After breakfast the next day, Kirumi and Celestia took Shuichi down to the immersion tank, leaving him alone with Nagito and Miu.
Nagito Komaeda said: "This tank is used for dunking bad boys and girls who don't tell the truth. Do you tell the truth?"
"Yes," Shuichi said simply.
"You got telepathy?"
"No, I'm TK, remember? I'm the one who can bend spoons like they show on TV on those physic test programs. Though I can't move spoons myself," He probably could if he tried hard enough.
Nagito shook his head. "If you're TK and see dots, then you become TP too. And vice versa. That's how things work around here,"
"I can't read minds," Shuichi shrugged.
"Dr. Munakata and Dr. Kimura both think you can,"
"I really can't," He tugged on his cap awkwardly.
"Let's find out if that's true or not. Take your clothes off, sweetie!" Miu laughed, and Shuichi slowly obliged, carefully climbing into the tank afterwards. It was about the size and depth of a regular dunk-tank one would see at a fair, and the water was pleasantly cool.
"What animal am I thinking of?" Nagito asked calmly, and Shuichi got the word in his mind of a cat; two hiragana characters lighting up in his mind.
"I don't know,"
"Okay, so dunk yourself in that tank for fifteen seconds," Nagito said, and Shuichi took a deep breath and did so, closing his eyes and counting out the seconds. When he emerged, Miu cockily asked what animal she was thinking of; a bird.
"I don't know, I'm TK and not even a TK-pos at that,"
"Thirty seconds,"
The third dip was forty-five seconds, then a full minute. They switched from animals to caretaker names; Ruruka, Hiyoko, Celestia, Tsumugi.
"I don't know! Don't you get it?" Shuichi rubbed the water from his eyes.
"You need to start thinking about how long you wanna keep fuckin' around with us. It's your time and life, not ours," Miu shoved him down, and shoved him back down again roughly when he tried to come up for air after seventy-five seconds. His heart was pounding and he gasped desperately for air. "Now, what food am I think of?"
Noodles with lemon in it.
"I don't know!"
"That's fuckin' bullshit!" Miu shook him. "A minute-thirty,"
"I can't..."
"Ugh, can't you grow a fuckin' pair? I've seen Inuit children dive into icy waters to collect the daily catch and they're younger than you! They can stay submerged for four minutes at a time! I just need ninety fucking seconds from ya, unless you can tell your favourite Big Sister Miu what food she's thinking of,"
"You're not my big sister and I can't do that," Shuichi gasped. "Please,"
Miu just sighed and motioned to her zap-stick. "I'll shock you like a jellyfish,"
"What's she thinking of? What food?" Nagito coaxed.
Noodles with lemon in it, the dish my hometown is famous for.
"I don't know," Shuichi answered, and Miu pouted.
"Down ya go,"
"Wait," Nagito held a hand out, and for the first time since Shuichi had met him, he seemed genuinely concerned, or maybe it was all an act. He couldn't really tell at that point. "Give him a few seconds to get ready. Saihara-chan, flood your lungs with air and remain calm. You know, the more you panic, the more oxygen your body uses,"
Shuichi listened and breathed in-and-out rapidly, sucking in huge gasps of air. Miu ducked him underneath after a few seconds, keeping a firm grip on his head so he couldn't swim back up. He kept his calm, but couldn't help thinking to himself that Miu was a terrible, sadistic bitch.
He made it to ninety seconds and was pulled back up, where Nagito offered him a towel. "Stop. I don't want to see someone like you go through with this. Just say what celebrity I'm thinking of and you can leave," He whispered.
Megumi Ogata.
"I don't know," Shuichi started to cry, the tears wetting his face even more.
Miu sighed again. "Fine, a minute forty-five. We'll make an Inuit kid outta ya yet,"
Shuichi gasped down air, holding his breath underwater, knowing they'd just keep going until they either got what they wanted from him or drowned him.
"Enough with this shit, just admit you're a TP and it stops," Miu rolled her eyes the next time he resurfaced.
"Okay, I'm a TP!"
"Finally gettin' somewhere! What number am I thinking of?"
Seventeen.
"Nine,"
"Wrong! It was seventeen! Two minutes!" Miu laughed.
"Last one," Nagito whispered before Miu rolled her eyes and shoved him away.
"Don't be spreadin' lies like that!" She then turned her attention to Shuichi. "Thirty seconds to prep, then you're goin' in and gettin' soaked to the bone!"
Shuichi gasped and gulped, in the middle of breathing when she grabbed his head roughly and dunked him under the water again. He opened his eyes and stared at the white paint of the tank, scratched in some places, probably from the fingernails of children trying to escape. Escape a torture made purely for the shiros. And why? Because Munakata and Kimura thought psychic abilities could be expanded and shiros were expendable.
He tried his hardest to hold his breath and enter a state of meditation, closing his eyes again, but all he could focus on was the burning of his lungs and the tightness of his throat, and then he started to thrash, making Miu tighten her grip on him and then the dots came back, swirling and swishing around him madly. Shuichi closed his eyes tighter, realizing he was likely starting to drown-
Miu yanked him back up, making him cough and sputter, vomiting up water. Her top had turned see-through from the water. "We can do this all fuckin' day, cutiepie. We'll just keep drowning ya and drowning ya and drowning ya..." She grinned. "What number am I thinking of?"
"I don't..." Shuichi paused to hurl up more water. "...know!"
Miu stared at him for several seconds before she scoffed and let go of him, stepping away. "Fuck this bullshit. Dry him off and send him back, Komaeda-san. I'm sick of looking at his tiny dick and his punchable face," She stormed out of the room in rage, while Nagito hurried over with a towel. Shuichi slowly climbed out of the pool, nearly falling before Nagito steadied him. He dried himself off and put his clothes back on, looking over at Nagito.
He received a slap from him before, a harsh one, yet he was still curious about many things. So with little hesitance, Shuichi asked: "Why is this so important? This isn't even related to physic abilities, so why are we here and what's it for?"
"How would you know why you're here?" Nagito asked cryptically.
"Because I'm not stupid,"
"Oh, you should watch your smart mouth. I like you, believe it or not. You have a lot of natural talent and spark. But I don't like listening to people running their mouths,"
"What are you guys doing? Do you even know what you're doi-"
Nagito slapped him hard, knocking Shuichi off his feet. Water soaked into the back of his clothes. Nagito laughed a bit.
"We know exactly what we're doing. It's just not for people like you to know," He then pulled Shuichi back up. "And you're worthless anyway. We had a kid in here once last year who lasted three minutes. What luck he had! You're nothing compared to that!"
He laughed and Shuichi just went along his way, burying his face inside his pillow once he arrived in his room. Chihiro arrived a few minutes later, asking about him in concern even though Shuichi told him to go away.
"It was really bad, wasn't it? The tank," Chihiro pouted. "I'm really sorry, Shuichi-oniichan,"
"Thank you. Go away. I want to be alone,"
"Okay," Chihiro left and closed the door behind him and Shuichi rolled over onto his back. He tried to think of anything else but the cold water, seizing up his lungs and throat and making his nose run and his head burn, but that was all on his mind. He kept waiting for the dots to come back as a result and considered it to be a small victory when they didn't.
He sat up slowly.
I have to get out of here. Get out of here, or else I'll kill myself before they can take me to Back Half and destroy what's left of me.
[][][[][][][][][][]
Kyosuke Munakata met with Miu Iruma outside the building, sitting under a large tree on a bench. The Japanese flag; bright red of a setting sun, flapped in the gentle breeze nearby. Munakata held Shuichi's folder in his lap. "You're sure." He said to Miu, who had the decency to wear a lacy apron over her skimpy uniform before meeting with him.
"As sure as I'll ever be. I dunked that sorry bastard five or six times and lemme tell ya, not even a military personnel could stand up to that shit. If he coulda read our minds, he woulda," She sighed.
"I can live with that, I suppose. We have plenty of shiros here already and even more coming in daily. It's a shame though, as I secretly had high hopes for him," He drew a line over Shuichi's profile. "At least he's healthy. Seiko-san gave him a pass. That moronic girl, Asahina, didn't give him strep throat,"
"She didn't pass it on?"
"No. She swapped spit with him which is highly dangerous to do with strep throat recoverers. Especially one as serious as hers,"
"So, he going to Back Half soon?"
"Eager to get rid of him?"
"Yeah. Asahina didn't give him strep throat, but Oowada sure as hell gave him his 'fuck-off' germ," She put her hands on her hips.
"As soon as Touko-san and 'Jack' give me a green-light,"
Miu pretended to shiver. "Touko-san, one of the creepiest chicks here I've ever laid eyes upon, and that's sayin' a whole lot with creeps like Celestia-san and Seiko-san,"
"You're absolutely sure on the telepathy?" Munakata asked again, ignoring her spiel on the various caretakers. She nodded.
"Sure as sure can be," She smiled.
[][][][][][][][][][]
While Miu and Munakata discussed Shuichi's future, he himself was on his way to lunch, realizing the tank had made him extremely hungry. When Kaito had asked him what was wrong, he just shook his head, not wishing to speak of the tank.
Full of buckwheat noodles, he took a nap and felt a little better, looking around for Kyoko and finding her in the deserted East Wing. The Institute would be housing more residents soon, it seemed.
"Need any help? I wouldn't mind earning some more tokens," He asked nicely, but she shook her head.
"Not today." Her face was pale, far pale than he had ever seen on her, and she had gotten so thin it was like staring at a sheet of white paper. How much longer could they feasibly make her work for? Did they sign her up for a bone-marrow transplant? Or did she already have one and it failed?
Her laundry basket was filled with fresh linens and he dropped his own note in there, written with stuff he stole from E-2. She saw the note, nodded, hid it under a pillowcase, then Shuichi went on his way. That night in bed, he whispered to Chihiro for a long time before finally allowing the kid to go to sleep. There were two scripts they needed to memorize, he had told Chihiro. He thought Fuji-chan understood, or maybe he hoped he had.
Shuichi stayed awake for a long time afterwards, listening to Chihiro's light breathing and thinking on his escape. It seemed absurd and possible all at once. The cameras were dusty, he was left alone to wander constantly, the fake surveillance areas...he had to try. The alternative were the Stasi Lights, the movies, the headaches, the zasabara triggering whatever it was that it triggered. And at the end of it all, the drone.
When they stop testing, you might only have three days.
[][][][][][][][]
The following afternoon, Juuzou Sakakura joined Junko Enoshima in her office and briefly looked out the window as she pored over a file in her desk. He saw a few kids hanging around the vending machines that had just been restocked; the machine on the eastern part of the building which didn't have alcohol and cigarettes available and they'd have to go down the hall to get them. Most children just sampled them out of curiosity, but there were quite a few who went on to get addicted due to the fear and depression they felt constantly. Those kids were the best-behaved because they didn't just want tokens, they needed them. Same for the kids who became junk-food junkies; far more common. Some philosophers and politicians said religion was most important to null one's brain, but Sakakura disagreed with that. He figured a lot of ice-cream and wine and several hours in front of a laptop did that job just fine.
"Ready," Junko announced, her hair pulled back into a curly ponytail. Sakakura could tell today was one of her analytic ones judging by the tone of voice. Despite her age, she wore a starched blue sailor uniform with the cleavage tastefully measured and the skirt made decent by a petticoat.
"Can't talk long. Ikusaba and Ishimaru are going to be leaving soon with me tonight. Four more and one of them is delicate cargo. They're in a specially-contained environment," He began, wearing the heavy green coat he always did. Junko assumed that to just be a part of his image.
"Four more children, can you believe that? I don't think we've had that much in quite some time. Then again...I heard from some of my forebarers that years ago, there was even a waiting list," She began. "And as for that environment...you are referring to a rehab, yes?"
"Yes," He nodded, already preparing himself for the worst. He disliked children at the best of times and never blamed teachers one bit when it came to dealing with rowdy or ill-tempered students. This one supposedly was in a center after attempting to commit suicide after screaming about the voices. It was to be expected; high-functioning TKs blended in quite well in society, but high-functioning TPs had lots of trouble and usually became addicts in one way or another, were heavily regressed mentally, or just killed themselves off at a certain age. "I'm told she's worth it though. Super powerful, not as powerful as Fujisaki, but pretty good. So tell me what you need and let me be on my way,"
"Come over here," She ordered and he stood behind her shoulder, watching. She had opened up a video file and started playing it, revealing snack machines right outside of the cafeteria. The picture was cloudy and jittered every ten seconds and was often frizzy. "First of all, our equipment is incredibly subpar and not at all up to today's standards of quality. Letting things get this bad...I don't know how we're still standing,"
"Yeah, I'll tell some guys, but we all know this place's basic setup is shit anyway. Our last renovation was forty years ago back when things weren't as tight-knit. Hell, even what they could do back then still sucked because of the shitty economy. Everything's outdated,"
Junko nodded. She did in fact know all that already. She tried her hardest to hire people who were 'jack-of-all-trades' so to speak; that was one reason she got by with so few employees. Still, even the very best have a limit, and that limit is simply the fact that they're people. If times were different, or heck even if their nation was different, perhaps Junko wouldn't have to worry so much about security in the digital age, but she did. Word of her place could never get out, and it hadn't thus far. She was determined to keep it that way.
"Anyway, let's just get this started," She started the video again and it revealed Kyoko Kirigiri walking over with her usual basket full of laundry, being accompanied by two residents: Shuichi Saihara and Chihiro Fujisaki, the exceptional TP-pos who had taken to sleeping with Saihara most nights. Despite the bad video quality, the audio was very good.
"We can talk here. The mic here hasn't worked in years. Just smile a lot so they'll think you're buttering me up for tokens," Kyoko said. "Tell me what's on your minds, but make it quick,"
Chihiro just anxiously rubbed at his arms and pinched his nose, looking over at Shuichi. That didn't surprise Sakakura at all; Fujisaki was merely along for the ride while Saihara did all of the talking. He was the smart one, the analytical one, the future detective.
"It's about what happened in the cafeteria, to Kuwata-san and the little nature-girls. That's what we've been thinking about lately," Shuichi confessed.
Kyoko sighed a bit. "I heard about that. It was terrible, but they're all alright now,"
"Really? All three of them?"
She paused, and Chihiro looked up at her, scratching his arms, pinching his nose, and just generally looking like he had to pee. Finally, Kyoko spoke up again. "They may not be okay now, but they will be soon. Dr. Kimura is going to patch them up at the infirmary, the one here is very nice, in Back Half,"
"What else-"
"No, you can't ask me anything about Back Half. I can't say anything about it except say it's very nice, way nicer than Front Half, and after boys and girls spend time there, they get to go home," She pulled them close and hugged them tightly when the picture came back.
"She's really like a loving mother, isn't she?" Sakakura jabbed.
"Are you sure? They looked dead," Shuichi pressed.
"Yeah...everyone says that. Leon-oniichan spazzed out and stopped breathing, while Kiyomi-chan's head was all crooked and weird," Chihiro added, pinching his nose again.
Kyoko sighed again, and Sakakura could see she was picking her words carefully. She would've made a good intelligence agent or a secret agent in a place where that actually mattered. Finally, she said: "I wasn't there, so surely it was a lot worse in person," Chihiro squeezed his nose again. "If Kuwata had a seizure, then they'll give him medicine for it. Seizures are common among children your age, you know. I also heard Dr. Kimura and Dr. Munakata talk about Akamatsu-chan. Her neck is sprained and she needs a brace. Her sister will be with her for comfort,"
"Okay, as long as you're sure," Shuichi nodded.
"Everyone here lies. I was raised to never tell a lie, not even to a child. Most people don't respect children, but I never wanted to be one of them," She stared them down. "What's so important? Are you truly worried about your friends, or is it something else?"
Shuichi looked over at Chihiro, who nodded and gave his nose a big yank.
"Jeezh, just fucking pick it already, kid. Stop squeezing it like that, it's driving me nuts," Sakakura grumbled.
"It's a self-comforting gesture, and at least it's his nose and not his crotch. That's fairly common, you know. Both boys and girls do it. Now hush," Junko returned her attention back to the video.
"If I tell you something, can you keep it a secret?" Shuichi whispered anxiously. Chihiro tugged on his nose again and Kyoko finally nodded. Junko turned the volume up. "Some of the kids here are talking about going on a hunger strike. No more food until we know the nature-girls and Kuwata-san are alright,"
"Who?" Kyoko whispered back, but Shuichi shrugged.
"The newer ones, so I don't know their names,"
"Tell them it's a bad idea. You're a smart boy, you should know what will happen if they don't follow the rules," She picked her basket up again. "I have to go. If anyone finds out what we were talking about-"
"We were asking you for chores so we could get more tokens!" Chihiro announced, and Kyoko nodded.
"You'll be out of here soon and back at home, safe and sound. Until then, just remember that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down," She walked off, and Shuichi and Chihiro ran off together in the opposite direction. Junko turned the video off and tapped her cheeks.
"A hunger strike? Never heard of that before," Sakakura commented, and she nodded in agreement.
"Whatever shall we do?" She laughed at that, which surprised him. She never laughed in her analytic personality.
"Growing children would be terrible at a hunger strike. They're growing and eat anything they can get their hands on. Who do you think suggested the idea though?"
"None of them. The only one smart enough to know what that is has been here for a month and has rarely given us trouble,"
"Indeed, and I cannot wait until he's out of Front Half. Oowada-kun was an annoyance, but at least he was just angry and honest about that. Shuichi-chan is sneaky. At least by Sunday or Monday he'll be gone. Dr. Munakata is pretty much done with him."
"Will you address that hunger strike idea or let it die out on its own?"
She smiled a bit at that. "I believe I shall address it. We have many new residents now anyway, and it would make a good impression on them all if I speak to them all directly. I am their Headmistress after all,"
"If you do, Saihara is going to learn Kirigiri is a snitch,"
"Oh, I'm not worried about that. He'll be gone to Back Half in a few days anyway, and his nose-grabbing friend will follow soon after. A few days spent there and he won't be smart at all," Junko reassured him.
And true to her word, she appeared in the cafeteria that night, her hair up in pigtails and wearing a slim black business dress. She wore pearls everywhere and the only childish feature on her appearance were the bows tying up her pigtails. She stood tall and proud and thus everyone turned to look at her when she walked in. "As most of you all know, there was a terribly unfortunate incidence in here just two nights ago. Rumors have surfaced that two children died as a result, which is not true. We do not kill children here at The Institute," Junko began in her cold and formal 'scientist' tone. She surveyed everyone; their eyes were wide and their food was forgotten.
"We do not kill children. You did not ask to be here. We understand that, but we do not apologize for it. You are here to proudly serve your nation and the whole world on top of that. However, you will not remember your contribution, nor will anyone else, for your memories will be wiped. Your tests will be hard and grueling, but you will survive and rejoin your families. We've never lost a child before." Junko paused again and waited for someone to respond. Oowada might've, but he was gone. Saihara didn't, because he wasn't that sort of person. He was trained to be a detective, and they always worked on the sidelines anyway.
"Kuwata Leon-kun had a brief seizure following the visual field test some of you call 'the dots' or 'the lights' if you've had it. He inadvertently struck Akamatsu Kiyomi-chan who was trying her very best to comfort him. She suffered a severely sprained neck but is recovering. Her sister is with her. Both Leon-kun and the Akamatsu twins will be sent home next week, and we will all send our good wishes with them," She looked over at Shuichi, who was sitting near the back with his little friend. Fujisaki's mouth was hanging open in shock, but at least he was leaving his nose alone.
"If anyone contradicts what I said, know that they are lying and you are encouraged to report them to a member of our lovely staff. Is that understood?" Silence. "If you understand, I want you to say 'Yes, Mistress Enoshima,'"
"Yes, Mistress Enoshima," Everyone responded dully.
She smiled. "You can do better than that,"
"Yes, Mistress Enoshima!"
"Now once more, with feeling,"
"Yes, Mistress Enoshima!" This time even the staff joined in. She smiled happily.
"Good. There's nothing like an affirmative shout to give you confidence and clear your mind, right? Carry on with your meals." She turned to the waitress, Miss Tsumiki, who was chewing on one of her nails. "In fact...Mikan-chan, how about we give everyone extra dessert? Make every single kind of pie you and the cooks can think of, alright? We deserve to spoil ourselves tonight,"
"Y-Yes, Mistress Enoshima! Right away!" Mikan clumsily curtsied. Someone began to clap, and soon everyone else had joined in. Junko nodded and walked off, waving behind her back as she did so. She had a sweet smile on her face that reminded Shuichi of the fake plastic one Celestia had constantly.
Chihiro was still clapping when he leaned over to Shuichi and whispered to him: "She lied. She lied about everything. S-She's...a fucking bitch!"
Shuichi just nodded. Keep clapping.
[][][][]][][]
That night Shuichi and Chihiro lay side-by-side in Shuichi's bed as the activity in The Institute wound down for yet another night.
Chihiro whispered, recounting everything Kyoko told him each time he went for his nose, signaling her to send. Shuichi had initially been afraid she wouldn't understand the note he dropped into her basket, but she understood it perfectly and provided Chihiro with a step-by-step list. Shuichi thought Fuji-chan had been a bit too obvious about the signals, but everything seemed to have turned out okay. He wondered if the first step in the plan would even work though; the most important and crucial step.
Shuichi was trying to go over the steps for the tenth or fifteenth time when Chihiro invaded his mind with three words lit up in red neon that flashed brightly then left an afterimage.
Yes Headmistress Enoshima.
Shuichi poked him, making Chihiro giggle and send another image.
Yes, Headmistress Enoshima.
Shuichi poked him again, smiling, and Chihiro likely knew he was despite the darkness. He likely wouldn't be able to escape, but today was a fine day anyway, and hope was a glorious thing to feel for once.
Yes, Headmistress Enoshima, you fucking bitch!
"Stop before I tickle you," Shuichi whispered.
"It worked, right? It really worked...do you think you really can..."
"I don't know, all I can really do is try. Now go to sleep," He rolled over. "You never seemed like one for swearing," It was only a few weeks ago that Chihiro scolded Mondo in surprise for swearing constantly.
"Things are different. I've changed," Chihiro shrugged, remaining on his back. He was silent for a while before he whispered: "I really wish you could take me with you too. I wish it more than anything else in the whole world,"
"Me too," Shuichi whispered back. He knew it'd be tough there for little Chihiro to navigate on his own. He was more socially adjusted than the nature-girls, who binged on sweets like it was going out of style, or Kaito Momota, who recently had taken to being in a semi-permanent state of being high. Even then, nobody was going to crown Chihiro Mr. Personality.
"When you come back, bring a bunch of police officers with you. Do it fast before they take me to Back Half. Do it while we still have a chance to save Aoi-oneechan," Chihiro whispered.
"I'll do what I can," Shuichi promised. "Now please stop yelling in my head, it's not funny anymore,"
"I wish you had more TP and that it didn't hurt you to send. It'd be easier for us to talk,"
"Go to sleep,"
Chihiro did, and Shuichi started to drift off himself. He knew everything he had observed prior and figured the building itself was like a rocket that lost its jets and just slowly falling back down into the planet's atmosphere.