it sound as though you view even that as selfish."

"E-eh? Well, not really, no. I didn't mean to come off that way." Kaixi smiles widely, but it looks a little forced. There's probably enough truth in his words for her to believe him. Still, something is clearly bothering him.

For now, at least, Shizu decides to cut him some slack. "I see. In that case, I apologize for putting words in your mouth."

He gives an honest laugh. "Now who's saying sorry for something trivial? No worries here."

"That's a relief," she says. "I should probably head out before either of us says something easily misconstrued again. Take care, Kaixi." She hears him say something, but it's muffled by the sound of the doors closing. While she'd be interested in staying, she would like to check up on the others in case something happens.

Apparently, he had something important to tell her, as he catches up to her in the elevator lobby. "H-hold up! Please don't just ignore me like that!" he calls out through his pants.

Turning around, she lies, "Oh, did you need something? I didn't hear you."

Skidding to a halt right in front of her, he wipes his brow and answers, "Yeah… Hang on a second…" He pants for a bit before continuing. "Do you have an idea of where you might be in an hour or so? I was going to come get you once my stuff's done washing. I don't think anyone else will handle any of my stuff if it's still in there, so it should be saved for you."

"That's very kind of you, but I am capable of remembering on my own. There's no need to inconvenience yourself." It's a nice thought, after all, but she put up those clocks for a reason.

"Of course! Just wanted to make sure. Sorry for chasing you down like that!" He starts to wave goodbye and walk back to the laundry room.

However, at that moment, both of them hear shouting coming from the hallway to the left. Is something going on in the dining hall? They share a glance before they both run towards the source of the noise. It's a little hard to hear over their footsteps, but it also sounds like the elevator is coming down. Of course, that's not as important as what they heard first. In the meantime, Shizu jots down a few more notes.


Conversation with Kaixi Cheng (1)

- Overly apologetic, somewhat similar to people like Tsubame and Kazuha

- Claims to be used to not being noticed due to his talent

- Something was bothering him about interrupting my plan, clearly felt bad for minorly inconveniencing me yet also agreed that he wasn't being selfish

- Language used suggests selfishness is an issue though, perhaps being perceived as selfish?

- Thinks about others a lot, may find excuses to be around people


Running towards the source of the noise, they find that it is indeed coming from the dining hall. They see Michio and Morgan converging on the source from the opposite direction. Footsteps also echo from behind them, probably from the people who were inside the elevator.

Michio waves at them, though his expression is grim. "Hey. Any of you know what's going on?"

"How could we?" Shizu asks flatly. "You literally saw us running here."

He shrugs. "Well, maybe you had a guess? I mean, you had your notepad out there. I thought you might have been speculating."

"I believe that I am the one with clairvoyance, not Shizu," Morgan says, though she has a frown on her face. "However, as we are right in front of the source, I do not think that we need to speculate."

"Sh-she's right," Kaixi claims. "Let's just go inside and see what's up."

Nobody has any arguments against that plan. Michio does the honors and opens the doors. The first thing they notice is Takumi cowering on the floor and covered in what appears to be a pie. He has a hand over part of his bag and is breathing deeply. Lying not too far from him on the floor, there is a splattered pie plate. Soraru is glaring at him, unimpressed by something. Joshua stands at the sidelines looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Shizu needs to do a double take in order to realize that Kogi is also inside, sitting at one of the corner tables.

"Hey!" Michio calls, drawing attention to them. "Anyone want to explain what's going on here?"

"W-what does it look l-like? S-Soraru assaulted me!" Takumi yells through his stutter.

Xe takes offense to that, as xer tone is quite bitter. "Me? Oh come on, how was I supposed to know that you didn't like pie? It's not my fault that you don't have any taste buds."

His grip tightens. "You th-threw it at m-me!"

"I told you to think fast," xe snipes back.

Joshua decides that now is a good time to speak up. "Um… To be fair, you probably could have chosen a better prank target than him."

Soraru whirls around to face him. "And how was I supposed to know who it was? Gotta throw fast or it isn't funny!"

"I mean, you didn't hit Kogi," he points out.

"That's because he's a slippery snake who doesn't make any noise when opening doors. C'mon Joshua, get with the program. And back me up on this." Xe crosses xer arms.

Whistling to get everyone's attention, Michio says, "Okay, let me get everything straight first. So, Soraru, it sounds like you made a pie specifically to throw at someone, and you hit Takumi. Now, he's upset, and maybe you should consider saying that you're sorry."

"Maybe you should also consider apologizing for surprising someone under these circumstances," Kogi mutters from his corner.

Soraru addresses both of them at once. "I'm not going to apologize for art!"

"Um, how exactly is that art? Is that in a post-modern sense or…?" Kaixi's attempts to lighten the mood fall flat.

Morgan speaks over him. "It is clear that this is all a huge misunderstanding. There is no need for us to start getting aggressive with each other."

"Oh… is there… a fight?"

"Hey, what's going on? Is everyone alright?"

"I told you there was going to be trouble."

The doors push open, and a whole group of people rush inside. Kazuha and Tsubame are at the lead, each with concerned expressions. Pal and Chouki step in next, neither one of them looking too surprised. Finally, Fumika brings up the rear, her face unreadable.

"I w-was attacked, and n-nobody is on m-my side!" Takumi screeches, backing further into the corner.

Michio mutters, "I don't really know if I'd call a pie a weapon…"

Waving xer hand to brush off the concerns, Soraru says, "I mean, people say my pies are to die for, but that only happened once. Takumi's just being a meanie."

"Can you really blame him?" Fumika calls from the back of the group. "I'm already not fond of being hit with desserts, and being threatened by a mechanical bear is not helping my mood."

"Takumi is a bit of a delicate case as well," Morgan adds.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Kazuha asks, "But there's no danger, right? It probably only felt that way in the moment, and I know that that's awful, but things should be okay now, right?"

"Does that really matter?" Chouki scoffs. "People are still doing stupid things like this, even during a crisis. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

Michio balks. "It's… it's just a pie, though. Sure, it's a dumb prank, but that's all it is."

"Hey, watch what you call dumb!" Soraru seethes.

Joshua waves his hands frantically. "Uh… Maybe now's not the time for this?"

"No, by all means, keep yelling." Chouki rolls his eyes.

Pal admonishes him. "You are not… helping here."

"Is anyone really?" Fumika asks. "This is kind of a complete mess."

Ignoring everyone else, Tsubame walks over to Takumi and kneels down next to him. "You're not hurt, right?" She reaches a hand out to check for injuries.

He flinches as she moves. "G-get away from me!" As he shuffles backwards, his hand slips slightly, and Shizu notices a small tear in his bag.

"O-oh, I didn't mean to… I'm sorry." Tsubame stands up and takes several steps away from him.

"There is… no need for yelling," Pal attempts to placate everyone.

"Yes there is."

Everyone turns to look at Kogi, who has decided to stand up. His expression is flat and unimpressed.

Kaixi speaks up first. "Um… sorry, but what exactly did you mean by that?"

Shaking his head, Kogi explains, "I'd say that now is a great time for yelling. Clearly, nobody here is in complete agreement on how to take this, and this is a trivial thing. We've been captured, told to kill each other, and had our loved ones threatened. And, out of all of that, this is the point that we've decided to argue about."

"B-but it's so stupid in the grand scheme of things. You just said that yourself," stutters Kazuha.

"All the more reason to yell about it, or whatever," Kogi responds.

Balling his fists, Michio argues, "It's putting everyone on edge. Why don't we all just calm down for now and talk about this rationally?"

"What a pain." Kogi pinches his forehead. "I'm tired of just talking about this stuff. That's all that we've been doing this entire time. And lo and behold, nothing's gotten better. All this group effort's gotten us is more fighting. If you want to keep talking in circles, then be my guest. I'm done with this." He shoves his hands in his pockets and walks towards the door.

"Huh? Where are you going?" Kaixi asks as he's unceremoniously pushed out of the way.

Kogi rolls his eyes. "Were you not listening? Away. I'm done with this group." He doesn't look back at all, just goes out of the dining hall and vanishes from sight.

"Gah! Th-that was an option the entire time?" Takumi whines.

"Wait," Michio calls out, but it's too late.

"F-forget it! I'm better off o-on my own!" Just like Kogi before him, though less composed, he rushes out of the room.

Chouki begins tracing the tattoos of his veins. "Figured this would happen. I'm done here too. I'd say it was nice while it lasted, but I'd be lying."

Looking at him sadly, Pal gives a deep sigh. "Are we to take this as… your admission of resignation?"

"Sorry Pal." Chouki shrugs while he too exits. "You tried, but it was a wasted effort."

To everyone else's horror, Fumika is also the next to go. She nearly slips away without Shizu noticing her, but Kaixi calls her out. "Wait! Are you leaving too?"

Now with everyone's attention on her, she looks like a defeated puppy. "Please don't try to guilt trip me into staying… It's not that you're all bad people or anything. I just…"

"You can't help but feel nervous around others right now," Shizu finishes her sentence for her.

"…Yeah, that," Fumika states awkwardly, grabbing her forearm.

"And there is nothing we can say to stop you?" pleads Tsubame.

"…You're a very nice person, Tsubame. Never change." That's all that they get out of Fumika before she disappears through the doors.

There's an awkward silence, but it's quickly broken by Soraru. "Hmph. I can't believe none of you defended me there. I put in all this time and effort, and this is the thanks I get? Jerks. Big Brother would be very disappointed in you all." Xer tone is shaky despite xer accusations. Before anyone else can get another word in, xe sprints off, the doors swinging in the aftermath.

"…Uh, I think that xe's going to be fine," Joshua says, pulling on his beanie. "Xe probably just needs some time to cool off, like an angry loaf of bread or something. I bet you anything that xe's going to show up tomorrow like nothing ever happened."

Shizu raises an eyebrow. "That's certainly optimistic of you, especially after all of that."

And of course it's Morgan that disagrees with her. "I wouldn't be so certain. Fate works in mysterious ways." She clears her throat. "Now then, I believe I must take my leave as well. There are several things that I must consult the spirits about. Have no fear, I will return to you all when the time is right. My safety is guaranteed."

"Oh, then see you soon!" Kaixi yells as she glides towards the exit.

The dining hall feels more empty than it's ever had before, even more than when Shizu prepares her breakfast all alone. About half of their number just split off to fend for themselves, so this isn't a surprising feeling. Shizu still hates the way that her stomach churns.

"Well that could have gone better." Joshua puffs out his cheeks.

Kazuha moans, "This is awful. This is a complete mess. What are we going to do?"

"Whoa, let's not panic now." Michio raises both his hands. "Look, things might seem extremely bad, but I'd say that we're doing well all things considered. After all, there are still seven of us here who want to keep things together. Plus, there are three people who have no idea what's going on, so we can technically bump that number up to ten. We're still a group, and we're still going to make sure that everyone is safe."

"Y-yeah," Kaixi agrees, pulling down on his backpack's straps and standing up straight. "Everything's going to be just fine."

Tsubame tugs on her braid, and the ends start to fray. "But what should we do now?"

Pal offers a solution. "As Michio said… there are others… who are still wandering in the dark… unable to recognize the shadows for what… they truly are. We must… inform them of what has… transpired."

"Right." Michio nods. "Let's all split up and explain the situation to them. We're looking for Sawako, Hachi, and Samia. Try to be a little tactful about it. We don't want more people freaking out."

Having made these plans, everyone goes their separate ways to find the others. However, though Shizu agrees with their plan, she decides to instead head back to her room. They only need to inform three people, so it's not as though she's causing a huge disruption. Besides, she needs to reevaluate her notes with this new development. That's more important in the long run.

She nearly forgets to head back down to do her laundry because she's so invested in her notes. She regrets declining Kaixi's offer, as it's been over an hour. Still, she drags her hamper all the way down to the second floor, too irritated to want to make another trip. Luckily enough, the washing machines are free. The same thing happens again when it's time for her to put them in the dryer. Her mind is racing too much for her to remember something as simple as laundry. Perhaps being in prison has rotted her ability to do basic household chores…

Both times that she goes to and from the laundry room, she doesn't run into anyone. It's not particularly surprising given the past few days, but, this time, it starts to make her feel uneasy.

By this point, she should find some way to set an alarm or something. It's nearly midnight, and her clothes have been done drying for hours now. She should go get them before she falls asleep. Thus, she makes a late night trip down to the laundry room.

However, her elevator trip gets interrupted on the third floor. The doors open to reveal Hachi, who looks very shocked to see that someone else is inside.

"Hachi," Shizu greets.

Hachi gulps. "H-hey, Shizu. N-nice night, isn't it? Just the k-kind of night that makes you w-want to take a stroll."

"What do you actually want, Hachi?" Shizu inquires over the rumbling of the elevator.

"Huh? But I'm not lying?" The fact that she phrased her statement as a question just makes her all the more suspicious.

Shizu decides to take things gently. "I'm not going to yell at you, so please just be honest with me. I don't believe that you're planning on hurting someone, after all."

Biting her lip and glancing at the elevator floor, Hachi mumbles something under her breath. Whatever she said was masked by the elevator's noises.

Shizu gives her a flat stare and straightens her glasses. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't hear you. Could you please repeat that? …Wait, let me rephrase that. Could you please repeat that after we have reached the second floor?"

On cue, the elevator dings, and the doors open. Hachi pales and remains inside. When she hears Shizu tapping her foot, she hurries outside, though her lips are clamped shut.

"I'm waiting." Shizu continues to tap her foot, getting a bit impatient at this point.

Hachi shoves her face in her hands and groans. "Ugh… I was going to get something to eat."

"Hachi…" She drops her annoyance, and her voice is sympathetic.

"Don't look at me like that," Hachi wails. "I know it's a problem, okay. It's super big problem, but I can't help it! Everything's gone from bad, to worse, to worser, and it feels like my heart's going to explode! I need this!"

Shizu holds out her hands and makes calming motions. "Breathe, Hachi. Just take some deep breaths and start over again." It feels like she's been doing this all day, now that she thinks about it. Still, it's worked out so far, so there's no harm in trying it.

Taking her advice, Hachi matches her breaths with the motions of Shizu's hands. Soon, the color starts coming back to her face. "Thank you…" she mumbles.

She shakes her head. "It's no issue. Now, could you please explain why you were coming down here again? You mentioned that you wanted some food, but I thought you took some of your snacks back to your room. Was I mistaken?"

"No," Hachi admits, tugging on the bottom of her shirt. "I kind of… maybe ate through all of them today."

"I see." Shizu makes no judgments. "Then, am I correct in guessing that you were going to the dining hall to restock?"

"Maybe? I don't know. I just know that I needed some honey or I'd never calm myself down." Hachi pouts.

That's an interesting thing to note. "Honey specifically? Is that a home remedy that I am not familiar with?"

"Honey's the best!" Hachi says, her cheer beginning to return. "It's golden, sweet goodness, and it goes well on almost everything. I love honey so much!" She giggles, "I guess it's a good thing that I'm a beekeeper since I've always got some fresh whenever I want it." Then, she frowns. "Well, almost any time. It's been hard having to readjust to the store brand stuff. And also the midnight dining hall regulations…"

"Yes, I can imagine…" Shizu mutters, more so about the second fact. She remembers having issues during the first few weeks of prison when her mealtimes were regulated.

"Honey makes everything better," Hachi claims. "Even if it only helps a little bit, a little bit is a lot bit when it comes to happiness."

"Well, I wouldn't be so bold as to compare my words to honey, but I hope that you are at least feeling a little better right now," Shizu carefully prods.

Hachi blinks. "Huh. I kind of am? I hadn't even realized." Then, she looks downcast. "Oh… Is that the only reason you talked to me?"

"Of course not," Shizu quickly denies. "I enjoy talking to everyone. Learning about people is one of my hobbies, so to speak. For instance, your love of honey has been duly noted. However, if it comes with the added benefit of increasing morale, I will not shun that. Besides, most friendly conversations have a similar effect. I sincerely hope that friendships would not come crashing down upon such a realization."

"Friendships…" Hachi trails off before looking at Shizu directing in her eyes. "Shizu, are… are we friends?"

Shizu closes her eyes. In this scenario, honesty is probably her best bet, at least to avoid future issues. Still, she should put it tactfully. "I am not the type of person who forges friendships easily. I do not think that I would consider anyone here my friend, especially when it hasn't even been a week since we've all met. That being said, I enjoy talking with you and your company, so please don't take this the wrong way."

On the contrary, Hachi looks ecstatic. "No, no, that's super duper touching! Thank you so much!" Shizu finds herself being pulled into a tight hug. It's not uncomfortable, per say, but she hadn't been prepared for it. It only lasts a few seconds before Hachi pulls away. "I'll make sure to work extra hard so that we can be friends!"

Shizu smiles. "I look forward to it. I'm glad that you're feeling better as well."

"Oh, I almost blanked." Tapping her forehead lightly, Hachi asks, "Were you in the middle of something before I distracted you?"

Well, Hachi eventually shared her issues, so Shizu sees no reason to hide her activities. "I was going to fetch my laundry. I meant to do it much earlier, but I got distracted."

Hachi puffs out her cheeks. "Oh yeah, that's totally a problem. Why do we only have the two washing machines? It's throwing everything off. I keep putting it off because I don't want to go there for nothing."

Shizu shares a strategy. "Early morning or late nights are probably a good time. Most people will still be asleep."

"Sometimes, I get super sleepy though. I'll think about it though." She pauses before saying confidently. "I'm going to go back to bed now. I… I can make it through the night. Thank you for all the help."

"Have a good rest." Shizu waves Hachi off and then sets off for the laundry room.

She nearly runs into Kazuha, who is exiting the laundry room at the same time.

"Huh? Shizu? What are you doing up?" Kazuha asks.

Shizu explains, "I left my laundry in there. You probably didn't notice because it's been in there for literally hours."

Glancing back inside, she confirms this. "Oh, I see. I wasn't really paying attention. I just wanted to claim those washing machines before someone else could. I swear that those things are always full. Is there a reservation sheet or something that I missed?"

"Nothing of the sort, I'm afraid. Perhaps in the future…" Shizu ponders.

Kazuha sighs. "Well, hopefully, we'll get more working machines soon."

"…How are you holding up?" It's a spur of the moment question, but Shizu's glad that, for once, her mouth moved faster than her mind.

"H-huh?" she stutters. Then, she takes a moment to recover before answering. "P-pretty well, I guess. I'm up at nearly midnight doing laundry because I can't sleep, but that's about the worst of it. I just need to stay positive."

"You should also stay well rested," Shizu points out. "I know it's bad to leave things in the washing machine overnight, but take care of your mental health first."

Giving a little chuckle, Kazuha teases, "Speak for yourself. You're up too."

"… That I am. Goodnight Kazuha." Shizu says, entering the laundry room.

"Later, Shizu." She calls back.

Shizu flinches when the chime signaling the second announcement plays.

"Attention! It is now 12 AM, and nighttime has officially begun. Sweet dreams!"

It's been a few days since she's heard it play. She's hasn't exactly missed it, but it's just another reminder that she's being kept here. For the first time in a while, she feels like she hasn't left her cell.


Conversation with Hachi Hachimitsu (1)

- Compulsive stress eater, clearly self-conscious about it

- Very big fan of honey, may be the reason that she stress eats since she enjoys it so much

- From the way she speaks, sounds as though she has had issues with friends in the past, maybe either betrayal or completely lacked them

- Has the ability to cheer up quickly, enviable trait


Shizu's Notes

Laundry Room Issues

- May need to consider having a reservation sheet so that people don't fight over who gets to use the room

- Limited washing machines could be a ploy to make us more uneasy and have more things to argue about

- For now, claiming machines with some kind of marker seems necessary, unless you use it early in the morning or late at night

Group Split

- Big catalyst surprisingly not the motive (at least not directly) but one of Soraru's pranks

- Orchestrated by Kogi, though that may not have been entirely intentional on his part, perhaps Ultimate Protestor talent helped split us up so well?

- Currently, those isolating themselves are Kogi, Chouki, Fumika, Takumi, Morgan(?), and Soraru(?)

- Morgan claims she'll be back, while Joshua says the same for Soraru

- Status unknown for Sawako and Samia

- Hachi seems to still want to be around others, despite skittishness

- More important than ever to keep track of people, especially those who claim isolation is best


A/N: Hey folks. It seems as though things have finally fallen apart for the group, albeit not yet in the murdery kind of way. The first trial is creeping up closer than ever before, although, now that I think about it, that's been true for every chapter I've posted thanks to the constraints of linear time... Oh well. In any case, this just means that I've decided to put a poll for guessing the first victim(s) on my profile. Feel free to guess. You get two chances, and it's not like you lose anything if you're wrong. It's just a fun little diversion is all. Hopefully, that chapter was enjoyable still. In any case, I hope that you have a fantastic day.