Responses to the reviews:
Vortex Oblivion: I'm a fricking weeb that enjoys the HinaNanas alright that is probably one of the only reasons that was only mentioned woops xD Thank youuuu Junko is so much fun to write for but I wasn't sure if I got her right- and Kamukura is important so I had to practice writing him. It's gonna happen a lot more too! This chapter most likely has grammar errors but I'll check later because it's a lot of words. Thanks and enjoy the chapter!
Mastermind Enoshima Alicia: Of course I do omfg Alicia's quote was amazing. Shipping is life. You can't not ship it's impossible.
VonJabey: Hey guess what happens this chapter wink wonk
SHSL Coder: Yeah I know so I figured hey why not actually include them for once so yeah Despair Party w00t w00t. I hope you enjoy the chapter!
CHAPTER 1: Electrifying Despair: START
『~NORMAL DAYS~』
You know, when trapping students in a city, you'd think that they'd be treated kindly, like POWs or something. But no. Not this city, not at all. A loud speaker system must have been installed during the night, due to the security system breaking down. And throughout the entire city, a horrifying screech woke everyone up. You know, that kind of screech microphones get when you pat and play with them too much? Yeah. That.
"Woops, sorry about that guys! Anyway, it's 7 AM, and that means it's time to get up, bastards!"
Since I was rudely awakened, I figured there was no going back. Oh well.
I stretched in the manliest manner possible, which means not at all, and stood up with a small scratch. It was then that I realized that I really did piss my pants last night, and that I most definitely needed new pajamas. Oh well, they were a piece of shit regardless.
After that, I stripped down. I figured that since it was a new day, I might as well take a shower. Besides, it was my apartment, and I could be nude if I want. With that, I left my room (checking to see if the curtains in the living room automatically opened, which they don't (thank god)) and headed to the bathroom. Or that was the plan.
"Heya, Soriyu, I just came to- WHOA-HO-HO~"
"JESUS FUCKING-"
Monokuma sat with his stubby legs crossed on the couch. He had the remote to the TV in his hand, or paw really, while staring at me, who happened to be buck naked. Oh gee.
"What's with this get up? I figured you'd AT LEAST have your pajamas on this early. But I guess you're into that kind of stuff." He laughed after that, except it was more girlish than before. The mastermind couldn't be female…
I immediately turned around, showing him my back, which made him laugh more. I could feel the heat practically radiating off my face.
"I'M GOING TO TAKE A SHOWER NOW PLEASE DON'T EVER DO THIS AGAIN."
"No promises, Soriyu-Chaaaaaaaan!"
So with that, I took 20 minutes to take a shower, brush my teeth, all that good stuff. I then, towel wrapped around my waist this time, ventured back into living room. Monokuma's show must've ended at that point, because he was no longer there. Thank god.
Firstly, I tossed the pajamas in the garbage. No need for that. Then I took yesterday's clothes (since they were the only I had) and got dressed in them again. Well, I left the coat on the side. I wasn't going out just yet, so there was no need for it. Although it was now that I realized how tight my shirt actually was. Maybe this whole job system wasn't so bad; I could get some nice clothes out of it.
After that, I headed into the kitchen. Hopefully there were some rations in here, because a light snack before breakfast couldn't hurt anyone. Especially since I'm a picky eater, and I may or may not like what is cooked.
Rummaging through the cupboards lead me to a wondrous one-serving size box of Rice Krispies, although there wasn't any milk in the fridge. However, the lack of milk did not stop me, and I happily opened up the box and walked back into the living room.
For some reason, Monokuma had switched the channel to that of a weather station. As expected of something like that, it listed the predicted temperatures for today and all the other weather things. According to this, the day was supposed to be rather warm; about 24 degrees (75 if you're Fahrenheit like me; I'm trying to keep it universal ^^') and complete overcast. There was a possibility of rain later tonight, or tomorrow. Recommendation? Don't wear a coat.
Well screw that.
As I opened the curtains, Krispies in hand, I began to ponder my current situation. I was trapped in a small city, with the only driving force for escape being kill the other inhabitants. I'm not foolish; I knew very well it would happen. And that wasn't even the most horrifying part.
Actions, no matter how they're committed or who they're committed by, always have a consequence. As a strategist and a battle planner for war, that was one of the first things required for us to know. Despite the unfortunate occurrence of being trapped here in the first place, eventually, despite whether I'd end up alive in the end or not, this mastermind keeping us trapped here would definitely get their consequence. And despite my ignorance on what, I knew very well that those who committed murder would also have a consequence. Nothing's as black and white as they'd made it out to be.
Together, we'd be unstoppable. But we're not together, are we? As much as I hated to say it, I really didn't trust any of them (for the right reasons of course), nor did I really want any part of them, at that. In addition, we still had her to worry about, and the other few that hadn't been pondered at that time due to the fact they hadn't been called out yet.
It all depends on whose drive to live is the strongest, and what they do with it. And looking back on it, I couldn't have been more right.
I was simply an idiot at the time though, and I didn't realize that nothing was as black and white as I'd made it out to be.
The sound of someone knocking on my door was what awoke me from my thoughts.
"Yo, Soriyu-san? Are you in here?"
The sudden shock of someone being there, especially while I was lost in my thoughts, caused me to jump and spill about half of my Krispies on the rug.
I'm sorry dear friends. You will be missed.
"U-uh, yeah! H-hold on a second…"
Without much thought, my remaining Rice Krispies were placed on the coffee table as I rushed to the door. Said door was practically torn of the hinges as I opened it, and standing before me was one of my classmates; Kimura to be exact. And although he stood there with a lazy expression of no care, he did throw a smile my way. A smile laced with the lie of actual wanting to be at my door. I almost immediately returned the smile in the similar fashion.
"Kimura-kun! Quite the surprise. What brings you here?"
He simply shrugged, running his hand through his cherry hair. "The others told me to come and get you since you hadn't come down yet. And by others, I mean Davis and Carl-san, respectively."
"Carl-kun?"
"Yeah. He seemed pretty motivated by your whole friendship speech or whatever yesterday, and he's determined for all of to be friends or some shit." Oh boy, it was quite obvious he didn't enjoy this conversation.
"Soma-san was telling him what nonsense it was before I hightailed out of there. The last thing I saw was Sabi-chan slightly scolding him and telling him to have a more positive attitude. This whole thing is a little too cheesy for my tastes."
He practically spit the last sentence out. I understood his uncertainty about the others, but it seemed like he just generally disliked all of them, save maybe Sabi. Especially Alicia, who he wouldn't even bother with naming properly. I just shrugged.
"I suppose. Hopefully it'll get less…cheery…in the near future."
"Yeah," he said with a dry chuckle. "When someone finally drops dead!"
Following those words was a stale laugh, although quite empowered at the same time. I felt my mouth go dry and my shoulders tense; he couldn't mean that, could he? Either way, I shrugged it off, at least externally, and ended up lightly, and shakily, laughing alongside him.
I invited him in, which he coolly accepted. He took a quick glance around as I gathered some coins and my coat, putting the Monocoins in said coat. Despite the fact there was a pile of Rice Krispies on the floor, he seemed impressed with the place.
"I like yours," he said in slight, slight awe. "The view's actually kinda nice. Colours are nice, too. Purple and lavender-y grey don't really suit my style. I'm more of a monochrome kinda guy. But damn do I like this red."
There was a small twinge of pride that made me smile like a third grader who'd just been told he'd got selected to enter the national competition for art or whatever. It was goofy, and completely unprofessional. When Kimura glanced my way, he couldn't stifle his snicker.
Then I stopped smiling.
"M-maybe we should head down to the Café now," said my small, embarrassed voice.
He just laughed. "Whatever floats your boat, princess. Let's go."
With that, I locked the door and we headed to the elevator. Well, that had been the plan at least, but it was painfully interrupted as I glanced at my nameplate.
The nameplate had simply read "Hikaru". No Soriyu, just Hikaru. And at first I didn't understand why I had a slight chill, but then it dawned upon me once more.
She'd called me Soriyu. Not Hikaru; Soriyu.
I tried reassuring myself that it'd simply been that she remembered more than I did. Maybe she'd never lost her memory in the first place, and that's what I'd been called in High School. It wasn't like the solutions I came up with in my head were illogical; it was just me being stressed and flipped out. And it didn't help that my gut wasn't telling me the same things that my analytical mind were. I wasn't sure how I'd be able to manage, if the case was that she…
"Soriyu-san?"
"Ah…sorry."
After the brief moment of uncertainty, I made my way to the elevator with Kimura. He clicked the button and rested against the dull windowsill as I politely stood in front of the elevator. When the doors opened up, Kimura's expression changed for a moment, as if he'd remembered something.
"Yo, Soriyu-san," he began, as we stood silently in the elevator. He was leaning against the wall just as he did before, but this time one of his legs were brought up about halfway. I stood more towards the middle with my hands in my pockets and my back slightly arched forward.
"Did you…by any chance…hear something last night?"
I gulped. "Such as…?" Please don't say ghost. Please don't say ghost.
"Like, a person. Moving around? I could've sworn I heard the elevator."
It was only a brief amount of time before I knew what he was talking about. And yet…
"N-no, actually. Why, do you think someone was?" Something in my gut told me it was better not to let him know what I heard.
"…Maybe. Who the hell knows with this crazy town? Hell, maybe it was a ghost!"
God.
Damnit.
And with those words, the elevator door opened with a start. He stepped out before me, holding open the front doors for me. I thanked him, and we headed across the walkway to the café.
There were a few stores in between, two to be exact. The first one was notably locked, with a sign saying "1" on it. The one next to it seemed to be a recreational store, and was open, but not for business. After that was the café, labeled Café Ludenburg. Beside that was Despair Central Park, which explains the rec store. The floor beneath us was littered with cobblestone, and the stone fountain with the Monokuma Statue in the centre was flowing with water and life. There were a few small robins bathing in the fountain as well.
Like Monokuma had said, the weather was rather nice. It was also EXTREMELY cloudy, and it looked like the sky was about to burst with rain at any given second. Regardless, it was way too warm for my comfort, and I really should've taken off my coat. I noticed Kimura playing with his already loose black collar as the two of us walked towards the café.
The inside was bustling with life. Mason was the only one standing, and he was wiping off the countertop by the register. The countertop was glass, and below it were pastries of all different kinds. The floors were a rich chocolatey colour, and the ceilings matched with a caramel glow. Chandeliers hung every few feet. Not huge chandeliers, but chandeliers nonetheless.
There were small tables scattered all around the room. The size ranged per table; the minimum seemed to be 1 to 2, and the max seemed to be 6 to 7. The majourity was 3 to 4, though. The entire group, despite our initial idea to sit together for breakfast, was split up into small clicks. In the centre was the group of Alicia, Izumi, and Nikiyo. Towards the back more was Akiyama, Teiko, and Yo. And a little more in front to their left was the group of Carl, Atsushi, and Daisuke; the latter of which was glancing towards the 3 girl's table ever so precariously. Kimura walked over to in front of that table, to a table consisting of himself, Soma, and Regulus. The final table was to their right, consisting of Sabi and Emi. There was also a third person's bag there, so I guessed Mason was sitting there, too. And speaking of the former two, they hailed me down almost as soon as I walked in.
"Soriyu-kun!" Sabi had said amongst the chatter. "Come sit over here!"
I smiled gently at her, walking over in their general direction. Sabi was all smiles, whereas Emi fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Heeeeyyy!" cheered the joyful blonde as I situated myself between her and Emi. The latter flashed the most confident smile she could offer up. I sent my smile towards both, and returned the favourable greeting.
"Morning to you to, Sabi-san. And to you, Emi-san."
Emi nodded, taking a small glance at me, only to flash it back to her teacup. I rested my coat on the chair. The humidity was high as hell.
Sabi took a bite of the pancakes, which seemed to be a big hit, by the way, before once again addressing me.
"So…?" She said, almost as if expecting it. "What job are you getting, or trying to at least, Soriyu-kun?"
"Ah, I was thinking about Librarian."
"Hehe, cool! I'm sure you'll make a fine Librarian!" There was a giggle in her voice, but it didn't seem mocking. "What about you, Emi-san?"
"Ah…well…I was thinking maybe…erm…a w-waitress? If th-that doesn't sound too s-stupid…"
"Au contraire, Emi-san, I think it's a fine idea."
Emi's face flushed red as she turned to face Mason. Sabi and I shared a glance and both chuckled slightly, before nodding in agreement.
"Yeah," said I, "It sounds like a great idea!"
Emi stammered on words after that, too embarrassed and nervous to really say anything. Mason gave her a reassuring pat on the back (or shoulder really) which made her blush harder, but nonetheless stop her from burrowing her face in her hands. He then shot a glance at Sabi, and motioned his head to behind him. With that, the luckster nodded, placing the ID that was being fiddled in her hands on top of Mason's on the table.
"I'll be right back."
"No problem."
Based on the casual way they walked and talked, Sabi and Mason were already on fair terms. That left Emi and I alone at the table, and poor Emi to feel more awkward than before.
God.
Damnit.
"So Emi-san," I started, trying to comfort her at least a little. "How are you today?"
"U-um…" she started quietly. "Alr-right I guess…"
"That's good! Ehe…" I tried my best to be enthusiastic, but I had really no ideas on what to talk about. She nodded slightly before taking a small sip of her tea. Based on the condiments scattered around, it was safe to say it was tea with honey. And just thinking of that made my stomach rumble.
Really.
Really.
Loud.
Thankfully, most of the others were engrossed in conversation. Alicia, Izumi, and Nikiyo seemed to be the only ones to hear it besides Emi and I, and Alicia was trying her hardest not to laugh really loud. Nikiyo and Izumi started giggling as I felt my face heat up, and I quickly averted my eyes towards the window. It was then did I hear Emi's laughter; quiet and soft, but still prominent. As embarrassing as it was, it was nice to see her finally smile.
"A little hungry?"
"Y-yeah, maybe just a bit…"
She pushed over her plate with Glazed Croissants. I thanked her copiously and dug in, and man was it amazing.
"These are really good."
"Yeah, Mason-kun is a very good cook."
Although stuffed to the brim with food in my mouth, I couldn't help but smile at her.
"Glad to see we agree!"
After that, her face turned pink, but she smiled back anyway. I was proud to see I was finally making friends with her, and maybe (read hopefully) it will last.
"Hey guys, miss me?"
Sabi then waltzed back over, taking her seat next to me. Both of us greeted her, although mine was more muffled (since I was stuffing my face with croissants). Sabi chuckled lightly at my food covered face, and I decided maybe it was time to stop eating like such a pig.
"YOU'RE SUCH AN ASSHOLE!"
All noise in the room stopped as everyone turned their attention towards Kagegami in the middle. He was towering over Soma, mainly because Soma was sitting down, but nonetheless, trying to maintain an intimidating appearance. Soma must have said something to provoke Daisuke, but for some reason, Soma just didn't care.
"That's wonderful," was all Soma said. He then took a bite of his pancake, before turning back to face the screaming Hunter.
"Kagegami-kun, can you please sit down?" Teiko rolled his eyes at Kagegami's behavior, which seemed to infuriate him more.
"NO I CANNOT JUST SIT DOWN. THIS ASSHOLE IS PLANNING TO MURDER SOMEONE!"
The entire room went cold. Soma raised an eyebrow while Teiko took a shocked facial expression.
"Is this true?"
Soma huffed. "No. I was just taking guesses on who may die first. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Kagegami-kun here's the first to go."
"EXCUSE ME?"
"Oh, what are you going to do about it? Kill me?"
Kagegami grabbed Soma by his collar and yanked him to eye level. Soma just narrowed his eyes in an amused expression, while Kagegami snarled, gritting his teeth.
"With your attitude, I MIGHT."
"That's ENOUGH."
Both boys turned to face an irate Sabi marching over towards them.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Kagegami threw a particularly nasty glare her way. Sabi however, threw an even colder one back. Someone who'd been all smiles just moments ago was now one of the most intimidating people in the room, how nice. Kagegami flinched slightly; he hadn't expected her to fight back. Soma had a genuinely shocked look on his face, as did most of us, but it was more impacting for him.
She then did an even more unexpected action, by smacking Kagegami straight across the face. It was much harder than it looked at that, because Kagegami lost his grip on Soma's collar and stumbled back a little, holding his cheek with a small hiss. Soma was able to stand up at that point and began to laugh, that is, until Sabi smacked him too.
"You're both acting like complete MORONS. Grow up! For god's sake, this is high school!"
Everyone stayed quiet and watched as Kagegami mumbled an apology before sitting down. Soma just scoffed, and everyone expected such.
"Upupupu! You bastards should listen to the girls more often, you fucking imbeciles!"
As expected, Monokuma showed up, popping out behind the counter next to Mason. Sabi and Mason both jumped back, and everyone, save a select few, were startled as well. I expected this. Sabi regained her composure with a small yelp, and was back to the Sabi we'd all met yesterday evening. Monokuma just laughed even more, while Daisuke stood up once more.
"I CAN'T STAND THIS ANYMORE! FUCK YOU!"
Kagegami then stormed out of the café, well, not before grabbing Izumi's arm.
"Let's go."
"E-eh?! Why m-me?!"
Izumi didn't get an answer though, and she and Daisuke did end up leaving. After that, everyone eventually poured out anyway, gathering at Centre Circle. It was time for everyone to get jobs, and Akiyama and Teiko were leading the pack.
"Alrrrright, everyone!" said a cheerful as always Akiyama. "Let's get this show on the road! Who's ready to get hired?!"
It was pretty clear now that she was a DJ, even though I'd already known that.
A few people responded immediately with as much enthusiasm as she. The others joined in slowly after; some took longer than others, but in the end, no one was excluded from the hype.
"Sweet! Teiko-chan and I will be your Activities Coordinators for our entire stay! We'll also be running the Supermarket down by the Hospital!"
I had forgotten that there was a Supermarket by the Hospital, as an abandoned, dim Hospital in a dark, dank city was a little more, well, horrifying. But besides that. I was more shocked at the very close friendship that Akiyama and Teiko very quickly formed. Not that it was bad, but because it wouldn't be something you'd guess at first sight. He was a ton more stoic and laid-back while she was intensely energetic and bouncy all the time. But the way they worked together, handing everyone a job as a team, was completely unbreakable. The two were perfect partners, to say the least.
After everything was all said and done, the jobs were handed out with times.
Izumi Akamine: Café Chef
Emi Akiyama: A.C.; Supermarket Manager
Soma Amos: Peacekeeper
Regulas Aston: Park Ranger and Rec Store Manager
Alicia Davis: Department Store Manager
Atsushi Hagiwara: Furniture Store Manager
Mason Horden: Café Manager
Daisuke Kagegami: Park Ranger
Hyosuke Kimura: Peacekeeper
Yoshihiro Kouzuki: Bank Manager
Teiko Matsui: A.C.; Supermarket Manager
Nikiyo Nakasone: Vehicle Dealer
Emi Sasaki: Café Waitress
Sabitsuki Saotome: Apartment Manager
Hikaru Soriyu: Librarian; Janitor
Carl Wells: Department Store Manager
A lot of the choices were either not surprising or semi-horrifying. There wasn't a huge in between. The main semi-horrifying ones were Kimura and Soma as the peacekeepers. As I read their names on the list, I took a small glance over to them. Kimura had a sadistic grin on his face; which was scaring the hell out of poor Nikiyo as Soma tried to discuss transportation with her. I felt really bad. It was painfully obvious that she was going to have to sit down with the dastardly duo, and innocent Nikiyo who got frightened by the slightest actions would most likely die of fear. Although, looking over at them, she seemed to be more comfortable near Soma than anyone else; probably because he was the calmest of pretty much everyone here.
Alicia and Carl were chatting on a bench near the fountain discussing clothing. She probably had big ideas on what they'd be presenting and sales and all that, and Carl seemed eager to comply. I was also slightly worried about what those two were going to end up doing, but it was nice to see them getting along.
Kagegami and Regulas were the first to get to planning. Although hard to guess, the duo worked surprisingly well together; Kagegami came up with fun yet a little rash ideas and Regulas mellowed them out. Regulas was also one of the most patient. Considering how flipped out Kagegami's been, it's good that he has Regulas as his partner.
The odd yet slightly predictable trio of Mason, Emi, and Izumi were my next to analyze. Mason was very comforting to both of them, giving them both strong words of encouragement. Just as she'd mentioned before, Emi was a waitress, and seemed unsure about it. Mason however gave her said encouragement and a reassuring pat on the back. Izumi, surprisingly, was a chef. I was curious as to why the math student had chosen cooking and not banking, and asked her after all the commotion settled down.
"Cooking is…my hobby. I enjoy it a lot, and it's something I'm good at," is what she told me. Unlike the other time we talked, Izumi didn't stutter or seem shy at all. In fact, she smiled brightly, looking down at her thumbs as she twiddled them. I smiled back, and when she realized what she said she'd blushed almost immediately and apologized for rambling. I told her she didn't ramble whatsoever, and although she seemed embarrassed still, the only response I got was a soft "oh" along with an unnecessary apology. And quite the look from Kagegami, but that we can skip.
The final duo shocked me at first, but looking back on yesterday, didn't really surprise me. Teiko and Akiyama had been hanging out from the start, if I remember correctly. Although the idea of someone as calm and stoic as Teiko hanging out and working well with someone as bubbly and energetic as Akiyama seemed absurd and unimaginable when one first thought about it, it slowly made sense after time. It was just so funny how their relationship was natural. Anyway, the duo sat on the edge of the fountain after the commotion died down. She was pointing at things on the list and occasionally looking up at him, and he did the same, except less energetic about it. It was actually kind of cute.
As for the rest of us, we didn't have partners, or really anyone to work with directly. Yo, being the bank manager, immediately started discussing terms with the previous duo of Teiko and Akiyama. Teiko was much more serious regarding the manner, while Akiyama was up for really anything. Both boys would regard her requests and turn them around to something more affordable. Yo was less direct about it than Teiko, though.
Atsushi was initially alone at first, but was soon accompanied by Carl once he and Alicia finished discussing things. Carl and Atsushi seemed to get along the best out of anyone in the group, save Teiko and Akiyama. I wasn't sure what they were talking about honestly, and I didn't really pry. It seemed to be less work-oriented and more for fun. Alicia joined them not too long after, and formed an unlikely trio of friends.
Sabi was the only one not talking to anyone in the group, well, save myself. Instead, she was discussing things with Monokuma. He handed her the master set of keys and gave her some precautionary warnings. She nodded intently, but it was quite obvious by the look in her eyes she was already done with this conversation before it started. Monokuma didn't seem to notice, or care, most likely. Instead of bothering to acknowledge it, he jumped up and gave her a pat on the shoulder, before hitting the ground and running off to take his leave. Sabi had jerked away slightly when he did so, and a small look of disgust lay on her face as he tapped her shoulder. When he was gone, she let out a much needed sigh.
When my analysis was complete of the entire group, I took another look at the paper. Everything was in order. Or, was, until I noticed an addition I didn't ask for.
"What the- Monokuma?! What the hell is this?!"
Monokuma popped up behind me, upupu'ing again. I turned around in a jolt and gave him a dirty look.
"Janitor?! What's this shit about?!"
"Well Soriyu-chan,"
"Stop calling me that!"
"You're the – pfft – Librarian, right? That shift is 9-5. As in, you have another hour. I thought I'd be generous and give you another way to make money!"
"Geh…"
"Besides, the shift only lasts two hours! 9-11 pm! No big deal, right?"
"E-eh?! That's after dark!"
"Oh what, are you scared? Don't be such a baby, Soriyu-chan! Aren't you the tough tactician who bravely led an army in battle?"
"W-well yeah, b-but…"
"But what? Don't tell me you have a fear of the dark or something?"
"N-no! That's n-not-"
"Bwahahahaha! Don't worry, I know all about it. I promise you though, Soriyu-chan, that you have NOTHING to worry about! Well, maybe."
"Tch."
Monokuma took his leave after that, and Carl walked up to me as we watched him leave. I turned my head back and was somewhat surprised to see Carl there. I simply raised an eyebrow.
"What's up, Carl-kun?"
"Alinyan told me that you have to come with us."
"Oh oka – wait what?"
Carl didn't say anything and simply dragged me away. Well, I had an hour to kill, might as well spend it productively.
Hopefully, at least.
『~FREE TIME~』
Carl and Alicia didn't waste any time as soon as I got to the Department Store with them. It was a little before opening, and they rushed to do who knows what. Alicia seemed to be keen on picking out outfits for me, while Carl stayed with me to make sure I didn't leave. Oh great, I was a prisoner in a Department Store Prison inside a City Prison. My life was buckets of fun right now ugh.
"So, Sorinyan," he said casually, sitting on the decorative sofa outside the changing rooms. "Do you have any hobbies or whatnot?"
"Eh? Yeah, I guess I do." I wasn't really expecting that question and I ended up scratching my cheek a little. It's quite the bad habit.
"I guess I could count archaeology. I like going to sites in my free time and looking at artifacts and such."
"Wow, Sorinyan! That's so cool!" His star-struck look implied that he hadn't expected that. It's fine, I don't mind, most people wouldn't.
"The most I do is bowling, eheh. I'm so close to that 300 though!"
I smiled down at him and the two of us shared a moment of comfortable silence. I decided that I'd be an ice breaker.
"So, you and Atsushi-kun have gotten pretty close, huh?"
"Mhm!" He exclaimed, "Atsunyan and I have become really great friends, despite the circumstances. So have Alinyan and I as well. I promised Atsunyan that when we got out of here, we'd play lots of video games together. I would've done the same with Alinyan, but I wasn't sure if she liked them or not."
At this point he was looking down with a solemn expression. I felt kind of bad for bringing it up, since leaving wasn't a definite at all.
"Well," I started. "I promise that I won't let that happen. We'll get out of here, together."
He looked up at me with bright eyes and an equally bright smile. I felt a smile tug at my lips, but I had to admit, I was turning into quite the mush. I knew I was lying, and yet-
Maybe. Maybe I wasn't.
"Soriyu-kun! I'm back~"
Alicia came racing up to the dressing room with a cart full of clothes. Most of them were repeats of the same ones with different sizes. Oh great, I was going to be trying on outfits that were too baggy or too tight. Huzzah.
"Alinyan, can I try this one?" He picked up a particularly small business suit from the cart and held it up. Alicia glanced over at him and nodded with a smile. He flashed an even brighter one and scurried into the dressing room. I walked up to her, looking down at her, while she glanced up at me. After that, she did a quick check, scanning up and down my body. Uncomfortable? Yeah.
She then dove back into the cart and pulled out a large white button-down and handed it to me. Then came a pair of ivory semi-skinny jeans. After a brief pause and a few glances, she pulled out a white scarf as well.
"We can do shoes after," she said.
I found myself changing after that into the outfit she prepared almost immediately after she picked them out. She was surprisingly spot-on with the measurements.
"Aha! Perfect. You get to be my new guinea pig, Soriyu-chan!"
"W-what?!"
Before I could continue, Carl came back from inside the dressing room. He pushed his glasses up as he posed in the odd tuxedo he put on. He also seemed to do something with his hair; god knows why.
It was a greenish suit with brighter green crisscrossing suspenders at his chest. A white button-down was his shirt. His shoes were brown slip-ons.
Alicia clapped exuberantly. "You look amazing, Carl-chan! You were so right about that suit!"
The two of them giggled like young school girls, while I who was awkwardly out of the loop, stood idly on the sidelines. Remembering that I wasn't wearing my typical clothes, I slipped back in the changing room and switched as fast as I could. I then shoved the garments very sloppily in a bag. After that, I decided it was time for a break.
I sat down on the bench in the changing room before examining my surroundings. The changing room was an ivory colour, and everything was decorated as such as well, save the curtains. The curtains were a plum colour. The rooms were small, and the mirror was a single full-body. Next to the mirror was a clothing rack.
I flipped out my Student ID after that. It was strangely built, and certainly the most advanced technology I'd ever seen. It was a little weird that it had a recording device, as evidenced by the app on the 3 page of, well, apps. It was kind of like a really small tablet, now that I think of it. It was then that I glanced up at the clock and felt my breath hitch.
8:30. No way would I be able to walk to the other side of town in a half an hour to make my job. Monokuma would have my head on a platter, oh shit.
I grabbed the back and burst through the curtain and out the door. Only to be stopped in place by Alicia. That's right, I have to pay! SHIT.
"O-oh, sorry Alicia-san, I-"
"Just take 'em."
"…Eh?"
A smile rested on her face as Carl stood in the background, playing with his jacket. I had a stunned look on my face, but she just ushered me out.
"You'll be late if you don't get going, right?"
"Thanks, Alicia-san!"
"Don't mention it."
She held the door open for me as I rushed myself out. Running certainly wasn't my forte, but I didn't have much of a choice. Oh shit, I was never going to make it.
"Stop right there, Soriyu-bou!" Oh dear god not them.
"Bou? What the hell-"
"Hush hush hush, Soma-san. Allow me to deal with the perp. Or shall we call him a suspect? Pfft-"
"Suspect? Suspect of what?!"
"Running, duh! This is school, remember? You're technically running in the halls, hahahaha!"
I groaned and slapped my forehead. I think I heard Soma doing the same as Kimura laughed.
"I'm afraid, dear Soriyu-bou," he said these words in between laughs as he walked over towards me. "That you'll have to be put in the detention center for your behavior." He then fucking cuffed me what even is this school-
"We don't have a detention center-"
"Sure we do, Soma-san! It's that pile of desks in the junkyard, remember?"
"You're kidding, right?"
"Haha, nope!"
I groaned again, as the pair behind me bickered. I'm going to be so fucking late. Then, an idea struck me.
"You're the Super Duper Charismatic, right Kimura-kun?"
"Hmm? Why yes, yes I am. Glad to hear you paid attention."
"Therefore, I'm guessing there's something I can do to get out of this?"
I looked up at him (since he had me cuffed) and he looked down at me. His face shifted into one of dark amusement not long after, and he let me go.
"Haha! You guessed right, Soriyu-bou. But you better do this, I'll watch."
I nodded. "What's the dirty deed, officer?"
He snorted before continuing. "Go talk to Nikiyo-chan and get our ride for us. The dealership is just over there." Kimura pointed in the direction of a large garage building next to a few other broken apartments. It was a dank area, but the small flowers littered near the entrance made the place a little lighter.
"I'll do it, but why can't you?" I asked the ginger, and he brushed it off.
"Eh, I don't like to do unnecessary work." He leaned back on his right foot before stretching a little.
"Plus I may have scared the shit out of her earlier. Y'know."
Soma groaned while I laughed awkwardly. With that, I bid the Charismatic a small farewell before walking into the garage. I planted a small knock on the wall, hearing a rather loud "EEP!" from the back.
"Ah, Nakasone-san? Do you mind if I speak with you for a moment?"
She walked out from the back, disheveled and trying to keep a very large stack of papers in her hand all at once. I rushed to the translator's side and tried to help her, but they ended up falling all over the floor. The two of us stood there for a moment, just looking at the mess beneath us. She sighed, before dropping the last remaining paper on the floor as well.
"Merda."
"D-do you need help?" I tried my best to offer courtesy.
"No, it's alright. I'll pick it up later."
The poor girl sounded and looked exhausted already. After that, she slumped on the couch against the wall. And despite lights already being on in the concrete building, she turned a lamp on the desk on as well.
"I wanna go home." Nikiyo sat there, looking at the papers on the floor. There was only sorrow on her; in her expression and presentation. I felt something in my stomach drop, and I knew very well why.
"Me too."
I collapsed next to her on the couch, and for a good few minutes, we just sat there. It then occurred to me I have two very intimidating people waiting to strap me to a pile of desks, and I bolted up.
"Eh? Soriyu-kun-"
"Um, I hate to be a bother Nakasone-san, but Kimura-kun asked me to get a vehicle from you for him and Soma-kun…"
She irked slightly. "He's such an ass."
I snorted a little; based on our last conversation, I hadn't expected that. She very quickly reverted back to the other Nikiyo, though.
"D-DON'T TELL HIM I S-SAID THAT T-THOUGH!" she cowered, covering her head with her hands.
"I won't," I ended up saying, simply because talking and suppressing laughs is kind of hard.
"B-by the way," she said quietly, removing her hands from her head. "You don't have to use my last name."
"Ah, so Nikiyo-san?"
"Y-yeah, that's fine…"
We stood in awkward silence for a moment, before I awkwardly coughed.
"So about the car…"
"O-oh yeah!"
After that, she went running over to the other side of the garage to go get it. Or that was the plan at least.
"Hey Soriyu-bou," I heard Kimura say as she started off. "Did you get the-"
But before he could finish the sentence, Nikiyo slipped on one of the papers and fell face first. Needless to say Kimura was pleased with what he saw (wink), before turning away and laughing really hard.
Soma groaned once more, walking over to the collapsed Nikiyo who was sprawled out on the floor.
"Do you need help, Nakasone-san?"
"N-no, and Nikiyo's f-fine…"
Nikiyo stood up, only to slip and fall again, while Kimura just laughed harder. He ended up falling on the couch behind me.
"Up we go."
Soma took her hand and pulled her up, while she just blushed and rushed out an apology, fixing her glasses. Deciding enough was enough, I kicked Kimura in the leg.
"Haha-hey! That's a fine you know! Oww…" He held his leg in between laughing and complaining of the pain.
"It's also against the rules to laugh at another student's pain."
"Hoho! Look at you, Mr. Rule Follower."
"Kimura-kun, the m-motor bikes are in the back." Nikiyo spoke up as Soma put a Band-Aid on her nose. There were small tear-drops in the corner of her eyes, but she wasn't full out crying or anything.
"Sweet! You're the best, Nikiyo-chan~" He made his way over to the back after those words. He did stop next to Nikiyo though, and planted a small peck on her cheek.
I thought Nikiyo was blushing before. I was so very wrong.
The beet-red Nikiyo started sputtering as Soma shot his partner a glare. The only thing I was actually able to make out that she said was a very stern "YOUUUUU!"
When Soma was done and helping Kimura, Nikiyo came over to me.
"You can get a vehicle too, if you want."
"A-ah, but my job doesn't call for it. I wouldn't have enough money."
She thought for a moment. "You could always get a bicycle."
Getting that bicycle was the best idea ever.
It was red with black streaks all over. The wheels however, were white. My coat flapped in the wind, and I felt pretty badass.
I made it there with only three minutes to spare. Needless to say I was out of breath from rushing, but I was so glad I actually got there in time that I really didn't care. Not surprisingly, Monokuma was waiting for me at the front door.
"Actually on time Soriyu-chan? I didn't think you'd make it, you fat lug! Upupupu…"
Fat lug? Wow, today really does suck.
"Well, I made it. May I have the key to the library now?"
"But of course, Soriyu-chan!" He tossed up a rather large and extremely fragile looking key.
"Oh, and you might want this, too."
The next thing Monokuma tossed up was yet another key labeled "Janitor's Closet". I couldn't help but internally gag.
"Must I?"
"Well duh. You need to learn to stop talking back to your elders, Soriyu-chan." And with that, Monokuma took his leave.
I entered the large building and flipped on the light-switch. It was rather magnificent, now that I got a better look at it.
The building was mainly white. When one walked in and stood at the door, they'd be presented with a four-story building that was Roman-Styled. The third and fourth floors had a large window in the back that allowed you to look out into the forest surrounding the city. I wasn't sure why there was a giant forest surrounding the city, but eh. If one was still standing at the door at this point, they'd see that there was a spiral staircase to their left. Up the stairs lead to all the other three floors respectively. Although, they're better classified as half floors, since there was a balcony that on could look down from and see the bottom floor. In my opinion, way too overdone for a library.
The floors were tan and made of wood. The back half of the first floor and all the other floors were completely filled with bookshelves, all lined up like dominos. The frontward part of the first floor had the check-out desk to the right. Littered all around the floor after that were other brown tables, holding books of all sorts. The Student Info section was one of those tables.
I walked over to the check-out desk and removed the giant blow-up rabbit labeled "Monomi" and moved it over to the wall. After that, I took a seat in my chair and a deep breath. Soon after that, everything turned dark.
"…riyu…"
"…oriyu…!"
"SORIYU-KUN!"
"AAAAHHH WHAT-"
I snapped up from the chair I'd drifted off in. Standing before me was Emi, holding a folder in her hands. She jumped back a little when I screamed, and the two of us froze in place for a moment before I snapped out of it and looked up at her.
"Hey Emi-san. What's up?"
She laughed nervously.
"U-um, Soriyu-kun, were you asleep?"
"Haha! Of course not…"
She smiled slightly and laughed.
"Okay, sure." She started opening the folder, until she remembered something.
"O-oh, that's right. Soriyu-kun, have you seen Sabi-san's file?"
I thought for a moment before replying. "She took it out. She said she was embarrassed about it…I think."
"Oh, alright."
"So why're you here Emi-san?"
Emi cleared her throat before continuing. "It's my lunch break, so I came to get the Student Info, and m-maybe check out a book."
Lunch? I quickly checked my Student ID.
12:37. Fuck.
Emi skimmed through the Achievements book as I sat, hitting my head on the desk three times. God dammit.
"SORIYU-CHAN!"
The loud yell that echoed throughout the library as the doors slammed open. Emi dropped the book almost immediately and jumped around, facing the door and holding her parasol in defense. I whipped my head up and immediately stood up from my chair, shooting a glare at the door. One of the other students in the door shushed really loudly.
"Akiyama-san! This is a library, we shouldn't be yelling!"
That voice was Yo. The other male voice in the doorway was a groan, most likely from Teiko. Akiyama stormed in and winked with a double pistol towards Emi as Emi lowered her parasol.
"Eyyy twinny~!" There was a wink before she faced her attention towards me, slamming a book on the desk.
"Listen Soriyu-chan. This stinky book is a piece of crap and Monokuma doesn't believe me! You tell him, you're the book man!"
"Uh…"
And not surprisingly, Monokuma popped up not long after at all. He shook his stubby head furiously with a swift "Nu-uh!"
"She's just saying that because this dumb bint thinks all books are stupid!"
"That may be true, but I know good books when I read 'em! 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus' was a masterpiece!"
As the duo bickered, Emi turned to the boys for help.
"Honestly, I don't even know, I mean, it wasn't so bad…" Yo shrugged, glancing over at the girl and the bear.
"The book fucking sucked." Straightforward reply from Teiko.
"Well," Emi said, shakily raising her voice. Akiyama and Monokuma stopped bickering and turned around to see Emi's nervous face with a gulp.
"U-um…w-why don't Soriyu-kun and I r-read the book? Statistics are better when a large group surveys them, as shown by studies-"
"Alright, I'm game," Monokuma said, interrupting the researcher. "But prepare to be blown away!"
Monokuma handed me the book and I walked over to Emi. The two of us glanced down and began to read.
「Magical Girl Usami's Distressing Terror」
Once upon a time, there was a horrendous rabbit named Magical Girl Usami. For some ridiculous reason, Usami believed in the notion of "Hope".
Usami was a teacher of 16 students. She loved the students with everything she had, and vowed to protect them.
However, Usami was secretly very, very scared. Usami was scared that she'd fail and lose her students to the notion of "Despair".
Monokuma knew that she was scared of losing her students. Monokuma thought about how pathetic she was and laughed.
Monokuma then decided to make her fear come true. Monokuma made her students face the "Ultimate Despair": themselves.
Usami was horrified. However, this was a test. A test to see if Usami could overcome her fear.
Fortunately, she couldn't. Usami ended up dead like her pathetic students!
Usami didn't realize that her "Hope" could only be achieved by beating her own "Despair"! Poor despair-induced Usami!
The End!
I closed the picture book. That was…really, really morbid. Graphic as well, for a crayon picture book. Emi was frowning and playing with her coat, while I handed the book back to Monokuma.
"So? How did you like it, Soriyu-chan?"
"It was…uh…"
"Terrible," blurted out Teiko as he examined his nails with a bored expression.
"Yeah that."
Monokuma raspberried in our direction, before running away and disappearing behind the desk. The five of us stood in the middle of the room, rather flabbergasted to say the least. That was when Yo broke the silence.
"Er, I think it's about time we headed out."
"Good idea."
"Bye, Soriyu-chan! Bye Emi-chan! See you later!"
"O-oh! Goodbye everyone…"
"Bye guys!"
The trio then left the building, while Emi checked the time. She let out a small squeal before picking up her parasol that she'd dropped.
"Ack! At this rate I'm going to be late to my shift!"
"H-hey, Emi! If you need a ride, my bike's got pegs…"
Emi spun around and faced me with a small "Eh?"
"W-well, my lunch is next, so we'd be going to the same place…right?"
She nodded with a small smile, holding her parasol to her chest. On the way out, I put the closed sign on the door and locked it.
The ride to the Café was relatively uneventful and calm. Emi was nervous at first, but seemed to be enjoying herself after the initial awkwardness was over.
The two of us entered the Café with a small ding from the bell. Mason looked over from the counter with a grin and a wave.
"Welcome to Café Ludenburg, where we only serve the best of food! No fast food whatsoever. Ever."
I returned the wave and took off my coat, only for Izumi to come up at take it.
"U-um, p-pardon, but we have a coat rack n-now…" she didn't look up at me, most likely out of nerves. I handed her my coat and she took it, running off. I'd forgotten it hadn't even been a day yet.
The door opened behind me and someone bumped into me. I jumped naturally, and turned around to see who it was.
"S-sabi-san…?"
"Eh…? Oh, hi Soriyu-kun." Sabi took off her glasses to rub her eyes and yawned a little. I couldn't help but laugh.
"A little tired perhaps?"
She smiled lightly. "I didn't have enough tea this morning, I suppose."
"Well," I said, clearing the sudden lump I my throat. "Would you like to join me for lunch?"
She blinked twice before processing what I said and nodded. After that, we walked over to the table next to the window.
"So, Sabi-san," I started. "How's work been today?"
"Ah, pretty uneventful. Nobody's stopped by yet."
"Did you stay awake the whole time?"
"Mhm. Sure."
We both laughed lightly, knowing that it was a complete lie. I then admitted that I did, and she laughed even harder. Woops.
"H-hey guys," Emi said, walking up to our table. "You ready to order?"
"I'm not much of a sewer, but I did sew this."
Sabi took a small pillow out of her sling bag. It was smaller than a throw pillow, but big enough to rest a head on.
"I ripped apart those icky pajamas and made it," she said with pride.
It'd been about 15 minutes. I'd ordered a coke and grilled chicken with veggies. Sabi ordered another tea and about 6 finger sandwiches, or whatever those tiny sandwiches are called. We'd been casually talking for that amount of time, and it almost kinda felt like a da-
"G'day, Soriyu-kun! 'Ello Saotome-san!"
"Hi Regulas-kun! I told you that Sabi was fine."
"Hey Regulas-kun."
Regulas pulled up a chair and sat down with us. He seemed to have finished his lunch, unlike us.
"So, what have you guys done today?"
"Work." A simultaneous answer. He couldn't help but laugh, despite our not amused faces. That was probably why he was laughing.
"I've actually had fun today, believe it or not. It's a lovely day outside."
Both Sabi and I groaned slightly while he just chuckled. He took a jawbreaker out of his pants pocket and popped it in his mouth.
"So," Sabi said, lowering her voice slightly. "What's up with Kagegami-kun and Izumi-san?"
I shrugged. "Maybe they're like lovers or something?"
Regulas turned around from the table and called out to Izumi at the counter. She'd come out for a small water break, and was scribbling math problems on a piece of paper.
"Oi, Akamine-san!" Izumi turned her head over to face him, although she was still sipping her water. She stole a small glance to her paper to finish the problem before putting the pencil down.
"Are you and Kagegami-kun going out?"
Izumi spit out her water almost immediately. The mist actually traveled pretty far. It resulted with her coughing and putting her hands up in defense.
"N-no! It's n-not like t-that at all! I b-barely k-know him!"
Izumi's hands flailed in all different motions while we three watched her deny any relation. I truly believed she was telling the truth, but Kagegami probably liked her. Oh well, I suppose it's not my business.
Just as Regulas was about to say something, Atsushi burst through the door. All of our eyes were on him, save Izumi, who was furiously cleaning the water. Atsushi frantically looked around, finally finding Regulas sitting with us.
"Regulas-kun! Kagegami-kun is stuck in a tree…!"
Sabi smacked her forehead while Regulas and I stared in disbelief. This day was just getting weirder as it went on.
"You're kidding me."
"No I'm not! I was just coming down to get some lunch, and it took a while since I walked all the way from the furniture store, and I saw him hanging upside down on a branch!"
Regulas sighed and stood up, following a frantic Atsushi to where Kagegami was. Sabi stood up and followed them, motioning me to come along. Izumi saw us leaving and decided to get Mason and Emi to come, too. And very soon, it ended up with us seven going to find Kagegami.
"Kagegami-kun what on earth are you doing?"
"Shhh, Regulas-kun! I'm trying to get this rabbit down!"
"…The bloody hell is a damned bunny doing in a tree?!"
"I like rabbits."
"Me too, Atsushi-kun!" Izumi and Atsushi hi-fived, before Izumi went back to solving problems on her notepad. Atsushi looked, but turned away with a small "Ew, math".
After a small amount of struggling, Kagegami was able to reach the rabbit on the tree. He scooped it up in his arms and jumped right off the tree.
We were all sure he'd at least break a leg, but he seemed to have mastered jumping a while ago. He safely let the bunny go, and it hopped away with great speed. Everyone was content with the outcome, and we named the bunny Fluffington. Shut up, it fits.
"HEY! JUMPING OUT OF TREES IS AGAINST THE LAW, KAGEGAMI-BOU!"
"Are we seriously doing this again-"
"Now now, Soma-san…"
"Oh god it's you two again."
"Hey, Soriyu-bou! Nice to see you too-"
The smirk on Kimura's overly powered face was soon wiped as a book came flying at his head, knocking him on the ground.
"Ow, WHAT THE FUCK?! I COULD'VE GOTTEN A CONCUSSION, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Kimura was a twitchy mess as he turned around, facing a pissed Alicia and a cheering Carl and Akiyama.
"Well, you were being an epic douchebag."
"But it's still not right to throw books at people no matter how you try to justify it." Sabi put in her two-cents, and Kimura pointed over to her.
"See? Sabi-chan agrees with me!"
"Beating him up is fine though."
"Wait wha-"
Akiyama lunged forward, before being held back by Teiko without a struggle.
"Com'on, lemme at 'em!"
"No."
"Pleeeeeeeaaaasssseee?"
"No."
"Teiko-chaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnn!"
"No."
Carl and Alicia walked over to Atsushi. On the way over, Alicia stuck her tongue out at Kimura before walking away. Kimura was appalled, and most certainly not happy.
"Kimura-kun I swear if you don't stop I'll put you in the detention center."
"Fiiiiiinnnneee…"
Nikiyo burst into the park, flipping out about the book thing.
"WAAAH! IS EVERYONE OKAY?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"
Izumi, who was calculating with Yo, patted Nikiyo on the shoulder.
"Alicia-san threw a book at Kimura-kun. They're both fine."
Nikiyo frowned. "Ew Kimura-kun."
"HEY!"
Kimura then flew over towards Nikiyo and started repeatedly bugging her. It was honestly a mess of everyone flailing and talking, and it was really annoying. I found myself in the end being the only one standing there, and I wondered: what the hell is this?
"QUIET!"
Monokuma popped up out of the blue, standing on the tree that Kagegami was once stuck in. Everyone looked up at him in silence, and he harrumphed.
"That's better. Anyway, instead of being colossal morons, why don't you drive your stupidity into something useful, like a sport or some shit?"
Regulas thought for a moment, before addressing the class. "Who's up for some football?"
Figures the soccer player would recommend soccer.
Nonetheless, it was a better idea than arguing, and we all agreed.
It ended up being one of the most heated games I'd ever played, because SOME GENIUS put Alicia and Kimura on different teams. Nobody got severely injured though, so I'd say it was a job well-done.
The rest of the day was spent at work in leisure. That is, until it was 9. Everyone was heading to bed, while I had to be up for two extra hours. I was scared shitless, and I really didn't want to do this.
I fumbled with the key to the janitor's closet a lot before I could actually open it. It wasn't actually anything spectacular, just a plethora of cleaning supplies. Thankfully, the light of the streets was brought to me by the street lamps, so I had some comfort.
For some reason, this didn't feel like the first time I'd been in a situation where I was all alone in a ruined place. The feeling of dread that I'd expected to feel because of it wasn't there, and there was a strange emptiness instead. I knew this all too well, so why did I not? I think that was the most stressful part of it all, and as I stood at the junkyard next to the hill with the garbage in hand, all I could think was why?
I knew I knew, but I didn't at the same time. And I was well aware that it was missing. This wasn't right, there's more than I can recall.
As I turned away from the junkyard, a voice I knew all too well echoed from behind me. A voice I knew, but I didn't. And a voice that echoed fear inside me.
"Well, Soriyu-chan? What's that pit that falls to the bottom of your stomach every time you think about it?"
No answer. She didn't deserve one.
She clicked her tongue and stood shifted, most likely turning around to face me. I didn't move.
"Well, Soriyu-chan?"
「"What is it that you fear most?"」
And until two days later, I didn't understand the significance of what she'd said. And god I wish I didn't.
A/N: 9,878 words on the dot. I told myself 8,000, but NO. I JUST KEPT GOING.
As you can see, this chapter was a contest to see how much character development I could stuff into one chapter while leading to the motive and murder, which yes, come next chapter. Rounding that, I'll say that each chapter will be about 3 to 4 parts, trial and all. It's not for any reason other than I have the need to apparently stuff 10k words into one file like the idiot I am. I'm so sorry this is like 2 months late.
Also, I'm going to start making sure I use universal terms. I'm going to go and fix all my Americanized slip-ups now, oops.
You know the drill. Any questions or concerns, PM me or leave it in the reviews! And if the next chapter is taking hella long again, then I'll answer it in PM regardless. Gomen.
And again, shipping. Make sure to leave your thoughts in the reviews on that!
If you enjoyed, make sure to follow, favourite, and review! Thanks for reading!
STUDENTS REMAINING [17/17]
Hikaru Soriyu
Emi Sasaki
Mason Horden
Sabitsuki Saotome
Nikiyo Nakasone
Daisuke Kagegami
Izumi Akamine
Soma Amos
Teiko Matsui
Alicia Davis
Sebastian Regulas Aston
Yoshihiro Kouzuki
Emi Akiyama
Hyosuke Kimura
Carl Wells
Atsushi Hagiwara
Kerry Young