Shortly before the daily playing of reveille and the usual morning announcement, Ichijou Mitsuzi found himself waking up in his Lodge. Crawling out of bed, he quickly dressed himself in his yukata, hearing the morning announcement finally play as he did so. Heading outside, he saw some of the other early risers heading over as well. He happened to spot Tamura up ahead, apparently holding one of the backpacks from the Storage Unit. He began to speed up to catch with the ASCAN, but a voice chimed up from behind him, "Mitsuzi-kun!"

Turning about, Ichijou saw Yokozuna Hina heading towards, still in her heavy clothing. She smiled as she stopped next to him, saying, "Good morning!"

Ichijou returned the cheery greeting, "Good morning, Hina-chan! Going to help with breakfast?"

Yokozuna nodded, "Yup! But first..." The Snowboarder took a quick look around, seeing no one, before saying, "I wanted to ask though, since Ayumi-chan isn't here. I mean, she's so clingy..."

A bit surprised to hear it, Ichijou asked, "Eh? Having trouble with Nagasaki-san?"

Flubbing a bit, Yokozuna replied, "Ah, er, uh, no!" Taking a breath, she explained, "I mean, I'm trying to help her...she's so shy. You remember when we first got here?"

Ichijou laughed nervously, "I guess shy is one way to put it..." When everyone had first began waking up and wondering what was going on, Nagasaki Ayumi had been hiding in the upper Storage Unit. In trying to get some information out of her, the Students only managed to frighten her, resulting in Nagasaki lashing out a bit. It was Yokozuna who managed to coax her out and show that she wasn't in any danger. She'd calmed down considerably since then, which was surprising given the threat of the Game of Killing.

Yokozuna gave an awkward laugh, before asking, "So, how do you think I'm doing with her?"

Ichijou blinked, "How so?"

Yokozuna pouted, "With getting less shy! I mean, if I could get her to open up to you or someone else, then I'd feel better. I mean, this isn't the best place to try and fix her shyness, but I've got to work with what I got, and you're one of the most trustworthy people here."

Ichijou scratched the back of his head, cheek turning a tad pink, mumbling, "Well..."

Yokozuna nodded, "It's true! I couldn't see you as a murder. You're too pure! But anyway..." Moving a bit closer, she asked, "You think I'm doing okay with getting her less shy? I mean, the other day, our first morning after learning why we were here, Ayumi-chan wouldn't go to the Restaurant without me, but yesterday, she was there when I got there." Glancing over at the restaurant, she asked, "Did she join in on any conversation before I got there?"

Ichijou thought for a moment, before remembering, "There wasn't much conversation period."

Yokozuna crossed her arms over her sizable chest, before nodding, "I see..." Whipping her hand out, she jabbed a gloved finger at the Luckster, ordering, "Okay, for phase two, every morning while I'm cooking breakfast with Jouji-kun, it'll be your job to try and talk to Nagasaki Ayumi! Got it?"

Ichijou nodded, "Sure."

Yokozuna shouted, "Like you mean it! Or else!"

Ichijou nodded vigorously, "Yes ma'am!" As his thoughts turned to her words, he dared to ask, "Or else what?"

Yokozuna gave a surprisingly malicious chuckle before moving past him, heading over to the Resort Restaurant. A bit worried for his wellbeing, Ichijou followed her, watching as she went into the Kitchen just as he entered the building. The usual early risers were there, including Nagasaki Ayumi.

Heading to the table, Ichijou cautiously sat in the seat one away from Ayumi, being careful not to make any sudden moves. The attention he was paying to her alerted her a bit, and she watched the Luckster carefully out of the side of her eye.

Already put on edge by her attitude, Ichijou gave one of his usual smiles, greeting, "Good morning, Nagasaki-chan." He tried not to be so formal, but didn't want to make any quick judgments either.

The Survivalist didn't answer. If anything, she seemed weirded out. She didn't move or say anything immediately, simply watching him uncomfortably. After a moment, she finally said, "Good morning."

Ichijou thought back to when she had been the most talkative, back in the Auditorium when talking with Kirigiri and Sanada. Of course, that was before Monokuma showed up. The whole Game had probably affected her quite a bit. Thinking to a bit more recently, he asked, "Er, did I ever thank you for helping with the bears that one time?"

Nagasaki thought for a moment, before shrugging, "I dunno..."

Ichijou smiled, "Well, thank you!"

Nagasaki shook her head, "The bear wasn't going to do anything."

Ichijou insisted, "It's not that, I'm just glad you were willing to put yourself in danger for us."

Nagasaki swallowed, a bit taken aback at his comment. She didn't respond, leaving him sitting there for a few moments, until she said, "Well...you're welcome."

She didn't say anything more, even after a few moments. Wanting to try and keep the conversation going, Ichijou asked, "You going to try and find anything in the Library with the other girls later?" Nagasaki simply shrugged wordlessly. Starting to feel like he was being a bother, Ichijou decided to keep quiet. He had to admit to himself that he was a bit hurt when, as seats started filling up, Nagasaki moved from her initial one too an empty one next to another vacant spot, which was filled when Yokozuna and Ishihara returned from the Kitchen. As everyone started to eat, Yokozuna gave Ichijou a disappointed look, to which he could only respond by shrugging helplessly.

A few minutes into the meal, Tamura spoke suddenly, "Alright! What are your plans for today, everyone?"

After a few moments, Ishihara said, "Um, me and the rest of the guys are going with you to do that thing. Right?" The Aeronaut looked around at the other guys.

Ichijou nodded, "Sure!"

Mikage sighed, "Fiiiiine." Sanada and Uzatei simply shrugged. Furugori nodded with a bit of enthusiasm.

Saruta asked, "I'm willing, but I should ask: what if there is an emergency elsewhere? How will they know where to find us?"

Tamura raised an eyebrow, "What kind of emergency are you thinking about?"

Saruta shrugged, twirling his hair curl as he answered, "Heavy bruising, knife or hatchet wounds..."

Minami asked, "Bruising?"

Uzatei smirked, "Funny you should be the one to ask that..."

Minami glared, "What was that?" Uzatei said nothing, simply shrinking back in his seat.

Kirigiri pointed out, "As for weapons, it shouldn't be too hard. We just check to make sure no one brings any.

Nagasaki muttered quietly and incomprehensibly. Ganaha demanded, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

Yokozuna explained, "Er, she said carrying the knife makes her feel safer..."

Ganaha said with a bit of fright, "Well it doesn't make me feel any safer!"

Sanada chortled, "Oh please. The eight of us can agree to quietly go Tamura-knows-where and do Tamura-knows-what, but the five of you can't agree on giving the Library a look?"

Kirigiri pointed out, "Saruta-san brought it up. I could bring up Tamura's mysterious murder bag." Tamura couldn't help but to let out a laugh. Kirigiri continued, "And let's not forget the mystifying murder grotto." Tamura stopped, raising an eyebrow. Kirigiri shook her head, smiling slightly, "It's nothing..."

Minami snorted, "It had better be." Kirigiri's look hardened, and Ichijou almost felt the sparks flitting between her and the Contractor.

Tamura let out a sigh, "Now I'm starting to get a little worried."

Kirigiri and Minami turned away from each other, Kirigiri insisting, "We'll play nice. You can do your errand without worry."

Tamura shrugged, "If you insist."

The meal finished without incident, and upon its completion, Tamura insisted the girls go to the Library while the guys finished cleaning. They complied, but Kirigiri gave Ichijou a quick word before leaving. Taking him aside, she said, "I saw Tamura on the Second Level alone yesterday, near the slope to the Third Level. If he goes that way, turn the light green signpost, or leave some kind of mark."

Ichijou shrugged, "Okay..." He wasn't sure which direction Tamura would take them, or which of the signposts was green, but he kept in mind. He asked, "You remembered which signposts are which?"

Kirigiri gave a smile as she turned to the others, "Simple association. Try it: it helps with memorization." With that, she hurried after the other girls, and the five made for the Second Level.

It didn't take Tamura and Ishihara long to finish the dishes. They finally returned and Tamura...took a seat.

A bit confused, Mikage asked, "Huh? Aren't we going?"

Uzatei asked, "I must say, I'm more curious about where we're going in the first place, to be honest."

Tamura raised a hand, motioning for the others to quiet down. When he had a moment, he explained, "We're going up to the Second Level. I just want to be sure the girls are out of the way. I'd rather not be followed: this is to remain a private affair."

Ichijou nodded, "Oh, so you want them to think we went the other way?" Tamura nodded.

Ishihara said with a bit of worry, "If they do find out what we're doing, would they get mad?"

Tamura shrugged, "I can't say for sure." Ishihara did not seem to like his answer.

There were no complaints, however, and after a few minutes, Tamura took the bag and began to walk, the other seven following without word. The group ascended to the Second Level, causing Ichijou to get a little wary. Kirigiri was usually right, of course, but that didn't mean it wasn't scary.

Tamura led the group around the lake, passing the shed, being particularly conscious around the Library, before moving to the light green signpost. As they passed, Ichijou, trailing towards the back of the pack, tried to turn it as subtly as he could. Wondering how Kirigiri was doing, he couldn't help but look behind him.

Noticing his pace slow, Ishihara turned behind him, asking, "Something up, Mitsuzi-kun?"

Ichijou looked back at the Aeronaut, shaking his head, "No, it's just...nice here."

Ishihara couldn't help but agree, smiling, "Yeah, I'd have liked to come to the Resort when it was normal." Noticing they were falling behind, the two dropped their conversation and caught up to the rest of the group.

Sure enough, they reached the red signpost near the slope up to the Third Level. Tamura looked around, before waving as he made for the woods. "This way," he explained.

Sanada seemed almost amused as he mumbled, "What could possibly go wrong?"

Remembering his last trek into the forest with Tamura, Ichijou said warily, "Uh, we're allowed to go this way, right?"

The ASCAN stopped, and nodded, "I checked over here yesterday. We'll be fine." Ichijou was not entirely reassured, but he made to follow anyway, as did Ishihara, Sanada, Uzatei, Saruta, and a slightly fearful Furugori. Mikage made to protest, but he was quite alone in standing at the end of the path, giving a slightly frustrated sigh before heading in last.

The eight made through the forest, Uzatei and Sanada grumbling a bit about their attire, though that was quickly quelled when they were reminded that they had plenty of fresh clothes in the Lodges. The walk was mostly quiet otherwise, with a few impatient grumbles, anxious whispers, or jabs at Tamura's mental stability cropping up on occasion.

Finally, Tamura stopped, parting some of the branches, revealing to the others what he was taking them too. Ichijou's jaw dropped: they were near a rock wall, clearly the edge of the forest, but there was a small waterfall pouring down from partway up the cliff, clearly from an underground source. It formed a fairly large Stream, surrounded by muddy and rock beaches. The center looked a bit deep as well. There was a bit of mist hanging in the air, but it was still cool, even as the sun shined through the branches.

Getting the drift, Ichijou charged for the Stream, hopping into some of the mud, letting his feet soak in the shallower part, feeling the mud between his toes. He noted, "Hey! It's not as cold as I thought it'd be. Still pretty cool, but not like, freezing."

Tamura nodded, "Well, it is summer, I suppose." Stepping out to the clearing, he turned to the others, saying, "Alright: let's get changed."

Looking at the backpack, Ishihara guessed, "Oh, swimsuits?"

Tamura nodded, "You got it: one for each of us. I apologize, they were...pre-picked. There were fifteen in the shed, I grabbed the male ones. There should be one for each of us." Stooping down, he opened the bag and began handing them out.

Sanada sighed, "Well, I suppose I did say I wanted to swim..."

After each person took their most likely swimsuit, everyone separated, getting some privacy as they changed. Ichijou was fine with his: a black fundoshi. He wore one normally under his yukata, all was well. He changed quickly, and was the first to make it to the Stream, submerging himself, before popping out of the water with a laugh. Everyone else began to come out as well, with Tamura being first, but Mikage grumping in last. Most everyone wore a pair of trunks, though Uzatei shamelessly wore a pair of racing briefs.

The boys proceeded to do what they could to enjoy themselves. There was more than enough room to swim; shallower parts for the less skilled, and a bit of a deeper area for the better ones. Ichijou had spent his years in a mountainous area, thus had no problem with the Stream.

After a little swimming, he made a path towards one of the ones resting, who'd been tearing it up. Ichijou felt like Tamura had done his fair share of swimming in the past. Seeing the Luckster, Tamura asked, "Oh, Ichijou-san. Enjoying yourself?"

Ichijou nodded, "Yeah. Nice find! We can't really reach the Lake yet, but this is perfect."

Tamura smiled, "Well, I'm glad to hear it." Taking a satisfied breath, he leaned back, looking up through the trees to the blue sky above.

Noticing, Ichijou asked, "So, you're gonna go to space one day?"

Tamura replied, "I certainly hope so. Many people hope their whole lives that they can go to space, but it isn't even set in stone once you become an astronaut. There are only so many missions that happen, you see, and they are often spaced apart, requiring years of training in preparation. Accidents happen too, unfortunately."

Ichijou nodded, only being able to imagine. He asked, "Still, you get a shot at fulfilling your life's dream at your age, so that's something."

Tamura shrugged, "I suppose. I'm sure I'll be able to find plenty of lovely girls with as much as I'll be traveling. After all, you can't be too young to start a family."

Ichijou blinked, "Eh?" Looking up at the sky again, he stammered, "Wh-what happened to going to space?"

Tamura smirked, "It's not my ambition really, that's a promise." Looking away, he chortled, "I suppose it's all connected. Before I begin, what kind of person do you think I was before Hope's Peak? From hearing about my deeds and seeing me here."

Ichijou looked over the tall boy, thinking for a moment, before answering, "You're probably at the top of your class."

Tamura snorted, "Hardly. I barely even bothered to show."

Ichijou blinked, before suggesting, "Well, I guess...you're likable, I'm sure you had loads of friends."

Tamura counted on his fingers, before holding up two of them, "They weren't friends though, more like accomplices."

Ichijou gawked, "You're pulling my leg. What were you, some kind of delinquent?"

Tamura nodded, "Nailed it." As Ichijou continued to stare, Tamura explained, "I came from something of a broken home...well, I won't go into detail, but being a big kid, and not too dumb either, I rather enjoyed doing what I pleased. I was a full on stereotypical rabble rouser: cool caps, munching on straw or smoking, winter uniforms in summer, a couple of snickering cronies at my side. Damn, I know I could have done a good job at school if I chose, but maybe I figured the bad boy routine would have me rolling in chicks. I was a dumbass in middle school, let me tell you." As Tamura laughed at his past self, Ichijou could only stare, having a hard time imagining it.

Tamura shrugged, "Well, all I wanted was a real family instead of the sorry one I was born into. Anyway, moving on, there was this one kid I picked on habitually. Let's call him John."

Ichijou blinked, "A foreigner?"

Tamura shrugged, "Not really, it was the first name that popped into my head. Honestly, John was a little like Furugori. Short and stocky, but certainly bright. He was more interested in space than computers though. He wanted to be an astronaut, but he would usually mope about how short he was. It ticked me off. Honestly, being tall has its downsides too, always having to watch your head so you don't bump into stuff... Anyway, I was messing with him, as usual, and he said something about how I was just envious because he had a passion and I didn't. Man did that rile me up. I mean, it was true; my path was taking me nowhere. So, I started looking into that space stuff: NASA, JAXA, all that. Guess I got a little interested. I started talking to, er, John, about it, and we had something of a bet. I'd become an astronaut, and he'd get a job as a staff member of NASA or JAXA. Felt fitting. I'm closer now, of course, but I still need to graduate and help support him in fulfilling his end. Thank goodness I got accepted to Hope's Peak, my grades were in the crapper..."

Thinking about the Game of Mutual Killing, Ichijou sighed, "Well, we'll get out of here somehow, then you can fulfill that promise."

Tamura nodded, "I do hope so." Ichijou gave one last smile before heading off back into the drink, his smile quickly fading as he returned to swimming.

He didn't get very far when he heard Mikage's raised voice from behind, the Farmer complaining to Tamura, "Seriously though, why didn't you invite the girls?" Curious, Ichijou swam back over, listening closely.

Tamura hesitated, before answering, "Well, I wasn't so sure I could get everyone here without drawing suspicion. I thought segregating us might make you more willing. By giving the girls a task of importance, it would make them feel as though we were doing something important as well."

Mikage raised an eyebrow, "But really here just to screw around?"

Tamura shrugged, "Well, I may have had ulterior motives..."

The Farmer gave him a look, before groaning, "Come on, if you'd have played your cards right, Yokozuna could have been here man!" Cracking a grin, he said, "Tell me, which of the swimsuits left was most likely hers? The one with the most room up top, right? If you know what I mean."

Tamura didn't falter, insisting, "No, that would have been Minami's."

Mikage choked, freezing up, the mental imagery cracking any fantasies he might have had. He shakily admitted, "Yeah, that might make me hesitate to invite the girls..." Clearing his throat, he shook his head saying, "No! It'd balance out! I mean, Nagasaki's all petite, but Kasumi and Ganaha are somewhere in the middle..." Looking over, he finally noticed Ichijou's prying ears. Splashing some water at the Luckster, he asked, "Well, what do you think, huh?"

"I'm engaged already," Ichijou reminded him.

Mikage insisted, "So? That doesn't mean you can't get a little eye candy once in a while dude, or you know, have an opinion. I mean, I don't see Mrs. Ichijou around, do you?" Ichijou shrugged, and Mikage let out another sigh, before saying, "Whatever dude." With that, he took to the Stream, going back to swim.

Getting a bit closer to Tamura, Ichijou rested a bit on the shore, before asking, "So, ulterior motives, huh?"

Tamura chortled, "Perhaps." Ichijou didn't expect anything, but to his surprise, Tamura began, "You know...astronauts are trained to spend weeks and months in enclosed places with only each other for company. Part of the exam process is actually a couple weeks in such isolation. Those who increase stress on the group are the ones who find themselves being cut."

Starting to understand, Ichijou asked, "You're trying to keep us from getting stressed out, right?"

Tamura smiled, "I'll do what I can. We're not all astronaut trainee's here, were just kids in a dire situation. Someone has to lead us through it."

Mitsuzi nodded, "Well, you have my support, Tamura-kun."

The ASCAN let out a relieved sigh, replying, "That actually does make me feel better. I appreciate it." Looking over at him, Tamura asked, "Have you ever considered becoming an astronaut?"

Ichijou laughed, "Like, every day since I've known you."

Tamura smiled, "You honestly might have a chance with a bit of work."

Surprised, Ichijou gawked, "Really!? I can go to space!?"

Tamura smiled, "I don't see why not. It's not guaranteed though, but if you really are Lucky... I think the thing you personally need the most though is book smarts."

Ichijou stopped, sheepishly admitting, "Hah, yeah, probably." Thinking about it, he asked with a bit of worry, "How much book learning? Don't you just get into a rocket and go up?"

Tamura laughed, "Ah, you'd be surprised. Maybe I'll tell you more about it sometime?"

Ichijou nodded, "Sure, sure." Tamura nodded, before swimming off, heading over to the quiet Saruta, who was mostly keeping to himself.

He wasn't the only one keeping to himself though: crouched on the other beach of the Stream was Uzatei Kotetsu, seemingly in thought. Swimming over, Ichijou greeted him, "What's up, Uzatei-san?"

The Fashion Designer snapped out of it, looking over at Mitsuzi, going, "Oh, Ichijou-san."

Moving to sit on the slick beach, Ichijou gave him a look, still waiting for an answer. Uzatei leaned back, sighing, "It's nothing, nothing." Ichijou didn't respond, thinking he wasn't going to get an answer, but Uzatei said, "You know, I didn't think about how most of us here keep fit. You'd think a pool of semi-random children from across the country would be average in looks, and yet..." Ichijou blinked, giving him an odd look. Seeing the Luckster's reaction, Uzatei insisted, "What? A sturdy foundation is important. Much like a building can't be constructed on mud, even the best clothes can't work with someone hideous."

Ichijou laughed a bit nervously, "I guess." He noticed that after Uzatei finished his ramble, he began staring off again. Asking again, Ichijou said, "Something wrong?"

Uzatei snapped out of it again, shaking his head, saying, "No, it's just; she keeps popping into my head..."

It wasn't hard for Ichijou to guess, "Kobayashi?"

Uzatei snorted, "The gall of that girl. To do what she did, to manipulate me, then..."

Ichijou thought for a moment, before asking, "Did you like her?"

Uzatei stood suddenly, snarling, "Perhaps for an attosecond! She...she..." Uzatei stopped as Ichijou stood next to him, before grumbling, "Perhaps I just wish I had had more time with her..."

Ichijou scratched his head, replying, "I'm not sure what to say, but...life is short. Isn't it important we live it happily? Maybe we should think less about the past and more on the Future?"

"Oho, nice."

Ichijou replied with a smile, "You think?"

Uzatei blinked, "That wasn't me..." The two looked around, but there was no one close. Ichijou turned and looked into the forest, seeing nothing.

Following his gaze, Uzatei mumbled, "You don't think...we were discovered?"

Ichijou began to head in, and Uzatei pointed, "I think it came from this way..." The two headed in, but saw and heard nothing, looking quite silly as they walked through the forest in nothing but their bathing suits. Ichijou gasped as he saw a footprint in the mud, a single one. There weren't any other ones nearby either, but it appeared to have been made by a large, naked foot.

Ichijou shook his head, "Okay, someone's messing with us."

Uzatei nodded, "The only one I could see this belonging to is Minami, but that voice...I didn't recognize it, did you?"

Ichijou tried to think: it sounded feminine, but also a little fake. He couldn't tell if it was a guy pretending to be a girl poorly or a girl pretending to be a guy and doing even worse. But given the eight guys were at the Stream, unless one of them secretly had the Talent of Ventriloquism, it had to be one of the girls, or a certain number 16. Ichijou could only shake his head. A bit uncertain, they returned to the Stream, pushing it from there thoughts, it wasn't as if any harm was done.

At their return, their presence had been noticed. As they took to the water to cleanse themselves of what mud and dirt had accumulated from their brief trip into the woods, Ichijou explained what had happened. However, they didn't seem to be too worried either, expecting everything would be resolved in due time.

A short while later, it was getting to lunch time. Tamura shouted, "Alright, guys, who's up for heading back for lunch?"

Ishihara nodded, "Sounds like a plan! Let's dry off and..." He paused, realizing the same thing as everyone else did in that moment. A chill wind blew through the area, causing shivers as everything sunk in.

Saruta blinked, asking, "You brought towels, didn't you?"

Tamura gave a weak laugh, before mumbling, "Funny you mention that...I forgot." There were a few groans of disapproval, but it couldn't be helped: they had no choice but to stand until the air dried them naturally.

Mikage grumbled, "Yeah, it's gonna be pretty obvious what we're doing when we all catch a cold."

Saruta shook his head, "Catch a cold? How does being in a chillier environment expose you to bacteria? It's a myth, you'll be fine, unless you drank too much of the stream water. It's very clear, but who knows what's in it?"

Furugori said a bit disheartened, "Oh, thanks for telling us after we're all done..."

Sanada asked, "You didn't drink any, did you?"

Furugori shook his head, "Not a lot! Er, I'm not a very good swimmer."

Saruta sighed, "I'll give you some antibiotics to be safe, but do let me know if you come down with something."

Thinking about it, Ishihara asserted, "I got sick after I fell into a river during late autumn."

Saruta nodded, "It was more likely to be a coincidence, no?" Saruta continued to give them some facts of the common cold as they dried, until they were finally ready to dress and return. Once again, they made their way through the forest, returning to the path relaxed and refreshed, though perhaps a little less so than when they'd finished swimming.

As they headed around the Second Level, Tamura once again stopped around the Library. He began to change course, but Ishihara said, "I'm gonna go to the Restaurant and start on lunch, okay?" Tamura nodded, and the Aeronaut broke away from the group, along with Sanada, Saruta, and Uzatei.

Tamura led Ichijou, Furugori, and Mikage to the door, opening it. "Ladies?" he called in as he peeked his head in, the group not hearing any noise from inside. However, at the sight within, Tamura dropped the backpack in his hand with a plop as his jaw hit the ground.

Books and loose papers were scattered everywhere. Tables were overturned, deep cuts scoured into them. The phone on the pedestal was knocked down, the receiver still attached, an annoying, but ominous dial tone sounding. The girls were here, in a sense. Minami was slung over the railings on the upper level, arms dangling down. Kirigiri was underneath a table, unmoving. Yokozuna was out of sight, but Ganaha was lying still on the stairs. Nagasaki sat against one of the bookshelves in the fetal position, her arms wrapped around her legs.

"Oh man oh man oh man," Furugori mumbled as he tried not to panic, doing a poor job of it.

Tamura rushed into the room, going for the table, waving for Ichijou to help. The Luckster headed over, and they both managed to get the table off of Kirigiri without too much difficulty. She groaned, rolling over, but Ichijou was mostly glad she didn't look injured.

Standing, Tamura ordered to Mikage, "Find Yokozuna! Get Minami down from there!" Crouching down to Kirigiri he asked, "What the hell happened?"

Kirigiri muttered, "We were just arguing and...things got out of hand. Then Monokuma...Monokuma didn't like the fighting. He tossed Minami-"

Ichijou gawked, "Tossed!?"

"Pfft," Kirigiri blurted.

"Eh?" Ichijou asked.

Kasumi explained, "I sneezed."

Mikage stopped moving as the girls began to stir, Ganaha burst into laughter, climbing to a sitting position on the stairs as she clutched her stomach. Yokozuna stepped from her hiding spot behind a bookshelf, hand barely covering her mouth as she chuckled evilly. Nagasaki turned her head as she repressed a few snickers herself. Minami pushed herself off the railing, grumbling, "You couldn't have had them going for longer?"

Still smiling, Kirigiri explained, "If you had seen Mitsuzi-kun's face..."

Tamura gave a sigh of mixed frustration and relief as he took a step away from Kirigiri, while Mikage grumbled a bit. Furugori scratched his head awkwardly, not sure how to feel. Ichijou was mostly confused, but also relieved nothing had been wrong.

"Why so mad, Tamura-san?" Ganaha laughed.

Tamura grumbled, "It's just...who's going to clean up this mess?" Ichijou looked around, noticing that it wasn't as bad as it initially appeared. The books and papers made most of the mess, and the tables were likely fine on their surfaces.

Nagasaki had stopped laughing, but Yokozuna joked, "Ryunosuke-kun, save me, Monokuma's oppressing me!"

Tamura turned away, embarrassed, "Sh-shut up."

Yokozuna laughed, "Well, you got what you deserved!"

Minami sighed as she descended, "At least we know you'll be helpful in a pinch..."

Mikage grumbled, "What, were you guys just lying here until we came along?"

Ganaha explained, "Nope. Yokozuna-san was watching for you: she knew at least one of you would come to check up on us after your little swimming trip." Ichijou's mind blanked for second at that,

Tamura gasped, "Eh!? How'd you know?"

Kirigiri smiled, "I had my suspicions, but you just confirmed them. The sopping wet bag didn't help your lie." Tamura's palm slapped against his forehead as he realized his mistake. Kirigiri continued, "With a little help from Mitsuzi-kun, I could tell that you went deeper into the forest. The only things I could think were rock-climbing to get to the next level, or something more recreational. If it were the former though, you'd have no reason not to tell us...so I guessed. Plus, I don't think we have the necessary supplies to climb to the next level. But-"

"We get it, we get it," Minami interrupted, "You consider all the options."

A bit defensively, Tamura suggested, "We could have been...bird watching or bug catching..."

Mikage could be heard snickering behind him, "Dude, I'd seriously have smacked you if it were either of those."

"And you!" Tamura said incredulously, pointing at Ichijou asking, "How did you help her?"

Ichijou explained, "Er, Kasumi-chan said if we headed over to the exit slope, I was supposed to turn the green signpost a little. That was it."

Tamura blinked, "Really? Then how did she...you know what, never mind." Throwing his hands up in the air in surrender, he returned to the door, grabbing his bag and heading out.

Once he was gone there was a brief moment until Ichijou explained, "We were going to get lunch, wanna join us?"

Yokozuna's arms shot in the air as she exclaimed, "I'm gonna go help!" With that, she ran off. Nagasaki didn't stick around for much longer, going after her hurriedly.

As everyone else made to move out, Kasumi stopped, going back into the Library to grab something, before returning to the group. Collectively, they walked to the First Level, reaching the Resort Restaurant in due time, finding Nagasaki and the rest of the guys at the table.

Sanada nodded, "Ladies." Looking over at the ASCAN as everyone sat down, the Debater asked, "Care to say why Tamura was in a sour mood when he returned?"

Tamura let out a sigh and began to explain, getting help from the girls to fill in the blanks with the bits he didn't know, such as Nagasaki using her knife to carve marks on the bottoms of the tables. Sanada could only respond with, "Well played."

After Ishihara and Yokozuna brought out their lunch of steak sandwiches (using leftovers from a previous night), Tamura asked, "So, girls...you did manage to find out something interesting, right?" Kirigiri looked around for a moment, before slapping her hand to her forehead. Tamura groaned, "Really?"

Minami raised an eyebrow, "No, not really, we found something in about fifteen minutes."

Kirigiri smiled, "Tricks are a little addictive, though that was more of a...gag, I suppose?" Reaching into her blazer pocket, she withdrew a slip of paper and thin book, which read 'An Abridged History of Arashimine Mountain'.

Cracking it open, she took a drink of her beverage before saying, "Allow me to paraphrase some of the more notable bits. 'Arashimine Mountain was named for the small town at its base during the Warring States period. It proved central in one conflict due to its positioning and defensibility, the cliffs being quite useful. The military Fort constructed there still sees use as a tourist attraction.' We must not have seen it yet. There's a bit more on the history, a list of rulers, until the early 1800's when a landslide damaged many of the buildings, resulting in its abandonment. A few decades ago, however, the land was bought by a Dr. Takenouchi, who restructured it into the tourist resort it is today. It also says the Doctor was a Hope's Peak Student." Looking up, she asked, "Does anyone recognize the name?"

There were a few grumbles and shrugs, but no one had anything to say, except Ichijou. He felt the name burning in familiarity, just as he had felt when 'Kirigiri' and 'Kasumi' popped into his head, but he shrugged, "I got nothing."

Kirigiri studied him, before continuing, "Moving on. Beyond that, the only point of note is a terrorist attack last year. It doesn't say exactly when, but the attack destroyed some of the bridges and levies in the area, resulting in mass flooding. That explains the water body we could see from the cliffs."

Yokozuna scratched her head, "Terrorist attack? I think I would have heard about something like that."

Sanada shook his head, "I recall nothing of the sort, but then again, neither do I recall fainting at the gates of Hope's Peak Academy. Do you remember what Monokuma said?" He looked around, not receiving an answer. "Monokuma referred to 'the lack of memories'. What if Kirigiri is not the only one missing some memories?" he mused. The thought hung in the air as the Students there considered the implications.

The silence was broken as Kirigiri cleared her throat, "Anyway, moving on..." She held up the piece of paper, before moving it towards her face, looking over it. "This was inside the book here. It's a haiku."

After taking a breath, she read, "Sixteen swallows hope

in the bay where old blood runs,

tragically fleeting."

After letting it hang in the air for a moment, she said, "I don't know what it means, or refers too, but the one accredited for writing is of some note. It says it was written by 'Super High School Level Despair'."

Ichijou blinked, "Super High School Level Despair?"

Tamura scratched his chin, muttering, "That's an...unusual Talent. Kinda vague."

Uzatei noted, "It's not the first time I've heard a vague Talent before."

Ichijou remembered, "Oh, you're thinking about Super High School Level Justice?"

Uzatei nodded, "It could have been the more simple 'Super High School Level Superhero', but perhaps they saw it as redundant."

Yokozuna gasped, "Oh! If 'Justice' is a superhero, maybe 'Despair' is a supervillain?"

Ishihara laughed, "Haha, no way."

Pondering on it, Kirigiri wondered aloud, "But who put it there? Could it have been there since the beginning?"

Furugori asked, "You think maybe Super High School Level Despair is behind all this?"

Ganaha pointed out loudly, "Ah! Didn't Monokuma say something like that a couple times! 'Despair', I mean. It's not a word you use very often."

Minami nodded, "He did, I believe."

Kirigiri sighed, "So no one's heard the term before?" There were no responses. Kirigiri suggested, "Perhaps we'll find an answer at some point. I'm going to leave the paper in the book."

"Duly noted," Uzatei nodded.

With that, the conversation finished, and the meal reached its conclusion. As everyone went to do their own thing, Ichijou saw Kirigiri grab the book, beginning to make her way to the Second Level. Ichijou made to follow, asking, "Kasumi-chan! Going up?"

Kirigiri nodded, "I figure I might as well return it, maybe give some of the other books a look. The poem might have some meaning...I should do some research, perhaps into bird symbolism. What do swallows represent?" Looking at Ichijou, she added, "And why sixteen? There are sixteen of us here, though there's no bay, unless you count the water view. What do you think?"

"...I've got no clue," Ichijou admitted. He then asked, "Mind if I go too? I figure you might need help cleaning up."

Kirigiri paused for a moment as they ascended the slope, before mumbling, "...Right, that. I'd appreciate it."

Returning to the Library, Ichijou let out a low whistle when he looked over the mess again. The papers and books spilled all over, the tables flipped.

Kirigiri couldn't help but claim, "Worth it."

Ichijou smiled, "It was effective...where did the papers come from?"

As they began to pick up, Kirigiri answered, "There was a filing cabinet hidden under the staircase. There was nothing of worth in it, just..." She seemed a bit put off for a moment, before saying, "Just...I left it on top of the filing cabinet."

Ichijou kept that in mind as they cleaned, stacking books on unflipped tables, and gathering blank pieces of paper. When all the loose sheets were gathered, Ichijou took them over to the filing cabinet, stuffing them in before flipping over the paper on top Kirigiri said she'd found, seeing...

A picture of Monokuma in a lewd pose. The agonizing disappointment filled him with Despair, and he felt like the scant amount of energy wasted flipping the paper over would have been better put to use in a myriad of ways by doing basically anything else. His hand felt dirty, and he desired it to be cleansed in holy water.

...He might have been over exaggerating a bit, but he couldn't remember the last time he grimaced so. Going back to Kasumi, he asked, "C-couldn't you have just told me?"

Looking around, Kirigiri reminded him, "You've seen the lengths I've been willing to go through for a joke."

Ichijou nodded, "Oh, like that footprint?" Kirigiri raised an eyebrow in confusion. Ichijou explained, "Er, you know, the one near the Stream? After you...that wasn't you?"

Kirigiri shook her head, requesting, "Would you explain a bit better?" Ichijou shared the story of when he was talking to Uzatei, and they heard a voice. Thinking about it, Kirigiri said, "That wasn't me, I don't think any of us left the Library."

Considering the possibilities, Ichijou thought, "Then, the 16th Student?"

Kirigiri sighed, "I can't see any other possibility. Was it a male or female?" Mitsuzi shook his head, making Kasumi frown. She shrugged, "I suppose it can't be helped. Anyway, would you like to aid in my research?"

Ichijou nodded, "Sure!"

Kirigiri gave a slight, excited smile as she turned to the pile of books that were on the table, skimming them to see if any of them would help. Coming up with nothing, she began to search the bookshelves, Ichijou taking to the other side. However, they both froze upon the sound of a bugle playing reveille echoing throughout the Resort. Sure enough, the monitor over the door switched on, and Monokuma's voice could be heard, "Upupu~ Would the Hope's Peak Students participating in the Arashimine Resort Game of Mutual Killing please come to the Auditorium on the Ground Level! We have some urgent announcements to make, so please, waste no time." There was a bit of static as it switched off, leaving Ichijou and Kirigiri in silence.

Ichijou frowned, "Another incentive?"

Kirigiri nodded grimly, "Most likely..."

The pair began to move for the door, heading down to the now deserted First Level. Reaching the ground level, they made for the Auditorium, being the last to arrive. The other eleven present didn't even given more than a nod as the two entered, their attention anxiously pointed at the stage.

After a moment, the lights faded, only the spotlights on the stage remaining, once again focused on the center, where Monokuma rose once more. No one responded as he greeted, "Hello and good day once more! I know that keeping you waiting must be unbearable, so let's just keep things rolling now, shall we? Gotta keep the pressure on!"

Uzatei grumbled, "You only gave us the last incentive the other day..."

Minami nodded, "Is your attention span that thin?"

Monokuma laughed, "Please, please. Remember how I said you guys are nobodies? Why should I waste so much time on you? I've got places to be! People to see! Things to eat! Winters for sleep! Just kill each other already!"

Ishihara raised his fist, "Never!"

Tamura nodded, "Right: if you think you can break our bonds, you can stuff it."

Monokuma groaned, "Ugh, you're making me nauseous. Is Ichijou rubbing off on you?"

Tamura retorted, "I don't see a problem, but if you think you can prove us wrong..."

Yokozuna cheered, "You tell him Ryunosuke-kun!"

Monokuma growled, "Let's see how Hopeful you are after this!" Stepping back, Monokuma sneered, "Last time, I tried to tickle your natural instinct to reproduce." Kirigiri gagged on her spit. Monokuma continued unfettered, "But it's not as though love is the only thing natural to humans, so let's go for the opposite angle this time." Once again, Monokuma sank below the stage, returning moments later with a change of outfit. This time, he wore a black suit with white pinstripes and a red tie. He had an eye patch over his right eye, which had a red mark that mirrored his other eye. Putting one paw over his face, he pulled a small pistol from the air, pointing it to the side as he said, "This time, I'm playing up your hate!"

Dropping his arms down, Monokuma said plainly, "All of you, or well, most of you, no doubt have people you don't like: rivals, enemies, criminals...what if you could return to the outside with confidence that they were gone? Never to bother you again: the world you return to would be a much brighter place for you, no? Yeah, go on, think about it! Of everyone in the world, there must be someone you don't like."

Ichijou pondered on that for a moment, thinking about his small corner of the world. He didn't really have anyone in that mold, but Monokuma did mention criminals. Ichijou waited to see where he was going with it, but so was everyone else.

Monokuma explained, "Here's what I offer: to the person who Graduates, I'll give you a neat little form to fill out: a Hit List! You get ten names, and once you write them down, they'll die of a mysterious heart attack forty seconds later! If they're really unlucky, but it'll probably be something more like a mysterious car accident, mysterious nasty fall, mysterious bullet in the brain, mysterious poison, whatever have you. I don't care who: kill world leaders and throw the world into chaos! Kill murderers and make tomorrow slightly brighter! But then again, taking a selfless option like that would be pretty hypocritical, if you ask me, consider you'd just be a murderer too." Ganaha couldn't help but look over to the resident Hippocratic, Saruta, who simply shrugged.

Mikage snorted, "Yeah, right, like you can kill world leaders. What if gave you something like: the guy who stole some of my money? Let's say I didn't know his name."

Monokuma shrugged, "Then how will you know when they died? Not saying I can't do it, but..."

Kirigiri focused, saying, "And who will carry out these murders? Super High School Level Despair?"

Ichijou leaned in for an answer, but Monokuma chortled, "None of your business!" He then snarled, "And don't just go throwing names and titles out there expecting answer! I'll tell you what I want when I'm good and ready!"

Kirigiri turned away, stating, "I don't know who would take up your incentive, Monokuma, but it certainly won't be me."

Ichijou nodded, "Yeah! Killing people is unforgivable!"

Monokuma retorted, "Hey, it's not like you'd be doing the actually killing! They could all just be arranged accidents!"

Furugori shook his head, "That's not really a true accident then."

Monokuma shrugged, "Who cares!?" Looking over to Kirigiri, whom was in the process of walking away, Monokuma spouted, "But you know, that's not really a fair incentive, is it? I mean, you wouldn't be too allured by this incentive, Ririkasukasu, huh? You don't know anyone outside! So I came up with a special, added incentive for all of you!" Kasumi stopped her walking, but didn't turn her head.

After a moment, Sanada asked, "Well? What is it?"

Monokuma explained, "I heard you guys speculating earlier, and you were right! It wasn't just Kirigiri Kasumi's memories that were altered, it was all of yours! So, what do you think will happen when you get out of here? You think I would just let you into the beary scary real world without all your marbles? Not like all of you had a full set to begin with..."

Kirigiri turned her head, one eye staring at Monokuma. She elaborated, "You mean; I would get my memories back if I were to successfully murder?"

Monokuma nodded, "Yup! And you'd still get the rest of the incentives too! A perfect boyfriend and the Hit List!"

There was a moment of tense silence until Kirigiri turned back, claiming, "Not interested." Minami gave a derisive, disbelieving scoff.

Monokuma chided, "Oh, don't give me that, I know you like a good mystery where you can get one, and what's better than when everything gets blown open at once?" Kirigiri didn't stop her walk, seemingly picking up her pace.

The incentives listed, Monokuma asked, "Well, if that's all..."

Ichijou made to follow Kirigiri, but behind him, he heard Ganaha ask, "Oh yeah, whose that Dr. Takenouchi guy who owns the place?"

Monokuma shrugged, "Never heard of them. Now get to killing!" The lights returned as Monokuma fled. As he entered the tunnel, Ichijou heard Tamura grumble, "Not if I can help it..."

Ichijou continued following Kirigiri, exiting into the sunlight. Looking around, he saw her on the road, near the large boulder blocking the way. He couldn't see her face, but he could guess as to her mood. Approaching, he asked, "Kasumi-chan? Are you okay?"

After a moment, she nodded, "I'll be fine."

Finding his resolve, Ichijou insisted, "Don't worry, Kasumi, I trust you! I know you'll never kill anyone."

There was another moment, and Ichijou heard Kirigiri swallow. She admitted, "Thank you for believing in me, but...I wish I could be so sure of myself."