Tsumugi and Angie walked slowly towards the looming school building, its tan exterior rising for six stories. At its top rested a metallic dome - unusual for a school, but Tsumugi decided to include it anyways. Especially because she had an Ultimate Astronaut this time around. Having their lab be the highest point in the area; It was motivational, she thought.
With a click, her heels drifted off the smooth, overgrown grass and onto the paved pathway that led to the building's entrance. The yellowish bricks showed signs of wear, yet they remained in place. Of course, Tsumugi and her team made sure of that. Everything was for a certain aesthetic. For the viewers' pleasure.
Tsumugi looked downwards at her sluggish feet and clenched her fists. What would the viewers think of the events that transpired so far? And what would they think of their current plan? Searching for signs of a secret passage that the Mastermind could use to get in and out of their hideout was common in Danganronpa, but for some reason it felt... different this time...
Well... She didn't have to worry about that now. She got pretty lucky to be investigating the second floor - where she needed to go as a part of her plan. As she was confident that no one would find the secret switch in the women's bathroom on the first floor, Tsumugi was only concerned about building the flashback lights necessary to erase everyone's memories of this Killing Game. Only then could she and Rantaro live in peace together.
As they approached the school, Tsumugi followed the footsteps of Angie Yonaga, her partner for her search. The girl was practically skipping at this rate, her yellow coat waving to and fro with her motions. White hair bobbed back and forth, and Tsumugi lost herself in watching the girl.
Angie stopped in front of the door, and turned back to check on Tsumugi. On Angie's face was a wide grin, one that shone like the sun itself. Tsumugi couldn't help but smile back at her... But why...
From a glance, the smile looked real, genuine. But since Tsumugi knew the truth, the hidden darkness behind that mask, she knew to look closer. And once her eyes opened to that fact, seeing Angie's desperation was as clear as the moon on a cloudless night.
"Are you ready, Tsumugi?"
She put a hand on one of the tall, stone pillars that rested a few feet from the door. It was cold to the touch, but very smooth. The girl used it to push herself forward, following Angie.
"Yeah."
Angie held the door for Tsumugi, and both of them entered the building. The entryway was open, various shades of blue metal lined the floors and walls. Benches wrapped the square atrium, and a television machine stood in the back, to both monitor and inform the students.
Tsumugi held up her pace, as to walk next to the white-haired girl. She looked at her, and Angie returned the glance, the pain beneath her expression even more visible at this point.
She had to do something... She was the only one who could do something... But what should she say...
"Angie, do you think we'll find the mastermind's hideout?"
The girl clasped both her hands together and let out a rehearsed laugh.
"Of course! Atua will guide my hand!"
"Um... you sure seem to rely on Atua a lot."
"As one of Atua's priests, He naturally grants me the power to spread His word, and He protects me so I can do so."
The two of them turned left, towards the stairs that led to the second floor. Along the way, sprouts of grass could be seen growing from the floor, and flowers grew in some places as well. It contrasted greatly with the pink, polka-dotted stairs that stood before them. Tsumugi turned towards the girl as she ascended.
"So... You're not scared of the Mastermind?"
"Nope! I have divine protection!"
"I dunno... That seems a little far fetched to me..."
"Tsumugi, that's what a nonbeliever would say... I'm sure if you prayed to Atua along with me, you would understand. And it would help us very much during our investigation! Nyahaha~"
Tsumugi sighed and looked away... She was taking Atua way too far...
"Maybe later... Plain ol' me just doesn't get how putting blind faith in a god is a good thing..."
"Atua won't help if you're not entirely devoted, silly. Abandoning all else and believing in Him is the only way!"
Tsumugi nodded, yet remained silent for a minute. This god that she was devoted to... Atua... It was just a mask. A mask that Angie put on to hide her true feelings, to ignore everything that was happening around her, to not have to worry about anything. And as much as focusing on something that gave you pleasure was a good thing, too much of it can cause someone to practically go crazy.
Just like Tsumugi realized herself. It took fifty seasons of Danganronpa for her to learn that she was the same... That she was hiding behind a mask herself... A mask of Despair... And she shoved aside anything that came in between them. Thankfully, Rantaro realized this and snapped her out of her trance. He pulled off her mask, and now, she's seeing clearer than ever.
It was about time she did the same to Angie.
The two of them reached the top of the stairs, and walked towards the classrooms at the end of the hallway. The grass sprouted taller on this floor, but otherwise, not much was different from the one beneath them. The windows were still barred with the same metal rods, the same barbed wire.
Tsumugi stopped as they approached the first classroom. This was the one she needed to investigate as early as possible. She pointed at the door.
"Let's check this one first."
"Alright. Atua says it's fine with Him."
Tsumugi opened the door, and revealed an ordinary classroom, complete with dusty, red desks, an unkempt blackboard, and some dull, worn out lockers. She approached a desk and ran her finger across its slick surface, dirtying it. Tsumugi took a deep breath in and unleashed it at the object, causing a small cloud of dust to emerge.
Searching this room wouldn't take too long... She just had to make sure she searched one particular spot...
"I'll start looking at these desks. Can you investigate the lockers and everything else around the room?"
"Of course!"
Angie skipped slowly towards the blackboard and started examining it with curious eyes, like a child in a candy store, even going so far as to pick up pieces of chalk. However, Tsumugi knew the girl wouldn't find anything interesting. The only secret in this room was a hidden switch on the underside of the center desk, which rendered a holographic keyboard.
Which gave her remote access to her computer. So she could make Flashback Lights.
And even better, the keyboard would disappear as soon as the door opened. So she wouldn't get caught off guard while creating one of these lights. After fifty seasons of Danganronpa, they really thought of everything...
Tsumugi walked around the desks slowly, running her hands against the bottoms and insides. Most of the desks were empty, but some had a few supplies lying about, pencils, pens, notebooks, erasers, and various other materials. Nothing in the least bit suspicious.
After winding her way up and down two rows, she turned her focus back up to Angie, who strangely didn't move from her position at the blackboard. She was apparently drawing something with the chalk-
"Angie... Is that?"
Angie turned around, a somewhat startled look on her face. After a second, she understood, and stepped to the side, her lips widening into a grin.
It was an almost perfect replica of Tsumugi's face, in her 'thinking' pose... Well, as perfect as one could get with simple chalk... The colors, the lines, everything... And it didn't even take ten minutes...
"Nyahaha~ What do you think?"
Tsumugi stared in awe at the drawing. Partly because of its beauty, but also partly due to the fact that this girl's talent was fabricated. Team Danganronpa's technology was so advanced that it could implant abilities into anyone... Even abilities as abstract as being a master artist...
Even so, this girl's talent wasn't fake. It's origin may have been, but right now, it's reality.
Just like her unhealthy obsession with a nonexistent god.
Tsumugi finally mustered up the willpower to say something, slowly raising a hand to her heart.
"Angie, it's beautiful..."
"Atua inspired me to draw it. He said it would motivate you."
"Yeah... Let's do our best searching this place... Um, have you inspected the lockers yet?"
"Nope! Atua's telling me to do that now."
Angie dropped her chalk, wiped her hands off, and then skipped on over to the lockers, opening each of them, one by one. She peeked her head in and looked around in exaggerated motions. Tsumugi could only giggle, continuing her search.
It wasn't long before the two of them finished their investigation of the room, coming up empty-handed. Exactly as Tsumugi planned. She let out a fake sigh as she addressed the painter.
"Nothing, huh..."
"Nope! There are still more rooms to check, though! I am certain we will find something!"
Angie strode towards the exit, yet Tsumugi was a bit slower. She took a few steps, putting some slack in her movement. Within a second, she fell to the ground, appearing as if she passed out. She tried to catch herself on a desk, but it was a vain attempt to create more noise.
Now to execute the next phase of her plan...
Angie heard this, and ran over to the girl.
"Tsumugi, are you all right?"
"Yeah... Looks like plain ol' me spent so much time exercising yesterday... I think I'll need some rest..."
Angie nodded, and helped the girl up to sit at a desk - specifically the center desk, since Tsumugi placed herself perfectly in the room to access the keyboard without moving.
"Yes, if you are not feeling well, let us rest. I will pray to Atua for your well-being!"
Tsumugi turned away. She had to get Angie away from this room...
"Knowing me, I might have to rest for a while... I'm not sure we'll finish searching before the time limit... It might be better if you just searched without me..."
"Are you sure? I could be the Mastermind."
Angie stared at Tsumugi with a devilish expression on her face. With the eyes of someone truly possessed...
Tsumugi responded with resolve, returning the stare with a quick nod.
"...I trust you. I don't think you're the Mastermind."
After a few seconds, Angie instantly put on a smile, the sun appearing from behind the clouds.
"Ok, Tsumugi, I shall search on my own. Bye-onara!"
"Ok, come back here when you're done."
Angie gave Tsumugi a long wave as she exited the room, still as bubbly as ever. God, even if she was the one who fell on her face, her expression would be no different...
Tsumugi's head hurt, her elbows were banged up, and dust soiled her clothes. Thankfully, it was nothing major. But it was something... The girl brushed herself off and flipped the switch under her desk to reveal the keyboard. A little pain wouldn't stop her. Not today.
Within seconds, she began typing like a madwoman, almost as if she was the Ultimate Programmer. She needed to make good time in order to finish these lights, as they were more complicated than a typical Flashback Light.
The Flashback Light was another cutting-edge device created by Team Danganronpa. As the name implies, it implants "memories" into the recipient's brain, causing them to experience a "flashback". However, the name was carefully chosen to mask these fake, implanted memories as events that the students have forgotten. All to make them believe the storyline for a particular Killing Game.
There was a specific reason that Tsumugi couldn't use one of these lights. And that was because they couldn't erase memories. They could only add new ones. Tsumugi knew full well that adding something else onto this already confusing Killing Game would make the students even less willing to cooperate... So a Flashback Light was out of the question.
She needed a Blackout Light. This was the direct opposite of a Flashback Light - it had the power to erase memories, but not create them. Team Danganronpa used Blackout Lights to wipe the students' memories before they participated in a Killing Game, making each of them a clean slate. And, in special cases, they allowed Blackout Lights to be used in the game. It normally never came to that, but this time, it did.
Normal Flashback Lights only took about a minute to compile. A physical flashlight would be created, dropping into a locker in this very room. She'd leave Monokuma to pick it up and be on her merry way. But since Blackout Lights erased entire chunks of memory, as opposed to adding one little piece, their compile time was anywhere from a hundred to a thousand times slower.
It wasn't really an issue for Tsumugi, though. There wasn't a reason to investigate this room twice, so the light would be resting safely in the locker until the nighttime, when she'd unsuspectingly retrieve it. Then, all she'd have to do was whip it out at the morning meetup and activate it - and her plan would be complete.
Her new future with Rantaro was so close... So close, she could almost taste it... She began daydreaming... A life without Danganronpa... A normal life, doing things normal people do... Without Despair to interfere...
She snapped herself out of it. She wasn't there yet. It was best not to let her guard down.
After a good twenty minutes of typing, she slammed the enter key and hid the keyboard. Now, all she had to do was wait... Tsumugi slouched in her chair, letting out an extended sigh. Her head drooped, and her eyes did as well...
This was all... So tiring...
Normally, she felt so invigorated when executing her plans... But this time was different... She's been feeling so much pressure lately... Almost like her head was going to explode... Why was that?
After thinking for a few minutes, she came to the realization that this time, it wasn't just another game. She wasn't acting as someone else, either. She was working towards her own future, her own freedom. And this was the one time that she couldn't mess up...
No. She wouldn't mess up. She was so close... Just a little bit further...
Anyways, there was nothing more to be done here. It wouldn't hurt to get some rest now... Before things start to pick up again...
Tsumugi laid her arms out onto the desk before her, and rested her head on top of them. Slowly, her eyes closed, and the tiredness got the better of her as she drifted off to sleep, her blueish hair falling over her face.
...
SLAM
"Nyahaha~ Tsumugi, I finished searching!"
Tsumugi practically jumped out of her seat, hearing both the door and Angie's voice. Her glasses dangled from one ear, offsetting themselves from the sudden motion. Tsumugi righted them as she watched the yellow-tan blob walk closer to her from the classroom entrance.
The first thing Tsumugi looked at was the clock on the front wall. How long had she been out?
4:50pm.
Really - that long? Wow... She was lucky no one barged in on her this entire time...
Angie parked herself in front of the girl with a bounce, triggering Tsumugi's response.
"Oh... Did you find anything?"
"Nope! Looks like Atua wasn't ready to enlighten me."
Tsumugi looked away, nodding slowly to show acknowledgement. She pushed herself off the desk and slowly rose to stand next to the girl.
"That's too bad..."
"Are you feeling any better, Tsumugi?"
Angie stared at the girl with curious eyes, leaning to one side. It continued to stump Tsumugi as to why she did that...
"Yeah... The rest was just what I needed."
"Nyahaha~ Atua is pleased!"
A few seconds passed before Tsumugi remembered the time, and spoke up again. It was only ten minutes before the group meeting in the Library - and they needed to get there. The earlier, the less suspicious.
"It's getting pretty late... Shouldn't we meet up with the others?"
Angie turned towards the clock, and confirmed the girl's sentiment.
"You're right! Let us go at once!"
Angie started skipping towards the door, and Tsumugi followed her as best she could, her legs taking a few seconds to adjust. She watched Angie from behind, closing in on her as they left the classroom.
She was going to help Angie... Right?.. Isn't that what she decided on?..
Her optimism was great and all... But it was fake optimism... Especially in a situation like this...
As they walked through the hallway and patches of grass scattered about, Tsumugi continually debated it, fighting internally on whether or not she should break character and give this girl a heart-to-heart...
She turned towards Angie, and the girl gave another one of her smiles. The same as they always were... On the outside, it was a shining ray of optimism. But on the inside, it was a cry for help. Tsumugi, of all people, would know.
Maybe it was a bad decision. Maybe it would come back to bite her. But she couldn't just sit around and let this girl suffer.
No more Despair. Not now, not ever...
Tsumugi let out a quick breath, and then stopped her movement. She reached out, and rested her left hand on Angie's right shoulder. The girl's eyes slowly focused onto hers as she turned to face Tsumugi. Her expression was the same curiosity as before...
"Angie, I've been thinking, and there's something I should tell you."
"What is it? Are you finally ready to accept Atua?"
"Angie, please. Just listen."
Angie opened her mouth to speak, but she did as Tsumugi requested. Now, it was time... There was no turning back... Just tell it straight... It'll be fine...
After a deep breath, Tsumugi spoke up, resolve in her eyes.
"I know how you feel... You're hiding behind Atua, aren't you?"
"What on earth are you saying, Tsumugi? Atua helps guide me."
"Even plain old me knows that it's not guidance if you're letting Atua make your decisions for you."
"Are you questioning the will of Atua? His choices are always right."
Angie almost reeled back, her eyes widening at Tsumugi's accusation. This shock... It reminded Tsumugi of her previous Mastermind Trials... In which the students weren't willing to accept the fact that the Mastermind, the one behind the entire Killing Game, was one of them all along... They wouldn't accept the Despair... The Despair of betrayal...
They were in denial. And so was Angie. Hopefully, Tsumugi's experience in these trials would help her here, as getting people to succumb to the inevitable was practically her job...
"When was the last time you made a choice for yourself?"
"My choices are Atua's choices. I am His vessel."
"But you're a person, not a god. And people have different needs than gods do. Right?"
"My needs do not matter. I am here to serve Atua!"
Angie was practically yelling at this point. Her voice echoed down the hallway as if she was in a cave, her tone still just as lively as ever. That faux optimism that Angie always carried with her was like an invisible wall between them, about a foot thick, not letting her through... Tsumugi bashed against it, and although she could feel it bend, it wasn't anywhere near shattering... Part of her wanted to give up, to cut her losses without having revealed anything important or questionable. But the rest of her urged her to continue. To fight the unseen. To show Angie that Hope could conquer all.
Tsumugi needed to break that wall, and she'd do it in any way she could. Because it wasn't just for Angie anymore.
It was for herself.
She countered with a kinder tone, removing her hand from Angie's shoulder.
"Yes, they do. Friendship, love, hope... We all need these feelings..."
"Are you saying I cannot love? I love Atua!"
"Do you really feel love for Atua? I think it's a mask, just like everything else."
"Of course I feel love for Atua. Why do you think otherwise?"
"Because I'm the same as you, Angie."
That was it. That was the real reason why she wanted to help... Because Tsumugi felt the same way... And she had to deal with it for fifty seasons of this show... She'd have given anything for someone to snap her out of her trance during her first season...
As much Despair as she caused, she wanted to make up for it here and now. To counteract these students' Despair with Hope. And in the process, she'd prove to herself that she truly changed.
Because what is Hope without spreading it to others?
Angie seemed to be taken aback. Her mouth was open, but no words came out. Her arms lowered themselves, giving her shoulders some slack. This was the first time Tsumugi saw Angie like this, so vulnerable...
She fully expected Angie's speechlessness to only last a few seconds, so Tsumugi had to make the most out of it...
She was able to break a small hole in the wall. And her second strike wouldn't be far behind. Letting out an empathetic sigh, Tsumugi began her speech.
"Being a cosplayer, it's easy to lose yourself in a character. You start to behave the way they do, you start to lose your sense of self. Especially since these characters are much more interesting than someone who's as plain as me... Why would I ever want to go back?"
Tsumugi made sure to mention only her cosplay, as telling Angie that she was the Mastermind wasn't really the best decision. But, Angie hadn't interrupted her yet, so she continued.
"But I learned that you can't live in someone else's shoes. You have to be yourself, make your own decisions, embrace your own feelings, make your own mistakes, and move on. That's how you grow as a person. And that's how you'll find happiness. Not someone else's happiness. Your own."
Tsumugi slowly pointed a finger at Angie, whose greyish eyes were wavering like ripples in a pond. She was frozen in place, eyes wide, as if her soul was suddenly exorcised from her body.
Only it wasn't her soul. It was Atua's.
Tsumugi gave the girl a gentle smile, blinking rapidly to force away the tears in her eyes, although one escaped and ran down her unblemished cheek.
"I'll be here to help you. We all are."
The two girls stood there for a few seconds with nothing else being said, the hallway growing silent. Tsumugi knew that she reached Angie, but the question was whether or not the girl would listen...
The seconds ticked away, and pressure gripped Tsumugi's chest. She held in a breath, in the vain hope that it wouldn't disturb Angie's thinking.
But her fear dissipated as soon as Angie's personality bubbled up again.
"Nyahaha! Well, we have to capture the Mastermind first, don't we, Tsumugi? It seems we're late for the group meeting. Let us hurry!"
Tsumugi let out her sigh as Angie waved her on, the girl turning and continuing her walk towards the stairs, as if nothing ever happened. Based on what she said, Tsumugi assumed she'd reached her, but Angie's actions showed otherwise...
Maybe this was how she expressed herself. Maybe Angie found motivation in Tsumugi's words, and that's why she was still optimistic... Or maybe she just wasn't used to being anyone else yet...
Tsumugi grinned as she followed the girl. Some things never change...
But other things do, even after years... Who ever thought that she'd be helping others fight their own fears instead of causing them...
The pair descended down the pristine, spotted staircase and made their way towards the next set of stairs - the ones that would take them to the basement and the Library, where the group was meeting.
Watching Angie after their conversation brought Tsumugi to a lull, almost as if she was floating in the clouds. There didn't seem to be anything different about her as she happily skipped along, but there was... And knowing that she was the one who helped, gave her empowerment.
She did prove it to herself. She could do anything.
It wasn't long before they descended the next set of stairs as well; coming within a few feet of their meeting spot. They were unfortunately a few minutes late, but Tsumugi would gladly take helping Angie over arriving early. She approached the Library with a spring in her step.
As Tsumugi turned the corner, she saw everyone else, standing next to the bookshelf. They were apparently discussing... something...
Tsumugi almost froze as she comprehended what was happening. This wasn't a discussion... It was an argument... The confidence she expressed earlier completely fizzled, and was replaced with impending doom.
Please, not like this...
Time seemed to slow around her as Angie walked past. Fear gripped her chest; it bubbled up in her stomach like an untimely meal before a roller coaster, constantly prompting her to fall over and faint under the pressure. And as much as she told herself that it would be fine, that she'd be able to make it out of this...
She couldn't possibly believe such lies.
AUTHOR'S NOTE -
I AM INCREDIBLY SORRY I had this chapter completed since mid-March but I forgot to post ;-; So this means you're getting a second chapter next week since that's done ;)
Oh man, things are getting interesting, right? What's gonna happen next?
Thanks for reading this chapter guys! I know it's been a while since my last update but I've been really busy. I've also been working on my writing skills and I feel I've grown a lot as a writer in these four months - so I really hope you loved the chapter! I'd appreciate all reviews and follows.
If you'd like more content, and to see what I work on that isn't explicitly writing, check out my profile!