Mukuro Ikusuba…
The sixteenth student, lying hidden somewhere in this school…
The one they call the Ultimate Despair…
Watch out for her.
Those were the warning words Kyoko told me…
Mukuro Ikusaba…
Who was this person ? I never heard of them…
But I would soon know…
CHAPTER 5
100 Mile Dash, Pain of a Junk Food Junkie
Daily Life
End of Day 19
Beginning of Day 20
I woke up and went to the Dining Hall. It was time to investigate, since we survived the class trial. Everyone was here, that's good.
« So, you guys are ready to start our post-trial investigation ? » Keebo asked.
« Yeah, we have to. » Mahiru sighed.
« … » Kokichi didn't say anything but nodded.
We didn't say anything else and began our investigation.
'So here I am on the 5th floor of Hope's Peak Academy… It's now open to us… It looks completely different from what we have seen so far... It feels unpleasant…' I thought.
I first checked the two classrooms next to the staircase, but other than one Monocoin, nothing out of the ordinary.
I then arrived inside a Dojo, where Kyoko was.
« Hey Kyoko ! » I greeted her.
« Hey. » She greeted back.
« So, about what we- »
« I'm not going to say anything. » She interrupted me.
She looked up at the surveillance camera…
« Right… I will talk to you later then. » I nodded and left her alone.
I decided to check out this dojo. The first thing I noticed were cherry trees.
« It's quite elegant. » Kyoko noted.
« It sure does, but you sound like you never saw one before. » I said.
« I did, but I spent most of my time overseas, so seeing this scenery is quite refreshing. » She explained.
I nodded, then noticed a straw post for sword practice. On one of the horizontal wood bars below it was another Monocoin !
Seeing nothing else of interest, I left the dojo and went right in front of me to see a Greenhouse. I entered and saw Kokichi staring… at the sky ?!
« Don't bother… It's just paint. » He understood what I was thinking.
« Kokichi… » I said.
« Sorry… I just need time for myself… At least the plants are real. » He stared at the giant plants in the middle of the room.
I decided to give him some space and looked around. I then noticed some kind of control panel…
Suddenly, Monokuma appeared !
« Oh ! You found the panel for the sprinklers ! They go off every morning at 7:30 am ! And don't think about changing the settings, since the panel is locked, so you can't change it even if you wanted to ! » He explained.
« So they activate every morning at 7:30 am… » I repeated.
« Yup ! So don't come here too early, or you will be all wet ! » He left.
I noticed a wooden building behind Kokichi, I approached it, and it was… a chicken coop ?
I entered, and noticed five chickens. They looked normal…
Before leaving, I noticed another Monocoin, which I picked up.
I then stared at the gigantic flower in the middle of the room.
« WATCH OUT ! » Monokuma shouted.
« W-waaahh ! » I exclaimed in surprise.
« That's a Monokuma Flower, touch it, and you will die ! It was all thanks to the Ultimate Botanist, although they don't go here anymore, cuz they died during The Tragedy ! » Monokuma explained.
Kokichi glared at the bear in suspicion.
« It can eat paper, plastic, even people ! So it's totally good for the environment ! Not that I would know anything about that myself ! Ahahahaha ! » Monokuma laughed before leaving.
I decided to go check the toolshed, where there was every tool necessary for the maintenance of the greenhouse. It was super disorganized, when I noticed… a pickaxe ?
« What is it doing here ? » Kokichi asked, as he entered the toolshed.
« I don't know… It's certainly not what you would use for gardening… » I replied.
« Probably Monokuma messing with us… » He sighed.
I decided to leave him alone, and left the Greenhouse to continue my search.
I saw Mahiru coming out of a third classroom in absolute shock !
« Mahiru ! What's wrong- » I asked her in worry.
What I saw sent a shiver down my spine…
There was blood everywhere !
« Wh-What the hell is this… ?! » I shouted.
God the smell… It smelled like death…
« W-what happened here ?! » Mahiru asked in horror.
« If you want to know so badly, I left this room exactly how I found it. Looks like a warzone, huh ? Just keep your chin up and keep on livin', soldier ! » Monokuma explained before leaving again.
« What was that about… ? » Mahiru asked to herself.
I began searching this mess, seeing white chalk outlines of bodies, thrown desks and chairs, and a huge bloodstain…
« They look dry and dark… That means they are considerably old. » Mahiru noted.
« So people got murdered here before we arrived then ? » I asked her.
« That's entirely possible. God… maybe we weren't the first ones to have a killing game… » Mahiru realized in horror.
I shuddered at the thought, and we left this classroom.
I noticed a long hallway on my right, so I went there and I realized I was standing in front of the Biology Lab. For some reason, the word raw was written on the right door.
Locked, of course…
I better report back to the others at the dining hall.
Everyone sat down, and we began our meeting.
« Alright, everyone is here. Let's discuss what we discovered. » Mahiru said.
« Kazuichi and I checked all the windows on the 5th floor, but they all had metal plates, so we can't escape from here either… » Keebo started.
« Yeah, but I noticed something weird about the layout of the school… » Kazuichi added.
« What's wrong about it ? » Kokichi asked.
« The 5th floor lacks something every other floor has… stairs. » Kyoko replied.
« So… the 5th floor is the end ? » He concluded.
« Correct, we are finally starting to get a clearer picture of this school. All that's left now is to solve the underlying mystery. » Kyoko nodded.
« Alright ! We will solve this mystery, and get out of here ! » I exclaimed.
« Right ! Anything else, everyone ? » Keebo asked, smiling.
« Yes, my concern is with the bio lab. We can't access it since it's locked. » Kyoko added.
« And I can't picklock it or bust it down… » Kokichi sighed.
Mahiru approached him and puts her hand on his shoulder.
« Hey, don't worry. We will worry about it later. Let's focus on what we have so far, ok ? » She told him to cheer him up.
He looked at her in surprise, but nodded.
« She's right, Kokichi. Especially… with what she and I found in the third classroom… » I said out loud.
« Yeah… I saw it too… It was a freaking warzone ! A massacre ! » Kazuichi exclaimed.
« He and I saw it on our way to the bio lab… I can't help but wonder… Did Monokuma hosted a killing game in this classroom before us ? » Keebo asked.
« If that's the case, it happened way too quickly… Maybe that's why he started our killing game… He got bored too quick and kidnapped us… » Kokichi suggested, gritting his teeth at the thought.
« Maybe… that's what Keebo found on the laptop… The biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history. » Kyoko thought out loud.
« So that means this mass murder… was the incident that happened a year ago ?! » I realized in shock.
« That would explain why Hope's Peak had to close its doors… » Keebo concluded.
We all went silent at this awful thought.
« Well… There's a greenhouse on the 5th floor as well. It had a giant man-eating plant named Monokuma Flower, sprinklers that activate every morning at 7:30 am, a chicken coop with five chickens inside it, and a toolshed full of gardening equipment. » Kokichi continued.
« That's true, and there was also a pickaxe in the toolshed for some reason. » I added.
« A pickaxe ? What was it doing there ? » Kazuichi asked in confusion.
« I don't know, it was just there. No one had a pickaxe that Monokuma confiscated it, right ? » I asked everyone.
Of course everyone denied that. Guess it's another mystery we have to uncover…
« Oh, I nearly forgot ! I found this in one of the other classrooms there ! » Kokichi puts something on a table…
It was an army knife !
« T-the hell ?! It's like a Rambo knife ! » Kazuichi exclaimed.
« It's a survival knife to be more precise. » Kyoko noted.
« Well, what are we going to do with it ? » Mahiru asked.
« I think Makoto should keep it. » Kyoko suggested.
« Huh ? Me ?! » I said in surprise.
« You're the person we can trust the most. » She smiled at me.
« I agree ! He's the least person that could kill someone ! » Keebo nodded.
« Looks like we are in an agreement then. » Mahiru smiled too.
I wanted to say no, but seeing everyone trust me… It made me feel happy.
I was expecting Kokichi to joke about how I could deceive everyone by committing a murder… but nothing. He just had this neutral face going on… It's hard for him to have lost Himiko…
« Alright, is that everything then ? » Mahiru asked.
« Actually, there's just one thing I need to figure out. » Keebo said.
« Which is ? » Kazuichi tilted his head in confusion.
« Kyoko's identity. » Keebo replied.
« Huh… ? What do you mean ? » Kazuichi asked in confusion.
« We all came to Hope's Peak Academy because we have all an incredible talent. I am the Ultimate Robot, Mahiru is the Ultimate Photographer, and Makoto is the Ultimate Lucky Student. But what about Kyoko ? What is her ultimate talent ? » Keebo explained.
« Hey… That's true. She never told us that. » Kokichi noted.
« Well, since we know each other by now and we all want to work together, I'm sure she can tell us, right Kyoko ? » Mahiru smiled at her.
« I can't. » Kyoko replied bluntly.
« H-huh ?! Why ? » Mahiru said in surprise.
« Because I can't remember. » She replied.
« You mean… You have amnesia ? » I realized what she was implying.
« Yes, I have no memory of what my Ultimate Talent is. » She nodded.
« No offense Kyoko, but are you absolutely positive you don't remember ? We need to trust each other to survive, and I took note of what you guys told me at the last class trial, about combining logic with emotions, and this is what I am doing right now. I want to be sure you're not lying to us so we can work together as friends against the mastermind ! As your friend, I ask you this question. » Keebo asked.
« I know I don't remember my talent. I knew you wouldn't believe me, which is why I didn't say anything. Either way, the truth will make itself clear before we're done. » She replied.
Keebo looked at Mahiru in worry, then to Kazuichi, who nodded.
« Sorry Kyoko… But we are not buying it. That's why we came up with a solution. » Keebo sighed.
« What the hell ?! You said we need to work together and you're threatening her ?! What will you do ?! Torture her ?! » Kokichi exclaimed.
« No ! We only ask Kyoko to give us the key to her room- » Kazuichi said.
Then Kyoko gave Keebo her room out of the sudden !
« Wha- » Keebo said flabbergasted.
« I have nothing to hide. I am telling you the truth, I don't remember my talent. » She said.
« But Kyoko ! Your door will be unlocked ! You could be- » I exclaimed.
« Attacked ? That's entirely possible. But I'm not as weak as you think. I won't go down without a fight. » She replied with a serious tone.
She truly means it…
She's such an amazing girl…
« But come on guys ! She might have lost her memory ! I mean, this is the worst school ever, where only the worst stuff happens ! » I told the others.
« Are you sure about that ? Can you really be sure that life here has been filled with only the worst things ? » She asked me.
« What do you mean… ? » I asked back.
« Nevermind… » She left, leaving us dumbfounded.
« Great job you three ! You ruined everything ! We are supposed to help each other, and you just take her key like that ! » Kokichi left as well.
« Maybe we went too far… » Keebo looked down dejectedly.
« Well, it's too late now. At least she can still sleep in her room. » Kazuichi sighed.
Damn it…
It's starting again…
« W-what the hell ?! How long have you been standing there ?! » Kazuichi exclaimed as everyone noticed Monokuma standing there !
« I'm very, very ANGRY ! There's a thief in your midst ! My precious ! They stole it ! » Monokuma groaned.
« Someone stole something from you… ? » I asked.
« Exactly ! This is how you repay me ? With betrayal ?! Youngsters nowadays… » He left.
« What was he talking about… ? » Mahiru asked to herself.
« Someone stole something from Monokuma… But what ? And who ? » Keebo said.
« I only see Kyoko or Kokichi capable of doing that. Both of them want to end this killing game. » Kazuichi suggested.
Did one of them really steal something from Monokuma ?
But what was it ?
Ding dong, bing bong
« It's already nighttime ? » Mahiru said as the nighttime announcement played.
« We can talk about this tomorrow, let's just get some rest. » Kazuichi said.
Following his advice, we all went to our rooms.
I placed the survival knife I was given in my desk drawer, and went to sleep.
Ding dong
Huh ?! Who is ringing the doorbell right now ?
I got up, and opened the door…
« Kyoko ! » I exclaimed.
« I will be waiting for you in the dressing room… See you there… » She left as soon as she told me this.
Well, I guess I will follow her…
I arrived in the dressing room, where she was standing in the middle of it.
« So what is it Kyoko ? » I asked her, sitting down.
« I need to tell you something… something I can't say in the middle of the cameras… » She said.
« You stole something from Monokuma, right ? » I realized what she was talking.
« What… ? » Her eyes widened in surprise.
« Monokuma told us he got something stolen after you and Kokichi left. Was it you ? » I explained.
« That's right… I stole this. » She pulled something out of her pocket.
A key ?
But not just any key… It was shaped like Monokuma. It was probably the only one of its kind.
« Where did you get this ? » I asked her.
« From the headmaster's room. » She said.
« What ?! You snuck inside the headmaster's room ?! How ?! » I exclaimed.
« It wasn't locked. » She said.
« Not locked… ? » I raised an eyebrow in confusion.
« It was Himiko. She did it for us… » She sighed.
« She did… ? » I asked.
« Remember what she said in her note ? She would fight Monokuma… And how did she enter ? » Kyoko asked.
I tried to think about it…
Then it hit me…
A picture of the blackened picklocking the headmaster's room's door slowly changed to Himiko, looking nervous.
« She picklocked the headmaster's room… She must have learned it from Kokichi… » I concluded.
« That's right. She must have done it as first strike against the mastermind, which lead to the confrontation you saw before he exposed her to us. She did it so we could uncover whatever secrets might lay hidden within… » She added.
Himiko violated the school regulations to help us…
She knew she was going to die, so her last act was to defy the rules of this place…
Thank you, Himiko…
« I noticed the room was open after the class trial was over yesterday. But Monokuma would have noticed it, which is why… » Kyoko spoke, breaking me out of my thoughts.
« You called me for help. » I concluded.
« Yes, by drawing his attention away, I sneaked inside and found this key. » She explained.
« And what you told me yesterday… About this Mukuro Ikusaba… You found it in the headmaster's room, too ? » I asked her.
« I did find a file that mentionned her, yes. I didn't find much, but I know she is dangerous. She might even be the mastermind. » She said seriously.
« But wait, I thought the laptop Keebo used told us the headmaster was likely to be the mastermind ? » I asked in confusion.
« No… the headmaster isn't the mastermind, I'm sure of that. » She shook her head.
« How do you know for sure ? » I asked.
« I don't have proof yet, but I have no doubt I'm right. » She told me.
That's suspicious… She wouldn't say something like that without proof… Is she hiding something from me ?
« Anyway, this key is the one big opportunity we have been waiting to get our hands on. » She yold me.
« What does this key unlock ? » I asked her.
« I don't know yet… Which is why I need you to draw Monokuma's attention again to find out. » She replied.
« You're gonna sneak back again ? We don't know if there's just one mastermind ! » I exclaimed in surprise.
« But they didn't catch us last night, right ? Maybe the mastermind can't monitor us and control Monokuma at the same time. Please Makoto… Trust me. » She told me.
I looked at her, she was giving me a weak smile.
« Alright… I will help you. » I nodded.
« If it is true that the mastermind can't watch us and control Monokuma at the same time, then there's a period of time where the mastermind is vulnerable. And I wonder… In a moment of crisis, will the mastermind break their own rules, or adhere to them no matter what ? » She wondered out loud.
Then she took something from her coat pocket and held it out to me.
« A letter ? » I noted.
« Consider it a symbol of my determination. Don't open it yet, only open it… if something happens to me. » She explained.
« H-huh ?! » I said in shock.
« Please, I want you to hold on to it for me. » she asked me.
I sighed, but nodded.
« Also, don't tell anyone else about what I have discovered. Now, shall we begin ? » She said.
« Yeah, I will distract Monokuma while you do search. I got it ! » I nodded.
She nodded, and left.
Alright… Let's do this…
I got out of the Bathhouse's dressing room, and…
« Hey Monokuma ! You can see me, right ? Get out of here ! I got a bone to pick with you ! » I shouted.
« Well, well, this is a surprise ! You being the one to call me out… but I need to ask… What were you and Kyoko doing in there ? You were… having fun, weren't you ?~ » He smirked.
I just stared at him not saying a word.
« Well, whatever. Do whatever you want. I'm not a pervert seeing dirty stuff on the cameras. » He sighed.
« That's why there are no cameras in the bathhouse, correct ? » I concluded.
« Bullseye ! Wait, that doesn't matter ! Why did you call me here at this hour of the night ?! Did you forget what I told you last time ?! » He asked angrily.
« W-well, I need to know something, and I want you to confirm it. » I froze and replied.
« What is it ? » He asked impatiently.
« About your precious being stolen, what is that precious od yours ? » I asked.
« Are you serious… ? This is what you dragged me out here to ask me ? » He asked, his anger rising.
I gulped, nodding.
« You gotta be kiddin' me ! Are all teens as nutty as you ? » Fine, I will tell you ! It was a key and ****** ! That's it ! » He snapped.
« Wait, what was the second thing ? » I asked.
« It's a blank, stupid ! A secret ! Fill it in yourself ! And the next time you summon me for something so stupid, I will open your skull and find out ! » He left.
I left a huge sigh of relief, as I returned to my room and laid down on my bed.
I just hope Kyoko was ok…
End of Day 20
Beginning of Day 21
It's been now three weeks since we were kidnapped. We lost so many of our friends…
I went to the Dining Hall, and noticed everyone but Kyoko was here…
« Good morning Makoto ! You're a bit late, is everything ok ? » Keebo greeted.
« Sorry, I'm not feeling so great today. » I replied, sitting down.
« Tough night, huh ? » Mahiru asked.
« Yeah, I'm really tired. » I nodded.
« Did anyone saw Kyoko ? I haven't seen her this morning. » Kazuichi asked.
« Maybe because she's mad at you three because you took her key and she won't show up anymore ? » Kokichi suggested, glaring at them.
« Ah, you're looking for Miss Kirigiri ? » Monokuma suddenly appeared.
« What do you want now ?! » Kokichi asked.
« You're looking for her, right ? I would like to know as well ! » He said.
« Huh ? You don't know, either ? » Kazuichi scratched his head in confusion.
« I see… He tried to get information about her from us. » Keebo noted.
If Monokuma doesn't know…
That means our plan went off just fine last night !
Which means…
The mastermind can't monitor us and control Monokuma at the same time…
« So ? You know where she is ? » Monokuma asked.
« Even if we knew, we wouldn't tell you ! » Kokichi snapped.
« Well, whatever. Sayonara, suckers ! » Monokuma left.
« So… Should we look for Kyoko, then ? » Mahiru suggested.
« We would, but how ? Monokuma doesn't seem to know where she is, either. » Keebo replied.
« That seems strange, how can he not know where she is ? He has cameras everywhere ! » Kazuichi scratched his head in confusion.
I think I get it… Kyoko used that key to sneak into some unknown part of the school…
After we finished our breakfast, we all went back to our rooms.
Well, looks like I have some free time for myself… I went to the MonoMono Machine, and used two of my three coins. I ended up getting Fashionable Glasses and Kirlian Photography. Now… Who should I speak to ?
'Kokichi...' I thought.
I need to cheer him up… He needs it…
I found him at the dojo, staring at the cherry trees.
« Hey Kokichi. » I greeted him.
« Hey… How are you ? » He asked.
« Good, you ? » I asked back.
« Trying to… I can't believe she's gone… » He cried a little bit.
« I know… I miss her too… » I nodded.
Suddenly, he pulled me into a hug !
I decided to return it.
« I just want to get out of here… I will survive, for Himiko's sake ! » He told me.
« Don't worry, Kokichi. We will get out of here ! » I told him.
He got off the hug, and wiped his tears.
« Thanks… This is the real me, by the way. I won't hide behind lies, I promise you all. » He gave me a weak smile.
« Then I would love to know more about you. You said your organization is just made of ten members ? » I asked him.
« Yeah, I'm the tenth member. We forbid murder and we only do harmless pranks. » He explained.
« Any example ? » I listened to him.
« Well, we do things like using doorbells and leaving before they open the door, phone calls pranks, water buckets on top of doors, whoopee cushions, and more. » Kokichi explained.
« So really minor stuff, got it. When you're not doing pranks, what do you guys do ? » I started to be interested in this discussion. This was the true Kokichi, huh ?
« We train most of the time. Healthy mind in a healthy body, as they say. I have one member who's overweight, and we are doing our best to make him lose weight so he can be as fit as the others. But rest assured ! We don't discriminate him, overweight or not, he's one of our team, and we love him no matter what ! » He told me.
« That's good to know. That was definitely interesting to know, Kokichi. I'm glad we had this discussion. » I smiled at him.
« Thanks, Makoto. I feel a bit better too. » He smiled back.
« I'm glad to know that ! By the way, have this gift. » I gave him the Fashionable Glasses.
« This is a pretty decent present, Makoto. It feels good to know that you thought long and hard about what tribute to give me. » He smiled at them, putting them on.
« I'm glad to know you like them. » I told him, when I felt a weird sensation throughout my body.
« Are you alright ? » He asked me in worry.
« No, to be fair… I think I might be sick… » I replied.
« Go take some rest then. I need to go see Mahiru. » He told me.
« Mahiru ? » I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
« Yeah, we talked for a bit… And I think I like her. » He said.
« Really ? » My eyes widened in surprise. Was he…
« Not romantically speaking ! When she talks to me, I feel comfortable. She's like a big sister to me… I start to feel the same around her like I was with Himiko… » He told me.
« Probably because they both have red hair ? » I joked.
« Yeah, probably. Anyway, take care Makoto ! » He chuckled, leaving.
I went back to my room, and lied on my bed, trying to take a nap…
But I feel even worse than I did this morning… I'm getting chills, and I don't feel hungry…
I am sick, I'm sure of it now…
After an hour or two, I got up from my bed, deciding to go see someone… But who ?
'Mahiru… I wonder if she finished her conversation with Kokichi…' I thought.
I looked for her, and I found her at the dojo with Kokichi.
She was lying against one of the cherry trees, with Kokichi lying in front of her, as he was resting on her, while she was snuggling him and patting his hair.
I decided to give them some space and waited outside.
I broke out of my thoughts as Kokichi got out of the dojo and noticed me.
« Did you see everything ? » He asked, narrowing his eyes.
« Just a bit, I was waiting you two were done before I went in to talk to Mahiru. » I replied.
« Ok, see you later ! » He smiled, leaving.
He seems happier than usual… Did Mahiru manage to make him feel better ?
I entered and saw her taking photos of the cherry trees.
« Hello Mahiru ! » I greeted her.
« Hello Makoto ! Wait, did you saw… ? » She narrowed her eyes at me.
« Yeah, but I stopped and waited outside until you were done. » I told her.
« Ok, good. And before you ask, no, I am not in love with Kokichi. He just told me everything he had on his mind, and he feels better now. » She explained.
« That's good to know. He got closer to you as well. » I noted.
« Yeah, he even called me big sister ! I was so embarassed at first, but I got closer to him as well, so I don't mind him calling me that. I guess he's like a little brother to me now. » She chuckled out of embarassment.
« I guess you remind him of Himiko. » I suggested.
« Because of the red hair ? » She chuckled.
« Yeah, I guess so. Well, it's nice you two grew closer, you will make great friends ! » I told her.
« Yeah, I just hope he will be friends with the others as well… He's still having trust issues. » She sighed.
« You're right… But we will help him, don't worry ! » I replied.
« Thanks, Makoto. You know, you have really improved over these weeks together. I think you deserve to go from 'Reliable Makoto' to 'Super Reliable Makoto'. » She smiled at me.
« Thanks, Mahiru ! I'm glad to know I'm useful ! » I smiled back.
« Of course you are ! Without you and Kyoko, we probably wouldn't have survived a single class trial ! And now, we can work together to defeat the mastermind ! » She told me.
« Here, please take this as thanks to you. » I gave her the Kirlian Photography.
« W-wow, I always wanted it ! Thanks a lot, Makoto ! I will make sure to take good care of it. » She smiled.
« No problem ! Now, what do you want to do ? » I asked her, returning the smile.
« I think I have an idea… How about you try your photograph skills ? » She proposed.
« Huh ? You mean I should try to take a picture ? » I asked in confusion.
« That's right, go on, try. » She gave me her camera.
I took it with trembling hands, unsure how to take the picture. Unsure what to do, I aimed the camera at her, walked one step forward, and took the picture.
Click !
« H-how does that look ? » I asked, giving her camera back.
She stared at the picture…
« Huh… ? Does my face really look like this ? » She asked to herself.
Crap… Looks like I messed up…
« Hahaha… I look a little goofy. You did well ! » She told me.
« Wait, really ? I thought I screwed up ! » I said out loud.
« Not at all ! I saw you took a step forward, which was the right thing to do ! » She explained.
« Huh, I guess it's thanks to my luck, I didn't know about that. » I said, blinking.
« You know, I never realized I didn't have many photos of myself. It was mostly my mom and other people in thertheso thanks for that ! When we get out of here, I will teach you how to improve ! » She smiled at me.
« I would love to ! Anyway, it's getting late, see you later, Mahiru ! » I smiled back.
« You too, Makoto ! And take care, I can see you're sweating ! » She told me.
She's right… As I went back to my room, I collapsed on my bed due to feeling dizzy…
I put the covers above me, as I felt extremely sick… It wasn't nighttime, but I was exhausted because of this sudden sickness…
I was sweating, and breathing heavily, as I fell asleep.
…
…
…
« I under… »
« Understand… »
That voice… It's so familiar…
Wait ! It's… !
« I… understand… »
It's…
Me !
« I… understand… I should… understand everything. My goal isn't to get out of here… It's… to stay here ! » I heard myself say.
What ?! What am I trying to say… ?
« Hope… This is all… for hope. And that's why… I have to stay here ! » I exclaimed.
I woke up in sweats, panting !
« My dream just now… so strange… » I said to myself.
Then something, or rather, someone caught my attention…
Someone was in my room wit the survival knife I had !
I screamed loudly.
When I looked back…
« Kyoko… ? » I said.
She… she saved me…
I passed out again.
End of Day 21
Beginning of Day 22
It took longer than usual for me to open my eyes…
I breathed heavily, remembering what happened yesterday night…
Was it a dream… ?
I feel much better now… I'm no longer sick for some reason…
I recalled I was in my bed, powerless against someone wearing a mask, and the survival knife I had. And then… Kyoko saved me.
I got up, and checked my desk drawer…
Nothing. It was gone as I expected.
'Crap… I better get to the dining hall !' I thought.
I ran and went there, but only Mahiru was here.
« Makoto, where have you been ?! We were worried for you ! » She asked me.
« Worried ? » I asked back.
« Yeah, after nighttime hit, we all searched for you ! We used your doorbell, but you never answered ! » She explained.
« Ah… sorry… I was so sick I passed out on my bed. » I told her.
« God, that bad ? Are you alright ? » She asked in worry.
« Yeah, I feel much better now. But why did you search for me ? Did something happen ? » I said.
« Yeah… everyone is at the gym, come with me, you will understand. And please help me carry the breakfast for everyone ! » She pointed at a few bags.
I nodded, and we both went to the gym. Everyone but Kyoko was here.
« Makoto ! Where have you been man ?! » Kazuichi asked in worry.
« We were worried, Makoto. We thought you have been… you know… » Keebo said.
« Well, I'm glad he's ok ! We can't afford to lose anyone else after Kyoko ! » Kokichi said.
I then noticed they formed a circle around…
« M-MONOKUMA ?! » I exclaimed out loud.
Kazuicho was working on dismantling him, with Keebo watching while Kokichi was holding Monokuma's legs, and Mahiru and I were watching this happening !
« Wh-what are you doing ?! » I asked loudly.
« Isn't that obvious ? We're dismantling it to see what makes it tick. » Kazuichi said, while still staring at his work.
« But that's Monokuma you're messing with ! The rules say we can't touch him ! » I exclaimed.
« Relax, everything's fine. If we broke a rule, he would have executed us, but that's not the case. » Mahiru told me.
« So how did this happen ? » I asked.
« I went to the gym to see if Monokuma had any info on Kyoko's disappearance, and I found him laying there. I gathered everyone so they could take a look, and Kazuichi started dismantling him. » She explained.
« One thing is certain though, he's quite a sophisticated machine. A remote-control toy is nothing compared to gim ! Whoever is controlling him must be quite wealthy and intelligent ! Oh Keebo, please use your light. » Kazuichi added.
« But why did he stop moving all of the sudden ? » I asked.
« We don't know yet, there are no sign of malfunctions. » Keebo activated his light function, his eyes began to glow to help Kazuichi.
« We think something happened to the mastermind… » Kokichi suggested.
« Something happened to them… But what about the morning announcement ? » I thought out loud.
« It has to be a recording on a timer. I do that with my organization, when I need to send a specific message, I use a recording so I don't have to do it everytime. » Kokichi explained.
« G-guys… ? » Kazuichi asked with fear in his voice.
We all turned around…
And saw a bomb in his hands !
« D-don't move ! It has a motion sensor ! » Mahiru exclaimed.
« M-motion sensor ?! » Kazuichi began to shake in fear.
« Don't move, or we're toast ! » Kokichi exclaimed.
« Everyone, calm down ! I can say the motion sensor is off ! » Keebo said, as his eyes had words appearing on his eyes.
We all let out a sigh of relief.
I began to think of what happened to the mastermind…
Did something happen to them… ?
Wait…
That masked person in my room yesterday night…
Was that…
« Hey Makoto ! » Kokichi shouted.
« A-ah ! » I exclaimed.
« Pay attention, Makoto ! We're going to break into the headmaster's room ! » Mahiru told me.
« W-what ?! » I said.
« This is our chance ! It's not breaking the rules if they didn't see us breaking in ! » Kokichi smirked.
« Prepare yourselves, everyone ! Anything can happen ! » Keebo exclaimed.
They are right ! We have to do this !
We all went to the headmaster's room… I grabbed the handle…
« Locked, of course. » Mahiru said.
« How are we going to break in ? » I asked.
« We need something strong to break the door… » Keebo said.
« I know ! The pickaxe in the toolshed ! » Kokichi suggested.
« Hell yeah ! Let's do this ! » Kazuichi exclaimed.
« Wait, what time is it right now ? » Mahiru asked.
« Well, we left the gym before 9 o'clock, so it must be 9 on the dot now… » Keebo replied.
« Ok, Kazuichi, get the pickaxe and come back here as fast as possible ! » Mahiru told him.
« Roger ! » He left.
We talked and waited for a while…
When suddenly…
« Guys ! Guys ! Come to the Greenhouse ! » Kazuichi came back in panic.
« What's wrong, Kazuichi ? Where's the pickaxe- » Keebo asked.
« Who cares about the pickaxe ?! Someone died in the greenhouse ! » Kazuichi interrupted him.
« What ?! » Mahiru exclaimed.
« Just come with me ! » He ran to the greenhouse.
As soon as we entered the greenhouse…
We saw it…
The body of the masked person who attacked me in my dorm, with the survival knife in their stomach.
CHAPTER 5
100 Mile Dash, Pain of a Junk Food Junkie
Deadly Life