Chapter summary: The group all explore various parts of the island.
Notes (copied from AO3): Hey, remember when I said I would wait until I write the whole prologue before I posted again? I lied. I guess I just needed the attention. In any case, next chapter SHOULD be the end of the prologue.
Once attendance was taken, everyone was ushered inside the main hotel building. Mukuro didn't really know why they couldn't have the meeting outside or take attendance inside to begin with, but she decided not to question it.
"Okay, so first things first, we need to divide up cottages," Kizakura began once the group was inside the lobby. "Unfortunately, there are only 16 cottages and our group totals 19, so some of us will have to share."
"Can't we just use the old hotel building?" Ryota asked.
"It's closed for renovations," Munakata replied.
"Huh?! Who the hell is renovating it?!" Leon cried. "We're totally on our own here!"
"Doesn't matter, since there's no rooms in it anyway," Kizakura replied. "It's just a place to hold parties and stuff. Probably real dusty in there, too."
"Ew! Ruruka can't stand dust!"
"I'd like to have a party," Sayaka thought aloud.
"Hell yeah!" Hiro cheered. "We could drink 'till we black out!"
Chiaki looked flabbergasted. "But we're underage!"
"Oh, yeah, I'm actually 20...long story."
"I—what?!" Munakata looked shocked. "You're the same age as me?! Kizakura, I'm disappointed in you!"
"He's good at what he does," he replied.
Munakata just sighed.
"In any case...Kizakura and I will share a cottage to ease the burden!"
"Hey, I never agreed to that! Don't rope me into things without my permission!" He gave the others a pleading look. "W-why don't we give the kids a chance to figure it out…?"
Munakata rolled his eyes. "Fair enough. But if worst comes to worst, we will share a cottage and you will not complain about it." He raised his voice for the others to hear. "One last rule: boys and girls cannot enter each others' cottages! I don't care if you want to 'hang out', do it in the lobby or find somewhere else! I'll give you all a while to discuss these arrangements, and you can speak to me once you've made a decision."
The group burst into conversation, most of them trying to find ways to avoid having to share. Mukuro pulled Ryoko aside. "Hey...I just wanted to thank you for defending me earlier. I haven't really...had anyone help me out like that...ever."
"Oh, that's no problem! I could tell just by looking at you that you're a nice person!"
"By the way, um…" Mukuro rubbed her forearm. "I-if you don't mind, um...could we maybe be roommates? I feel like…you've got my back, I guess…"
"For real?!" Ryoko shouted. Mukuro cringed as several people turned to look at them. "Nooo way! The ultimate soldier wants to be my roommate?! I'm so flattered! Hey Mr.Munakata, Mukuro and I are gonna share a cottage together! We're gonna be beeeeest friends!"
"That's good to hear," he replied as he wrote it down on his clipboard.
Nearby, Ryota and Hifumi were chattering excitedly.
"I can't believe it's really you!" Ryota said, grinning from ear to ear. "Your comic pretty piggles 17 was amazing! You managed to expand on the source material in a way I could've never even imagined!"
"I could say the same thing!" Hifumi responded, practically glowing with excitement. "I've been dreaming of meeting you for years! You're my inspiration, my hope! Hey, can we be buddies? Can I call you buddy?"
"S-sure...pal!"
They sure seem to get along well, Mukuro thought.
She watched as Ryota and Hifumi as well as Hina and Sakura (who she hadn't noticed talking) made their way over to Munakata, presumably for each pair to declare that they would become roommates. Kizakura's silent cheer supported that theory.
"Alright!" Munakata announced. "It looks like we've come to an agreement. Now there's one last thing to take care of."
He and Kizakura started passing out flat electronic devices, similar to smartphones. When Mukuro touched a button on the side, the screen lit up and displayed her name, face and the word e-handbook on it.
"These are your e-handbooks. They're very expensive, so you better not break or lose them," Kizakura said. "You'll have to pay for a replacement. Keep them safe."
"They'll also function as your hotel keys," Munakata added. "We'll help you guys get assigned to your cottages in a minute."
"Look at that! There's a little virtual pet in there!" Sayaka beamed. "It's supposed to track your steps!"
"Oooh, maybe if Ruruka shakes it she can make her pet grow faster! Shake shake shake!"
She vigorously shook the e-handbook until it loudly buzzed and the screen went red with the word CHEATER displayed on it. "Dammit! I mean—oopsie!"
Mukuro eyed her from across the room. She wasn't the best at reading people, but she could already tell Ruruka was putting up a front. She heard stomping and turned to find Ryoko running in place, grinning at the screen.
Ten minutes later, everyone had registered their e-handbooks with their cottages and dropped off their luggage. Munakata said that they were free to explore the island as they wished, and so the group dispersed.
-
"Whatcha gonna go look at?" Ryoko asked as she and Mukuro walked along.
"There's a building nearby that I didn't get to look at before...there." She pointed over to it.
"Oh look, Tacky's already there! Hi taco!"
"It's 'Taka', Ryoko…" She muttered as her companion bounced away. They'd briefly chatted as everyone was putting their luggage away and he cheerfully declared that it was his nickname. He was indeed there, grinning widely and waving.
"Hello, you two! Come to take a look at the airport with me? It really is a sight to behold!"
It wasn't, really. Just a small airstrip and a couple of old propeller planes. She didn't get why the island even bothered.
An airport? But didn't we arrive here by boat?
"Hey…" Mukuro began, "Could we use those planes to escape the island if we needed to?"
"Why would we need to do that?" Taka said cheerfully. "After all, this is our wonderful school trip!"
"I think she means in an emergency...like if that big volcano blew up! Wouldn't that be amazing?" Ryoko said with an oddly cheerful expression on her face.
"What?! Of course not!"
"Well, if there is an emergency, I do have some experience piloting," Mukuro added. "I don't have an actual pilot's license, but we can make do."
"Wh-whaaaaat?! But—that's illegal!"
"You're so cool, Mukuro!" Ryoko scribbled that bit of information in her notebook.
-
At the rocketpunch market, Ryota and Hifumi were filling up a grocery cart with various junk food items.
"Whoa! Look at the size of those bottles of coke!" Hifumi pointed. "They have to be at least a gallon!"
"They're huge…" Ryota whispered with a sense of awe. "All these snacks...how are we gonna get them back to the hotel?"
"Ooh! I know! Hey Miss Ogami, could you please help buddy and I bring some snacks back?"
"No," she replied, turning away from the rack of wetsuits she and Hina were currently browsing. "If you don't have the strength to carry them, don't buy that much."
"We'll buy donuts for you," Ryota offered.
Hina's eyes lit up. "Really? I'll help you guys out!"
Sakura folded her arms. "Why are you two buying so many snacks anyway?"
"Pal and I are gonna have an anime marathon!" Ryota said cheerfully. "21 straight episodes of Daitarn 3!"
"Aw, I haven't seen the first two…"
"No, no, that's just the name of the robot! It's not a sequel!" Hifumi said reassuringly. "Hey Miss Ogami, would you like to join us?"
Everyone looked expectantly at her. She glanced at Aoi and exhaled.
"...I suppose…"
The other three cheered.
-
Munakata decided to take a walk over to the nearby ranch. He felt like seeing the animals, a much needed break after spending a few hours dealing with the rowdy group of teens. Much to his annoyance, Hiro and Leon decided to tag along. Oddly enough, so had Celeste, forcing poor Hiro (he never would've imagined pitying that weirdo) to carry her dark lacy umbrella.
"There had better be goats over there," Leon said as they approached it. "What's the point of a farm if there aren't any goats?"
"What, do you think goats are cute or something?" Hiro asked.
"Wh—no! I just...farms are supposed to have goats! That's just the rule!"
"I certainly hope that there are ravens," Celeste murmured. "I have been looking for one for quite some time. It would be an excellent addition to my aesthetic."
Munakata didn't know why she thought a farm would have a raven, but he decided not to comment. Up ahead of them was the ranch, with a large sign labeled Usami Corral.
Much to Celeste and Leon's disappointment, there were no goats or ravens. Instead there were several chickens, a pig, and one feisty toucan.
"What kind of shitty farm is this?!" Leon whined. "All there is is a bunch of stupid birds and some plants!"
"My mom told me to avoid 'weed'..." Hiro said. "That's why I never took up gardening. Be careful, guys, it's dangerous!"
"At least we'll have fresh eggs and vegetables," Munakata added. "There's plenty of meat stored in the kitchen freezer, so we won't have to slaughter any animals. That's a potbelly pig. They're meant as pets, not for food."
"But still, a ranch with no people around...who's gonna take care of the animals?"
"You are," Celeste replied.
"Whaaaaat?!" Hiro cried. "Why me?!"
"Nice try, but all of you are going to help take care of the animals. Including you, Celeste. I suggest you buy some boots and pants at the rocketpunch market."
"Man, this is so dumb!" Leon whined. "Why do we have to do all these chores? I came here for a vacation!"
"Because it's part of the way we are supposed to foster harmony, by working together. And volunteering for work meant we were able to go on this trip at a significantly reduced cost. Which means more spending money for you."
"I refuse to stoop to such lowly activities as farm work," Celeste said venomously.
"I refuse your refusal. And besides, there are farm chores that don't involve getting dirty. There are plants to take care of, for example."
"Fine. But do not expect anything above the minimum." With that, she turned and walked away.
"Jeez, what's her problem?"
"Friggin pretentious b—"
"Leon."
-
After Kizakura finished unpacking in his cottage and hung out there for a while, he decided to go for a stroll. He happened to pass the beach, and spotted Kyoko staring out at the ocean.
"So," Kizakura said to Kyoko as he walked up, "How are you doing? You seemed pretty hesitant earlier."
"Don't act like we already know each other. I told you specifically to stop doing it."
"Jeez, I knew you were cold, but holy crap…" he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm coming from a place of concern as your teacher! It's the same as when I talked to Chiaki."
"How is she doing?"
"Fine, if a little sleepy. She's in the lobby playing on the arcade machine if you want to talk to her. I can't guarantee that she'll listen, though. She's kind of in the zone."
"That's nice to hear. I've got a question for you, though...why do you think there are video cameras everywhere?"
"Probably for security reasons...I don't think that they're actually working, though, since as far as I can tell we're the only people on the island. Still, I wouldn't mess with them."
"And the monitors?"
"Oh, those? They're video intercoms. They're so someone with admin privileges over can make announcements to everyone else. Munakata and I are the only ones with the passwords to use them, though..."
"Huh. You'd think that it would be able to go both ways...wouldn't that be easier to communicate?"
Kizakura just rolled his eyes. "Knowing the rest of the bunch, they'd just abuse it to yell at each other and disrupt things. Besides, it would require taking them apart one by one."
"Mmm...I was thinking something along those lines, too...I did take a look at the video cameras, though, and there's nothing physically connecting them to anything. Same with those monitors."
"Wouldn't make sense to bring a bunch of wires out onto the beach. The water would ruin them. Plus they're pretty obviously battery-powered. Hence why you can hang them on, say, a palm tree." He motioned over to a coconut tree nearby to emphasize his point.
"That's pretty bizarre. Why not just build a post to put them on?"
"No clue," he replied.
"There's no WiFi on the island, either. What's connecting them to each other?"
"A private network, maybe? Though that would be a problem if it were to go down. It is pretty weird that we weren't given information on that."
"Very strange indeed…" she murmured as she continued to watch the ocean.
-
Chiaki had sat down to play on the arcade machine immediately after the meeting and had been there ever since. She was in The Zone, that perfect place where all of reality melted away and it was just her and the game.
A loud noise jolted her out of her trance, causing her to lose. She turned to the source of the noise and saw Toko leaning over to pick up some books she had dropped. Then she shrunk back into the shadows, watching somebody. Chiaki followed her line of sight, a little concerned, and found Byakuya lounging in a nearby chair reading a thick novel. She got up and decided to warn him about the fact that he was being watched...she had seen enough J-horror movies to know that it wouldn't end well.
"Stay away from me, you inbred plebeian."
"Excuse me?!"
"That right," He spat. "People who isolate themselves into pointless games instead of facing reality...are lower than trash."
"Why are you so mean?! I was just trying to—"
"Don't remind me of that insect. I'd like to forget about her existence. If I ignore her, she'll probably get bored and leave. But I've wasted enough time with you already." He went back to his book.
Chiaki just stared at him for a minute, then turned around and walked away.
Honestly, she thought, He's such a jerk!
She decided to go upstairs to the restaurant and hang out there.
When she arrived, Mondo was leaning back in a chair, his feet on a table.
"Yo," He waved at her.
"Hey hey…" she replied a little nervously. She made her way over to the kitchen, and spotted Ruruka making some pastries.
"Ooh! Hi Chiaki! Hey, can Ruruka call you lil' Aki from now on?"
"Sure. What are you doing?"
"Ruruka's making pastries! Try them! Try them now!"
She's really pushy about this...I might as well.
She looked over the treats and found a blue macaron. She popped it into her mouth. Her eyes widened.
"Wow...this is really, really good!"
"Right! Ruruka can't trust anyone who doesn't eat her sweets! Ruruka's so glad lil' Aki tried them!" She gave Chiaki a smile that seemed a little too cutesy to be real.
"Hi guys! What's up?"
Chiaki jumped back. She hadn't heard Sayaka coming up the stairs.
"Hi lil' Saya! Ruruka made treats!"
"Oh! They look great! I think I'll hold off until after dinner, though…"
Ruruka pouted and Chiaki tilted her head. "Hey hey...who's making dinner again?"
"Huh? I thought it was Ruruka."
"No way! Ruruka only makes sweets!"
"Who's gonna make it, then? I'm fuckin' starving."
That was Mondo, who had strolled in while the other girls were talking and grabbed a couple eclairs.
"Mondo!" Sayaka scolded. "That's terribly rude!"
"It's okay, Ruruka's happy he likes her sweets too!"
"Not that, his comments! You can't just say that out of the blue!"
Mondo rolled his eyes. "Someone's gonna have to make it eventually."
"Then why don't you make it?"
"I don't know any fuckin' recipes, that's why!"
"So then it's decided," Sayaka said, turning to the others. "Mondo will help me make dinner. My specialty is chili oil. Would anyone like to help?"
"Hey, who said I would help?!"
Chiaki ignored that comment and decided to speak up.
"Um...I guess I could help?" She volunteered. "I think I saw a recipe book nearby…"
"Ruruka is good at forcing other people to do stuff! Ruruka will find other helpers!"
-
In the end, Sayaka, Chiaki, a reluctant Mondo, and an even more reluctant Ryota all helped out making dinner. Munakata and Kizakura arrived just in time and both praised the group for taking initiative. Chiaki blushed as they laid on the compliments. Once she finally sat down with her food, Ryoko immediately came over and slammed her tray on the table.
"Hello again!" She greeted her. "You looked lonely, so Mukuro and I decided to come and hang out! Right, Mukuro?"
Mukuro looked down at her tray and then back up again, and then placed it down. "Sure," she replied.
"Hey hey...is the food good?"
"I don't quite know yet…." Mukuro took a bite. "Wow...this really is good. Good job."
"I knew it would be delicious!" Ryoko added. "Using my ultimate analyst skills, I deduced it would be the tastiest food in the whooooole wooorld!"
Chiaki felt her cheeks burn. It was unexpected, but nice.
-
Eventually, people started turning in for the night. Chiaki was one of the last, only leaving when Kizakura nagged her to get off the arcade machine. She returned to her cottage, and fell into a dreamless sleep.
-
"Hey, Mukuro...are you scared?"
"..."
She stared up at the ceiling. The lights were out, and the only thing illuminating their small cottage was the moonlight coming in through the windows.
"I don't...want to forget about this," Ryoko continued, unprompted. "I'm too tired to write stuff down, but...I wanna remember how peaceful this is."
Mukuro turned her head so she could see Ryoko's futon next to hers.
"Will...will you remember this for me? Please?" There were tears in her eyes. Such a happy go lucky girl was on the verge of tears. Mukuro couldn't place the exact reason, but she had a vague idea; She'd been through enough lonely nights herself to recognize that expression."Yeah...I will."
"I feel like...something terrible is about to happen," She whispered. "And I don't know why."
Mukuro took her hand.
"I'm sure...that it'll be okay."
End notes (pasted from AO3): Oh Ryoko, you have no idea. Everyone's favorite bunny and least favorite little shit both show up next chapter, so look forward to it!