A/N: I've had finals! I'm sorry! Thank you for being patient! (I'm gonna be completely honest, i'm sure there are still typos but this update came way later than I wanted so this is probably not in top shape but i've accepted it)
Also! I'm going to update chapter... 1.2? Yeah, 1.2, asap to give Hifumi some characterization before like... getting *oofed*. It's pretty short, you can reread if you want. It doesn't change the current plot.
Chapter 2.3: Two Bros Chilling in a Sauna
"—No, no, no, those conspiracy theories are so pedestrian. I mean, assuming all architecture from ancient civilizations was secretly built by aliens? Gimme a break. It's all just a bunch of occult bullcrap."
"Is that so?" I asked Hiro in a mixture of amusement and genuine curiosity. I didn't exactly follow his line of logic. The occult seemed like his exact wheelhouse, so of course I had to know more.
What could I say? As a detective, curiosity was my achilles heel.
"Hell, yeah!" said Hiro. "They can't pull the wool over these eyes." He made the "I'm watching you" gesture with his hand. "Besides, you can't just recite the same old tired crap over and over again. You gotta think bigger, yeah?"
"Oh, absolutely." I did my best to nod in earnest, but it wasn't easy. I suppressed a laugh, but a small smile slipped through, my lips a thin line as I fought back the urge.
"Faking the moon landing? Pedestrian. Hiring Stanley Kubrick to fake the moon landing, but Kubrick being such a perfectionist that he made them shoot it on location? Eh, okay, but still could use some imagination."
"How about this," I suggested, "'We actually are living on the moon... but are brainwashed to think we're still on Earth'?"
He laughed jovially, loud and raucous and with his entire body. "Now we're talking!"
I was humoring him, just a little. I loved spending time with Hiro. Everything he said was absolute nonsense, but that was the charm. I really couldn't help but be entertained. Maybe that was the real reason I enjoyed myself, like the way someone enjoys a bad movie. Or maybe it was more like a mystery novel? In the sense that you just never knew what he was going to say next. Hearing him talk just filled me with such a unexplained glee. I could practically see the cogs turning in his head. He just had endless gems. The gift that kept on giving. And that wasn't even touching on the absolute conviction in his delivery.
The best part was that I was absolutely sure that the things Hiro said meant nothing to him. But they meant everything to me.
I was too distracted by my own musings to notice when Hiro pulled out a deck of cards and began to shuffle them.
"Where do you keep those?" I asked him.
"In my coat pocket, man. I never go anywhere without my deck." Hiro said all this while performing all those fancy shuffles, the kind I had no idea how to pull off. The cards seemed to practically fly. "I'm down for anything: shogi, othello, poker. Hell, mahjong then drinks and call it a day—an afternoon of that and we're friends for life. But you can't just carry around a giant case full o' tiles, yeah? Cards are just a classic. Never know when anyone might be down for a game! Plus, I've been trying my hand at readings, so we could give that a shot."
"You mean cartomancy?" I asked.
"Yeah!"
I nodded, hoping to convey just how absolutely invested I was in the... the everything he was saying. "I see."
He had a mischievous grin on his face, cards flying between his fingers. "You ever played a game of 52 pickup?"
"Oh my god."
I turned at the sound of a familiar voice dripping with disdain. Junko was approaching our table, rolling her eyes and giving us a look.
"Hello, sis," I said, offering her a smile.
Junko ignored me. "Not that old trick again." She looked to me, "Look, 'Kuro, don't fall for that bullshit. 52 pickup? Come on, Hiro."
I shot him a confused look, and he chuckled nervously.
Junko pulled up a chair, giving it a spin and plopping herself down so that the back was facing front. The position didn't look comfortable, but it must've been for her because she made herself right at home. As usual, she had no trouble inserting herself into the conversation. "By the way, Hiro, Celeste told me to tell you that she wants some milk tea, and she doesn't want to leave her room, so you should really go make some."
"Huh? Why me?"
"Beats me," she said. "But she sounded pretty insistent."
He scowled. "No way! Tell her to make it herself!"
"You go tell her!" snapped Junko.
Something about their attitudes made them sound like bickering children.
"Alright, whatever!" said Hiro, getting up from his chair and heading out the door and to the dorms. "If it'll get you off my back."
She waved him off, feigning a smile. Quickly turning to me once he was out out earshot, she swung her chair around, sitting down properly with perfect coordination as the chair landed with a resounding clunk. In a hushed voice she said, "Okay, perfect! Now that we've got the walking palm tree out of the way, let's split 'cause I am so not into the idea of hearing him go on about faking the moon landing for another three hours."
"What? No!" I said. "This was just getting good."
She gave me a dubious look. "You're joking, right? You can't be serious."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
Junko sighed. "'Kuro, you've got to be kidding me. Don't tell me you take anything that nutcase says seriously?" Her tone was incredulous.
"Of course not."
"Then ditch the dude and come with your way cooler little sister." Junko took my by the hands, laying it on thick in her attempt to be as persuasive as possible. She put on her best cutesy voice, doe eyes wide and pleading. "Pwease?"
"Oh god." What a little shit. I rolled my eyes, but it was still pretty funny. "Don't you play the little sister card," I chided her. "Hiro is my friend, too."
"Come on! It'll be fun! Today, I'm going to introduce you to contouring."
I frowned. "But what if he comes back?"
I didn't want to abandon Hiro, but truth be told that was only part of it. Something about the mention of makeup once more was like an instant deterrent. Sure, the results were pretty, but at what cost?
"Oh my god, who cares!" said Junko, throwing her hands in the air. I could tell she seemed genuinely aggravated. "You are such a stick in the mud." She pouted.
"Junko, I said no." My voice was firm.
She glowered, not meeting my eyes and instead staring stubbornly down at the floor as she crossed her arms.
I softened, regretting my tone almost instantly and relenting just a bit. "Look… Can't it just wait? I—"
"Yeah, yeah, you already have plans. Got it." Her tone was short. She sunk back into her chair, leaning away from me. Muttering so quiet that I was sure it wasn't meant for me, she added, "I hope he gets lost in this fucking school and never comes back."
"I'm sorry, what?" I said. I knew the words weren't meant for me, but I was too shocked and disappointed in her to care.
"Ok, ok, not really," she grumbled. But in an even lower voice she added, "I didn't mean for, like, forever, but just for a little while."
"Junko," I warned.
She threw her hands up in the air. "Come on, 'Kuro, learn to take a joke!"
I ignored this. "Junko, I can't just ditch," I said, trying to reason with her. "I told him I'd let him do a reading."
"You're making me all depressed just saying that," she said, getting all moody and melancholy, temperament shifting again as she sullenly carded through her long hair. She sighed again, getting over herself. "He's not here. Come ooooonnn," she whined. "I go through all this effort to get rid of him, you can't play me like this. We hardly saw each other at all the other day because you were being dragged around by Specs. At breakfast I saw you talking with Sayaka, and you've been hanging with Shaggy a lot. I feel like I never get to see you."
"We see each other all the time. You know I'd love to, but I already made an obligation. Otherwise I'd be there in a heartbeat."
"Fine," said Junko. She turned away dramatically. "I guess I'll just taste the bitter abandonment alone."
"Come on, sis, don't be like that—"
"No, I see, I know when I've been tossed asunder, left to wither away in the cold." She was still putting on a wounded voice.
God, she was such a primadonna.
"Junko."
To my surprise, her eyes started welling up, and her voice got choked up. "W-We used to hang out all the time, and n-now we—we never hang out. And you never want to see me b-because you're always—always with those other losers," she wailed, but even through her meltdown she managed to get a good deal amount of scorn into the insult. She began to ramble, gesturing vaguely with her hands, words somehow managing to form into something coherent between her high-pitched blubbering. "And I—I thought it might've been because I got—I got mad at you the other day, and so I figured I'd done something wrong, and you were upset with me because you're always sooooo busy now, and-and-and I haven't even seen you since the pool party, and—"
"Junko, I—I'm sorry, I didn't know you were this upset," I said. I felt a pang in my chest. Seeing her like this caused me physical pain. I… I had no idea she would get this upset.
"No it's—" she said through gasps of air as she fanned herself. Even then she couldn't completely give up her dramatics. "It's fine, I'll just go and—"
"No! I'll—I'll make it up to you," I said. I could fix this. I was her big sister. It was my job to fix this. "After dinner. Contouring. For sure. We can make it like… a thing. Like a sleepover or something."
She sniffed, but was unable to manage her nose and mascara running everywhere. "Promise?" For once, she looked a real mess.
"Promise."
Our moment was interrupted by the sound of footsteps and deep booming voices so loud they came from outside the dining hall.
"You wanna fuckin' say that again?"
"Very well, I will! I—"
The two men paused, spotting us at the same time we turned to see who had just entered the cafeteria.
"Ah! Junko and Mukuro! Most excellent we should run into you at a time like this!"
Junko groaned. "Hello, Taka," she said in a way that made it sound like pure obligation, letting her voice droll unenthusiastically. Realizing the state she was in, she sniffed, dabbing at her eyes a bit and turning away to avoid looking at them.
"Junko! You look positively awful! Are you quite alright?" asked Taka.
She glared at him. "Peachy keen."
Before Taka could respond, Mondo cut in. "Hey! Junko, detective chick," he said. "Help us settle this, would ya?"
Detective chick?
"What is it?" asked Junko, and surely any other two people would have withered under her icy glare, but not these two.
Why did Junko get a name and I was just "detective chick"?
I was still hung up on it and ended up nearly missing their response, something Taka said about just settling a dispute?
"Awww, are you guys having a little domestic? Caught up in a little lover's quarrel?" said Junko to the two boys, cooing sarcastically. "As much as I'd love to get in the middle of all that," she said, gesturing between them and getting to her feet. However, her tone gave off the impression that she was less than enthused. "I just realized, I'm busy."
"Busy?" I asked her. "With what?"
Just a second ago she'd been begging me to be her test subject, and now she was leaving me to fend for myself?
"Yeah, busy wanting to be anywhere but here," said Junko, grinning back to me on her way out the door and leaving me with only a taunting wave.
I grit my teeth, but remained dutifully in my seat. This must have been my punishment for choosing Hiro over her. I would endure it.
Taka was bright red. "What does she—Mukuro, your sister h—has misconstrued the point entirely! To call this a 'domestic' is to imply a long-standing and committed romantic relationship and… and… To even imply—I!" He cleared his throat, shake his head. "And we are not fighting! We are merely having a…" A pause to consider his words. "Spirited debate!"
Mondo shook his head. "Call it what you like, don't make me act like I give a fuck."
"Fine! Mukuro, do us a favor and help us settle this score!" said Taka.
Just the speed of the conversation was making me feel dizzy. My head was spinning. "Alright, alright. Spill."
"Look, I dunno what the hell I did, but this guy will not get off my case!" said Mondo. "Calling me a coward and shit since day one," he said.
"But I thought…" I began, my sentence trailing off.
Huh.
They'd seemed to be getting on pretty well when we'd first been introduced. I'd imagine there must've been some relief to find someone you'd previously recognized. It'd certainly be comforting in as unfamiliar an environment as this.
Had I failed to notice this rift in their relationship? I thought I was a people person. Maybe I was losing my touch.
Mondo ignored my absent-minded comments and instead said to Taka, "Man, who the fuck do you think you are? You think I'm a coward?"
"You are a coward!" said Taka, brow furrowing so deep that his perpetual scowl looked even more severe than usual. "Always resorting to violence! Thinking it will solve all your problems! I—You are better than this, Mondo!"
"Better than—" For just a moment, he was disarmed, but he recovered with twice the anger—and twice the volume. "Th'fuck you mean, I'm better than this?" said Mondo. "You don't know me, man!"
"I know plenty!" said Taka, voice raising first to match and then to outdo Mondo's. "You've changed, Mondo! And if you had enough self-respect you'd clean up your act! It's clear from your lack of self-control and the way you… you glorify gangsters that you… You're not the man I thought you were!"
Glorify gangsters?
I assumed Taka must've gotten that impression from his hair. It was the only thing that really made sense. That sort of style—showy, obstructive, full of gel—would have surely been totally impractical and out of place in a traditional dojo, but it… almost might've made sense in the counterculture scene of delinquents. Almost.
"The hell are you saying?" said Mondo. "You sayin' I'm not a man? I'm more of a man than you! The fuck does a kid like you know about being a man? What's a kid like you know about anything?"
"I am certain I'm more of a man than you!" said Taka. "I expected much more from the Ultimate Martial Artist! You have a gift, and it's being completely squandered! Fighters ought to be disciplined, and yet as is usual with geniuses, you've gone completely unchecked! Here you are, more reckless than you've ever been!"
"That's real rich," said Mondo, practically spitting the words out. "Tryna tell me what a fighter is. You dunno know shit about me—or about being a real fighter. You think you're a real man? Is that what a real man is? A fuckin' brown-noser with some sort of fucked up fetish for authority? Quit being so pathetic, you think you're so big and bad, huh? Man, I can't believe I used to think you were kinda cool, but whatever I saw—either it's long gone, or I must've been out of my goddamn mind. You think you're tougher than me? Well then, prove it!"
"I accept your challenge!" said Taka, standing his ground as Mondo practically bellowed in his face.
Say anything else, but the kid definitely had guts. Not just anyone could withstand the heat once Mondo zeroed in on them. Even fewer people would intentionally challenge him.
Either he was very brave or very foolish.
Mondo cracked his knuckles, impish smile on his face. "Perfect," he said. "Let's throw down, see if you've still got it."
"Excellent," said Taka.
"Y'all aren't gonna go all 12 rounds right here in the cafeteria?" I asked, exasperated. "Because at the very least you should let me turn around so I have plausible deniability." And that sounded a little too much like Junko, so I added for good measure, "But seriously, don't fight. Is there any way we can't solve this in a more… constructive manner?"
Taka hesitated. "Perhaps Mukuro has a point. Violence would certainly reflect poorly on us. We can solve this matter… through competition of other means!"
I rubbed my forehead, letting out a deep sigh. "Fine. But you're being supervised. If this gets out of hand I'd at least rather have it happen under the comfort of my own watch," I said, hating the fact that I sounded exactly like a cool mom. My ears were still ringing from all the yelling.
"Fine," grumbled Mondo. "We need a witness anyway." He gestured to the door with his thumb. "Across the way, there's a sauna. Follow what I'm sayin'?"
Taka nodded. "An endurance contest!"
"'Xactly."
"A most excellent choice! So whoever stays in the sauna the longest wins." Taka considered it for the briefest of moments before adding, "I accept these terms!"
I groaned.
—
"For the last time, are you guys sure you wanna go through with this?" I asked as we made our way to the bathhouse across the hall.
"Positive!" said Taka.
I was dragging my heels, just a bit. While I'd warmed considerably to the both of them during our stay, I was still hesitant to get mixed up in this sort of mess. All the same, I'd be damned to let them go off on their own and hurt each other, or… or worse.
"Excuse me?"
I turned at the voice, and to my surprise Makoto was exiting the dorms and heading toward us.
"Hello, Makoto," I said.
"What on earth is—" he began, bewildered look on his face but Taka interrupted.
"Makoto! Most excellent that we would run into you at a time like this!"
"A time like..." For a moment, he looked absolutely bewildered, but he shook his head. "Never mind it. Mukuro, I wanted to talk—"
"Well then," I said, and he was close enough to us by then that I quickly reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him along. "Come. You can walk and talk."
"Oh!" He didn't resist. "A-Alright then." A little quieter, he leaned in and added, "What am I getting roped into?"
"Consider it a... surprise. If I'm going down, I'm taking somebody with me."
"How unfortunate," he said, but he was smiling nonetheless as he allowed himself to be dragged along.
I didn't really know what I was doing. I never behaved like this. Perhaps I was emboldened; like I'd said, if I was going down I was taking someone with me. But my behavior, my level of impulsiveness, reminded me much more of Junko than myself in those moments.
It really wasn't that exciting. Perhaps I really was just boring.
Once in the bath house, I explained to him, "It's an endurance contest. Mondo and Taka are going to see who can last the longest in the sauna."
"What?" asked Makoto, astonished. "What are you—what is—why are dragging me into this?" He was simultaneously worried and indignant.
"Who can be a better mediator than the moral compass himself," I said. In hushed tones, I added, "Or… you can try and stop them." I gave him a pointed look at the two boys who were still arguing.
"Wha—why me?" asked Makoto.
"Because I won't," I said flatly.
Makoto looked apprehensive. "Guys, is this even safe?"
I grinned. "That's why we have you. You're ref now."
I'd never seen him look more wary. "I don't know if this is—"
"Nonsense!" interrupted Taka. "It will be over in a matter of minutes!"
"So sure of yourself, huh?" asked Mondo. "We'll see if you're all talk."
"I still don't feel so good about this," said Makoto.
"Look, dude," said Mondo. "Don't try to talk us out of this, alright? We're going through with this."
Makoto sighed.
Upon standing there a minute in uncomfortable near-silence, Taka exclaimed, "Mukuro! I have come to a realization!"
"Oh?" I asked.
"You are a girl, so I—I do not think you can be our supervisor!"
"Okay…" I said, not really following. I waited for his explanation.
"I—I…" He appeared to be struggling, finally blurting out, "I think it would be inappropriate for a girl to see us in a state of undress!"
"The chick investigates dead bodies," grumbled Mondo. "And that's what you're fuckin' worried about?"
"I… I realize this," said Taka. "I just… don't think it would be right!"
"Hey, if you want me gone," I said, holding up my hands in resignation.
While I'd been committed earlier to seeing this through, I was okay with taking a leave as long as someone was keeping an eye on them. I still found Taka's logic to be nonsensical, but, really, that was my get-out-of-jail-free card. Who was I to argue?
I tried not to look too thrilled, probably failing. "Makoto, you're babysitter now, right? Be safe, guys. I'll be out." I shot him a peace sign and a cheesy grin and was about to head for the door.
"Hold on a sec'!" Makoto's voice rang out.
"Hm?" I glanced at him.
"Won't you stay?" asked Makoto, giving me a pleading look with those big puppy-dog eyes.
Damn it.
I paused, feigning taking a moment to think it over. "Oh, alright then."
"Fine, then let's make this interesting," said Mondo. "Taka, if you're so goddamn worried, how about we battle with all our clothes on?"
Taka gasped. "That's—that's idiotic! Suicidal!"
"You afraid?" Mondo cracked his knuckles.
"I-I'm with Taka, here," said Makoto. "This seems a bit dangerous. Not everything has to be a competition."
"YES, IT DOES!" the boys bellowed back at the same time.
For a moment I was wondering if maybe Taka would back down, but if there way any hope of that it was gone.
—
"How are they looking?" I asked, my back turned away from the door.
"Well," said Makoto, peeking through the window in the sauna door, "they are certainly… in there."
I snorted. "Okay?"
"Uh, guys?" asked Makoto. "You good in there?"
They ignored him, too into their competition to be distracted.
Makoto looked to me. "They seem okay. So far."'
"Relax," I said. "It'll work itself out. They're just being dramatic, it'll be over soon."
He frowned. "I don't know," he said. "I mean, you saw how they tend to get carried away when they push themselves."
"Yeah, you're right." I paused, a thought striking me. "Hey, Makoto?" I asked. "About earlier. Were you going to ask me something?"
"Huh? Oh!" He shook his head, scratching his already wild hair. "Right, well now it just seems silly."
"Come on," I said. "We're in a bathhouse together, babysitting these two sweaty dumbbells while they try to prove their masculinity. I think we're already at the height of silly."
He blushed. "R-right. Bathhouse. Together."
I shrugged.
"Well," he said, "I didn't have anything in particular I wanted to ask. I suppose... I just had an impulse."
"Impulse?"
"Yeah, I just knew I wanted to… It's been a bit. I… I like spending time with you."
I was touched.
"No one's ever said that to me before."
He was shocked. "Really?" he asked, his mouth agape.
"Yes. I work a lot. Don't get much free time to just, uh… hang out, I guess?" I hesitated. "Well… I used to work a lot."
He shrugged. "At least you have something to go back to."
"What do you mean?" I asked him warily.
"I mean," said Makoto, "Mukuro! You have an amazing talent!"
I flushed red at this, my face growing hot.
He continued. "I'm sure once we… once we get out of here the world is going to open up to you! I'm sure you're going to get all the success you deserve. I… I'm a fluke."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"We… I know we're stuck here like this, but. If I'm right, all of us—we're the 78th. This was going to be our year at Hope's Peak. And… to see all this passion and talent from you guys. I don't know what I was thinking, coming to a school like Hope's Peak."
"Don't be ridiculous," I told him. "You're Ultimate Moral Compass. That's gotta count for something, right?"
He nodded, hugging his arms close to his chest. "Thank you, Mukuro. I just feel… everyone is so devoted to their passions. I don't belong here. These kids. They have dreams and goals. They have futures. Me? I'm not remarkable. I'm not the smartest one here, or the fastest, or even the richest. I study, and not even as much as I ought, I listen to top 40, I can talk to most people but didn't have too many close friends, this silly committee position is the only real accomplishment I have, and all my job really is... is to make sure that everyone gets along. I don't even know who I am or what I like. I'm afraid… I'm afraid of graduating and the world is gonna realize 'there's a kid that stands for nothing'. I'm beyond ordinary."
"Makoto, I guarantee you're overthinking this," I said. "You don't have to have your life planned out. You know what's better than devoting your life to a crazy specific talent? Knowing how to adapt. Knowing how to work with others. Knowing how to help people. Wanting to help people. I've been in the workforce; adults respect those traits. I'm telling you…" I quickly looked down at the floor, hoping he wouldn't see my face, "you're a lot more extraordinary than you think."
"Wow...You really think so?" asked Makoto.
"Yeah, well…" I grunted, clearing my throat and looking down at the ground. "I, uh… I'm sure the others would agree." I fidgeted around a bit, staring intently at my shoes. "They'd feel the same way. We're all glad you're here."
Some people in particular seemed glad that he was here, but I wasn't about to air anybody's dirty laundry.
He smiled that brilliant smile of his. "Thanks, Mukuro."
I nodded, still red in the face. "Now, uh, it's been a hot minute," I said, hastily changing the subject. "How are the boys?"
Makoto peaked through the window again. "Uh… Fine. Alive," he said, but the the expression of worry still weighed on him, brow furrowed heavily as he frowned.
I could hear the two of them talking from the inside. They were being pretty loud, as always.
"H-Hey, Mondo."
"What asshole?"
"You can take off your uniform, you know. Go ahead, I won't judge."
"And you can shut the fuck up and mind your own business. I mean look at you."
I shot Makoto a look, hiding a snort behind my hand. He shook his head at me disapprovingly.
A few minutes passed.
Then a few dozen minutes.
I was getting antsy. "Let me see," I said, nudging Makoto aside so that I could look. To my surprise, he moved aside for me without much protest.
Despite my agitation, I bit back a laugh. Mondo had a towel draped over his hair; how its integrity hadn't been compromised was anyone's guess. As expected, he was fully clothed, drenched with sweat. Surprisingly, he seemed to be holding it together better than Taka, who was wearing nothing but a towel and was already looking pretty worn.
Two revved up jocks sitting in the sauna. To see this sort of stunt pulled by an Ultimate Martial Artist wasn't much of stretch, but I hadn't presumed Taka to be the type to be all fixated on machismo. I really didn't know people at all. Maybe I really was losing my touch.
Their faces were scrunched up in intense concentration. The mix of the sweat and the steam and the heat and the muscles was verging on a repulsive sight.
"Hey guys, are you sure you don't want to just call it a day?" I asked.
"BACK OFF!" they yelled at the same time.
"Okay, okay…"
"Mukuro, you can be sure it will be done with soon enough!" said Taka.
"You sure about that, asshole?" asked Mondo. "Because I can stay here as long as it takes. So unless you're thinking of backing down, we ain't goin' anywhere!"
I smiled wryly. "Gotcha."
More minutes passed. Makoto and I made idle chatter, every once in a while checking on the door.
It was getting close to an hour.
I heard Taka's voice.
"D-Don't you think… it's about time… you gave up?"
"What about you? You can't even hardly talk… dumbass."
"Say wh-whatever you want… I'm still totally… good to go! In fact, I'm starting to feel… kinda cold!"
"That's… prolly not good."
Curiosity getting the better of me, I peeked inside again. At that point, they were both breathing heavily, chests heaving up and down. If truth be told, Taka looked close to passing out, but I had a pretty good feeling I would get yelled at if I came in there and tried to stop them.
I tried to reason with them just one more time. "Look," I said, "I know you guys are trying to prove who's the bigger badass or whatever..."
I rolled my eyes. Men.
"But," I continued, "I think you're good, ya know? I think you've made your point. You're both very tough and very strong. I mean, you don't gotta prove anything to me, anyways." I didn't know if they could see me through the all the condensation on the window, but I put on my best flirtatious smile.
Maybe if I could flatter their egos...
It didn't even phase them.
Just then, the bell went off and Monokuma made his usual Night Time announcement.
I scowled, annoyed at my failed persuasion skills. "Makoto," I hissed to him, nodding in the direction of the door and moving aside.
"Right!" He took my place in an instant. "Guys, it's Night Time. Don't you think it's time for you to just call it a tie?"
"In a true competition… there's no such thing as a tie!" wheezed Taka.
Yep, he was definitely breathless.
"You win, or you lose. That's… the only thing that matters!"
Ugh.
I didn't say anything, but I was tired of all the zero-sum game talk. It was exhausting.
Mondo laughed at Taka, but when he did, it was equally as short-winded. "Listen to you… you son of a bitch!" There was something wild and almost devilish about the look in his eyes.
"Th-This isn't good, guys," said Makoto.
I suddenly remembered the promise I'd made to Junko.
"Crap!"
Makoto quickly looked to me. "What is it?"
"Nothing, nothing," I said. I didn't want him to worry about me. "I just remembered, I have an obligation. You know, Junko, sisterly things, duty calls. I told her that I'd see her after dinner. I can't keep her waiting, or she'll be pissed."
"Oh, well… alright."
Perhaps it was my imagination, but he looked a touch crestfallen.
The moment passed, and he smiled. "Well, best if we not keep you. I will see you again tomorrow!"
"Of course." I smiled.
The two guys were not done.
"Yeah, while we're on it, Taka, why don't... don't you go with her? You look about… ready to give up!"
"Never! I'm just… just getting started! Makoto, why don't… don't you just… go! Go on ahead with Mukuro, this'll be over soon enough!"
"Are you sure?" asked Makoto, but he was wringing his hands anxiously, eyeing the exit.
"GO!" they bellowed, and they absolutely did not need to tell us twice.
—
Once out in the hall, I turned to Makoto.
"Hey, thanks for at least trying to talk to them back there. I certainly couldn't do it."
He frowned. "I supposed. I feel like I failed. I'm worried. What if they push themselves too hard?"
We continued to walk and talk over to the dorms.
"They're smart. Well… Taka is there, and he's reasonably smart. Well. He can be responsible, anyway. When he wants to be."
He nodded, obviously still not convinced.
To be honest, I wasn't really sure how much I'd convinced myself either. I was worried, too, but I wasn't about to sit there all night. And really, my sister always came first.
"If it makes you feel any better," I said, "you didn't do any worse than me. Maybe if I were Junko, or Sayaka, I could've..."
"Why do you say that?" asked Makoto.
"I don't know," I said. "Maybe because they're beautiful and charming and charismatic and stuff like that."
"True, to be fair, I'm starting to think that nobody in the world could talk those guys down once they get going. And Junko isn't always the most compassionate type," said Makoto. "No offense!" he added hastily.
I shrugged. "She probably wouldn't be bothered by you saying that."
"Besides," said Makoto, ignoring my comment and continuing. "Who cares about all that! They're not you."
"What do you mean?"
"I care about them very much, but Junko is Junko, and Sayaka is Sayaka. And you're you! I like you the way you are! You shouldn't wish to be any different!" He was so unbelievably earnest.
I blushed for what felt like the millionth time. "Thank you, Makoto. That means a lot."
"Of course! We're friends, right?"
"Yes, why would you ask that?"
"I just wanted… to… to check."
I chuckled, pausing outside Junko's room. "Alright, well, goodnight then, Makoto."
"Goodnight, Mukuro."
—
Upon waking, I sat up straight away upon realizing I'd slept through Monokuma's morning announcement. Thoughts of last night rushing back to me, I dressed more quickly than usual, more than a little worried about what might have transpired last night. Loud and obnoxious as those to could be, I didn't want anything to happen to them. Really, my annoyance held no real malice; I supposed it could have been similar to the way one was annoyed to a brother. I just hoped they didn't get carried away.
I rushed over to the dining hall, only to enter to the sound of boisterous laughter.
"What the..."
Monda and Taka were arm in arm beside each other, laughing and joking and smiling like nothing had even transpired the previous day.
"What're you talkin' about, bro?"
"Really now! You shouldn't tease me, brother!"
At that moment, Leon walked in, and upon seeing the two of them together like this scratched his head and muttered, "What the crap?"
He pulled up a seat next to Hina and Makoto. I followed suit, finding a spot nearby to sit between Sayaka and Junko.
"It's so weird," said Makoto. "They're acting like they've been best friends the whole time." He looked to me. "What on earth happened?"
Hina took a draft of her morning protein shake. "Heck if I know, but they've been like this all morning. Is it weirding you out as much as it's weirding me out?"
We all glanced over at them again. Mondo and Taka were still laughing it up, too absorbed to even notice anybody else was there.
"Yeah," said Leon. "Now that you mention it."
"I don't know," I mused. "Maybe this'll be good for them."
Hina and Leon both looked at me like I was crazy.
"All I'm saying," I said, considering my words, "is that… they were at each other's throats pretty bad yesterday. Maybe this is a good thing."
Makoto nodded. "If it means we're all getting along, at least…"
"Fair enough," said Hina, but she was still pouting. "But they're just so loud." She covered her ears just as Mondo's booming laughter rung throughout the cafeteria again.
"Hey, Mukuro!"
At hearing my name, I glanced over to see Mondo waving at me with a huge grin on his face.
I offered the smallest of waves back.
"Mukuro! How magnificent to see you again!" said Taka. "Thank you so much for acting as our witness yesterday!"
"Sorry, you did what now?" asked Leon, gaping at me.
I grit my teeth, hoping beyond hope that I wasn't going red. All the same, I could feel my ears starting to burn. "It's nothing," I said through my teeth. "Just some dumb contest they wanted me to ref. Makoto was there, ask him about it."
"Hm?" asked Makoto. "Oh! Y-Yeah, I was. Now that you mention it..." he turned to Mondo and Taka, "Who won the contest?"
"Who gives a shit!" roared Mondo, smile gone in an instant.
Taka scowled, snapping on the defensive and coming to his new bro's aid. "Yeah, don't ask stupid questions! What matters is that we both took part in it together!"
"That's… not what you were saying yesterday," said Makoto.
"Forget yesterday!" said Taka. "Forget, Forget, Forget Beam!" He made a weird beam gesture with his hands, and the two of them laughed, putting their arms around each other once more.
"Nice one, bro!"
Junko groaned, rubbing her temples. "Hey! Pipe the fuck down, will you?" she called. "No shouting until after I've had my coffee."
"Ignore her, bro!" said Taka. "She couldn't possibly hope to understand our manly bond."
"Damn straight!"
Junko rolled her eyes. "I don't think I'm missing out on much."
As annoyed as everyone seemed to be, in the end, I didn't really mind. They could have their fun. I was sick of competitions and zero-sum games.
Sayaka frowned. "Friendship between men is so strange," she mused. She was looking very pretty as usual, hair tied with the same large pink bow she often wore. How was she always so perfect? "It seems very…"
Simplistic?
She looked to me. "Simplistic." Before I could even question how she guessed, she added, "Intuition." She smiled, taking my hands in hers. "It's just not the same as friendships I've experienced with girls, don't you agree?"
I sputtered incoherently. If I was worried about blushing before, I definitely was now.
Junko snorted. "Someone's starstruck. I didn't know you two were so close."
I didn't answer.
Taka hardly seemed to register our conversation. "Friendship between men is stronger than blood!" he said. "A woman like her could never understand!"
"Well said, bro!"
Hina was sitting in silence, drinking her protein drink. She didn't look up or say anything to the rest of us, which was quite unlike Hina.
Sayaka rose to her feet, letting go of my hand. "Hina, come with me to the kitchen, will you?"
"Huh? Oh, sure..." She got up, shooting Sayaka a wary look.
I watched them go, the two girls so graceful and beautiful, Sayaka taking Hina's hand where she once held mine.
Chihiro teetered in on dainty, unsteady legs with an adorable yawn.
"Hello, dearie," said Junko. "What brings the early bird here at this hour?"
"Huh?" asked Chihiro. "Oh! I overslept." Her eyes darted over to Mondo and Taka. "What is going on over there?"
"That?" said Junko. "Ignore them, they've fallen into a deep, passionate bromance that with our luck will be as eternal as it is fraternal."
Chihiro watched them, transfixed and eyes wide. "Ahhhh. I see now." She was absolutely starry-eyed.
I shot her a questioning look. "What're you hungry for?" I asked, changing the subject as I got up from my chair.
"Huh?"
"I'll get you something. Come with!"
She seemed surprised when I took her hand and led her to the kitchen. I felt a twinge of guilt. Really, it was just curiosity getting the better of me, wondering what Sayaka and Hina were up to.
"Huh? Oh, sure…"
Upon entering the kitchen, Sayaka and Hina turned to look at us.
Hina waved, sitting on the counter and munching on packet donuts.
"Hello, there!" said Sayaka. She was stirring something over the stovetop. "Sorry about taking up all the space, I can make room if you need to use a burner."
"Oh, thank you, Sayaka," said Chihiro, "but I think I'll just have a cup of coffee."
"You sure?"
"Positive, but I appreciate the offer." Chihiro's little smile was heartwarming.
"I'll start that for you," said, grabbing the pot so that I could put it in the brewer.
"You don't have to—"
"I got it. What are friends for?" I said, but my eyes were watching Sayaka.
Sayaka tapped her spoon, setting it aside momentarily to check on Hina. She put her hands on Hina's shoulders. "Are you alright?"
Hina nodded, pausing to chew and swallow her half-eaten donut. "Really, Sayaka. I'm okay! You don't have to keep asking," she said.
"I know," said Sayaka. "I just wasn't sure if you wanted to hear all that chummy friend talk. I'm sure this must be very hard for you—"
"I said, I'm fine," said Hina, perhaps a little bit more insistent than before. "I wasn't even thinking about… you know."
"I realize, but just know that I am here."
"Look, I know what you're thinking, but Sakura and I were... " She looked down at her hands, picking at her nails. "We were never that close. I mean we weren't like that," she said, gesturing to the cafeteria door. By that, she could only mean like Taka and Mondo. "I didn't… I guess I really understand her at all, did I?" She began to sob. "I loved her so much, and she didn't even know."
Seeing her sobbing, I knew I had to say something.
"It's okay if you didn't know her," I said. "Sometimes, you can just… feel it."
"F-Feel what?" asked Hina.
I could feel everybody's eyes on me. "That... they're important to you. The people who change your life aren't always around for as long as you expect. Or... wish. It's not about the amount of time, it's about what you did with it."
Sayaka was beaming. "Profound as always, Mukuro."
"Or pretentious," I said, laughing weakly to diffuse the tension. "So take it with a grain of salt."
Hina smiled, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "No, that… makes me feel better."
"We're here for you," said Sayaka. "Us girls, we gotta look out for each other. Isn't that right, Chihiro?"
"Hm? Oh, yes, of course," she squeaked.
Returning to the cafeteria, Hina was back in high spirits. She was chatting with Sayaka. I stayed behind with Chihiro, standing a ways away.
Chihiro took a sip of her coffee, watching the others in the dining hall. "Um… I'm curious."
I looked to her. "About?"
"Mondo and Taka. They are getting along so much better. What happened?"
I shrugged. "There was an argument and a whole ordeal about a contest and—"
"Contest?"
"Yeah," I said. "To see who was the strongest, or had the most endurance, or fortitude, or machismo or something." When she looked mystified, I clarified. "They dragged me to the sauna to see who could last the longest. It was a whole thing."
"I see…" she said. "So, who won?"
I shrugged again. "Hell if I know. They won't say."
Chihiro giggled. "I imagine that would have been very funny to see."
"I guess," I said. My gaze turned to Junko, who was in conversation with Leon. I frowned. "Sometimes I wish the men here would be a little less… hot-headed."
"I suppose," said Chihiro, but she wasn't listening to me. She had that same starry-eyed expression as earlier. "Still, you have to admire the confidence."
"If that's what you call it."
Our conversation was interrupted by loud bells and static.
Everyone turned their heads to the sight of Monokuma on the monitors. "Ahem! This is a school announcement. Everyone gather in the gym. Emergency! Emergency!"
The screen blacked out. We all stood silently, watching each other with expressions of anxiety.
Makoto frowned. "I don't like the sound of this."
I shook my head. "Neither do I."
"But," said Makoto. "... It's probably best to just do what he wants."
"What?" said Mondo. "You're just gonna roll over for him like that?"
"Listen," he said. "I'm not any happier about this than you guys. I doubt this is anything good, but… we have to be smart about this."
Hina groaned. "Let's just go and get this over with!"
And so we did.
—
Upon entering the gym, the remaining students were waiting for us. Byakuya and Celeste were just as blasé as ever, but Toko looked seriously apprehensive.
I watched her. "You alright, Toko?"
She eyed me suspiciously, not replying but shaking her head vigorously.
"What took you so long?" asked Byakuya.
Junko rolled her eyes. "Sorry, the ominous announcement didn't exactly liven up the mood. Not as saunter-on-in kind of moment. We may have been dragging our feet a little, ya know?"
Celeste nodded curtly in greeting. "What a strange announcement. Curious, is it not?"
"If by curious you mean weird as fuck, then yeah," said Leon. "Is everyone here? I don't like the vibe of this, gives me the creeps."
At that exact moment, Hiro barged in. "Hey, I'm here, man, got lost on the way to the dining hall! Didn't mean to keep y'all waiting, that's on me."
"Y-Y-You s-sure took your—your sweet time!" said Toko.
"Hey! I'll have you know, I have a perfectly good excuse for why I'm late!" said Hiro.
"Let me guess, is it aliens?" asked Junko.
"Not everything is about the aliens, Junko," said Hiro. "Sometimes it's the illuminati," he added hastily before continuing, "I got distracted."
"By the illuminati?" asked Hina.
"No, by the noises!" said Hiro. "That's why I was late. I could've sworn I heard something outside the dorms!"
"Noise?" asked Taka. "What sort of noise?"
"Well…" said Hiro, ignoring Taka's intense gaze. He stroked his barely-there stubble. "It's hard to tell, it was so faint, ya know? But if I had to describe it, it sounded like… a construction site?"
"Ugh!" Toko shook her head, scoffing. "It's p-probably just the rocks r-r-rattling around in—in that empty head of his!"
"For real," said Junko. "And you're saying nobody else heard these noises?"
"Well, no, but—"
"There you go," said Junko, she said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner and looking to the rest of the group. "Next thing you know, he'll be blaming it on ghosts or bigfoot or some other cryptid."
"Ghosts are not cryptids, they are paranormal!" said Hiro. "If you knew the difference—"
"I believe you," I cut in.
Everyone looked to me.
I nodded, noticing the surprise on both Hiro's and Junko's faces. I was going to remain resolute. "Yeah. I believe you, Hiro."
"Mukuro, you've got to be kidding me," said Junko.
"It's ridiculous. What a waste of time," said Byakuya.
"Maybe this means there are people outside!" said Hina. She'd been so defeated as of late that for a moment I was glad that she looked almost… hopeful.
"That's exactly why I find it hard to believe," said Byakuya.
"Let me try to understand," said Celeste. "Hope's Peak is in the middle of a dense urban area. If there are people around, surely help would've come by now. Is this what you mean?"
"Hmph."
"Of course, there is the possibility that whoever it is in charge is so powerful that they also have control of the authorities," said Celeste.
Byakuya rolled his eyes. "And what did I say about relying on the cops."
"Screw the cops," said Mondo. "What the fuck does it mean? Are there people outside or not?"
Taka gasped. "But… But if the police cannot help us then who—"
"No one," said Byakuya. "The sooner you accept it, the sooner you accept reality."
Chihiro sniffed. "Perhaps you guys are right… It really does seem impossible…"
"Quit saying stuff like that!" said Hina to Byakuya. "You're sick, you know that?"
He smirked. "I'm just participating in the game."
"What the fuck is your problem?" asked Leon.
"Who's the one with the problem, here? The fact that you're all so delusional that you'd rather live in denial of your situation… It's almost admirable."
"Shut! UP!" screamed Hina. "Just shut up!" She glared at him, fists clenched at her side as the tears began to pour.
"Quit talkin' to her like that!" said Mondo. "Apologize to her!"
"For what?"
"Mondo is correct! Your actions are our of line! Apologize for speaking to her the way you do!" said Taka. "Have you no decency? Her friend is—"
"Dead!" screamed Hina. "She's dead. Sakura is dead, and she's not coming back. That's me, the one with the d—dead friend, now can everyone stop talking about me like I'm not here."
"Say, is Hina crying again?"
A familiar skin-crawling voice came from the overhead speakers.
All heads turned to the podium, our familiar captor springing out with a sickening grin we knew all too well.
"You!" said Leon, posture already on the defense.
"Ah, me," said Monokuma with a sigh and a flutter of his hand. "Are really to rumble? Where's Kyoko?"
"I am here."
And all of sudden, she was, standing near the back entrance as if she'd been there all along.
"Fantastic!" He cackled. "And for the record, what Hiro heard wasn't the sound of construction…"
We waited.
"W-well?" asked Toko. "Go on!"
"I am pausing for dramatic effect," said Monokuma. "Dun dun dun… It could have been the sound of an explosion!" He mock gasped. "Or maybe a machine gun!"
"What on earth…" said Makoto. "What are you talking about?"
"Ah-ah-ah! Beyond this point my mouth is zipped, my lips are sealed, I am fully puckered!"
"Enough," said Kyoko. "Why did you bring us here?"
"Puhuhuhu! A little short-tempered are we? Very well, I will be frank. I'm not happy. Not happy at all. The next blackened hasn't shown up yet, and I'm getting boooooooooored! So I figured, what you kids need is a new motivation! Quite brilliant, if I do say so myself."
"What the hell?" asked Makoto. "You're not showing us any more videos, are you?"
"I don't know what you've got planned, but we're not going to kill each other anymore!" said Taka. "No matter what you do, I swear to God we won't!"
"Well, aren't you speaking all grown-up like you're in charge?" said Monokuma. "Awful self-centered, don'tcha think? We'll see if you can keep that promise, Mr. Tough Guy. The motive this time is… embarrassing memories and secrets!"
What?
Makoto looked wary. "What do you—"
Monokuma was alight with glee. "As long as you're alive, it's a given that there's things you don't want people to know about you! So I did a little investigating of my own, and I dug up some of your darkest secrets!" He brandished a hand of tiny envelopes. "And those embarrassing memories and secrets are all contained right here!"
He tosses the envelopes at our feet. Each had a name written across the front, so I found the one with my name and quickly snatched it up.
Hands shaking, I struggled to pull out the note inside, but when I read it:
Mukuro left her sister behind when she ran off to live with her mother.
My blood went cold.
A memory long suppressed and half forgotten emerged from deep within me. A train, a choice, two parents… and one sister left behind. No one can know about this, was my first thought, but getting a better grip, I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut. Maybe, doing that I could fight back the tears and the white hot shame in the pit of my stomach.
I heard the cries of shock from the others, mirroring how I felt on the inside. All of a sudden, restless voices and uneasy questions at once.
"H-How…?" said Hina.
"How'd you find out about this?" cried Taka, staggering back and eyes wide.
"What the fuck is this?" said Mondo.
Even Byakuya was shaken. "Impossible! H-How? How could you possibly know—"
Monokuma cackled. "You have 24 hours! If someone doesn't become blackened by then… all your deepest, darkest, most embarrassingest secrets will be exposed to the world!" He was jumping up and down in excitement. "Maybe I'll roll by a crowded intersection in a van strapped with loudspeakers and spill the beans!" He was salivating;, at least I was pretty sure it was saliva. "Kyaaah! Wouldn't that be sooo embarrassing?"
"You're wrong!"
To see Makoto stand defiant in the fact of our captor, it shouldn't have been unexpected. All this time, he'd never faltered, never stopped believing in us. Yet his conviction continued to surprise me. Even those among us with the stronger constitutions looked far too shaken to say much of anything.
"Nobody is going to murder someone over this!"
Monokuma slumped sadly. "Oh no… Really? This is kinda depressing. I have stuff I would never want the world to know, so I figured you guys would be the same way. Is it really true? Am I getting nothing?"
I couldn't tell if he was faking or not.
He turned away from us. "Okay, then in 24 hours, I'll expose all your secrets just to make myself feel a little better!"
With an almost convincing look of depressed dejection on his face, Monokuma receded into the gym's depths.
Makoto took a deep breath, looking around at the other students. "How is everyone doing?" At seeing the expression on everyone's faces, he muttered. "R-Right. That was a stupid question."
"A-Alright," said Taka. "We are all struggling to grasp the situation, but! I have a great idea I am positive just might work!" He managed a smile, but it held none of the self-congratulatory notes present in his tone.
"O-Okay…" said Makoto.
"I propose that we all confess our secrets right now!" said Taka. "If we do that, any and all motive for murder will vanish!" He paused. "I… I realize this will not be easy, but I think this is the smartest option we have. Best to rip it off like a bandaid, right?" He laughed, and he remained as loud as ever, but there was something strained about it.
"As much as I don't like it…" said Makoto. "It might be our best shot. I don't want to, but I… I'm willing to share if everyone can agree!"
"I will go first!" said Taka. "So, my embarrassing thing is—"
"Oooooh, shut it, will you?" said Toko. "No—Nobody wants t-t-to hear your—hear your stupid—your stupid story!"
"W-What?" asked Taka.
"Are you kidding me?" asked Junko. "This is the best you can some up with? Fuck it. Hey, Scholarship, maybe leave the thinking to the ones who weren't selected from a lottery."
"Wha—What do you… I didn't mean, I was just trying to help!" said Taka. His eyes began to well up, and he wiped at them with his jacket sleeve before the tears could really start streaming.
"Hey, lay off, alright?" said Leon. "This is all kinds of layers of fucked up, and you're just gonna make everything worse."
"Alright, well, if you like the idea so much, why don't you go first, prettyboy?" challenged Junko, folding her arms and staring him down. "Go ahead, we're all ears."
Leon chuckled in the same way he always did when he was nervous. "Me? Heh, see, well, the thing is that it's kinda not something I'm super keen on sharing so…"
"That's literally the entire point of the secrets in the first place," said Byakuya.
"Yeah, but the thing about going first…"
"Awww, is someone scared?" said Junko, smirking.
I laid a hand on her shoulder. "Junko. Arguing will only make it worse," I said, and I tried to sound strong despite my shaky tone. I was still reeling from earlier, and I was sure I must've looked as bad as I sounded. I was humiliated at the idea of telling Junko my secret. Would she remember? Would she hate me? But if it meant keeping everyone safe—if it meant keeping her safe—I would do it.
I took a deep, shuddering breath. "Look. I don't want to do this either, but I'm willing to put my feelings aside if it'll keep everybody safe." I stared intently at Junko, hoping that she could understand. I silently pleaded with her for forgiveness. Keeping her alive was my main priority. All else had to come after. "I say if we get a majority agreement, then we should go forth, no matter hard it is. Does that sound okay?"
"I'm with Mukuro," said Kyoko.
As surprised as I was by her support, I was also grateful. Our eyes met, and I nodded a thank you to her.
"Th-That sounds fair," said Makoto. "Any other thoughts?"
"I mean," began Hina, "this is gonna be super embarrassing, but nobody has anything they'd actually kill over, right? Trust me, I'm not exactly excited about the whole idea, but if nobody else dies, it'd be worth it… right?" She shuddered. "That… that trial… I don't want to go through anything like that ever again."
"Y-Yeah, now that I think about it," said Leon, "I think we oughta just get this over with."
"I'm game if everyone else is," said Hiro.
"I d-d-don't care what—what any of you h-have to—have to say about—have to say ab-bout me," said Toko. "I don't want t-to talk about it. I d-d-don't care what you think, I don't want to talk about mine!" She began to tug at her braids as she usually did when she was anxious, voice loud and shrill and a little pathetic. Despite the revulsion in her eyes as she glared at us, I felt a pang of sympathy for her.
"T-Toko, it's okay—" began Makoto, but he was interrupted by Celeste.
"I'm afraid that I am going to have to side with Toko," said Celeste, with a forlorn frown. "I feel that it would be quite impossible to share mine as well."
"I second," said Hiro.
"What are you talking about?" said Leon. "Literally just two seconds ago you were a 'yes'!"
"I'm playing it by ear," said Hiro. "Gotta go with my gut on this one. I know when I'm outnumbered."
"Make a choice already!" said Leon.
"Guys," said Hina. "Let's not fight, okay?"
"Hina is right," said Makoto. "This is exactly what the mastermind wants!"
"Well, as far as I'm concerned there's no need to continue. I'm begrudged to agree with the others," said Byakuya. "There's no need to discuss it." By this time, he had recovered from his state of panic and was back to his usual disinterested self. "So we can give up on this ridiculous idea."
"Right, because everything is all about you, now?" said Leon.
"I'm sorry, isn't it always?" said Junko.
"I'm surprised we're getting so many protests," said Kyoko.
Junko scoffed. "Get the fuck out of here, Kyoko. You never tell us anything."
"I don't like this, but I'd much prefer to tell everyone myself than to have it revealed against my will. I figured there would be more people who see it this way."
"Like you don't have something to hide, Ultimate Soldier," said Junko. "How do we know you're secret isn't your body count?"
I cut in. "Junko, that's enough."
Kyoko stiffened. "Well... I'll leave it up to the rest of you to decide whether we come forth with our secrets. Or not."
"Well, if you want to know all my dark and dirty secrets, I'm afraid you guys are gonna have to keep dreaming. I mean, are you kidding? No way in hell am I doing this," said Junko.
I frowned. "Come on, Junko. This is important."
She gave me a look. "Yeah, and it's important that I don't humiliate myself. Why can't you back me up just for once!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, the hurt of her accusation mingling with the already building weight of the secret on my chest, making me feel even worse than before.
"You're supposed to have my back!" There was no stopping her as she screamed at me, voice ringing throughout the gym as everyone watched with uncomfortable expressions. "You always do this! Why can't you be on my side?"
"I'm on your side! I just—"
"I can't believe you. Fine then, side with the Pity Invite, but I'm not telling anyone shit. Some of us have actual careers on the line, you know? But I doubt that's something he'd be thinking about. I'd probably die of shock if Mr. Lottery Pick has anything noteworthy to hide."
"Hey, fuck off!" said Mondo. "I don't see any of you guys offering any better ideas! So unless you come up with some brilliant solution, why don't you just shut the fuck up already?"
Taka had stopped crying, but he looked a real mess. "Mondo?"
Mondo sighed, hanging his head and avoiding his bro's eyes. "You know I always got your back, bro, but… If everyone is so against it, there's not much I can do. Besides, 's much as I hate to admit it… she's gotta point. Some of us have more at stake, ya know?"
Taka nodded. "F-Fine," he said. "I—I trust your judgement. Forget what I said, it was… it was beyond stupid. I am ashamed for even proposing it!"
"It wasn't stupid, Taka," I said. "Frankly, I think it would be better for all of us to take charge of our own narratives, rather than leaving them in the hands of that… that monster." I practically spat out the word. I hated even thinking about him. "But... I'm afraid if Junko doesn't want to, then… I'm not going to leave my sister's side on this."
"V-Very well," said Taka.
"Chihiro? Sayaka?" I asked. "You both have been awful quiet on this one."
Chihiro bowed her head solemnly. "Sorry, Taka. I… I can't. N-Not right now." She blinked back tears. "But, I promise I won't leave things like this," she said, her her voice surprisingly resolute. "I wish I was strong enough to tell you all, but… I'm not. Not yet. When I'm stronger, that's when I will tell you."
"It's okay, Chihiro," I said, not wanting her to cry. "Sayaka?"
She hadn't said a single word since Monokuma announce the new motive, and it wasn't until now that I realized she was trembling.
"Sayaka?"
Her face was completely ashen, eyes wide but appearing to see nothing.
"Sayaka, what's the matter?" asked Hina.
She just shook her head, shrinking in on herself. She looked so small and helpless.
"Leave her alone," said Junko. "What could anyone possibly have on perfect little Sayaka, anyway? Even the mastermind of all evil."
I hated seeing her like this. "Y-Yeah, I think that's enough for now."
"Th-That's okay," said Taka. "It's just a few secrets, I'm sure nobody's about to kill anybody over it."
"Me, too," said Makoto. "We're stronger than this. I… I'm choosing to believe in friends. I know you're good people. We're strong, and the mastermind is going to pay for this. We need to be standing together. Even if we're not at the point where we can admit these secrets to each other… We all have until tomorrow to prepare for the reveal, okay? You're not alone. If you need help in any way, don't be afraid to come to me."
Makoto's eyes met mine and I nodded in reassurance. Still, the fear that had begun to settle continued to gnaw at my insides. But I could only hope that his belief was correct.
Of course, Byakuya was here to ruin the mood.
"Well, I suppose we'll see, won't we? I wouldn't be so certain. You're kidding yourself if you only judge others by your own narrow perspective."
"Oh, kinda like how you've spent this whole time being an ungodly ginormous prick to the rest of us?" said Junko, eyeing him shrewdly.
"Guys, come on! This is insane! What the hell is going on?" asked Hiro. "This isn't serious, right?"
Celeste sighed. "And instantly you go to the state of denial."
"For fuck's sake, Hiro!" said Junko. "We literally just had a whole argument about it! You were involved!"
"Hey!" said Hiro. "That's not what I mean and you know it! I mean, think about it! This is banana peels, even for me! How'd the mastermind even get his hands on this kind of information?"
"I swear to god if you suggest it's the work of the fey I'm killing everyone in this room and then myself," muttered Junko.
"Don't be mean! Come on, I'm being serious here! Who has this kind of power?"
"Laugh all you want, he's asking the right questions," I said.
"Someone with enough power to prevent our rescue and get their hands on the darkest secrets of every person in this room?" asked Chihiro. "I wonder…"
"My thinking is that it might be some sort of cult," said Hiro. "You know, some sort of death cult that rounds up people for torture and human sacrifice!"
"God, you are the worst," said Junko, groaning and rubbing her forehead.
"Well, do you think it could be…" said Chihiro, and I waited for her to say something but she seemed to have changed her mind. "Never mind."
"Let's hear it," said Kyoko.
"Oh, o-okay," said Chihiro. "I just think, even if it's not a cult, the mastermind being someone with a thirst for blood might not be a complete stretch…"
"I see what you mean," said Kyoko. "Are you referring to anyone in particular?"
"W-Well," said Chihiro, going at little red at everyone's eyes on her. She probably wasn't used to the attention. "I've been doing a lot of reading on unsolved cases," she began, "So… do you think our captor could be a serial killer?"
"Holy shit," whispered Junko.
"Wh-What do you mean, Chihiro?" asked Hina.
"I—I know it sounds ridiculous, but—"
"Are you suggesting that a serial killer would have the motive and drive to lock up and torture students such as ourselves?" asked Celeste. "As far fetched as it might be, I will admit your theory does have… some form of compelling logic."
"Perhaps it's a stretch," said Chihiro. "But there are articles on Sparkling Justice and Genocide Jack in the library, so—"
"So then our warden is the Ultimate Murderous Fiend?" asked Byakuya. He had a wicked glint in his eye that sent a chill down my spine. "Your evidence is practically nonexistent, but the idea is certainly interesting." He chuckled.
"God, I changed my mind, you are the worst," said Junko. "I'll take the paranoid conspiracy theorist over the emotionally stunted incel."
Before they could devolve into an argument, a voice interrupted.
"That's enough," said Kyoko. She folded her arms, stern gaze piercing as ever. "It'll soon be tomorrow. I suggest everyone take the time they need to prepare."
"Y-Yes," said Makoto. "So don't do anything hasty."
I was left with an anxiety that couldn't shake, but… we left things as they were, and left things as they lay. One by one, we headed back to our rooms.
Once in the hall, I turned to my sister. "Junko…"
Junko turned away. "Don't talk to me," she said, clearly still angry with me from earlier.
Before I could say any more, she stormed off.
Left alone, I returned to my room.
A/N: I love you all! Writing is hard! Mukuro & Hiro is a good friendship that has no basis in canon but i love it!
Please comment! Criticism or just something very short, i really don't care, comments give me life!
