Chapter 1-1: All There Is...Is Confusion
(spoilers for people who haven't read Forest of Despair)
Predictably, I find myself waking up in my room. It is the same one as before, so, for a moment, I allow myself to be entirely taken in by the stars. Space is beautiful but it is also our prison. I get up to change into a new set of the same clothes. It is good to know that we would not be forced to wear the same thing every day, for that would be horrible for our hygiene.
I fix myself up quickly and make my way out of my room. Even in a situation like this, I find myself getting hungry. It is natural to feel that way after all. Perhaps some of the girls are in the cafeteria. I have a suspicion that Emilynn and Mei might be the type of people to spend all night playing video games and sleep until the afternoon, but it is probably safe to say maybe Asuka and Sachiko, maybe even Etsuko, Natsuki, and Ichiko, are up. Still have to gather more information to get an accurate read on the girls, and everything else in my situation.
It strikes me as odd that I've been put on the girl side. There are some theories going on in my head, none of them being pleasant. At times like these, it is best not to get overwhelmed by baseless theories...
Once again, I stare longingly into the deep, dark abyss of space. There is nothing but stars as far as the eye can see. It is remarkable how something caused by death can be so beautiful. Just taking in the scenery makes me remember many different memories from back on Earth. I remember this one time where it was Christmas and I just finished a concert, and I decided to listen to the radio. One of the many rebel groups against the Committee, the Saviors of Humanity, decided to play Christmas music when they hijacked the radio. Doing so might have been a waste of time on their part, but it had been awhile since I heard bells serenade my ears like that, singing their carol without a care in the world.
To help compose (I guess my talent is a double meaning since I am a composed person while being a composer, talk about irony) myself, I look down and analyze the electronic pad in my hands. I click the tab showing the rules because I do not want to be killed by ignorance.
Monokuma's Super Fantastic Killing Game Rules!
Rule #1: Do not try to escape the spaceship by destroying walls, floors, etc. This is done for your own safety. One wrong move and we're all going to be blown out into space.
Rule #2: Nighttime is from 10 pm to 7 am. The only place closed off during the nights in the in-between room, with the only exception being Yuuki Akimoto, the mastermind, and the traitor.
Rule #3: You can only sleep in your or another student's room, along with special places. These places are as such: The Clinic and The Hobby Room. More rooms can be added if somebody makes a good enough point to the mastermind to add them. Keep in mind that this must mean that the student must know who the mastermind is.
Rule #4: You are allowed to go explore Hope's Peak to your heart's content. There are only a few rooms though. Don't be a pervert and go in anything that is the opposite gender of what you are, and you're not allowed to break into any closed rooms. Lockpicking is against the rules.
Rule #5: Violence against the headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited.
Rule #6: Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "Blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.
Rule #7: Once a murder takes place, a class trial will begin shortly thereafter. Participation is mandatory for all surviving students.
Rule #8: If the guilty party is not exposed during the class trial, they alone will graduate, and all remaining students will be punished for the crime. This includes the mastermind and traitor.
Rule #9: If the guilty party is exposed, they alone will be punished.
Rule #10: A person can only kill up to two people during one Killing Game. I know you bastards were waiting for this twist, so I gave you something extra special! Somebody has been in a game before and let's just say that they graduated. Puhuhu, I wonder who that is.
Rule #11: Additional rules can be added at any time. Rules can also be changed.
I stared at the information before me. There are so many clues in these rules so I should meet up with the others. Problem is, we have not decided a meeting spot yet, so, when I find them, it would be best to establish that. Getting into a routine would be good in a game like this.
That moment I heard my doorbell go off. I decided to walk towards the door and open it, surprised to see Mizore at the other side.
"Heya, Shiro. I knew it would be up since, well, I calculated that somebody like you would be up about now. Is that creepy? Oh no, it's not creepy. You know what's creepy: my mom's new umbrella. It has ducks on it! Not just any ducks, but ducks that stare right into your soul! Is my soul now possessed by a demon? Or a yokai? Do those even exist? There's no scientific backing for any of them but anything is possible since there's nothing proving they don't exist either. Maybe I should convince Sachiko to perform an exorcism? Do Mikos even do that? I honestly have no idea-"y
"I am sorry to interrupt, Mizore, but you seem to have gone off topic."
"Sorry, Shiro! Anyway, Etsuko, Sachiko, and Asuka are already up with me and sent me to come get you to talk about what we're gonna do-"
Then, as to interrupt Mizore again, we both hear a sound in the distance. Looking down the hallway we see that Emilynn has gotten out of her room and somehow a car generator landed right next to her.
"How in...How did a car generator get over here? How many does this place have?" I ask myself, dumbfounded. Emilynn, however, is still playing on her phone, giving it no mind.
"Well, bai bai, I'm off somewhere else. If you're not talking about the Committee, keep me out of it." Emilynn then walks past Mizore and me, giving neither of us any thought. She exits through the door. The door almost got some of her hair stuck, but it was just out of range.
"That was fun! Anyway, we're in the kitchen! Since that's where breakfast is! And breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We'll be there for awhile so you can come whenever you like."
"...Oh, if you do not mind, I wish to do something before I meet up with any of you. Is that alright?" I question Mizore. She nods her head as she exits the hallway, leaving me alone.
I pull out my device and clip onto the map function. It shows the placement of all of the students, even the rest of the boys. Using such a method makes me feel weird, to say the least, but I have an idea in mind.
So I check for Emilynn's icon and notice that she is in one of the rooms that I did not see yesterday, the Hobby Room. Knowing that this is also one of the rooms that we can sleep in, it has my interest peeked.
Making my way into the Lobby Room, I realize how 'cool' it is. Although it has Monokuma decals plastered all over the rather dull colored walls, being a weak copper blue color, the rest of the room seems like some kind of paradise. Underneath my feet is a fluffy, blue, clean carpet that looks comfortable by just staring at it. I take off my shoes and allow my feet to absorb the soft feeling. Honestly, it feels so good. Carpet is so hard to come by these days so it is a miracle that it is here, someplace that is supposed to be a prison for the murders of innocent children.
In one corner of the giant room, there is the TV section. There's a giant flatscreen TV that is playing some sort of anime. It is surrounded by blue beanie bags, one of which has Emilynn, who keeps switching her focus between the anime and her game. Old game consoles from every generation are either connected or by the TV. There are a couple bookshelves filled to the brim with movies, anime, TV series, video games, and the like.
Then there is the other corner that has all different kinds of art supplies. Easels, instruments (clearly my favorite and what I'm the most excited for), and computers with all the most advanced programs of apps like Photoshop, MMD, After Effects, Sony Vegas, etc. Somehow the computers have WIFI and enough memory to not explode on themselves. Going on one of the computers, I look in the files to see there's a file for each of us. I click mine and it asks for a password. Not knowing what this means yet, I leave it alone, for a mystery to solve another day.
The third corner has a bar that has real alcohol and other drinks ready to serve. There are four comfortable seats at the bar, ready for anyone to sit down in them. Around it are a couple things, including a snack machine (mostly filled with chips), a karaoke machine, more bean bags chairs, and a dartboard. I also notice a Monokuma painting resembling the Mona Lisa but I ignore that as much as I could.
And then there is the final corner of the room, there is a treadmill that is strangely enough right next to a chessboard. There are also more bean bag chairs and in the middle of them is a stack of cards.
However, the weirdest thing is in the middle of the room. There are two strange objects. One is a Monokuma designed like one of those old games that has a person riding a robotic bull and trying not to get knocked off. Just learning about that makes me know that it is dangerous and not worth somebody as physically weak as me to try. The second is a carousel with various Monokuma themed horses to ride on. It is strange to see something so childish in a situation this serious.
"Oh hai, Shiro, wanna watch Pop Team Epic with me?"
"...Pop Team Epic?"
"Aw, Shiro, it's an anime from before the Tragedy! Oh, how you break my heart! I've to teach you the art of the meme! I guess this is the part of the visual novel where you accept to spend time with me."
Do you want to free time with Emilynn McKay?
Yes/No
"I came here to ask you the same thing, Emilynn."
"KK, come over here, anime protagonist. It's kinda cruel that Monokuma gave us something this awesome!" Emilynn responds. I follow her demand, sitting in the bean bag chair to her left. Just sitting in it makes me feel a lot more comfortable. Though Emilynn will still not put her game down...even in the middle of a conversation. She must really like those games.
"Emilynn..."
"I'll use my totally real psychic powers to guess what's on your mind! I'm Haggar and you're Shiro...wait, that reference doesn't make sense, whatevs. You want to know more about the McKay name, don't ya? C'mon, there's more to somebody than a family name. Have you seen any anime before!?"
"...Not really..."
"Then let's change that! Seriously whatevs were you thinking when you thought that just asking a pretty little damsel in distress like me would let you skip all of my social link! Aw, that's so uncool! You got to know a girl first! Get enough friendship fragments to get to know me better! I'm not little Miss Blanche, I don't trust in the kindness of strangers," Emilynn scolds me. Although I am curious, Emilynn has a point. We have just met and I asked her to reveal her family secrets.
"I am truly sorry madam."
"Dude, you don't have to be so formal. Just watch some episodes with me and we're even."
After watching three episodes, Emilynn begins to speak to me...
"Hey, dude, what ya think of the show? My bro and I watch it all the time!" Emilynn asks. To be honest, the show overwhelms me. I have no idea what is going on and most of the jokes fly over my head. It really does seem like oldfashioned humor.
"You have a brother?"
"Yes. FYI his name's Clair. You both look like girls so you should get along! Unisex names for the win." Emilynn crosses her legs and is still entirely focused on her game. I look over her shoulder to see it is some kind of Pokemon game. I remember one of my younger brothers playing one of them. "Now, do you have any siblings, anime protagonist? You better not be banging your little sister, senpai."
"Let me see, if I remember correctly, the last time I checked I had...hmmm...twenty-four brothers and three sisters-"
"W-w-what!? There's so many of you! Boom! Mind blown!" Emilynn jumps out of her seat with her game still in hand. Then she throws her phone up as she makes a boom sound and doing something weird with her arms. She perfectly catches her phone but soon drops it from the pain of doing it incorrectly. Luckily, it is on the carpet so there is no lasting damage. The girl just picks up the phone like nothing had happened.
"It is not that surprising. My dad is what most people would call a playboy. All of us except for the triplets come from different mothers."
"Wow, you're surprisingly open about this. I guess I can tell you a little extra something then! Ummmm...ummm...Think, Emily, think! Oh, my fav game of all time is Pokemon Black and White: Black Edition. Wait, that's not really something big...hhhhmmmm..."
"It's okay, Emilynn-"
"You know what, since that bitch, Etsuko, calls me that, you can call me Emily. No being formal anymore! It annoys me more than Shinji Ikari!" She flops back into her chair. "...You know, Shiro, you truly are an anime protagonist. I don't really open up to people like this. Something about you is different from everybody else..."
"Emilynn..."
"Please Emily...I gotta go. TTYL." The moment she truly gets comfy, Emilynn forces herself out of her chair. She then makes her way out of the room, once again leaving me behind. All the while, Pop Team Epic plays in the background, somehow not ruining the moment.
"Aah, so it's like that, huh. I understand everything now," one of the characters say. She clearly does not mean it. And I truly do not understand Emilynn. If I want to know about her and the McKay name, I have to spend some more time with her.
I pick up the remote and pause the anime just in case Emilynn returns to keep watching it, or one of the other girls want to. Then I turn off the monitor. Just like Emilynn before me, I make my leave from the room, going to the kitchen.
Four girls are here, Asuka, Etsuko, Sachiko, and Mizore. It is truly odd seeing all of them together in a group. They are all standing around the table except for sitting in one of the seats.
"See Shiro is here! I told you he was gonna come! By calculating-"
"Hello, Shiro, it's good to see you aren't dead. It would be such a loss to lose somebody as interesting as you to observe. And you surely will help with figuring out all the secrets this spaceship has." Etsuko is her usual self, or at least from what I know of her.
"As a captain of my team, I want to hear your advice, Shiro. You're by far the oldest and widest out of all of us here," Asuka says. It is good that there is still another voice of reason in this rather odd group of characters.
"W-wait, I feel something..." Sachiko tries to get her voice out but is not heard by her other classmates. My talent is music has allowed me to have better hearing than others, although it truly should be the other way around. Some of the best composers in history were deaf after all.
"Oh! Shiro, we were thinking that when everybody else comes here, we all as a group explore the area around us! It would be bad if I didn't experience any of your reactions to the rooms," Etsuko speaks over Sachiko, either purposefully or accidentally. I truly cannot tell.
"There is a strange feeling...There is a suspicious presence around us but I just can't tell what it is…Uh oh, it's coming right toward us!" Sachiko turns around her to see nothing is there. That does nothing to calm her nerves, however.
"Are we sure she doesn't have schizophrenia?"
"Yes, Etsuko, of all people, I thought you would know that," Asuka responds, slightly agitated. She, however, takes a deep breath and seems to be back to normal. Though he shoulders still look a little tense.
"Puhuhu, I'm here, ladies...and Shiro!" Suddenly, Monokuma appears behind Sachiko. Sachiko shrieks at his presence and almost knocks herself into the table. Monokuma seems slightly amused at this, while Etsuko observes the both of them, clearly trying to find something out.
"What do you want?" Asuka questions Monokuma, her signs of anger coming back. It is somewhat funny to see a strong girl like Asuka look at Monokuma with hatred in her ocean blue eyes. Truly the waves are getting harder and harder to control.
"Oh, since one of the boys severely ticked me off. I won't be saying names but it was that bastard Jun. So I wanted to punish the girls...push Shiro...with something special! An extra motive! Now it's certain the murder will take place on your side!" Monokuma laughs. I wonder what Jun could have done to anger Monokuma this greatly. There are too many questions looming in my head, I need to take some time off to just think things through.
"Extra motive?" Etsuko is completely drawn in. Everybody else wasn't.
"There's a new photo under a very special tab in your student handbooks. Now to summon all the other girls here since I want y'all to go exploring after this and create a lot of brand new memories and bond with each other! That way it will be more despairful when one of you turns on the others! Truly a tale as old as the Killing Game." After Monokuma finishes his words, Mei, Ichiko, Emilynn, and Natsuki come through the door. They are being escorted by other Monokumas.
"...Now I know that this is only the second day, my bastard students, but the plot has to go on somehow. Check your handbooks children and be amazed!"
Finding it futile to defy Monokuma, and curious about the secondary, bonus motive, I open up my device. There is a new tab simply called 'Photo of Person'. I take a deep breath before I press the tab. A sudden feeling of dread then overwhelms my being.
The scene portrays a truly horrifying image. A body is in the middle of what looks like a garbage heap stained completely with the color red. All of the bones in his body look noticeably broken, with some of them even sticking out into his flesh, except for the instantly fatal ones and some in his right arm. Cruelest of all, there is a slight hint of a smile on his face even though I can tell that his death must not have been fast or painless.
...The corpse belongs to my friend, the Ultimate Journalist himself, Kazuhiko Hiraoka.
"Oh, I forgot to mention there's another Killing Game. Kill somebody else and you can save the rest of the classmates from their fate!"
Oops. Monokuma forgot FoD exists. Good thing he remembers now!
If you read FoD, you would know the reason why this took so long to update. Basically, I was in trial mode for FoD...and enjoyed making people cry like a bitch too much. So, so sorry Tobi. XD And there are a lot of things happening in my life right now. To top it off, I'm now sick (the only reason why I finished this was because it was almost done, to begin with. Just needed to write the last scene and then BINGO). Again. If you haven't noticed, I get sick a lot. School hates me for it, trust me.
Now, onto them reviews~
mayurie-SSSPPPACCCEEE (this meme will never die)! Brace yourself whenever I review my own work since it never turns out to be for a good reason. It's for suffering. Aw, some of these girls are crazy. And that's why this second Daily Life will be crazy long too with eight billion FTEs. Mizore...Mizore. I hope so too since Rachelle is still trying. No problemo. Thank you so much. ^.^
tobi-is-an-artist-too-Boys are still stirring up trouble. Right, JUN?! Emilynn tried so hard and got so far, but, in the end, it didn't even matter. She had to fall to lose it all. Yuuki is a better Ultimate Mediator than Akita. Now that you mention it...Monokuma, cue up the polar bears!
VioElcina-Shiro is...Shiro. Meaning he's taking it surprisingly well. Emilynn is amazing, so here's her first FTE! Etsuko is...Etsuko. She's amazing too! Here are some more mindfucks. Dammit Jun, not even introduced yet but causing trouble. Thank you. :D
TheRoseShadow21-Here's another! Months later! I swear I've got a scheldule...No the despair of not knowing what the Hell Jun did. Dammit, Jun. Shiro doesn't know either. Thanks a bunch!
Scissor-Snipper-Yes. Shiro is suffering.
KananMari-Shiro got put in with them since he's an anime protagonist, right Emily? The twins would be dead.
mayurie again-YES, MORE COOKIES!...And more ships?
SqualinaTralala-Oh don't worry, I'm the queen of not reviewing. Mei is certainly a character...which is exactly why she and Akita don't get along. Yes, that's a pun. Don't worry, I got plans for all the characters, including Asuka. Yes, they're rather popular, but, since I actually study psychology, I'm gonna do them justice (Etsuko and I both get triggered when somebody says Multiple Personality Disorder instead of Dissociative Identity Disorder...I already relate so much). Etsuko is...Etsuko alright. She truly did, but then she accidentally caused Kotori and a lot of Kazuhiko plot events. Kazuhiko is like wwwhhhhhyyy Etsuko, WHY!? Thank you. :)