A/N: Woah new update? What is this? ...Long time no see? Y'know that thing called school which throws work at you and drains all your motivation? Thaaat kinda happened. But I'm here now! Stay tuned for chapter five in 2019 ^^; hope you enjoy reading!
Chapter Four:
Investigating the school serves as a semi-pleasant distraction from the welcome ceremony. Except, when the rules stated that there would be 'minimal restrictions' to our explorations, they were severely under exaggerating. In addition to the locked red doors I happened upon earlier, the stairwell to the entirety of the second floor is obstructed by a large steel grating that boldly thwarts any attempts at passage.
Regardless, I take the time to discover the area I'll be living in that isn't barred from me. The first new room I find is an infirmary and I can't help but think with an essence of grim humour that it won't exactly be much use for a murdered student. Still, if a non-murder related accident occurs, the infirmary would be a favourable location to keep in mind. A quick onceover confirms that it's stocked to the brim with medicine and blood packs, as well as lined with medical beds all along the left wall. Monokuma wasn't lying when he said the school has a large budget – there's more types of medicine here than could possibly ever be needed. I recognise very few of their names.
I next come across a room I had previously ignored on way my to the main hall called the AV room. I don't hang around there very long, though. The second I see the rows of technological equipment not only taking up the floor space but also hanging from the walls, I decide that this room is far beyond my area of expertise and immediately pass on by.
Those are the only two rooms of note before I return to the hallway containing the classroom I awoke in. Having now acquainted with Monokuma, the sign reading 'Despair Hotel' makes a lot more sense. I'm curious to see what the rest of my living space holds, however, so I don't stop to regard it.
Continuing on, the hallway connects to a much more expansive area of hall. Out of the three doors that I see, one of which is quite obviously blocked off with bright yellow tape, I pick the closest in my proximity, the one to my right. It opens up into vast cafeteria, laden with fairly bog-standard steel chairs and tables. The centremost table is long enough to allow all 16 students here to encompass it, but that idea is just as unappealing as the room's choice of décor.
Walking further in, the glaringly red checkered flooring stretches towards an actual glimpse of the outside world that hasn't been shielded from us, instantly luring me to it. An entire glass wall, the only barricade between me and a small, well-kept garden. The same evergreens that had welcomed me into the school not even two hours ago now mock me from their free, worriless positions. I place a hand on the barrier. How come this glass hasn't been concealed like the rest of the windows here? And, more importantly, if I were to break it, could it be a possible escape route?
With such a large panel of glass, it's going to be at least reinforced. I'm going to need-
"Hey hey hey! What's up? What are you plotting behind my back?" My thoughts are interrupted by a voice I'd hoped had left me alone. Monokuma materialises next to me out of nowhere and peers around to meet my face, leaning in on tiptoes. I almost ignore him. Since he's so conveniently present at this moment, though, I conclude that I shouldn't pass up the opportunity to interrogate him.
"Why hasn't this been plated up?"
"Whaddya mean 'why hasn't this been plated up'? Have you seen the size of this thing?" He gestures wildly at the wall. "It's huge! Ginormous! Humongous! It's an entire wall! It would be super difficult to completely cover up, y'know?"
"And it doesn't concern you?"
"Nope! This glass is totally indestructible!" As if to prove his point, Monokuma gives the wall three resolute knocks with his paw. The dull, blunt sounds that are produced are sorely underwhelming, swallowed up into nothingness.
"How do I know you're not just saying that to deter any ideas of using it to escape?" My face clearly shows how unimpressed I am.
"Geez Louise! You kids and your suspicious attitudes nowadays, lemme tell ya…" Grumbling to himself, the bear takes a few paces away from the wall. "Lucky for you, though, I have exactly the proof you want!"
Without waiting for my response, Monokuma whips his right arm forward and points it at the wall. The arm begins to deconstruct on cue, much to my fascination. Then it reconstructs itself into something else. And by 'something else', I mean a cannon. Attached to his shoulder. Shit. Thankfully, the cannon apparently requires charging up, giving me enough time to push off the glass and hotfoot it away from the impending disaster, just managing to vault over a table before-
*BOOM*
The room trembles. Having landed back on the floor at the same time of the cannon's fire, I'm forced to rapidly shift my stance in order not to fall. Chairs and tables near the cannon skid away from the blast in recoil. My poor ears protest at the second explosion of the day, this time not having been at all protected. After everything calms down, the unequivocal ring of Monokuma's maniacal laughter reverberates throughout the cafeteria.
"Upupupupu…" The wall remains unscathed, aside from the giant blast mark left from the cannon.
"Did you not think a warning would've been helpful?" I growl, my eyes narrowing at the obscenely proud bear. He stops laughing.
"Why would I need to give you a warning? I knew you'd be able to get out of the way," There's an edge to his voice, a glint in his eye. Something about the way he says that sentence makes it seem like… like he knows more than he lets on. It's unsettling.
Monokuma resumes his giggling and the tension lifts just as abruptly as it settled.
"Wowzers! That was exciting!" The bear reforms his arm to its original state, flexing it for show afterwards. "Just what I needed after all of you bores moaned at me,"
"…You're an incredibly advanced contraption," Whoever came up with a half black, half white teddy bear implanted with a bomb and equipped with a cannon for an arm to warden over us has quite the imagination.
"Aww, stop, you're making me blush!" At my slightly puzzled expression, Monokuma cackles again. I wish he wouldn't laugh so much. It's annoying. "Well, that concludes your teaching for today! I hope you've learned a valuable lesson that…" He hops onto the table I'm standing behind and leans forward directly into my face. "The only way you're getting out of here is if you go and murder someone."
The bear is far too close for comfort, but my stubbornness prevents me from backing away and letting him win. Much to my relief, though, our unspoken battle doesn't last long. Monokuma soon stands up straight once more and expends a dramatic sigh.
"Phew! I'm exhausted! Firing a cannon takes a lot out of a bear like me!" Rubbing the side of his head pitifully, he turns his back to me and strolls away. "Your teacher needs a lunch break. Your homework is to get some heads rolling whilst I'm away… literally! See ya!"
And just like that, the bear disappears. I'm not even given a second to revel in my newfound solitude before I hear even, steadfast footsteps approaching the cafeteria. As I swivel to greet the door, it opens to reveal Kyoko. First, she momentarily inspects the mess of a scene in front of her, then her gaze finds me and she notes my presence.
"What happened here?" She asks passively.
"Monokuma happened." Is all the answer I'm willing to give. She nods once and then resumes her inspection.
Although she seems as done with the conversation as I am, I don't want to risk being interrupted during my exploration a third time, so I don't remain. Instead, I weave my way through the scattered chairs until I reach the smaller room attached to the cafeteria.
It's a kitchen. A fancy one at that. An assortment of vibrant colours permeate my vision from various fresh ingredients that are on display. Ingredients aren't the only thing there's plenty of, either – there are more cooking tools and appliances, many of which I don't recognise, than any person would ever need. Then again, I suppose that before today this school was used to accommodating a lot more than just 16 students.
Satisfied that I'm not going to starve to death, I leave the cafeteria to find that the rest of the students have dispersed around the area. I spot Aoi, Sakura, Mondo and Sayaka travelling together, a still unconscious Makoto slung over Mondo's shoulder. They march off in the direction I believe to be the dorm rooms, most probably on the hunt for Naegi's room specifically. With how flimsy of a physique Makoto has, he's certain to be out cold for at least the next few hours, if not the rest of the day. It's his own fault; the dumbass shouldn't have gotten involved with the spat in the first place.
Rounding the corner of the cafeteria, I encounter a short corridor with another tauntingly blocked set of stairs and a door. It's locked and messily cordoned off with police tape. Except, as opposed to the red doors, this one has a perfectly pickable-looking lock on it, visible through the gaps in the tape. I automatically reach for my jacket before my hand stops in place, remembering that Monokuma took the liberty of confiscating my belongings, so instead I move to detach a couple of grips from my hair and work on reshaping them. Once the task is complete, I arm myself with my new, makeshift lock picks and bend down to tackle the door.
I've not even begun to touch the lock.
"Hey hey hey! Whaddya think you're doing!?" He uses the same greeting he had in the cafeteria, but now it's a lot angrier. This time choosing to ignore the bear that has shown up throwing a hissy fit besides me, I persist in prodding at the lock, tempting fate as to how far I'll be allowed to get.
"The rules openly stated that we're free to explore the school, did they not?" I mumble, the focus taken out of my words to be aimed at the door before me.
"With minimal restrictions! Geez, I can't leave you alone for 5 seconds!" Monokuma hops up and down in outrage, which I assume is a ploy to draw my attention away. Much to his displeasure, I respond by glowering at the lock. "Look, punk, you wanna be punished that badly do ya?"
"I'm not breaking any rules to be punished for," Almost there…
"Oh, well in that case I'll make one for ya!" Brightening up considerably, Monokuma ceases jumping about. Damn it. My hands freeze, and I finally face him. He's coiled himself inward, paws balled at his chest and his whole stance trembling. "Rrrrrrrrrrrr…" He's… growling. For what reason, I couldn't guess. This visage carries on, the growling becoming progressively louder until he thrusts his arms out into the air. "Raaargggghhh!"
Bewildered, I deadpan at the bear. The display takes unimpressive to a whole new level. Was that supposed to be punishment, or…?
"There! A new rule has been added to your trusty e-handbook!" Grinning from ear to ear, rubs his stomach as if he's just had a filling meal.
"That's what that performance was supposed to be?"
"Yup yup! Now, like the merciful headmaster I am, I'll let you off this time," He says, before his voice once more reverts to the sinister tone I'm beginning to get used to expecting. "But next time I won't be so forgiving! Now scram, and this time don't go doing anything that'll make me have to come back a third time!" Despite being the one to order me to go away, Monokuma pulls off his usual vanishing act before I even get a chance. A quick check of my e-handbook confirms that there is indeed now a new rule, one that prohibits 'forcefully entering a room locked by Monokuma'. I exhale heavily at the door, then I stand up, tuck away my now rendered useless lock picks in a pocket and head towards the dorms.
Every person's dorm room is easily identifiable by the nameplate hanging on each door, sporting a childish little portrait of the room's owner. Mine is located on an edge of one of the rows next to Celestia's. It's unlocked, reminding me that we were never given a key of any sort to our dorms. My worry proves unwarranted, however, as I zero in on an item of that very nature resting on a table upon entering my room. Another object to be pocketed.
In contrast with the grandiose presentation of the rest of the school, the bedroom is simple and minimalistic. More like what I'm used to. It's possible these were put together with the sole purpose of housing us for this killing game, that they weren't an original part of the building. The necessities are all present: a bed, desk, wardrobe, shelves and a bin. The bathroom that comes with my room is just as modest.
I've also been provided with a few extra objects of use, such as the notepad and ball point pen stationed next to my room key. To my perplexity, inside one of the desk drawers I come across a brand new sealed sewing kit. I then see it's accompanied by a poster detailing all the human body's vital organs. Oh. I presume Monokuma intends for me to use the sewing implements as a weapon. Unwrapping the kit, I lift out a sizable pair of scissors and test its weight in my hands. The tool feels so foreign, so unfamiliar. There's also a particularly long pair of sharpened needles in the box – not that they're any more comfortable than the scissors – but there aren't any other viable weapons there. I toss the box back in the drawer.
The last thing of note in the room is an announcement pinned to my wall, apparently written by Monokuma.
'Each room's lock has been designed to completely protect against tampering or lock-picking.' Good. Otherwise it would be far too easy to get killed in the night. 'Remaking an individual room key is quite troublesome, so please make sure not to lose yours. Your room comes furnished with a shower, but please note that water is turned off at nighttime. Also, the bathrooms in the girls' rooms include a lock of their own.'
…Why? Does Monokuma expect any of the girls to be foolish enough to let anyone else in their room in order to warrant this lock in a game of murder? 'Finally, I've prepared a small gift for each of you. For the girls, a sewing kit. The sewing kit includes a map of the body's vital organs. One stab will do the trick, girls!' How crass. 'For the boys, I believe a strong blow to the head with any of the tools should be ample. Don't think. Just feel! And let's all enjoy ourselves!'
Something gives me the impression that Monokuma's idea of enjoyment is a little skewed. With that, though, I've covered the entirety of my room. Taking it down from the wall, I drop the piece of paper in the bin and take my leave.
Upon entering the trash room I run into Kiyotaka.
"Ah, Evelynn! Are you making the most of your investigation?" He booms, standing to attention as he greets me. He really doesn't have an inside voice, does he.
"What does it matter to you?" Muttering back to him, I step to the side of his rigidly postured body without even a passing glance in order to survey the room, a far more important task than the pointless chat he's trying to make. There's a trap door – locked, just like half of the doors in this godforsaken school – and yet another set of steel shutters guarding me from a large, metal trash incinerator hiding away right at the back of the room. During the entirety of my inspection, Kiyotaka obnoxiously persists in justifying his need for my cooperation.
"As the figurehead of this group, it's my duty to ensure that all my fellow classmates are working their absolute hardest together so that we can find a solution to this dilemma! I'm confident that if we all-"
"Who decided that I was part of your little fantasy group?" My interruption momentarily gives Kiyotaka pause, but not for much longer than a few seconds. Recovering quickly, he folds his arms in one fluid motion and maintains his assertive eye contact.
"Evelynn, your attitude is not the correct way to deal with this situation! You should be putting your efforts into forging a team with us so that we can face the trials ahead of us both efficiently and effectively! In fact, I have just the thing," Drawing out a silver key from the front pocket of his military shirt, Kiyotaka presents it in front of my face proudly. I think he's trying to pawn it off on me. Instead of taking it like he wants me to, however, I just look at it suspiciously.
"And that is…?" I prompt him, impatience beginning to crawl on my skin.
"This is the key to opening the shutters in this room. Only moments ago, Monokuma spoke with me about janitorial duty, giving me the task of delegating the responsibility. I intend on constructing a weekly rota, of course, but I believe that to help integrate you into the group, you would be best suited to accept the role first. I expect great things from you Evelynn!" He laughs heartily, like the decision has already been made.
At first my plan is to not pay him any mind, until I realise he's being entirely serious. Then I'm just bewildered. How can he care about such a trivial subject at a time like this?
"No chance. Get someone who's actually willing to play along as your mindless crony to do it." Knocking his extended arm away from me, I ignore his indignant orders for me to wait as I exit the room. I'm sick of having to interact with these people already and I'm eager to finish up my exploration of the school so that I can return to my room. Luckily, my bearings from the route I've taken indicate that I'll be coming full circle back to the where the cafeteria is now, meaning I only have one more door left to check.
That door takes me into the laundry room. Washing lines string from wall to wall in wait for clothes to be hung on them, arranged in neat rows above a queue of washing machines. And that's it for anything of importance – not that I would've expected much else from a laundry room. With that, however, I now have the small comfort that all living needs are catered for, like the bear promised.
I turn on my heel and start walking again before my momentary lack of movement allows for any feelings on this whole mess to surface. I'm almost thankful that this standpoint is so ridiculous, so unrealistic, that my emotions have yet to grasp a hold of it, to establish any potentially hindering notions in my mind. I can't let my guard down. I must constantly stay alert.
My feet automatically carry me back to the cafeteria before I know it. Confused as to why, I reorganise my thoughts, scanning the room until my eyes come to a rest on the entrance to the kitchen. Oh. I'm hungry. That makes the most logical sense, considering my breakfast this morning was less than substantial compared to usual. A result of cooking for myself, I suppose.
'You're not gonna last a week on your own,'
A teasing voice.
'What will you do without me looking after all your domestic needs?'
Briskly clearing my mind, I head over to the kitchen. It's a little early for food when compared to my typical routine, but it seems like routine is going to be rare in this school. Let's see if I can make myself something to eat.