At the blaring of reveille, Kirigiri Kasumi groaned as she rolled in her bed, tightening her shield of bed sheets around her. She had been sleeping so well: last night had been long. As she recalled, her mind was filled with what she and Minami Fuyuko had discovered last night. To be honest, it wasn't has much has she'd hoped, but she had probably been too expectant. Even so, there were some things that would be worth sharing. At the moment, however, Kasumi was having trouble discovering the willpower to get out of bed. She didn't even know when they went to bed last night, but she fell asleep quickly.
As she began to drift asleep, she was jarred awake by the sound of her doorbell, which seemed to echo on the walls and assault her eardrums repeatedly. Groaning in frustration and agony, she realized she'd probably never get back to sleep if she got up to get to the door, but keeping everyone waiting might make them start to worry. Rolling out of bed, she crawled to her feet and slumped over to the door, opening it. It was brighter outside, so she was forced to block her eyes, attempting to rub the wooziness out of her as she heard the familiar voice of Ichijou asked, "You okay, Kasumi-chan?"
"I'm up, I'm up," she muttered, opening her eyes and looking around. Glancing down, she realized she was still in her pajamas, so she insisted, "I'll be over in a few, don't worry about me."
Ichijou shrugged, insisting, "Well, Minami-san can tell us everything and you can get some rest if you want."
Kirigiri shook her head, sending her long hair flitting about as she mumbled, "No, its fine." Not wanting to keep everyone waiting, she closed the door and headed back inside, grabbing a change of clothes and going into the bathroom, applying a bit of chilly water to the face helped wake her up and a change of clothes helped her feel even fresher. She'd no doubt wake up fully eventually. Stretching a bit, she headed outside, making her way over to the Resort Restaurant. As she entered, she saw that Minami was here, though she wasn't eating, despite her plate of breakfast being in front of her. Kirigiri grabbed her food and sat down in one of the empty seats, before saying, "Good morning."
Curious, Uzatei sat back in his chair before asking, "So, did you learn anything useful?" He briefly glanced at the book, which had likely been returned by Minami this morning, as the pair had been forced to leave the Restaurant at ten PM, migrating to the Library instead.
Going over the key points in her head, Kirigiri nodded, "Quite a bit." Looking over to the Contractor, she asked, "Minami-san, would you like to help me go over everything?" The hulking girl gave no response.
After a moment, Ichijou asked, "Minami-san?" Next to her, Ganaha prodded her shoulder, which resulted in the large girl letting out a snore.
Kirigiri let out an exasperated sigh, grumbling, "She fell asleep!?"
Ishihara let out a laugh, saying, "Well, you were both up late last night."
Ganaha mumbled, "Well, how do we wake her up?"
Nagasaki said quietly, "Might be safer not too..." Kirigiri didn't disagree, but she felt it had to be done: Minami tended to dislike being left out.
The one to dare was Uzatei, who prodded her until she was roused, grunting and looking around while he hastily returned to his seat. With a loud snort, Minami's hand slammed down on her plate, where she grabbed several pieces of bacon and shoved them into her mouth, swallowing them before grunting, "I'm up."
"Good morning, Minami-san," Kirigiri said. The girl simply let out another grunt, wiping her hand before grabbing her fork and going at the rest of her breakfast. Kirigiri nodded, "Well, I suppose I can begin now."
Clearing her throat, she began to share the story of the second Game of Mutual Killing. "As I said last night, it began similarly to how it did with ourselves: sixteen children in an isolated area with no way to escape. However, their guide was different: a rabbit named Usami who brought them to Jabberwock Island, for the purpose of letting them strengthen their bonds. However, that was undone by Monokuma, who interrupted, breaking Usami's control, changing her into Monomi, and instating the Field Trip of Mutual Killing, yet another Game. The first incentive, however, was the fact that everyone was missing their memories. Or rather, Monomi stole them. I'm not quite sure why: it's likely that the explanation was omitted. The ending in particular...just about everything is unreadable. Pages and pages of blacked out images and text."
She continued without waiting for anyone else to speculate, "Anyway, for the most part, the Game went as you'd expect. A new area would open up, Monokuma would give an incentive, someone would be killed, a Trial would occur, and it would begin again. If you are interested in the cases, I'd recommend giving the book a read. But to go over the main points: Monokuma teased a traitor, a mole, working for an organization that destroyed much of the world. It may have simply been a few cities, or even all of it. The unreacted information I got was vague."
Ishihara gasped, "W-what do you mean?"
Kirigiri reached for the book, flipping through the pages until she found the pictures: a destroyed bridge, a plane crashed on a ruined city street, and a burnt down forest. They weren't recent pictures from the look of it: any smoke had faded, but if that was true, then the areas were now abandoned, and unclean.
"Awful," Nagasaki grimaced.
Ichijou muttered grimly, "It looks like...a war."
Uzatei wondered aloud, "I wonder...that flooding we have nearby? Could it have been caused by the same thing?"
Kirigiri didn't answer their speculations, continuing, "The points beyond that I thought were most interesting was that Monokuma had an absolute power over the Island, just like he does here at the Resort. Some the incentives for instance were quite beyond any means of science I'm aware of, such as a contagious disease that changes personality, or turning one of the injured students into a robot."
Saruta blinked, "That is certainly...unusual."
Furugori gawked, "Wait, what!? A robot!?" Claiming down a bit, he said, "No wait, you mean cyborg...or maybe an android?"
Minami noted, "Far more over the top than what he's done here."
Saruta raised an eyebrow, asking, "Really? I think the weather differences between levels it quite extraordinary. If anything, the temperature difference would result in a lot of wind, no?"
Mikage smirked, "So, you're a Meteorologist now, Saruta-san?"
Clearing her throat, the others stopped, and Kirigiri continued, "However, the explanation for it was perhaps, even stranger. The Island, the events there... I didn't really understand, but some of it was not exactly real. What did you say again, Minami-san?"
"There was something about 'computer generated'... It somehow wasn't actually taking place," Minami tried to explain.
Furugori raised an eyebrow, asking, "Er what was computer generated, exactly?"
Minami explained, "One of the Students, and the rabbit Monomi, were not true beings. They were somehow products of a computer."
Skeptical, Furugori reached over and snapped up the book, flipping it open towards the end. He studied it for several minutes in contemplation, before letting out a snort of disbelief, chuckling, "Yeah, right, this is straight out of a sci-fi. A computer generated reality? Yeah right!" Closing the book confidently, he set it down before adjusting his glasses, stating, "I wouldn't trust it an eighth of how far you can throw it." Kirigiri blinked as his slight change in demeanor: he seemed to be more firm and confident when it came to computers.
With a sigh, Kasumi offered, "The entire book may have been fiction for all we know, but on the chance it wasn't, well..."
Ichijou scratched his head, "I'm not really sure if I understand why it's such a big deal. I mean, I hope everything went okay for those guys, but unless it helps us here, we probably shouldn't worry too much."
Kirigiri shrugged, "It could put things into perspective, I think. We can see exactly how others dealt with the same situation."
Minami added, "And in the strangest case imaginable, if one Game of Killing could take place in a false, computer generated reality..."
Ishihara frowned, "Hey, you aren't suggesting that none of this is real, are you?"
Minami crossed her arms over her chest, insisting, "I know what I'm implying."
Ichijou looked around, saying, "It feels really real."
Kirigiri jumped in, "Well, I think regardless of whether this Resort is real or not, we should presume that everything we do here is real, and has real consequences. As nice it would be to hope that Andou, Yokozuna, and Tamura might still be alive in 'reality', even Kobayashi and Sanada...I don't imagine anyone wants to risk testing it?" Naturally, there was no response. Glancing at Minami, she added, "Well, Minami-ch...ch..." Kasumi swallowed, before quickly saying, "-san." She had tried, in all honesty, tried to make some amends with her and call her by a friendlier honorific, but she just couldn't. There was nothing cute or endearing about Minami Fuyuko. Nothing.
The Contractor noticed of course, clicking her tongue, before asking gruffly, "What?"
"Was there anything you wanted to add?" Kirigiri asked, sliding the book over.
Picking it up she flipped through it, before nodding, "I was curious about one thing. Hope's Peak Students are supposed to be world renown." Passing the book around, she asked, "Have any of you heard of even one of these people?"
The book changed hands, each of those at the table giving one of the earlier pages a look, where it listed the sixteen students. Noticing something, Ganaha asked, "This guy though, Hinata Hajime? Why doesn't he have a Talent listed?"
Recalling, Kirigiri explained, "The Luckster there found out that he did not have one. I was unable to discover why he was in the Killing Game despite supposedly being Untalented, however." She also added quietly, with a bit of dejection, "Or why I am..." Having nothing more to add, Ganaha passed the book along.
The one that got the most recognition was the Super High School Level Princess, or to be more specific, her home country of Novoselic, though the most any one of them could say was that it was a small, but powerful, European country.
The Togami Conglomerate was brought up by Uzatei, who knew that they were highly influential worldwide, and managed by a single successor to the Togami family, which was exactly why Byakuya had been accepted to Hope's Peak Academy.
The only other one to get any hits was something both Ishihara and Uzatei were both familiar with, yet another legacy: the Kuzuryuu Family of the Yakuza. They knew nothing about the runty Fuyuhiko, but at the very least, his family existed.
As Minami took the book back, Kirigiri nodded, "So, there's at least some evidence that it wasn't entirely made up. But unfortunately, it didn't really answer anything."
Uzatei pointed out, "You know, you ask if we know of these people, but the truth is...well, like you said, Hope's Peak Students are supposed to be world renown." Looking around, he finished, "And yet, none of us have heard of each other." No one had a rebuttal to offer.
Ganaha snarled, "Just more questions!? Augh!" Her head jerked downwards, before stopping suddenly. Pushing her plate aside, Ganaha then rattled the table a bit as she slammed her head down, letting out a low whine of dissatisfaction (or perhaps pain, Kirigiri wasn't sure).
After a moment, Ishihara wondered aloud, "You know, that other book might still be around here somewhere. Wanna spend the day looking for it?
There was some agreement, but Furugori pointed out, "It could be anywhere: there are a lot of woods here."
Ichijou pointed out, "Well, we found this one at the Fort, so they might be at one of the landmarks, but they're probably hard to find."
Nagasaki mumbled, "Could be dangerous."
Ganaha, having sit back up, nodded, "Not to mention dirty. More forest trekking and paths: it's so tiring!"
Ishihara stood, saying, "I got it!" Looking around, he said, "How about after we search, we try out the Hot Spring?" That suggestion got a few nods of approval. Kirigiri herself didn't really have much enthusiasm though, but considering that she'd be spending her time in the bath with Minami, Ganaha, and Nagasaki, could she really be blamed?
Splitting up to go search around, Kirigiri found herself heading down to the Ground Level. She started her search in the Ranger Station, checking every corner and crevice she could. However, nothing turned up.
As she made her way back outside, she saw one of the others approaching. Mikage seemed rather relaxed, as usual, his hands in the pockets of his green pants, and his sunglasses obscuring his eyes as usual. Spotting Kirigiri, he headed over, stopping as the girl explained, "I already gave the Station a look. Though if you want to, by all means."
Mikage shrugged, "Meh, whatever. Honestly, I'm not too interested."
Not surprised, Kirigiri wondered, "What does interest you then? Escape?"
Mikage frowned, "Eh, I've got seeds in the ground, but those are being taken care of, so whatever. And hey, I'm not in a classroom, so I'm not hating this in the least."
Blinking at the analogy, Kirigiri wondered aloud, "Are you being literal or figurative?"
"Both, I guess," Mikage shrugged. Kirigiri decided not to respond. Ignoring her silence, Mikage asked, "Wanna look around together?"
Kirigiri casually replied, "I suppose that's fine, as long as we don't find ourselves near any sharp implements."
Mikage frowned, "What? You think I'm going to hurt you?"
Kirigiri said grimly, "Haven't you been listening to Minami? It's me whom you should be worried about." Mikage lowered his sunglasses, giving the girl an unamused glance. Kirigiri couldn't help by smile innocently, relieved that he seemed to trust her.
Beginning their search, they headed to the Auditorium, checking underneath the benches and around the stony walls. However, no matter where Kirigiri went, Mikage seemed to be close by. Was he hounding her? Hoping she wouldn't regret starting conversation, she began, "So, Naoki-kun, what's your hometown like?"
Mikage shrugged, "Decent farming village that's an eternity from anywhere that matters. Hell, I basically put it on the map."
Kirigiri noted, "'Decent' is an unusual choice in wording."
The Farmer mumbled, "I guess. I mean, it's not like I hate it, but it's just so annoying to be there, especially after moving to the city."
Raising an eyebrow, Kirigiri asked, "Oh, there may be a story there."
Mikage eyed her through his sunglasses, asking, "I suppose. Why are you interested?"
Kirigiri sighed, "Well, it's not as if I can share my own."
Mikage swallowed, mumbling, "Right, right." After thinking for a moment, he began, "Well, I got my renown through my farming methods, which are now patented. As a result, I got a ton of cash. I never really had any money before, so I thought I'd enjoy myself, you know? I checked out the city and did about anything a wealthy middle schooler could think of. Ate expensive food, got rides everywhere...of course, all the money in the world can't help you if you're underaged."
Kirigiri wondered, "Oh? What kind of illicit activities were you trying to get into?"
Mikage shrugged, "I wanted to try city alcohol, see if it was any different."
Giving the Farmer a hard look, Kirigiri asked, "Are you implying you've tried alcohol before?"
Mikage shrugged uncaringly, "My uncle's a brewer and my parents can't hide it very well. The best part is my dad drinks so much he forgets how much he drank. He just assumes he drank whatever I did, so I've almost never got caught."
"Almost?" Kirigiri wondered.
Mikage grumbled, "Questions, questions, questions."
Holding out her hands, Kirigiri begged sarcastically, "Answers, answers, answers."
"Fine! Fine, jeez," Mikage groaned.
Noting his displeasure, Kirigiri asked, "You don't have to indulge me, I'm just naturally inquisitive."
Mikage shrugged, "Nah, it's fine. I mean, it wouldn't be you if you weren't like that." Continuing his story, he said, "Once, I got pretty drunk and ended up walking halfway across town to a friend's house. I don't remember the details: one moment I was stumbling around town, and the next I woke up in her bed." Kirigiri gagged on her spit, and began to cough as she choked. Mikage grunted, "Hey, calm down, she's more like a sister than anything, and she was on the floor when I woke up. And damn did I wish I hadn't, because when she got up, she gave me an earful, going on about how if I'd been caught by someone else I'd have been in huge trouble, like her bringing me into her room wasn't suspicious enough..."
Kirigiri nodded, "Nope, nothing suspicious about hormonal teenagers of opposite genders sleeping in the same room, not at all."
Mikage replied, "It actually worked out. We've been friends since we were kids, so she was able to pass it off like nothing was abnormal. She's that kinda kid everyone thinks is sweet and quiet but is actually just scary."
"I see," Kirigiri said, noting, "She seems to like you though."
Mikage grimaced, "I...I dunno, I just can't see it. Trust me, if you'd met her, you'd think otherwise. I mean, we're definitely friends, but any more than that? Nah. Naaaaaah." Glancing away, he did note, "She's pulled me out of the fire a couple times though. Especially lately: the town feels like it's out for me or something."
Kirigiri wondered, "Why would that be?"
Mikage groaned, "Why do you think? Money." Slipping his hands into his pockets grumpily, he began, "I mean, hell, even after my little vacation, I still had plenty, and it just keeps coming in. You know what that means? Friends want money, neighbors want money, family wants money. I've got cousins and second cousins I've never met coming around and begging. Seriously, what the hell!? And it's worse when they get all 'subtle' about it, going on about their problems the moment I get within earshot, then looking at me like I'm crap when I ignore them. It's friggin' tiring! Is it any wonder I moved? Got my own place now. Sure, I barely know how to take care of myself, but jesus, I'd rather go to the slums in India than back home sometimes."
Kirigiri blinked at his rant: she hadn't really considered it from that point of view. She wondered, "What about your childhood friend?"
Mikage opened his mouth, but stopped, no doubt contemplating her. He began, "You know, I don't think she's ever bothered me about that. My spending habits sometimes, but never about what I should buy."
Kirigiri replied, "In other words, she cares more about you than your money?"
Despite his obscuring sunglasses, Mikage seemed to wince, before nodding, "Yeah, I guess." After standing quietly for a moment, he wondered aloud, "Did I just...miss her? Yeah, it's official, we're in some computer reality thing, no way this is real." Kirigiri gave an awkward smile as he finished, "Or maybe it was you messing with me...I'm gonna go."
As the Farmer made his way out, Kirigiri watched him go. She hadn't really considered what he had to deal with: perhaps his strained relationships was part of the reason he found so much enjoyment in spending his profits on frivolous things? Perhaps she should suggest a conversation with Uzatei, a wealthy person his own age who might be able to relate?
Finishing the search of the Auditorium herself, she decided to give the back rooms a look another time, instead heading back out to check out some areas alone. The large boulder at the end of the road seemed impassable, and there was no sign of anything remotely subtle about it, thus searching for a book was pointless. She also considered checking the forest, but the likelihood of it being destroyed by the fire, or simply being nearly impossible to find it the stretch of woods made t too daunting for her to even attempt. Getting disheartened, she simply spent the next couple hours in her room, reading. There would be more time to search...probably.
As lunchtime finally rolled around, she headed to the Restaurant, arriving last, just as the food came out. She wondered who else was slacking in the search: she was probably the most interested in finding the Volume, after all.
As everyone began to eat, Ishihara noted, "Okay, let's see...since there are less girls, maybe they should go first?"
Minami recalled, "The Hot Spring, you mean?"
Ichijou nodded, "Yeah, I don't mind."
Minami replied, "Very well, though if any of you dare to part the curtain over the door, you will not be at the next Trial."
"Noted," Furugori nodded nervously.
Hiding a sly grin, Kirigiri wondered, "You weren't thinking of trying anything, were you, Yasuo-kun?"
"Of course not!" Furugori said defensively almost as soon as she'd closed her mouth.
Ichijou suggested, "Let's just keep away from the Third Level for now. Maybe take our turn after dinner?"
Ishihara nodded, "Sounds like a plan!"
The meal continued, and once the girls were finished, they gathered themselves. Collected and composed (physically), the four girls headed up, Minami leading the way and Nagasaki trailing behind. Kirigiri hadn't been certain if she'd even attempt to join them, and yet, there she was.
After a little bit, the group passed the temperate Second Level to the nippy Third Level, taking the left path to the Hot Spring. After descending down the rocky path and going through the Curtain, Minami stopped and looked at the entrance. She muttered, "If only there were some way to block this."
Looking between Nagasaki and Minami, Kirigiri noted, "To be honest, if anyone dared, I'd almost say they'd deserve what they saw if they could live to tell about it." Minami studied her for a moment, before giving a dark chuckle. As a shiver shook her spine, Kirigiri prayed the boys had enough sensibility or nobility to avoid harm.
Each moving to their own shelf, the girls began to undress, shedding themselves of their clothing. To Kirigiri's surprise, the quickest out was Ganaha, who seemed a bit excited, not even grabbing herself a towel. Kirigiri grabbed an extra towel along with her own, and began to head in, before noticing that Nagasaki was being quite hesitant to remove anything more than her coat. Having a feeling it would be best to leave her be for now, Kirigiri headed into the Hot Spring. After cleaning herself off, she joined Ganaha in the Spring as Minami entered. Kirigiri couldn't help but notice she had two towels...she bit her lip to avoid making a joke about her size.
Ganaha, looking slightly different with her side-ponytail gone, let out a sigh of relief, musing, "It feels like it's been ages since I had a real bath. Showers just don't do anything for me."
"Agreed," Minami said from the other side of the area.
Ganaha thought for a moment, before blurting, "Can you even fit in your shower?"
Kirigiri held her breath as Minami stopped her movement in the corner. Almost defensively, Kirigiri sank into the water a bit more. Minami finally admitted, "It is a bit...cramped." Kirigiri mentally relaxed, glad she hadn't done anything. Perhaps it was the atmosphere? Ganaha hadn't even blinked...perhaps Kirigiri was just fearfully paranoid of the hulking girl?
As Minami made to enter the Spring, Kirigiri slipped out. Minami shot her a look as she wrapped a towel around her torso, grunting, "Done with us already?"
Kirigiri shook her head, before heading to the curtain wordlessly. One hand aiding in holding the towel up, the other parted the curtain allowing her to look out. Spotting Nagasaki, she saw the Survivalist half dressed, frozen anxiously at the shelf. Kirigiri felt a bit of pity for the girl, assuming she was concerned about her safety. Shaking her head, she took a breath, trying to channel Ichijou's spirit. That was easier said than done, considering he wasn't dead...wait, what was she even thinking?
Pushing past the brief chill she got when entering the colder air of the changing room, she Ayumi asked plainly, "Are you alright, Nagasaki-chan?"
The girl looked up, before turning away, murmuring something incomprehensible. Kirigiri frowned, slightly peeved, before taking a few steps closer, asking, "Excuse me?" She wished she'd said it a bit more calmly though...maybe she had accidentally channeled Kobayashi instead of Ichijou?
Nagasaki finally admitted, "It's just, I haven't bathed with anyone in...a decade. Not since before..." She trailed off, but Kirigiri understood, recalling the incident that earned her a spot in Hope's Peak. Out of one bid for survival and into another...as if there weren't enough reasons to pity her already.
Trying to narrow down the problem, Kirigiri asked a couple questions, "Are you afraid we might hurt you while you're unarmed? I wouldn't mind too much if you brought your knife, but it might rust..."
Nagasaki's face tensed, before she shook her head, "No, I wasn't. It's just...my body...I have a few scars."
Starting to understand, Kirigiri smiled, before saying softly, "Yes, and?" Nagasaki blinked in surprise as Kirigiri continued, "Are you ashamed of them? You've been through some rough times. In fact, the more I think about it, the more impressed I am: injuries can be fatal when you're alone in the wilderness. Yet, here you are, in good health." Physically, Kirigiri added mentally, despite herself.
Nagasaki fidgeted awkwardly, not saying something in response. Kirigiri wondered if perhaps she was just looking for excuses, but she'd made it this far, hadn't she? Sure enough, after a few moments, she began to strip again. Suddenly conscious, Kirigiri quickly checked the path beyond the entrance curtain, peeking her head through, but saw or heard no one approaching. Heading back, she returned to the Spring, removing her towel and reentering the warm water.
It wasn't more than a minute later when Nagasaki entered sheepishly. As she cleaned herself off, Ganaha , "Oh, I thought you ran off. Well, nice of you to join us, I guess." Nagasaki didn't respond, simply cleaning herself before heading over. As she got closer, Kirigiri noticed the scars she was conscious about: claw marks on the back of her right shoulder, and the remnants of a bite on her lower right calf, normally hidden by her socks. The claw marks resulted in a small, but jagged set of scars, but the calf wound was more grisly: a chunk of flesh had been clearly taken ages ago, and it had healed a bit unevenly. Kirigiri wasn't the only one who saw either: the silence that had once been due to the girls relaxing now became a bit tense. Nagasaki noticed, becoming a little downcast, sinking into the water a bit, strands of the hair from her unfurled ponytail floating on the water.
Trying to recoup the mood, Kirigiri began to ask, "So..." She hesitated though, as the only conversation starting questions that came to mind were the mysteries behind the place: not exactly the best subject to discuss. Once again she began to miss Yokozuna and Andou and their more sociable nature... Finally coming up with something, she said, "The Spring is pretty nice. I've never done this before."
Ganaha asked disbelievingly, "Huh? Never?"
Kasumi shrugged, replying a bit defensively, "Well, maybe not 'never'. I wouldn't know, would I?"
Ganaha gaped for a second, before turning and whistling innocently. After a moment, she quickly said, "Well, I think group baths are nice. I take them with the girls after long training sessions if they do a good job. It's a good way to unwind and get closer to them. I mean, I had to do something: the newer ones kept becoming afraid of me."
Minami said sarcastically, "You don't say?"
Ganaha shrugged, the insincerity flying over her head, "I know right? I mean, I'm not that bad. The turnover rate was pretty high at one point though, but I've never fired anyone. They left on their own!"
"Turnover?" Nagasaki repeated. She mumbled in confusion, "Apple?"
Kirigiri smiled slightly as she explained, "No, the turnover rate is how often employees are lost. A high turnover rate in this case means..."
Minami nodded, "The new ones couldn't take the heat."
Ganaha frowned, "That's what I don't understand: how can there be any heat if I never fired anyone?"
Kirigiri frowned, "That was, perhaps, the lamest most Despair inducing pun I've ever heard."
Ganaha parroted, "Pun?" Thinking about it, she shrugged, "Well, I guess. That was unintentional though!"
Minami asked, "Did any of the 'idols-to-be' whom quit explained why?"
Ganaha crossed her arms over her chest, thinking deeply for a second, before saying, "Nope."
Minami huffed, "How did you make Hope's Peak with that attitude? When any of my foremen or workers have issues and quit, I demand to know what went wrong. If it's a resolvable situation, it may be managed, and if not, I can learn where the issue was and strive to be better next time."
Ganaha thought for a moment, before pointing out, "That's different though. Give me a break! You have to deal with grown men who've got families to feed! I have to deal with middle school girls who want to see pictures of themselves on magazines or want to spread smiles and rainbows to their fans or some nauseating crap like that. The differences in the sense of professionalism between the two are incomparable!" Her ranting ended, and she seemed to slump for a moment, taking a breath, inhaling the fumes coming off the corpse of the relaxing atmosphere the bath had once created.
Kirigiri blinked, amazed for a moment, explaining, "I don't think I've heard you string together a sentence that...articulate, before, Ganaha-san."
The Producer was silent for a moment, before looking up, scratching her head and asking, "Huh? What? I think I blacked out for a second there." Kirigiri covered her mouth to hide her amusement as Minami, uncaring, let out a short laugh. Nagasaki mostly seemed lost, but she wasn't tense, at least.
After relaxing for a little while longer, Ganaha, first in, was the first to get out. As she wrapped herself in the towel Kirigiri grabbed for her, Nagasaki muttered, "Wait a minute, do you hear something?"
Curious, Kirigiri listened as Ganaha, paranoid, made her way to the curtain, peeking through. Minami sat up straighter as Ganaha turned to the others shaking her head.
Suddenly, they heard a noise from above, a shuffling, followed by a voice, "Ah, finally, some fresh air." Kirigiri looked up, past the lip of the higher spring, where the voice came from. Her jaw dropped as a figure came into view from beyond, his gaze upward. The flowing red cape and gold colored spandex suit were more than enough to identify the figure.
Eyes widening, Kirigiri jumped up, exclaiming, "Gold Dragon!?" At her voice, the masked superhero looked down at the girls. Ganaha retreated behind the curtain while Nagasaki sunk entirely underwater. Realizing that she was exposing herself, Kirigiri let out an uncharacteristic squeal of fright as she retreated into the water, hands doing their best to protect her modesty.
Gold Dragon averted his gaze as well, proclaiming, "M-my apologies ladies! I assure you, this was unintentional. I'm just as surprised as you!"
Minami, however, did not cower and hide. As Gold Dragon turned away, she burst from there water and began to climb the rock, using her height and large hands to her advantage. Reaching the lip, Gold Dragon looked down at the noise as Minami snarled, "The bruises you receive will be well deserved!" Before he could react, Minami reached out, grabbing Super High School Level Justice by his leg, wrapping her fingers around his white boot.
Gold Dragon let out a gasp of surprise, but moved quickly. He swiftly stooped down, his gloves hand reaching for the water. He slapped it, splashing Minami in the face. As water got into her eyes, she hissed, "Cold!" Gold Dragon was able to back away, slipping from her grasp.
Turning away, he roared, "I will repay you for my mistake one day! I am truly sorry!" Bolting off, he ascended through the gap in the ceiling as Minami pursed in all her naked glory.
As eager to find out his identity as anyone, Kirigiri called out as they left her sight, "Get him, Minami-san!" But in moments, they were gone. After a few more seconds, she could no longer hear the sound of their movement.
Figuring the coast was clear, Kirigiri tried to rouse Nagasaki, saying loudly, "Nagasaki-chan, they're gone."
Slowly, the girl peeked out from the water, taking a breath and looking around. Kirigiri noticed she was shaking a bit: had his appearance unnerved her that much? Ganaha had also poked her head back in, looking up. Kirigiri explained, "Minami-san chased after him..." Conscious of the roof exit and the fact that Gold Dragon had seemingly appeared from nowhere, Kirigiri quickly grabbed a towel, handing one to Nagasaki as well as she came out of the water, their little excursion having been brought to an end.
As the three returned to the changing room, Nagasaki seemed to calm down when she was within reach of her knife, Kirigiri noted, though it was hardly unusual. As the girls finished dressing themselves, the fourth of their party returned to the changing room from outside, a bit dirty from her excursion. She grumbled, "Lost him. He's...quick. Also, his identity is not Mikage Naoki."
Raising an eyebrow at the specific claim, Kirigiri asked "How are you sure?"
Minami answered, "Because the Farmer is lying on the ground outside unconscious."
Throwing on her blazer, Kirigiri made her way out quickly, wondering what had happened. Taking the path upward, she reached the upper part of the Third Level. She couldn't tell where Minami had come from, but she did, in fact, see Mikage unconscious on the ground. Leaning down to check on him, she couldn't help but notice a lump on his head. All she could do right now was remove his askew sunglasses and try to shake him awake: lifting him was out of the question. As she jostled him, Nagasaki and Ganaha came up from below.
Looking over him, Ganaha wondered aloud, "How'd he get hit on the head?"
Nagasaki, hanging back, suggested, "Gold Dragon?"
Thinking for a moment, Kirigiri mumbled disappointedly, "Shoot. There's no way we could possibly try to find his identity now. There are so many ways he could have gone to get away."
While waiting for Minami to come back, Mikage woke up, groaning as he tried to sit up, blinking against the light as he tried to open his eyes. Looking at Kirigiri, he asked, "Hey, Kasumi-chan...auuuuuugh!" At his sudden frustrated groan, Kirigiri backed up a little. He explained, "What the hell is Minami's deal!? I wasn't doing anything suspicious, then she barged out of nowhere wearing no clothes and freakin' hit me!" Head sinking, he clutched it as he mumbled, "Ugh; that was not something I ever wanted to see."
Ganaha chortled, "Wrong place in the wrong time, I guess."
"None of the guys were supposed to be up here though," Nagasaki pointed out.
Mikage clicked his tongue, insisting, "Still no good reason to do something like that."
Kirigiri explained, "She was chasing an interloper: Gold Dragon came to visit."
Mikage's green eyes widened as he exclaimed, "No freakin' way!" Thinking about it for a second, he mumbled, "Lucky bastard..."
Kirigiri nodded, "Indeed: it's a shame you suffered instead of him, it's not as though you were loitering out here to build the courage to sneak in a peek on us were you? Nothing suspicious like that?" As she queried rapidly, she leaned in, locked onto his naked eyes, almost accusingly.
Sure enough, Mikage swallowed and averted his gaze, insisting, "O-of course not."
"Understood," Kirigiri said quickly, not pressing the matter. It wasn't as if any harm was done on his end.
As he finally stood, Kirigiri returned his sunglasses as he rubbed his head. Minami finally arrived around the same time, fully clothed in her light gray slacks and short sleeved purple shirt. Still a bit peeved, Mikage asked, "Hey! What was that for, huh?"
Minami shrugged, "I briefly thought you may have been Gold Dragon, having shed your disguise, but your shock and confusion were rather...telling. The fact that the costume was nowhere nearby also clued me in."
Mikage glared, crossing his arms over his chest as he raged, "Of course I'm not Gold Dragon. I didn't see him either, by the way, which means he must have gone some other way. He's probably long gone by now though."
Kirigiri thought for a moment, before asking, "You wouldn't have a guess regarding who he is, do you? If he were one of us, I mean. Did you see anyone while you were loitering, for example?"
Mikage shook his head, "I'm pretty sure most everyone is on the lower Levels. Probably, I mean this one is pretty big." Looking around, Mikage asked, "How did Gold Dragon get in anyway? Through the top?"
Puzzlement crossing her face, Kirigiri shook her head, answering, "No, he came from somewhere in the middle. I don't know how."
Looking over at Minami, the girl answered, "There was a narrow path underground on that higher level. I think it warrants a look."
Kirigiri nodded, "Alright. Should we let the boys know? We need to find a way up there while we're at it. Some of us might be able to climb, but that seems risky."
Minami recalled, "There were ropes in the Storage Unit. Speaking of which, I never got around to putting any around the Lake."
Ganaha grumbled, "Yeah!"
Kirigiri reminded her, "You do realize that was the reason you were able to avoid being called the Culprit, right?"
Ganaha froze, before mumbling, "Uh, sure..." She looked away, a bit embarrassed.
"Anyway," Kirigiri began, "Let's give it a look after dinner after we tell the boys. In the meantime, Minami-san, are you going to need a hand in installing the ropes?"
Checking her watch, Minami shook her head, saying, "No, I'll just need to grab a knife."
As Kirigiri was about to turn and lead the way back, she heard Nagasaki mumble something. Stopping to listen, she turned to the Survivalist and asked, "What was that, Nagasaki-chan?"
Scratching her head, Nagasaki suggested, "I could help..."
As the Nagasaki looked over at the larger girl, Minami shrugged, "I don't see why not."
A goal obtained, the five headed down, beginning to split up and do their own things. Kirigiri broke off on the Second Level, heading to the Library when she remembered there was a promise she had to keep. Sure enough, a couple of the books were already set aside: reading material for Ichijou Mitsuzi. She'd almost forgotten due to all the things that happened since then: the Mock Killing Game, the subsequent investigation and Trial, the Mutual Killing History Book...
Now having all the time she could, she ended up with quite the large stack after a bit of searching. However, not wanting to intimidate Ichijou, she pruned it down to a much more manageable level. Of course, before she could even begin to cart the pile down, she heard a chilling bugle playing reveille, followed by the nearby monitor switching on. Kirigiri tensed as she heard Monokuma say, "Upupu~ Would the Hope's Peak Students of the Arashimine Resort Class Trip please come to the Auditorium on the Ground Level! We have some urgent announcements to make, so please, waste no time." As the monitor switched off, she frowned at the repeated message. Once again, they'd barely had time to catch their breath.
Not wasting any time, she made her way through the Resort down to the Ground Level, and entering the tunnel to the Auditorium. For a change, she wasn't the last to arrive, seeing that Minami and Nagasaki weren't here yet. It was quiet, the Students simply wanting the meeting to be over with. It wasn't long before they showed up: Kirigiri guessed that they had just been on the Third Level.
With everyone present, the lights dimmed before Monokuma appear once again, rising to the center stage. He cheerily greeted, "Hello hello, Students of Hope's Peak Academy! Welcome back! I knew you couldn't resist the dulcet tones of my voice." Kirigiri couldn't help but snort at that, but Monokuma continued, "Or maybe you're just masochists! Upupupu!"
Uzatei Kotetsu opened his mouth, but Monokuma interrupted, "Yup, yup, sure, 'get on with it' you're gonna say...like you're the boss of me! Pipe down! Before we get to the incentive, I want to make something clear. I certain some of you are wondering, but I can confirm that what you see around here is as real as you or I! If you think it's fake, you had better accept that you're a fake as well! Get it? Understand? Am I clear? Are you with me?" No one answered, but Kirigiri couldn't help but remember what he'd said a week ago: 'none of them mattered'... It was an unpleasant thought.
Clearing his throat (somehow), Monokuma began, "Now, anyway, on with today's incentive! Continuing our speedy pacing, we have a real interesting one for you today. In continuing the theme...does anyone want to fathom a guess?"
Ishihara seemed to recall, muttering, "Love and hate...feelings?"
Monokuma shrugged, "Eh, close enough. Maybe you'll narrow it down better next time! So, moving on!" Just like the last two times, the stage began to sink, hiding Monokuma from view, before he returned to the stage, his outfit different once again. The bear was now dressed in a black kimono with a pattern resembling stars, and a white sash around his waist. The top of his head was now crowed with a wig of long, slightly disheveled black hair. His voice slow and shaky, he explained, "Until the next murder occurs, you will be experiencing the most terrifying, frightful, bone shaking, heart chilling thing imaginable."
"Hideous bears?" Uzatei grumbled.
"Ghosts?" Ganaha said with a shiver.
Nagasaki began muttering off a list, "Loud noises, being trapped, wild animals, weapons..." She gave a shudder as she trailed off, no doubt thinking the worst.
Monokuma laughed, "Sure! Whatever you want! Or rather, whatever will work best! Upupu, are you all man or woman enough to challenge your worst fear?"
Minami crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, demanding, "And how do you expect to do that?"
Monokuma cheered, "It's already begun! The whole Resort has been given a non-lethal dosage of Monokuma Gas! It is scentless and colorless: you've all already breathed it in! Under the right conditions, you may experience a heart stopping hallucination! Scream and cry all you want! In fact, I think I'll enjoy it more the more screaming and crying you guys do! Try to stretch this one out, okay! Also, to enhance the mood, the weather tomorrow will be cloudy skies and fog!"
Ishihara growled, "You think you can scare us into murdering some one? You have another thing coming."
Monokuma smiled, "I do! Next time of course. In the meantime, I figure that even if you are all brave enough to avoid this incentive, the paralyzing, heart stopping fear might just make you venerable to a potential Culprit...keep that in mind! But for now, I'll let you deal with the implications. Have fun!" Without further word, he sank into the Auditorium, leaving the Students to themselves.
The tension rather high, everyone waited in silence, as if something were going to happen. After a moment, Ishihara mumbled, "Well, everything seems fine so far."
Saruta scratched his head, "He did mention that we had to meet certain conditions. What were they, I wonder?"
Ichijou let out a sigh of relief, suggesting, "Well, at least we don't have to worry too much. We just need to be brave!"
Mikage gave an uncertain look, pointing out, "I ain't as easy as pushing a bravery button."
Ichijou smiled, "Oh come on, he even told us they were hallucinations. I mean, even if a big monster comes at you, it can't kill-" His smile faded as he suddenly gagged, taking a sharp breath.
At the unnatural action, Kirigiri asked, "Mutsuzi-kun?" Ichijou's breath came short, and he began to sweat. His hand clutched for his heart, as his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, landing roughly on the hard ground. "Mitsuzi-kun!?" Kirigiri called out, beginning to move closer.
Saruta was quicker though, pushing his way to Ichijou's side before some of the others could even react. Crouching down, he grabbed the Luckster's wrist, tensing as he proclaimed, "No pulse."
Surprised at the course of events, Kirigiri was frozen, not sure that to do in this situation, as were the other students. Saruta, however, expression serious, didn't hesitate, flipping him over and putting his hands on his chest as he begin to give press down in pulsing movements: a simple CPR maneuver.
His action helping to pull Kirigiri's mind in line, she crouched down, asking, "Do you need help? What should we do?"
His words were clear, though occasionally separated by grunts as he kept working, "Restor-ing airflow may be neces-sary, but a sec-ond set of hands is not a nece-ssity."
Figuring this was not the situation to worry about lips touching, Kirigiri figured that it was better for Ichijou's dignity that it were her rather than Saruta. As she tied up her hair, she also thought that it would better if Saruta didn't stop his chest compressions for any reason. She began to lean her head down, thinking that she was being too conscious about it; else she needn't contrive all these justifications. Taking a breath, she went to deliver respiration, but stopped when Ichijou gasped.
Kirigiri backed up, watching as Saruta stopped, checking Ichijou's pulse again. "Heart rate slow and irregular...no it's normalizing." Kirigiri let out a long sigh of relief as she stood, wiping her forehead. Ichijou stirred a bit, confirming that a worst case scenario had just been averted.
A bit of worry on her face, Nagasaki asked, "W-what happened?"
As Kirigiri untied her hair, Saruta answered, "Cardiac arrest of some kind, the trigger, however...a heart attack? I can't be too sure. I would suggest moving him to the Medical Building so I can keep an eye on him." Looking over to the Contractor, he asked, "Would you like to give me a hand, Minami-san?"
Nodding she stooped down lifting Ichijou by his legs and back. He groaned as he was moved, but didn't say anything, if he was even conscious. As the two headed out, Kirigiri mumbled, "Now that that's been dealt with..." She briefly shot a look at the Auditorium stage: she hadn't expected Monokuma to attempt a murder...but had he really?
Turning back to the others, she explained, "Before I forget, we had a bit of an incident at the Hot Spring. While we were relaxing, Gold Dragon interrupted."
Furugori gasped, "Eh? Gold Dragon? That seems uncharacteristic..."
Kirigiri continued, "We're still trying to find out how he got there and why. He didn't come through the entrance, nor did he drop down from the opening above. The plan was to tell you all at dinner and investigate afterwards, but...it might be more prudent to wait until tomorrow."
Nagasaki muttered, "We didn't finish. Er, Monokuma..."
At her unexpected words, Uzatei asked, "What was that, Nagasaki-san?"
Kirigiri explained, "Her and Minami were going to attempt to find a way up to the raised pool. Of course, that was interrupted by Monokuma, so..." Nagasaki nodded, confirming.
Letting out a sigh, Ishihara suggested, "I'm going to start on dinner, hopefully Mitsuzi-kun will be up for it by then."
With the incentive delivered, the group began to head back through the tunnel and up to the First Level. A bit of the tension remained though: what had happened to Ichijou was still a mystery. Kirigiri broke from the group as soon as possible, heading to the Medical Building. As she approached, she allowed Minami to leave, the two exchanging nothing more than glances, before entering herself. Looking around, she saw Saruta on his chair, while Ichijou lied on the bed. As she stepped in, he turned his head at the noise. Kirigiri smiled slightly as their eyes met, glad that he was alright.
Approaching, she took a seat on the neighboring bed, asking him, "How are you feeling, Mitsuzi-kun?"
Ichijou nodded, "I think I'm fine, but Saruta-kun insisted I stay here for a little while." Turning away, his gaze went to the ceiling as his face fell.
Noticing, Kirigiri asked, "Could it be arranged to let him rest in his room?"
Saruta shrugged, "I'm not really expecting anything to happen, but I figure it would be best to keep him off his feet for a while. I'll let you go when the nighttime announcement plays."
Ichijou nodded, but didn't move otherwise. Curious, Kirigiri asked, "May I ask about what happened? You were talking and then..."
Saruta shook his head, "He has no history of heart problems, he says."
Ichijou was silent, before saying grimly, "Isn't it obvious? Monokuma just...made me experience my fear." He swallowed, before shivering, "Even...even if only for a short moment, I was dead. I've never been more scared in my life." He muttered, more to himself then anything, "I don't want to die..."
Kirigiri frowned, feeling a bit of pity for him. His fear was so natural, primal. He hadn't even wished death on anyone thus far, pitying the dead, even the Culprits. And yet here he was, in the middle of Game where death was becoming more natural by the day.