Gooooood morning, everyone!

This was my third morning in Izuru's house. I'd gotten used to the Monokuma alarm by now, the repetitive bear having no effect on me. I laid on my back, continuing to think about last night. Forget being allowed to leave... Izuru's plan was much more concerning right now. I still haven't found an answer for how to deal with it. Almost every possibility was instantly shot down.

Hm… maybe there wasn't anything I could do... Maybe he'd endanger himself whether I liked it or not...

No. I would find something. I wouldn't let him die.

That's what couples did. Protect each other.

But having no information about his plan (because he wouldn't tell me), I had almost no options. A good place to start would be finding out what exactly he was risking his life for. But I had a bad feeling he wouldn't even tell me that...

Well, it doesn't hurt to try...

So, I turned my head to look at the other side of the bed once more.

And, just as the previous two days, Izuru was not there, and he left a note in his place.

Hm, what did it say this time?

Slowly, I moved my right hand to pick up the note.

CLANG

My right hand was stopped by something. Startled and a bit confused, I stretched my right hand harder in that direction.

I heard another clang, but this time, my left hand was yanked upwards.

Wait a second…

I turned my head, now that my right hand was visible, and what I saw shocked me.

Izuru handcuffed me to his bed.

But… but… I thought…

I thought he truly loved me… That he wouldn't do this… That he would understand I wouldn't do anything without his permission...

Wanting some sort of explanation, I stretched my head and body in the direction of the note, straining my eyes to read it. This confirmed the fact that my legs were tied to the back of the bedframe as well, albeit with heavy rope because my legs were too thick for handcuffs. With enough wiggling, the note came into focus.

If you're looking for an apology

for what I've done, you're not getting it.

I can't risk you interfering with my plan.

You have my word this is only temporary.

This is the price we have to pay for love.

-Izuru

Izuru... I know I argued with you yesterday... But why…

I instantly became angry at myself, for being so up-front about the double standard that I've been experiencing... How he could do whatever he wanted, and I couldn't... Especially how he wouldn't give up on his stupid plan for me... Things would have been a lot better between us if I hadn't even brought this up…

But then again, this would have happened eventually, right? Living a secluded life and pretending you were kidnapped would surely drive anyone crazy, especially if the reason why you did so didn't make sense to you. So it's only logical that I brought it up with him as early as possible.

And as much as I was angry, I'm not sorry that I did bring it up. I learned that Izuru would be risking his life sometime in the near future, and I didn't know when. As a matter of fact, it could very well be now... The sense of urgency that consumed me as I tried to fall asleep last night returned, and I almost panicked as a result.

I took a couple deep breaths to counteract it. Detectives need to stay calm in situations like these...

But still… one question came to mind… Was Izuru truly faking kidnapping me? Or was he actually kidnapping me? If Izuru continued to tell me not to leave his house, I'd listen to him, just like I did the first two times. He didn't have to handcuff me to the bed in order to keep me here…

Yet, he did say he did this for love… I honestly didn't know what to believe anymore.

Ugh… why did he have to do this? He was making things more complicated than they had to be… Why couldn't he just unlock these handcuffs and let us go about our lives together? I'm sure he was overreacting, and everything would be just fine...

I felt a pang of nostalgia for our time together on that first night, not having to deal with any of the problems that this world forced onto us.

But right now, I was forced to stay where I was, and I didn't want that.

I needed to save him.

I flailed my arms and legs extensively in the off chance that I could break free, rattling the handcuffs as hard as I could. I stopped after a few seconds once I realized it was futile.

Ok… Ok… Let's take another deep breath… There's no use making hasty decisions...

I calmed my senses, and began to assess the situation.

Izuru handcuffed me to the bed so I wouldn't leave the hideout, because he thought it would interfere with his plan and eventually snowball into us not being able to be together.

So, the question was, did I really want to break my loyalty to Izuru and attempt to escape the handcuffs?

But… even after the past couple days, and telling me he loved me… he didn't even trust me. Still... I've never betrayed him before, and I've barely thought about betraying him even now.

Either way, if he didn't trust me, I shouldn't trust him. Honestly, is this really for the better, like he said? Kyoko Kirigiri is not a submissive woman. I'd go to great lengths for Izuru, but this surely is too far… I didn't even want to think about how I'd eat, go to the bathroom, watch TV with Izuru, or do anything else if Izuru had to closely monitor my every move. It'd be like Hope's Peak all over again… It'd be like I was Izuru's slave…

One time at Hope's Peak was enough. I definitely did not want to go through that again...

So it's settled, then? So I'd-

I'd escape Izuru's handcuffs, and find some way to capture him, to protect him from his plan. Because he couldn't hope for a better future for both of us. Only I could.

But… But what about love? I'd be leaving the one thing that truly made me happy… My feelings for Izuru wouldn't go away easily, if at all. I still felt longing for Izuru...

But right now, I was actually grateful he wasn't here in the mornings when I woke up...

Honestly, I was nervous. Nervous that I wouldn't be able to move on without Izuru. If I turned him in, we'd surely be…

Then it hit me. It completely startled me like Izuru's note that fluttered through the wind and smacked me in the face that one day. It was a moment of stark realization, that my perception was inherently flawed. My eyes widened as I stopped breathing for a second.

If I turned in Izuru, he'd be brought to the Foundation. That much I knew.

And then, Makoto's so-called 'Hope Restoration Program' would attempt to save the Remnants from the clutches of Despair.

No, it wouldn't attempt to save them… It would save them. I had full confidence in Makoto, as I always had. And then Izuru wouldn't have to live in fear of the Foundation capturing him, because he'd be on their side. We'd be able to live together, without keeping our relationship a secret.

I forgot to take into account this fact, the fact that I could have both of my desires fulfilled.

Catching Izuru Kamukura, and being able to love him afterwards without keeping a secret relationship like this.

So both choices inherently became one. The path in front of me was clear now. There was no hint of fog anymore, no diverging crossroads. I could see for miles down my path, all the way into the endless sunset in the distance...

But every journey required a first step. And the first step was breaking free from these annoying handcuffs and ties that rendered me basically immobile.

But how… I barely could move. This situation took me off guard, so I didn't have my tools that I always carried with me because they were with my clothes…

Which were under the bed…

I smirked at myself. My detective instincts may be rusty, but they have yet to fail me…

So I had to get to my clothes… But how...

I took a second look at the handcuffs, and everything around them. My fingernails unfortunately couldn't be used to pick the lock, and there was nothing else even remotely helpful close by.

So I guess that was out of the question for now… Which left the rope around my feet…

The rope was thick enough that it wouldn't break easily. So I'd have to…

Untie these knots with my toes? Is that even possible?

Technically, I have been in worse situations. But this one was up there.

Meticulously, I inspected the knot tied around my left leg. I memorized which sections of rope controlled which parts of the knot. And even more carefully, I used the big toe on my right foot to attempt to loosen it. I made sure to be extremely quiet, just in case Izuru was somewhere else around the house.

But he wouldn't be, right? He did leave a note for a reason… He didn't get back until dinnertime the past two times he did...

So I might have more time than I thought.

Five minutes passed, and I only slightly loosened one part of the knot. I got a bit further after another five minutes. This was indeed exhausting and precise work, but it had to get done.

Eventually, I pulled the last section of rope free and my left leg was completely free. A bit sore, but free. My right leg was still tied to the bedpost, though, so untying one leg did not inherently free the other.

So now what…

I stretched my leg around, as it was feeling stiff from being locked in the same position. I touched the velvety carpet with my foot and pushed my body upwards, releasing some of the tension from the stiffness. I then stretched my leg under the bed, feeling around for something out of place.

After a couple seconds, my legs hit a clump of softness that felt different than the carpet. I carefully pushed it out, towards my side of the bed.

And, surely enough, it was my clothes from three days ago, still in the same condition they were when I took them off that fateful night...

With calculated precision, I dug my foot underneath the pile of clothes, and steadily lifted them until I could reach them with my left hand. I pushed them onto my stomach, at which point I didn't need my leg anymore, so I rested it on the bed in its original position.

Now, let's see… what can I use…

Among my tools were pepper spray, some rope, a pair of suction cups, and a small knife. Unfortunately, the knife wouldn't come close to cutting the handcuffs-

Wait a second…

I've always carried handcuffs with me. And they weren't here now.

Izuru must have used my own handcuffs against me… how ironic…

Actually… this isn't that bad. Honestly, what kind of detective doesn't carry a way out of her own traps?

I ruffled through my clothes once more, and found what I was looking for: my hairpin.

The hairpin that I wore every day, except for when I was sleeping.

The hairpin that conveniently fit in the keyhole of my handcuffs.

I grabbed it with my right hand, and reached behind my head to try to pick the lock. I could only see what I was doing through the corner of my eye.

I felt the hairpin sink into the keyhole, and after fiddling around for a bit, I heard a soft click.

I quickly moved my wrist away from the silver handcuff. It obeyed my will and opened, freeing my hand. I pulled both my hands away from the bed frame. Amid the rattling of the chains from the handcuffs, I sat up on the bed.

I was free. Izuru couldn't hold me back now…

Well, I wasn't entirely free. My leg was still tied, but I'd get to that soon enough.

I instinctively flexed my wrist a bit before switching the hairpin to that hand. It took much less time to free my second hand, as I could see what I was doing. And now, all I had to do was untie my leg, and-

THUMP

What was that?

Was that the door I heard, in the distance?

No… no… Izuru can't be home already… It wasn't even time for dinner yet…

Even worse, he'd know I disobeyed him… and I didn't know what would happen because of it.

He might lock me up tighter. Or he might kill me.

I mean, he still loved me. But obviously, if that note proved anything, it's that he wasn't able to see past his own desires. Even if he was doing it for a friend...

My eyes lit up for a second. There was one way out of this situation. One way to capture Izuru and get out of here, unharmed. It was risky, but honestly, I'd never get a better chance.

I heard the door creak shut, a couple rooms away. I shoved my clothes off my stomach and back under the bed, leaving no signs that I ever moved them.

But was it right, though? It just felt so… deceptive. I felt bad for even thinking of this idea. But… it had to be done. After all, Izuru would do the same thing, right?

No, he did do the same thing...

The sound of footsteps grew louder. Hurriedly, I re-tied the knot on my leg, using the other knot as a template. Then, I dug my hands under my head, close to the back of the bedframe so Izuru wouldn't know I unlocked them. And then, I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

To be blunt, I felt like Sayaka. In how I was using someone's love for me as a weapon against them. In how I still loved them, but there was some ulterior motive that was forcing me to do this.

I took a deep breath. There was no turning back now. This was the only way. The only way I'd get Izuru close enough, and vulnerable enough, to finally complete the mission I've been waiting months to finish.

Izuru's footsteps sounded much closer now, and after a couple seconds, they stopped. I assumed he was at the entrance to the room, watching me lay there.

"You're sleeping rather late today."

Carefully, and slowly, I blinked a couple times to focus my eyes, attempting to feign sleepiness.

"Oh."

I glanced at the clock quickly, because I shouldn't know what time it was if I slept through the Monokuma alarm. It was around 12pm.

"I must have slept through the alarm… Which reminds me, you're back quite early today."

Izuru walked closer to me, and I shifted my eyes to him, making sure to not glance at my legs, or else he'd expect me to bring up the rope.

"Yes I am. Is that a problem?" Izuru gave me a playful smile.

"Of course not. Your voice is far better to wake up to than that annoying alarm clock."

I tried my best to replicate Izuru's intriguing grin. Izuru seemed pleased at that, and my compliment, because he chuckled and moved in closer for a kiss.

He looked as stunning as ever. But I wouldn't let his looks get the best of me today. I closed my eyes in expectation, and slightly moved my face towards his, careful not to reveal the unlocked handcuffs underneath.

As his lips touched mine, I felt a sense of ecstasy. I revelled in the moment that might very well be our last kiss.

But it was time. I'm sorry, Izuru, but it's for us. It's for both of us.

Moving my hands from underneath my head, I quietly moved the handcuffs into position over his hands, which were conveniently close to me.

And then, without hesitation, I slowly closed the handcuffs over Izuru's wrists, with a soft clicking sound that echoed throughout the room and inside my heart.