DING DONG, BING BONG
The students' eyes slowly focused on Monokuma's Monitor, flashing in front of them.
"Ahem. The time limit has just passed. I guess none of ya had the guts to kill, huh? Well, a promise is a promise... Everyone who was forced to participate in this game should be prepared to perish! I'll see you guys in a bit... Once I'm ready! Upupupu..."
Everyone in the room looked around at each other nervously. And rightfully so, Tsumugi thought. They didn't know that they volunteered to take part in this Killing Game. Relief overtook her for a second, as her nervousness could be masked as the real thing. Even so, it didn't make her feel any better...
She wondered, would Monokuma simply tell them they weren't forced to participate? That'd be the most reasonable thing... But the real question is if Monokuma would show up before the students took action... There wasn't much to prepare at all, but Tsumugi told Monokuma beforehand to give the students a few minutes of leeway, just in case one of them did decide to kill upon hearing the announcement.
Amidst the despair, one student took a fighting stance, and wasn't showing the same expression as his classmates. Kaito slammed his fists together and began yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Hey, guys! We can't just stand around here! Don't you remember what I gathered you all to do? Let's storm on in there to stop that Mastermind, Rantaro, from killing us all!"
All the attention focused on Kaito. Gonta was quick to stand tall and join in, clenching a fist.
"Kaito is right. Gonta will fight to protect everyone, too."
Like a wave against the beach, Kaito's hope motivated the students. Tsumugi's character wasn't one to be easily convinced by Kaito. At least, she thought she wasn't... Was she?
Stop!
Tsumugi's nerves got the better of her as she began second-guessing herself. But all she had to do was just take a deep breath, and everything would be fine, right? Wait... Would taking a deep breath reveal her inner turmoil?
Augh...
Tsumugi stood there, combating her own mind, watching a few others join Kaito. Tenko scowled, but got into her fighting pose, facing the Mastermind's door.
"Hmpf. I'll show that degenerate the true power of Neo Aikido!"
"With my magic, there's no way we'll lose."
"I shall pray to Atua for our success!"
Kaede also put her hands up in eagerness, her yellow hair bobbing slightly.
"I'm sure if we all work together, we'll win!"
Shuichi smiled a bit as he stood next to her, but was still unenthused. As usual, Kaede picked up on this, and turned towards the detective. She scanned the room for less motivated students as well. Tsumugi's heart skipped a beat as Kaede's eyes met hers. Did she hesitate for too long?
"Shuichi, what's the matter? And Tsumugi, and Keebo, too. Everything will be okay."
Tsumugi couldn't muster the courage to say anything, but thankfully, since Kaede brought it up, Shuichi could.
"Well... I'm just a detective, right? And I'm not even a very good one, either... I just, I don't know how much I'd be able to help..."
Ah, right. The character trait she gave Shuichi - self-doubt. Tsumugi saw an opportunity here, as her situation was the same as the detective's. If she wasn't in public, she'd have patted herself on the back.
"Um, I was thinking the same thing... What could little ol' me do to help..."
Kaede took Shuichi's hands again, clasping them in hers. A blush overtook his face, and he looked away.
"Shuichi, it doesn't matter what you can do. Everyone can do something. You were the one who discovered this door in the first place, remember? The more people we have, the easier it will be to overpower Rantaro. So will you join us?"
After a few seconds, the blush on the boy's face disappeared and he turned back towards Kaede and nodded.
"Y-yes. I'll do what I can to help."
Tsumugi desperately wanted to bring up the fact that they didn't have to do this, that they weren't actually going to die. But now wasn't the right time. It wasn't in character for her. It was best to simply agree with Kaede, for now.
"M-me too."
But they were getting dangerously close to actually barging in to her hideout... And at that point, Rantaro would surely be toast... No amount of convincing could stop them... She needed to find an opening, and fast... Where was Monokuma... Didn't the bear always come instantly if you asked for him? If only she could request his presence without being overt about it...
"What about you, Keebo?"
Keebo was busy contemplating something, his hand clenching his chin. His ahoge was standing up, as straight as an antenna, tingling slightly.
And for good reason, too. Because that hair strand on top of his head was actually an antenna.
Keebo was a regular human who wanted to play in Tsumugi's Killing Game - but he wanted to be the Ultimate Robot. And because of that, Tsumugi thought of a brilliant idea - to give him an antenna that allowed for the viewers to send generic signals to him. It would surely skyrocket the program's viewership, and her ratings...
Now that she thought of it, in this scenario, more viewers actually made the situation worse...
Augh...
"I don't think that I've told you all this, but there's something inside me... some sort of inner voice... I can't explain it, but it's telling me that something isn't right here..."
Shuichi looked at Keebo, a perplexed look on his face.
"Interesting... What's it saying?"
After a second of intense concentration, Keebo sighed, a look of tiredness appearing on his face.
"I can't tell... All I know is, it objects to something here..."
Kaede contemplated Keebo's response as well, looking towards Shuichi for the final say.
"Hmm... Shuichi, what should we do?"
Kaede and the rest of the crowd turned towards the detective. His eyes widened, but he quickly hid his face behind his cap, like a nervous child at their first recital.
"Augh..."
Thankfully, Shuichi wasn't the most decisive character. Tsumugi thanked herself again for this. But still, if Monokuma didn't show up, then this all didn't matter... Why couldn't that bear hurry-
An idea popped into Tsumugi's head. It was the best chance she had. But even then, she was still nervous about it...
Just say it
She gulped down her fear and spoke up.
"Um... If we don't make a decision quickly... Monokuma might show up..."
"You're right, Tsumugi. Um..."
Every second they waited seemed like an eternity. Tsumugi wanted desperately to look towards the door, to see if the bear would show up, but she knew she shouldn't. Eventually, Shuichi nodded his head, and pointed towards the door.
"There's only one way to find out the truth behind this Killing Game. And that's hearing it straight from the Mastermind's mouth. So let's go."
Tsumugi's heart sank as Kaito threw a fist in the air. She felt like dropping to her knees, but for some reason her body wouldn't let her. Was all this... was all this for nothing? Did she truly lose? The students all got into position in front of the door, ready to take it down by force.
"All right! Let's-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there. What do you think you guys are doing?"
And, as if an answer to Tsumugi's prayer, Monokuma popped up, appearing behind the gang. Tenko screamed in shock, as if she saw a bug.
"M-M-Monokuma?"
"Yup! It's me! I was just getting ready to give you all what you deserved after that announcement. But I come here, and I see what? It looooked like my students were about to break into the room behind that door! You know that's against the rules, right?"
Monokuma threw up a fist at everyone, but Miu retaliated.
"Yeah, no shit! We're all gonna die anyways, what else are we gonna do?"
Monokuma laughed at them, completely dissipating the tension in the air.
"Puhuhuhu... Oh, you naive little children... None of you are gonna die."
Almost as if in a trance, everyone's eyes widened collectively. Ryoma spoke up, his deep voice breaking the silence.
"So, were you lying, or what?"
Monokuma giggled again, in an eerie tone.
"Nope! Monokuma never lies!"
Himiko turned away, taking off her hat and gripping it hard.
"I don't get it..."
Kokichi, a sly grin appearing on his face, responded to the magician.
"Oh, Himiko... I think what he means is... That none of us were forced to be here."
Of course, he would be the one to come to that conclusion first, Tsumugi thought. She wondered how the rest of them would take it. But she decided to take a back seat for now, as she didn't need to bring attention to herself.
Kaito naturally objected to that, clenching a fist.
"What? There's no way! You're saying we, like, volunteered to participate?"
Kokichi slipped a finger under his nose as a dark expression enveloped his face.
"Well, that's the only explanation, right Shuichi?"
Shuichi thought for a few seconds, and then gave a light sigh.
"Yeah... Unfortunately, I think Kokichi is right this time..."
A casual smile exploded onto Kokichi's face, almost as if nothing had ever happened.
"Wow, it's my lucky day! Shuichi agrees with me!"
Korekiyo interrupted him, however, stepping in front of the group.
"To be quite frank, I don't believe how we got in this situation matters. If volunteering for this Killing Game means that we live another day, then I'll gladly accept it."
Kirumi quickly agreed with Korekiyo, lifting a hand up in consolation.
"Yes. That also means we do not have to take action now, since there is no immediate danger."
Miu scowled at the two of them and their formal behavior, harking back to their time sitting in the kitchen.
"But isn't Monokuma gonna pull some other shitty motive out of his ass?"
Everyone turned towards the bear, who was startled. Sweat beads began dripping down Monokuma's face, as his eyes darted around the room. The bear backed into a corner.
"Uh... Um... Run along now, kiddies! Monokuma will have your next motive when he gets around to it!"
Maki rolled her eyes at Monokuma, looking away.
"So you haven't planned this far in advance? That seems odd."
Angie joined in as well, pointing her paintbrush at the bear menacingly.
"Nyahahaha! Come on, Monokuma, you can do better!"
Monokuma stood there, under the pressure of fifteen students, sweating buckets. Tsumugi could feel the eyes of the bear look in her direction more than once, but she looked away, trying to stay as far away from this conversation as possible. She'd have to do something about that bear later... He'd be pretty mad that she just backstabbed him...
"Well... Uh... Gotta go! Bye!"
Monokuma disappeared instantly, leaving the students in complete shock that they managed to get the upper hand against their captor. Kaito scratched the back of his head, still trying to comprehend the situation.
"So, like, there's no motive right now? No restrictions? No nothing? Did we... Did we just win the Killing Game?"
Kaede smiled at him, raising her hands.
"Maybe... And it's all because we worked together and didn't kill anyone."
Kaede's warmth spread around the room like a rising sun, but Keebo broke the silence like a raincloud against it.
"I don't think it's over yet... My inner voice is giving me an unsettling feeling... There might be more to this than meets the eye..."
Gonta stood tall, questioning the robot, stepping towards him. He cupped a hand around his ear.
"What does Keebo's voice say? Can Gonta hear?"
Keebo chuckled and threw up his hands in a standoffish manner.
"No, Gonta, it doesn't work like that. I can't decipher exactly what it's saying... But when I think about the events that unfolded today... And the Mastermind... I can't help but feel there's something we're missing..."
Tsumugi's eyes lit up instantly. She has been losing herself in the conversation, but this was the perfect time to bring up her theory about Rantaro. She just had to make sure to be very careful about her wording here, lest she sound too smart...
"Oh, um... That reminds me... I was thinking about that, too... And something did feel odd."
She internally smiled. Maybe having Keebo around wasn't entirely a bad thing... She'd still have to disable that antenna, though. The audience knew she was the Mastermind, and allowing them to communicate with Keebo, even indirectly, was a risk she wasn't willing to take.
Most of the group seemed surprised at the girl's outburst, but Tsumugi didn't let that bother her. Kirumi tilted her head at the girl.
"What is it, Tsumugi?"
"Well... If what we thought was right... And Rantaro was the Mastermind... Then why did Monokuma not have another motive for us?"
Miu tossed her hair around, immediately dismissing the girl's theory.
"Well, shit-for-brains, that's what Rantaro must be doing now. Preparing the next motive. Duh-doi!"
Tsumugi felt a lead ball drop in her stomach. She tried vainly to fend off this feeling, but before she knew it, Shuichi countered Miu's claim, and the lead ball dissolved.
"Wait a second, Miu. Tsumugi's right about one thing. The Mastermind organized this entire thing. Do you really think they'd leave something like this to the last minute? And especially if the Mastermind was in their hideout, they'd be able to set up anything they wanted to. So I'm doubtful of Rantaro being the Mastermind..."
Miu shrieked at the rebuttal.
"Eep! R-really?"
Keebo joined in, agreeing with the detective, waving his hand at him.
"Shuichi, my inner voice seems to agree with you. I'm getting a totally different response than I was before."
"Oh. Thanks..."
Kokichi stepped up again, putting on the same malevolent grin. Tsumugi knew where this was going, and it was to be expected. To be honest, she was surprised at how well the situation played out. All she had to do now was act suspicious of everyone else, and that was easy enough.
"But you know what that means, right? If Rantaro isn't the Mastermind..."
Everyone took a second to comprehend Kokichi's statement. Himiko began shaking, her hat getting more and more scrunched up in her hands.
"Th-then it's one of us, r-right?"
The same eerie aura that appeared at the start of the Killing Game filled the room, suspicion and doubt appearing on everyone's face.
Well, everyone except Kaede. Tsumugi really appreciated her optimism, especially in this situation. It was naturally contagious, and Tsumugi didn't have to force herself to pretend with Kaede like this. Such a mentality made Tsumugi feel like she already won.
"Even if one of us is the Mastermind, we can't move forward if we don't work together. So I'll trust all of you. It's the only way we can get out of this, right?"
As Kaede's expression radiated into the room, the tension in the air began to dissolve. It dissipated almost immediately when Kaito's voice boomed over everyone.
"Yeah! Let's all work together. I believe in all of you!"
"Gonta believe in everyone, too. But... Gonta not know what to do now."
After a second of silence, Shuichi lifted his cap to voice his opinion, albeit a bit quiet.
"Well, for whatever reason, Rantaro is now in the Mastermind's hideout. And I'm not sure when he'll come back out... Especially if he was captured... But the bigger question is that, if the real Mastermind is truly one of us, then there must be some other entrance to this hideout. I'm sorry for being suspicious of everyone, but it's the only way we'll get to the truth - if we assume we can find another entrance."
Kaede put her hand on his shoulder, causing the boy to blush again, his face growing redder than before.
"Yeah, I agree with Shuichi. I'm sure we'll find a way in if we search hard enough!"
Around the rooms, everyone began nodding at varying levels of intensity. But no one moved, and after a few seconds of silence, Korekiyo let out a yawn, holding his hand to his masked mouth lightly.
"Ah, look at the time. It's getting quite late. As much as I'd love to help, I believe it's our best course of action to get some rest and start fresh tomorrow."
Miu agreed, starting to walk away before anyone else could respond.
"Yeah, this queen needs her beauty sleep. Don't get in my way, shitheads."
A couple of the other students joined in, following Miu out the door. Tsumugi naturally wanted to get as far away from here as possible, so she hurried along with the gang. But before the rest could go, Kaede interrupted them.
"Shouldn't we have some of us guard this door?"
Angie responded to her comment, waving her paintbrush in the air as if writing someone's name.
"But if there's another entrance, the Mastermind can just use that, no?"
Ignoring the girl's response, Kaito stood up tall and slammed his right hand across his chest.
"Well, we can never be too careful. As the leader, I'll volunteer to stay here. No one can get past Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!"
Kokichi laughed at the boy, spit flying from his mouth.
"Nice try, dumbass, but we need more than one person to guard the door. Unless, of course, you're the Mastermind, and want to be given free reign to enter your hideout?"
Kaito threw his hands together in rage.
"No, that's not it! I'm not the Mastermind!"
Gonta waved his hands at them, as if taming an animal, attempting to stop the conflict before it got any worse.
"Gonta will stay with Kaito. Gonta is strong enough to protect friends."
The rest of them looked at each other in concern, wondering if leaving these two by themselves was good enough. Thankfully, Kirumi joined in, dissolving any traces of uncertainty.
"I shall stay with them as well, to provide for everyone."
Kaede smiled at the three of them and gave them a light wave.
"Thanks, Kirumi, and Kaito and Gonta, too! We'll see you tomorrow morning!"
Before they parted ways, Kaito interjected with a thought. It was always like him to get out of his work...
"Oh wait, I forgot! I wanted to train tonight!.. Hey, Shuichi, you wanna take my place?"
Kaito walked up to the boy and slapped him on the back. Shuichi, after looking around at everyone's watchful eyes, especially Kaede's, reluctantly agreed.
"Ok..."
"Thanks! I always knew I could count on you, sidekick!"
Shuichi walked towards Kirumi and Gonta as his face reddened. Kaede gave the boy a curt smile and a wave.
After exchanging goodbyes, the twelve students were on their way back to the dorms. Tsumugi took a deep breath as she exited the Library, and within a minute, she was in her room. She plopped on her bed, exhausted from today. What started out as a normal day in a Killing Game turned into the most stressful day of her life. She was so tired she could fall asleep in minutes...
But she sat straight up instead. She had a job to do. She needed to come up with a plan that would get her and Rantaro out of here, and she didn't have much time. Once she made sure everyone was in their rooms, Tsumugi snuck out and ran back into the school.
The adrenaline fueled her body, and her lethargy vanished. Maybe it was the imposing deadline, and the uncertainty of the future, that caused her to be so awake, she thought. All of her Killing Games were always premeditated, planned in advance. It was a nice change of pace, and it gave her a feeling that she's never felt in her fifty seasons as a Mastermind.
Or maybe it was just love.
Tsumugi shrugged. It didn't matter what it was, she was going to see Rantaro nonetheless. And she knew if they worked hard enough, they'd both make it out of here alive.