Kasumi swallowed in anticipation as the monitor in the Resort Restaurant switched off. The mysterious voice brought up more than a few questions, but with at least a few answers imminent, it felt pointless to ask them right now. Turning off Ichijou's ElectroID and stowing it in her blazer pocket, Kasumi stood, making haste to the Ground Level. As she walked, she could see a few others ahead of her, such as the blonde Farmer Mikage and the pink haired Producer Ganaha, coming from their respective rooms. Knowing there was no one behind her, she imagined she was going to be last to arrive.

Taking the long trek through the forest path, past the Courtroom Elevator and down the slope to the road, Kasumi entered the tunnel, returning to the Auditorium. Scanning the room, she saw fourteen Students standing about the bleachers, either looking at the stage, waiting, or speaking amongst themselves. Seeing a yukata-clad boy speaking to the curly brown haired Ishihara, Kasumi approached the two, returning the ElectroID to Ichijou.

"Oh, Kasumi-san! Get what you needed?" Ichijou asked cheerfully, unfettered by the announcement.

Kasumi nodded, "Yes, thank you."

Ishihara, his white short sleeved shirt a little dirty from his period in the forest, began to speak, "Oh, Kasumi-san: Ryunosuke-kun and I found something neat in the woods!"

Having a pretty good guess at what the Astronaut Candidate had found, Kasumi suddenly said, "Was it a building, perhaps?"

Ishihara's eyes widened as he nodded, "H-how did you know? Do you have a Talent for Clairvoyance?"

Kasumi frowned, "I'm the only one who found the map in the ElectroID menu, aren't I?"

Before Ishihara could respond, the lights suddenly dimmed, most of them going out, the only illumination coming from the stage, faintly lit. Kasumi could hear the Survivalist, Nagasaki, let out a slight shudder of fear, quickly followed by the Snowboarder, Yokozuna, offering a reassuring, "It's okay, Ayumi-chan."

Having seen something, the Debater in the blue suit, Sanada, noted, "Hmm, no one's at the control panel..."

"Ghosts, huh?" the ever calm Surgical Assistant, Saruta, mused, his lab coat making him a little easier to see.

"G-Ghosts!?" said the shaky voice of the suited Ganaha Eriko.

The Park Tycoon, Kobayashi, hissed, "K-keep quiet!"

The Students quieted down as the lights shining on the stage began to brighten. The spotlights began to spin and rotate, before finally shining on a single point in the center of the stage. A hatch slid open, and a platform below raised a short figure to the stage. Half black with a jagged red eye and grinning face, half cute white teddy bear, it was certainly nothing Kasumi expected.

"Good day, Hope's Peak Students! I apologize for the delay, but my debut has finally come! And what a beary good day it will shape up to be!" the thing spoke, in the same cheery voice as earlier. Finally, he introduced himself, "I am the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Monokuma!"

"Oh give me a break..." Kasumi hissed, palm slapping her forehead.

The smile on Monokuma's face seemed to widen as he said, "Displeased? Sorry to say, but it's only Despair from here on out! In case you haven't noticed, you are all trapped here, surrounded by fifteen other dumb teenagers with brains full of stupid thoughts and hearts full of idiotic ideals. I mean, in a setting like this, what good could possibly happen?"

"Huh? Fifteen others?" Yokozuna Hina repeated.

The pudgy Computer Engineer, Furugori, cleared his throat, before adding, "Yeah, there are only fifteen of us, so that would be fourteen others."

Monokuma stopped, and the lights suddenly began to brighten. Monokuma waved his paw, counting the heads. When he finished, he gasped, "My my! How embearassing! Gosh, don't I look like a dummy! I totally forgot about how sneaky 'that person' is! I guess you won't be seeing them for a little while, at least until I managed to pin them down, upupupu."

Still in his JAXA jumpsuit, also dirty from a forest trek, Tamura muttered, "So there are sixteen of us..."

Getting frustrated, Ganaha stomped her heeled shoe into the ground and snarled, "What gives! Who cares how many people are here, why are you taking us out of our lives and dropping us in this filthy Resort!?"

"Filthy Resort? I resent that!" Monokuma snarled. "Arashimine is king in both variety and history, and we're adding yet another historical event to the list today!"

Tossing his black and yellow scarf over his shoulder, Uzatei demanded, "Tell us why we're here already."

"Murder!" Monokuma answered quickly. Continuing, he said, "To be specific, a very special Game of Mutual Killing. Want to leave? You're going to have to murder one of the other Students here and get away with it. Otherwise, you'll be trapped in this scenic resort for ever and ever."

After a moment of silence, Mikage dropped his sunglasses, giving the bear a hard look, before asking, "No, really, stop screwing around."

"Excuse me?" Monokuma asked innocently.

Clutching her dark gray raincoat, Nagasaki shuddered, "Y-you aren't joking, are you?"

"Of course not! What kind of bear do you think I am?" Monokuma growled. Waving his paws in the air he laughed, "But if you guys won't believe me until a body hits the floor, that'll be your loss. Especially if you're the one who dies!" Slowly walking forwards to the edge of the stage, he continued, "Think about it: you're completely cut off from the outside world. No one in, no one out, no rules or laws but the ones I give you. You can even make your own if you think you can enforce them!"

"And if you die?" the hulking Minami rumbled threateningly.

"Good luck: I'm less a person and more a force of nature! Monokuma is love, Monokuma is life!" the bear laughed.

Minami's hand curled into a fist. Kasumi quickly shouted, "No!" The Contractor turned to the amnesiac, whom explained, "Attacking the Headmaster is against the Rules."

"Right! And rule breakers get Punished!" Monokuma revealed. Looking back at the bear, Minami took a safe step back, and while she didn't loose her first, she didn't loosen it either.

Getting frustrated, the small Environmentalist, Andou, grumbled, "You are the worst most uncute bear in human history!"

Monokuma shook his paws, "You'd better take that back! I'm adorable! Unbearably adorable!"

"You're a teddy bear and teddy bears aren't cute at all!" Andou shouted back, pointing her finger.

Uzatei chortled, "Well, I've never heard that one before..."

Ignoring him, Monokuma sighed, "Oh, in that case, opinion rejected! I wouldn't listen to someone complain about salmon if they hate fish in general. By the way, salmon gets Monokuma's seal of approval!"

"Well, if there were ever an excuse to never eat salmon again," the Debater, Sanada, mumbled. Turning his head, he pointed out to himself, "But should one person's like of something ever lead to another's dislike? That's petty."

"Ugh, keep talking to yourself and it's to the crazy house for you! Even I'm less two sided than that." Monokuma said mockingly. "But anyway, if you check your ElectroIDs in a few minutes, you'll find them updated with all the shiny new Rules. I even added a few based on prior experience. I mean, how many times am I going to have to answer the classic 'Can I kill more than one person?'? It's always fun to see who's the most ready to jump into the bloody action though, upupupu. I even decided to help you along: some of you have found handy weapons in your Lodges. Boys get to go stabby stabby while girls can get all choppy choppy."

"No one's going to kill anyone!" Ichijou suddenly shouted, making Kasumi jump.

Monokuma turned to the Luckster, asking, "Sorry, I didn't catch that. Whenever you Lucksters speak, it comes out like flatulence. Take some strong mints and get back to me."

"Hey!" Ichijou snapped.

Monokuma giggled, "Upupupu, let me just say that as the Game goes on and you watch everyone you've come to know kill each other, I'll be there to watch you crumble into Despair! It's happened before, even to you Hope mongering Lucksters! Everyone has Despair and Hope in them, or something like that. Ying Yang, yadda yadda."

"Just make sense already you stupid bear!" Mikage yelled.

Monokuma shrugged, "I don't have to, I just have to Punish you when you screw up. The rest is just for fun. It's not like any of this is important anyway."

Ganaha shrieked, "What the hell are you saying now!?"

"Upupu in any other circumstances, you'd still be a side character, but the difference in this Game is that all of you are side characters! Maybe some of you think you're main characters, but when nothing you do will ever have any impact, well, that's even less than a side character! You're extras!"

Kobayashi hissed, "Then why all this showboating! Just shove off already!"

"For fun! I just said so," Monokuma repeated. Turning away, he finished, "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Wait one moment!" Kasumi shouted, hoping for at least a couple answers. Monokuma looked over his shoulder, scratching his bum with his paw. Thinking about what Saruta had said earlier, Kasumi said accusingly, "What have you done with my memories!?"

"Eh?" Monokuma grunted.

Kasumi elaborated, "Of all the ElectroIDs, mine is the only one broken. Even in the Report Card section, it only displays information known to all. My amnesia was no accident!" Thinking even further, she continued, "And the 16th Student: I'm sure you could force them to reveal themselves, but you instead chose to hide both their name and mine on the vacant Lodges. Tell us."

Monokuma sighed, "Oh extra of extras, do you hear that?" He quieted down, and there was no noise in the underground Auditorium. Monokuma finally spoke, "It's the sound of everyone who cares! You're out of luck, Rikasu!"

Kasumi raised her eyebrow at the odd name, before remembering what her ElectroID had displayed for her name, confirming her suspicions. Displeased at him withholding knowledge, she insisted, "Kasumi."

"And I couldn't care less! Now, off you go, come up with some fun murders you crazy kids. We don't want any boring Class Trials now, do we?" Monokuma mused, before running off, disappearing out of sight. Once he was gone, the lights righted themselves, returning to normal. The Students however, were silent, tension heavy in the air.

"Well, that's a bit of a bummer," Mikage clicked his tongue, crossing his arms over his chest.

Two of the girls reacted at the same time: Nagasaki let out a cry of shock, reaching into her pocket, and Ganaha raged, letting out a cry of frustration.

"Ayumi-chan, no!" Yokozuna cried out as well. Looking over, Kasumi saw that Yokozuna had wrapped her arms around Nagasaki's, her knife drawn, her face plain with fear. Those nearby took a few cautious steps back, eying the knife dangerously.

"I promise, no one's going to hurt you!" Yokozuna cried out as she struggled with Nagasaki.

"Y-you can't promise that!" Nagasaki retorted. Yokozuna frowned, unable to admit that she was right, but didn't relent.

Gaze hardening, the hulking Super High School Level Contractor approached, looking directly into Nagasaki's eyes. Nagasaki hesitated, and Minami spoke, "Stop being ridiculous: we can't guarantee no one will get hurt, can we? But we can do what we can to keep it from happening. Yokozuna, let go of Nagasaki." Furugori, whom was closest, wisely took a few steps back as Yokozuna looked between Minami and Nagasaki, whom had stopped struggling. Taking a breath, the Snowboarder let go of the Survivalist, whom simply stood, arm hanging at her side.

Uzatei shook his head, scoffing, "Feh, talking about others hurting you while you're swinging a knife around..."

"Besides, it's silly to assume this is just going to turn into a bloodbath when we still have options," Tamura spoke firmly, hands casually in his jumpsuit pockets.

Kobayashi guessed, "You mean, try and escape through the woods?"

Thinking of the map, Kasumi sighed, "I have doubts it will be that easy..."

"Well, I never said it would be," Tamura admitted. He elaborated, "But we have our Talents, don't we? It's not impossible. I say we prepare a group this evening to head out in the morning. That will give them a day...we can talk about it later. For now, it might be better to sort out our thoughts and cool down a bit." He took another glance over at Nagasaki, whom still seemed a bit tense.

Ishihara nodded in agreement, saying, "I know what would make everyone relax a little: a nice meal! Who wants to help?"

Sanada shook his head, "Put myself in an enclosed space with someone else and a number of sharp implements? Not to offend, but no thank you." The Debater turned to leave, a few others following.

Raising her hand cheerfully, Andou the Environmentalist cheerily said, "I'll help you, Jouji-kun!" Ishihara made to leave, the two chatting about what to make on their way out. Within a few more moments, only Ichijou and Kasumi were left.

"What do you think about all this, Ichijou-san?" Kasumi asked.

Ichijou thought for a moment, before saying, "Well, I thought this was going to be a fun little trip with my classmates, but...I guess I just can't stand the idea of killing. We only have one chance to live, don't we?"

Kasumi studied him for a moment, noting that he seemed a little downcast. Trying to reassure him, she said, "I think the only thing we can do is attempt to help in the escape efforts, or if all else fails, keep from ending up a Victim."

The Luckster frowned again, before nodding, "Yeah..." Grunting, he slapped his face, before shouting, "You're right! We have to do our best to keep that bear from getting what he wants!" Stopping for a moment, he muttered, "How does that stupid Game of Mutual Killing work, anyway?"

Kasumi, a bit impatiently, suggested, "Perhaps the rules will clue us in on how things work?" Her fingers twitched for a moment, and once Ichijou took out his ElectroID, Kasumi snatched it from him, smiling, "Thank you." He leaned in, peeking over her shoulder as she switched it on.

Going through the menus, she reached the Rules, flipping through them once again. The first thing she noticed was that Rule 7 had changed:

Rule 7: In order to win the Game of Mutual Killing, a Student must kill another and get away with doing so. Several hours after a body is discovered, a Class Trial will be held.

Rule 8: Class Trial attendance is mandatory except under special circumstances.

Rule 9: If the 'Black' Student who commits murder is declared Guilty at the end of the Class Trial, they Flunk and the Game of Mutual Killing continues. If a 'White' Student who did not commit a murder is declared Guilty, the 'Black' Student will Graduate, and be allowed to leave. The other students Flunk, and are Punished.

Rule 10: A Culprit cannot kill more than two Victims.

Rule 11: In the event a body is missing and cannot be found, there will instead be an announcement after three people are aware the Victim is missing and likely dead.

Rule 12: An accident and a suicide are still considered murders, the Culprit being the one who caused them. Killing someone accidentally means you're the Culprit. Committing suicide means you're your own Culprit, even if you are also the Victim.

Rule 13: In the event that there are two Victims, two votes will be held if the Students believe the Culprit may have been two different people. However, this is a rare circumstance, and getting one vote wrong means all Students except the Culprit Flunk, unless they are also voted Guilty, in which everyone is Punished.

Rule 14: Rules may be added during the course of the Exam. There will be an announcement in the event that this occurs, ensuring all Students are aware of the changes.

Kasumi read the new rules before rereading all of them once more, just to be sure. Summarizing, she said, "So, it seems that should a murder occur, we'll have to discern the Culprit for ourselves. That could be tricky though." Explaining herself, she said, "It can be difficult to sway a large number of people to one choice, especially this odd number. With large crowds, you have mob mentality, but with this small group, everyone can have a conflicting opinion and a voice to share it." Thinking on it harder, she wondered how she might deal with, say, a Debater locked on the wrong answer. Tamura was correct; they each had their own Talents to use.

Ichijou nodded, "Let's hope it never comes to that." Kasumi couldn't help but agree.

Thinking for a moment, Kasumi suggested, "Would you come help me with something for a moment?"

Ichijou perked up, asking, "What's up?"

Kasumi asked, "I'd like to go check out the building Ishihara-san was talking about. Would you mind coming with me? I'd rather not have to go into the woods alone..."

Ichijou didn't hesitate, replying, "Sure! I kinda want to check it out anyway. Where was it again?"

Kasumi led the way out, hands still on Ichijou's ElectroID. Exiting the tunnel and reaching the road, Kasumi noticed it was getting a little dim, with the sun starting to get to a lower point in the sky. It was made darker where Kasumi was by the large cliff side; the whole road was shaded at this point. She could also hear the sounds of the cicadas again, though she was certain it had been quiet earlier. Moving on, the pair went to the forest, Kasumi using the map to try and judge the location. However, it seemed the forest's map was simplified, as it took longer than expected to find the building, a two story log Cabin. It seemed to be in good shape, and was quite normal looking. The song of the cicadas had also reached a high point, and they could be seen buzzing around.

Kasumi went to the door, twisting it open and peeking her head in cautiously. Due to the trees and the sun's position, it was fairly dark inside, and Kasumi couldn't see very well until her eyes adjusted. Turning and glancing at Ichijou, he was already covering his eyes again. Not seeing much purpose, Kasumi simply stepped in, gasping as she felt a crunching noise underneath her feet. As she gasped, she felt something buzzing hit her on the nose, making her stagger. Brushing at her face, she waited until her eyes adjusted until she could see the interior. When she could finally see, she noticed that there were cicadas inside the Cabin, crawling on walls and the nice furniture. Covering her face, Kasumi looked down to see that she had stepped on one. The girl stepped in, and Ichijou followed suit, leaving the door open.

"I don't really see much use for this building. It's practically infested," Kasumi admitted.

"Maybe it used to be for something else?" Ichijou suggested.

Going off that, Kasumi suggested, "Perhaps an alternate place for someone to spend the night? It's farther away, so it might be here for a more 'natural' experience."

"Oh, I see," Ichijou nodded.

Slipping through the couches and lamps of the living room, through a small, poorly stocked kitchen, and avoiding buzzing cicadas, the two reached a stairwell and took it upwards. On the second floor, Kasumi looked down a short hallway with four doors. One was a simple closet with a shelf at the top and a rod for hanging clothes, but it was empty. Two of the other doors were bare bedrooms, each containing a bed and an empty dresser. The last room was a large master bedroom, with a large bed, a fireplace above the one in the living room below, and a large open window, letting in copious amounts of both sunlight and cicadas.

Spotting the orange light, Ichijou stepped in, glancing at the wind, mentioning "It's getting closer to sunset, you think we should head back?"

Kasumi nodded, "It doesn't seem like a good idea to be wandering the forest at night. Let's go."

The two left almost as quickly as they'd come, returning to the forest, trekking through until they reached the road. They were about to head to the First Level, when Kasumi heard the phone ringing from the Ranger Station, being audible through the ajar windows. Changing course, she headed inside, rushing to the phone, Ichijou tailing her. Lifting the receiver to her ear, she spoke, "Hello? This is Kasumi." She felt Ichijou leaning in and listening.

Kasumi heard the voice of the Surgical Assistant Saruta on the other line, replying, "Ah, glad to hear. No one was quite sure where you were. Anyway, this is Saruta. Have you seen Ichijou-san?"

"He's with me," Kasumi explained.

"I see. We'd presumed you'd gone off, but no one had a guess as to where. We need to take caution with this Game of Mutual Killing," Saruta scolded lightly.

"...I understand, my mistake, I was trying to do it quickly and get it over with," Kasumi explained.

Saruta responded, "Very well. Dinner is almost ready, mind. It might be out by the time you get back, so I'd suggest you hurry if you're hungry."

"Starving!" Ichijou said suddenly, making Kasumi recoil.

Saruta gave a light chuckle, before saying plainly, "Very well, see you in a few minutes." With that, he hung up the line.

Not wanting to waste any time, the pair made to move, heading up the slope to the First Level. As they made the climb for the second time that day, Kasumi was starting to feel her legs ache: this place was quite difficult to traverse, for her at least. Ichijou didn't seem to struggle despite his apparent hunger, though that was likely his driving force.

In mere minutes, the two finally reached the Resort Restaurant. It was only when Kasumi smelled the food as she walked through the door that she realized how hungry she was. Looking at the room, she saw that the two tables had been moved, put end to end, making one long table, the seats situated alongside, most of them filled, with several plates lined up, filled with quick food: a large bowl of rice being the center of the meal, a variety of steamed veggies and cooked meat being put alongside, a few sauces being strewn about for use. The mood seemed to have brightened as well, the food restoring the morale and vigor of the Students.

As they stepped in, Ishihara laughed, "Hurry! Before it's all gone!" Ichijou leapt into the fray, piling his plate with food before taking a seat, while Kasumi was a bit slower and more methodical, picking and choosing the foods that smelled the most appetizing.

After she sat, Tamura spoke, "Well, now that we're all here, I think we have a few things to go over. For starters, the escape attempt. I suggested a group going earlier, but Ishiha-, er, Jouji-kun, had another suggestion."

Ishihara stood from his seat, smiling, "I had the idea of making a glider to try and go from the cliff over as much of the forest as possible, then go the rest of the way on foot. The problem with that however is the weather, mostly, but also, supplies. The more stuff I have, the less airtime I'll get, but with more stuff I'll be more likely to make it if it's a long way to safety."

Tamura mused, "A weight/fuel dilemma, huh?"

Mikage bit off a piece of asparagus before saying, "If you're cool with being alone in the forest for who knows how long, go for it man."

Minami nodded, the Contractor adding, "It seems reckless. I'm sure you have good intentions, but we don't know what Monokuma put in that forest."

Sanada added, "Given the inherent risk, I would say it would serve as an emergency backup plan should all else fail. Sending a group seems to be the more stable option. It also doesn't seem to be likely to produce any more significant results other than a quicker, stronger start."

Ishihara considered the points, before nodding, "I understand. I'll work on something anyway, just in case, as long as we have the materials for it."

He sat back down, and Tamura continued, "Now, as for the group we send, I would say the number should be three. The less supplies they need to take, the better."

"Is that such a good idea? Four would be better," Kasumi interrupted. Tamura gave her a look in his lack of understanding, and she explained, "The rules state a Culprit can kill up to two Victims. Sending three doesn't seem wise. In fact, the fewer we send, the more likely a potential Culprit could act. Perhaps we should send five or six? Provided they stick together, there shouldn't be an issue."

"W-what!?" Ganaha stammered, horrified.

Expression hardening, Kasumi grumbled, "Read the rules. You have no excuse. I'm the one with a broken ElectroID..."

Uzatei slouched in his seat, chortling, "I'm sure there must be at least three of us who could go somewhere together without wanting to kill each other." Looking around, he said with less certainty, "Right?"

Making a suggestion, the lab coat clad Saruta spoke up, "Perhaps we can take volunteers first, then see what we have to work with?"

Mikage stood, adjusting his sunglasses, beginning, "Okay, who wants to go into the forest tomorrow morning to try and find a way out?" Andou was the first to raise their hand, followed by Ichijou and Yokozuna, the latter of whom had her hand grasping Nagasaki's arm, holding it up. The Survivalist frowned at this, but didn't struggle. Mikage raised his hand, before slipping a black comb from his sleeve and straightening his hair and sitting back down, his disinterest plain.

Ishihara hopped up, raising his hand, but Tamura spoke up, reminding him, "Jouji-kun, how are you going to build a glider while in the forest?"

The Aeronaut laughed, scratching his head, "Ah, right, my bad."

Minami noted, "I feel like there should be one more. Do we simply let these four go or draw straws?"

Tamura raised his hand, "I'll go along." Looking around, he saw no objections, and said, "Very well, it's settled. We can work on our preparations tonight after we finish eating. Is that all?"

The Computer Engineer Furugori raised his hand, before turning to Kasumi, stammering, "Er, K-Kasumi-san, did you say your E-ElectroID was broken? Uh, I can take a l-look."

Kasumi blinked, before asking, "Are you alright?"

"F-fine!" Furugori replied.

"He's just got a case of 'girls are scary'!" Monokuma said.

Nagasaki shrieked when she noticed the bear behind her, practically leaping out of her chair, her back against Yokozuna as she moved for her weapon.

"Yeah, you're right to be afraid, upupupu," Monokuma snickered.

"D-don't just go inserting yourself into scenes!" Ganaha cried out.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Monokuma spat, sticking his tongue out. Turning back to Furugori, the bear began, "Anyway, don't you even think about tampering with any ElectroIDs. They're tough stuff! The fatal flaw of days long past was fixed ages ago too, so it just isn't worth the effort."

Confused, Furugori asked, "Then why did Kasumi-san's break?"

Monokuma laughed, "Because she's extra special. Extra especially not worth my time talking about, that is." Looking at the assorted plates, he gaped, "What!? No cicadas!? My six hour cicadas are practically made for consumption!"

Kasumi raised an eyebrow, repeating, "Six hour cicadas?" Listening, she noted that the bugs had quieted down again, though when, she couldn't be sure. "Were those the ones filling the Cabin?" she muttered.

Monokuma nodded, "Yup! Normally, it takes more years before cicadas crawl out of the ground and start breeding, but since I figured that was too slow, I made some that live on the edge."

"Why would you do such a thing!?" Andou shouted, pouting. Pointing a finger, she cried, "You can't just mess around with nature as you please! Did you even take into account the ecological effects your new breed would have on the bird populations? What if the trees start to suffer?"

"Upupupu, think of it as a show of power! I can do whatever I want. Keep that in mind tomorrow on your little backpacking trip," Monokuma chortled. In a flash, he scampered off, leaving the Students to dwell on that.

Andou huffed, yelling in frustration, "Stupid bear!"

Kobayashi let out a sigh, "Nothing we can do about him though..."

After a moment, Furugori turned back to Kasumi, mentioning, "So, just asking. C-can you get into your room with that ElectroID?"

Kasumi shook her head, "I tried both of the unmarked rooms and two marked ones, getting the same response each time. I'm locked out." Suddenly understanding Furugori's concerned, Kasumi sighed, "Which means I won't be sleeping, it seems."

"Eh? Why's that? Yokozuna asked.

"Rules," Kasumi said quickly.

Checking his own ElectroID, Tamura nodded, "I see what you're talking about. You have to sleep either in the Lodges or in a bed."

"Like the ones in the Medical Building?" Saruta asked.

Remembering something, Ichijou remembered, "There were some bedrooms in the Cabin!"

Kasumi was conflicted. "Hmm, I can't say I'm too fond of either choice. How hard would it be for a potential Culprit to enter either of those places and kill me? It's not as though they have locks."

"Aren't you the optimistic one?" Sanada said with a slightly amused smirk.

"It's not an...unreasonable demand," Nagasaki admitted, having sat back down after Monokuma left.

"We're trying to escape tomorrow, who would even try?" Ichijou retorted.

Kasumi covered herself, answering, "Well, excuse my pessimism, but I'm thinking more about the long term..."

Ishihara pondered for a moment, before suggesting, "Well, the safest place would probably be one of the Lodges then, right?"

Minami stated, "She'll be sharing a room, it appears."

Kobayashi pointed out, "Well, not necessarily. If two other people share a room, she could take the vacant one."

Yokozuna suggested, "Oh, I know! Ayumi-chan, we can share a room, then Kasumi-chan can take one of ours!"

Nagasaki mumbled, "Would have to move things...exchange ElectroIDs...too much trouble." Kasumi frowned, but she took the excuses as a hint that she was unwanted.

Kobayashi sighed, "Whatever, you can stay in my room."

"And when you end up dead in the morning?" Kasumi asked rhetorically. Kobayashi gave a scared, wide-eyed look of disbelief. Kasumi realized that there was probably a reason she was unwanted.

Tamura replied with a smile, "Then we'll know exactly who did it, so you could rest in peace, Kobayashi-san."

The Park Tycoon let out an awkward laugh, "Ahaha, right, right."

"I was only joking," Kasumi reassured her. Bowing her head for a moment, she said, "Thank you for the hospitality."

After a moment, Tamura asked again, "Well, now that that's settled, is there anything else?"

Saruta Bimaru nodded, standing and clearing his throat, beginning to toy with his hair curl as he started, "I just want to make a short announcement. Earlier Kasumi-san came to me with questions about her known amnesia. I would like for everyone to keep an eye on her, particularly you, Kobayashi-san. If she wakes up tomorrow with no memory of today's events, I would like to know as soon as possible." He paused for a moment, before adding, "I'd also very much appreciate bringing any general health concerns to me as well."

Kasumi, recalling something else, said, "Thank you, Saruta-san. I would also like to mention something strange that happened earlier. Another opinion would be appreciated." She briefly glanced between Ichijou and Furugori before explaining, "Earlier, sometime after Ichijou and I first made it to the Ranger Station, I was testing the phone there. I had it on Line 3, and I heard someone on the other end, laughing, like they were mocking me."

Ichijou nodded, "Yeah, I heard it too..."

"Well, I guess someone likes your sense of humor," Kobayashi smirked.

Kasumi ignored her, continuing, "I think it may have been our 16th Student, but I don't know how they could have gotten to the upper level. I would recommend keeping an eye out."

Furugori spoke up, "I'm going to check and see if it could have been faked somehow tomorrow, but the only phone they could have received the call from would be the one near the Medical Building." Looking over to Bimaru, he asked, "You didn't see anyone, did you?"

Saruta shook his head, "I can't say that I have."

Tamura, his plate clean, let out a sigh, saying, "Well, if that's all, I'm sure anything else can wait until tomorrow. Andou, Ichijou, Nagasaki, Yokozuna: let's head to the Storage Unit and pack some things. Would everyone else take care of the cleanup here?"

Raising an eyebrow, Uzatei asked, "How so?"

Tamura blinked, before answering, "You know, washing and drying the dishes..."

Uzatei shook his head, laughing, "Oh, right! No servants. Well, I'll try anything once."

Ishihara grinned, "Let me give you a hand, Uzatei-san!"

Uzatei nodded, "Ah, yes, a hand more familiar to washing dishes to ensure I make no mistakes. It would be appreciated." Not sure if he was being complimented or insulted, Ishihara kept his mouth shut as he led the way into the Kitchen.

With that, the dinner was concluded, and the remaining students began to head off to do their own thing, the sun already hidden, casting the mountain in increasing darkness.

"Kasumi! Come on," Kobayashi called from the door, jarring the girl from her thoughts. "We need to figure out where you're going to sleep," she suggested.

Nodding, Kasumi made to follow, and the two left for the Lodges. Kobayashi stopped at the one third from the right, heading to the bottom one, pulling her ElectroID from her vest pocket, slipping it into the doorknob, which clicked open. The Park Tycoon stepped in, slipping of her boots, and Kasumi followed, doing the same, feeling relief as she did so. "Thank you again, Kobayashi-san," Kasumi said as she took a look around the Lodge. It was quite spacious: the first room had a short hall, leading to the bedroom, the floor all hardwood. To the right was a small sitting area with a chair, a table, and a monitor in the corner, with a window nearby, the drapes open. On the left was a door to a bathroom, and ahead, Kasumi could see the bedroom, complete with a dresser, a small green rug, and a bed. There was also a clock on the otherwise bare wall, setting the time at 8:27.

Flicking at her earrings, Kobayashi said, "Errrr...call me Nagisa-chan. It feels weird to say 'Kasumi-san'."

Kasumi nodded, before looking around at the room. She said, "Do you think Saruta-san would mind if we took a mattress from the Medical Building?"

"Oho! There's a thought. Let's just snag one, I'm sure he wouldn't mind much," Kobayashi said with a grin. Knowing there were several beds in there, Kasumi didn't object.

The two slipped out of the Lodge, heading across the fairly dark grounds to the Medical Building, most of the light coming from the Lodges, Resort Restaurant, and Medical Building, though the Storage Units could be seen faintly in the dim light. The starry skies above didn't convey much illumination, the moon likely hidden behind the rest of the mountain. Kobayashi noted, "We should maybe grab a flashlight later..."

Reaching the Medical Building, the two assumed it was empty until they entered, seeing Saruta sitting near the desk, one of the medical books in hand. Looking up, he said, "Good evening. Can I help you?"

Nagisa pointed at one of the beds, requesting, "Uh, could we steal a bed?"

"I would prefer not to sleep on the floor, if possible," Kasumi explained.

Saruta smiled, "Absolutely; do you need a hand in carrying it over?"

The edge of Kobayashi's lips curled up as she cooed, "I would love that." Saruta nodded, standing without hesitation, and the three stood around the mattress, lifting it and making their way across the grounds. Kobayashi reopened the door, and the three set it down in the bedroom, a meter or so away from Kobayashi's own bed. When it was situated, Saruta nodded, before taking a quick leave, When he was gone, Kobayashi said, "Huh, never had a boy in my room before." With a stretch of her arms, she said, "I'm am one hundred percent ready to take a shower and go to bed..." Walking over to the dresser, she shuffled through it, pulling out a pair of pajamas, white on one half and black on the other like a certain bear, but otherwise normal. She grimaced at them, but sighed, "It beats sleeping in my clothes." Checking again, she said, "There's nothing else though except for two other outfits identical to mine."

Kasumi raised her eyebrow, asking, "And you don't find that strange?"

Nagisa frowned, "Of course I found it strange! Like, hours ago, when I searched the place. Anyway, we're about the same size, so you can take what you need." Kobayashi grabbed her things before heading to the bathroom.

As she bathed, Kasumi gave the Lodge a more thorough look, but didn't find anything suspicious or out of place, with one exception: in one of the smaller shelves in the dresser, there was a small, steel hatchet. The blade was covered in plastic, but it was most definitely the weapon Monokuma had talked about earlier. Fearing it, she replaced in back where it belonged, unsure of what else to do. Pushing it out of her mind, she kept looking, also taking a moment to close the drapes when she realized someone looking in would have a line of sight to the bathroom door if they were standing in the right spot. Without much else to do, she plopped down on her mattress, noting that it was thinner than the ones on the bed. Given the heat, she didn't mind the light sheet she had for a blanket either.

After what felt like a while, Kobayashi finally finished, exiting the bathroom in her black and white pajamas, a satisfied expression on her face. "Ah, I feel so much better! Oh, there's only one towel though, sorry, Kasumi-chan," Kobayashi said as she went to the bedroom to change. Kasumi decided to give her some privacy, heading out into the night. Walking over to the Storage Unit, she bumbled around in the dim illumination from the light bulb until she found a flashlight and a spare towel, before hastily returning to the Lodge, not enjoying being out in the open for very long. When she returned, she quickly grabbed one of Kobayashi's spare blouses and entered the bathroom. It was a little smaller than she expected, only having a toilet, sink, and shower, some cleaning implements scattered about.

Glad to get clean, Kasumi began her shower, glad for the hot water. Then, almost as soon as she was soaked and applying soap, the water suddenly shut off. The girl froze, trying to understand what had happened, when she heard more bugle music from outside. However, it was reveille, it was taps, a tune more well known for being played at funerals then evenings, with the same sour notes being played. Stomping through the bathroom, she listened at the door, hearing Monokuma announce, "Attention Students, it is now nighttime. The Resort Restaurant and Storage Units are now closed until morning. The water in the showers has been turned off, and the lights outside the Lodge's will be turned off in ten minutes, so take care. Good night, and sleep well~"

At a loss for words, Kasumi simply ran her skull into the door, sending flecks of water everywhere as she Despaired over her misfortune. She heard Kobayashi apologize from outside the bathroom, "S-sorry, Kasumi-chan! I got a note and well, I forgot to say something. I wasn't thinking about the time!"

A few minutes later, Kasumi exited the bathroom, wearing only her skirt and the clean blouse, her blazer, socks, and her own blouse under her arm. She still had bits of soap in her hair, but the towel had done most of the work. A bit of displeasure in her voice, Kasumi grumbled, "It's fine, let's just go to bed."

Kobayashi couldn't agree more, flipping off the lights as Kasumi crawled onto her mattress, finding little trouble relaxing, the Game of Mutual Killing and all her countless question being pushed out of her mind by exhaustion. She didn't even have the time to cover herself with her sheet before she fell asleep.

Several hours later, under the cover of the night, as the tired denizens of the Lodges slept their fatigue away, a dark shape moved about the first level swiftly, a small bundle in its arms. Reaching the first door on the left, that of Ichijou Mitsuzi, the figure used a piece of tape to stick a folded paper to the door, before moving on to the others, until each of the fourteen doors were marked. Then, the figure took it's leave, vanishing into the night once again.

A bit of a slow chapter, mostly with some buildup, but needless to say, things will pick up next time! Thanks for reading!