From the Old World: (Ab)normal Days, A Side

"Good morning, Hope's Peak Students! Today is another day to enrich yourselves with the wonders of Arashimine Resort, so rise and shine! Nighttime restrictions have been lifted, so I implore you to have a nice day."

As the announcement played over the Resort, Ichijou Mitsuzi listened as he lay in bed. The boy had not been sleeping; quite the opposite, in fact. He had spent who knew how long lying on his bed quietly, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts running madly over what was, what had been, and what might be.

Tachibana Chiyoko was dead and gone, but the Game continued.

Furugori Yasuo was somehow responsible by her word, but Ichijou couldn't really see how or why.

Ishihara Jouji was the masked superhero whom encountered Kirigiri after the first Trial, found the newspaper clipping of Prime Minister Sanada, burst in on the girl's bathing session, and slept in the Cabin the other night.

With two figures unmasked, Ichijou should have felt safer, more reassured, but they were still here: still trapped, with no sign of getting out unless yet another life was snatched. How long could they last?

Saruta Bimaru promised he would do no harm, but did self-defense count for the Hippocratic Oath?

Uzatei Kotetsu acted plenty suspicious: but why?

Nagasaki Ayumi tried her best not to hurt anyone, but she admitted to herself she wasn't the most stable.

Minami Fuyuko wasn't afraid to remind everyone that she might have been a Culprit.

But Ichijou himself...just imagining trying to kill someone made him sick. However, in being so sure of himself, he felt guilty: despite being trusted, he felt like his hopes were misplaced in others, despite all of his words at the Trial. It had saved them then, but on the chance Tachibana wasn't lying, and the one who trapped them was still here...

His guilt making him nauseous, he rolled over in bed, trying to reason with himself: why should he listen to Tachibana for even a second!? She could have easily just been trying to start trouble, sow the seeds of distrust and whatnot.

Finally sitting up in his bed, he raising his fist, attempting to slug himself across the face, glancing his cheek, jarring his teeth. Shaking his head roughly, he started to get his mind back on track: even if he no longer heeded Tachibana's words, there was the issue of everyone else.

Dressing himself in his light blue yukata, Ichijou made his way out of the Lodge, heading over to the Resort Restaurant. The early riser looked around to see himself being uncharacteristically last. Oddly enough, the meal wasn't out yet: Ishihara Jouji stood at the head of the table, arms crossed firmly. As Ichijou entered, the Aeronaut looked up, saying, "Alright, now that we're all here..."

Clearing his throat, Ishihara began, "For anyone who isn't sure what's going on, well, I found someone stealing food."

Minami snorted, "Is it really stealing when it's there for everyone?"

Ishihara nodded, "Yes." Looking around, he sighed, "Look if you want to eat alone, that's fine, but I told you guys the other day I wanted to take care of all the meals, so let me know and I'll see some plates aside: labels and everything."

Saruta gave a sigh of relief, "That would be most acceptable."

Loosening up a bit, Ishihara began to make for the Kitchen. As the others sat in the Restaurant, quietly awaiting breakfast. After a short while, Ishihara began to pass out breakfast, just as Uzatei noted, "Hmm, there's nowhere else to explore...what shall we do then?"

Lighting up, Ishihara began, "Oh! I had an idea. Well, first, I once went hiking with my dad into the mountains. I remember him grabbing some litter from someone else and saying, 'leave the environment better looking than when you found it'. We've made a bunch of messes all over the place, so maybe we should clean up a little?"

Minami noted dourly, "You don't think we'll be leaving soon, do you?"

Ishihara gave a short laugh, "Heh, just something quiet to do, you know?"

There were no objections, which Ichijou was glad for. Some quiet time for everyone to think would be beneficial, Ichijou thought. As they ate, together, they began to note down areas where there was a good deal of mess. Ishihara also said he'd make lunch early, setting the plates aside.

After the meal concluded, everyone began to head off, various locations in mind. Ichijou didn't go far, entering the Kitchen with Ishihara. As the Aeronaut began to make lunch, pulling out some wrap to cover the plates, Ichijou worked around him, cleaning off empty shelves, wiping off dusty, unused appliances, and letting Ishihara know on the rare occasion he found some food that was at risk of becoming inedible.

As the two teamed up to wash the dishes, Ichijou began, "Hey, Ishihara-san..." As the brown haired boy looked up from the sink, Ichijou continued, "I wasn't dreaming last night, was I?"

Ishihara smiled softly, shaking his head, "No, that was me, and my mask..."

Ichijou blinked, wondering, "Why though? Why hide your identity?"

Ishihara gave an awkward laugh, answering, "Well, I grew up reading western superhero comics. Having a secret identity was something of a staple, really. I don't regret it though: sure, I caused some trouble here, but there are people outside who would case me and my family problems if they knew Gold Dragon's identity. That's why I hid myself here for so long: I thought that if it was being broadcast, whoever was doing it might hide my identity too, to build suspense. I could have just not gone out in costume, but I felt like I could help, you know? As Gold Dragon." Bitterly, he added, "Er, well, I guess that's only part of it. I mean, down in the Mines, I was useless, but if I had my mask, it might have been different. I just...with the mask on, I feel like a different person."

He further insisted, "I think...I know what I can do to help, but I can't say yet. I'm going to ask you to trust me a little longer, okay, Mitsuzi-kun?"

Ichijou nodded, giving his silent promise. As they continued to wash dishes Ishihara laughed, "You know, I'm not actually an Aeronaut at all: that whole thing was made up by Hope's Peak. I wanted to hide my identity, but they had to explain how I was scouted somehow, so they gave me some books on aeronautics to study, made up the story about me jumping off the Tokyo Tower, had some people pretend they saw it...they did a lot to get me to attend." Becoming a bit more serious, he continued, "If we managed to get out of here, I hope we can study and graduate together: all of us." As Ishihara mused, Ichijou could only nod, and give the hero his support in whatever way he could.

The Kitchen finished, Ishihara said he could manage the Restaurant itself, leaving Ichijou to go help elsewhere. As the Luckster exited the building, he looked around, wondering where else he could clean. He figured he would take care of his Lodge tonight, so he didn't worry about that. However, as he passed the Medical Building, he saw a shadow pass by one of the windows. Entering knowingly, he found Saruta at work, a number of things laid out as he reorganized.

Looking up, Saruta smiled, before saying, "I assume you want to help? I appreciate it, but I'd rather do this myself."

Ichijou nodded, "That's fine."

As Ichijou loitered, Saruta stopped, standing straighter, beginning, "I assume...you want to talk?"

Ichijou shrugged, "If you're fine with it."

Saruta gave a hollow laugh, admitting, "I'm afraid I can never be fine with that subject...which means I have no reason not to talk about it."

Sitting down, Ichijou began, suddenly changing the subject, "My bandages...would you mind changing them again?" Blinking in confusion, Saruta nodded, before going to work, once again removing the bandages around Ichijou's burned hand, before noting, "Hmm, I think it's healed enough where you don't need them. Does it still hurt?"

Ichijou shook his head, "Not really."

Satisfied, Saruta said, "Then there is no need. Your cut seems fine too."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Ichijou nodded, "I see, I see..." After a moment, he finished, "There, point proven." As Saruta looked at him quizzically, Ichijou insisted, "I don't have a problem being treated by you, Saruta-san. And I don't see why anyone should either."

Saruta flinched, before taking on an unamused expression. He began, "Oh, very clever...but I'm afraid you failed to prove your point. Come to me with a genuine surgical request, then we'll talk."

Ichijou frowned, "We've always come in here when we've been hurt though."

Saruta quickly explained, "That was before."

"We're all kind of weird though..." Ichijou tried to reason, but Saruta continued to look unimpressed. Frowning, Ichijou raised his hand, looking at the edge of his fingernails. Bringing his other hand over, he picked at it, before removing a tiny bit of dead skin. Showing Saruta, he insisted, "I lose skin all the time. It's not really that weird."

Rage increasing, Saruta seethed, making Ichijou recoil as the Surgical Assistant spat, "Do you think this is amusing!?"

Shaking his head, Ichijou insisted, "No!" Looking away sadly, he offered, "I'm trying to help." Saruta frowned as Ichijou tried to think, the Luckster knowing full well he wasn't really qualified.

Standing, Ichijou recalled something, heading over to the storage room door. As he began to open it, he felt two lab coat clad arms wrap around his torso, Saruta saying in a bit of panic, "Wh-what are you doing!?"

Despite the resistance, Ichijou forced the door open, his voice strained as he said, "I'm trying to help!" Looking around the storage room, he saw a number of shelves, but most importantly, a small cooler. Saruta shaking behind him, Ichijou pulled the door open, cringing as he saw the small, wooden box from before alongside something else, heavily wrapped on a small shelf above a number of a few blood and IV bags. Grimacing, Ichijou acted, grabbing both packages, glad they were well kept.

Heading out, the two encased pieces of flesh in hand, Ichijou headed for the Resort Restaurant, Saruta following, his forehead sweaty. As the entered the Kitchen, going past a confused Ishihara, Saruta begged, "You can't..."

"Why not?" Ichijou queried as he held the two packages above the garbage can threateningly.

Saruta's eye twitched as he reasoned, "It would be an undignified disposal of remains..."

Ichijou shrugged, "Not like we know where their actual bodies are." Looking to Saruta accusingly, he added, "I thought you said something about weaning yourself!" Saruta said nothing, simply standing nervously. As Ichijou dropped the things into the can, Saruta let out a pathetic squeak. Ichijou grabbed him as he lunged for them, dragging him out of the Kitchen. As Ishihara stared at them, Ichijou explained, "Just taking care of some things..."

As Ichijou got Saruta out of the restaurant, the Surgical Assistant became limp as he surrendered, allowing Ichijou to lead him to the Medical Building. As they walked, Saruta muttered, "Through such heavy handed methods, you see my true, pathetic nature at last... I hope you are pleased with yourself."

Ichijou shrugged, saying, "We have to start somewhere. Now, at least, you don't have any of that...stuff, to worry about."

Saruta's eye twitched as he pointed out, "And if there's another Victim?"

Ichijou shook Saruta roughly by the shoulders, his voice wavering with his movement, hoping, "There won't be!"

Finally reentering, Ichijou sat Saruta down by his desk, standing over him. Ichijou said, "So, now that we've gotten rid of that, there are no worries!"

Saruta muttered, "I suppose. I should be relieved to be gone of those, but I can't say I am." Seeing Ichijou's frown, he added, "But it was probably for the best. Such a waste though..."

Ichijou grimaced, "What good is that stuff anyway?"

Saruta gave Ichijou a bewildered look, before saying, "Your skin is vital for keeping all sorts of airborne pathogens and bacteria out of your body, for starters, which is why cleaning a wound before infection is so important. Of course, there are times when it is marred." He punctuated that with a glance at Ichijou's burnt hand, before continuing, "And there are times when it is marred by choice, such as vulgar tattoos: in both cases, skin is generally taken for grafts, to repair the damaged organ as best as possible." After a moment, he admitted, "I doubt anyone here would need one though, and they would likely be opposed given the source."

Just about done with this conversation, Ichijou nodded, saying, "Well, we can figure it out more when we get out of here, okay?"

Saruta nodded, admitting, "Therapy may be helpful." With a nod, and a bit of strain, he continued, "Regardless of the future, I...thank you for doing your best to help me." With a nod and a wave, Ichijou headed out, being quite glad that he at least managed to make some amount of difference.

After checking the First Level again, he headed up to the Second. After checking the Shed, he reached the Library, feeling a pang of guilt as he approached a table, a fairly sizable stack of books atop the surface. It was all recommended reading material that he hadn't touched. Even looking at it now only made him remember the Trial. But would any of this help?

Picking up the first book, one on the country's ports, he figured it would, given that Tachibana had mentioned that poem again. Though the books looked daunting, it wasn't like he didn't have a lot of free time. He owed Kirigiri that much, didn't he?

Grabbing about half the books, Ichijou made his way down, heading over to his Lodge. Reaching the door, he leaned the pile of books against the door as he used his other hand to pull out his ElectroID, unlocking his door. As he twisted the handle, the door opened inward, pushed by the books as Ichijou lost his balance. His volumes spilled onto the floor, Ichijou barely managing to keep from following them down himself. Grumbling, he began to pick them up, stopping as he passed over one on bird symbolism. The book had flipped open, showing a picture of the martin bird, the word 'luck' popping out at Ichijou. He couldn't help but grumble as he grabbed the book, slamming it shut. Kirigiri had always been misty when it came to his supposed Luck...

Cleaning house, Ichijou made one more return trip, before continuing along the Second Level. Arriving at the Greenhouse, he wasn't surprised in the least to see Nagasaki Ayumi buzzing about inside. Being sure not to surprise her, Ichijou made sure to open the door, making his presence known by quickly greeting, "Hello, Nagasaki-chan!"

The Survivalist, who seemed to be in the process of moving plants around, smiled at him, saying, "Hello."

Looking around, Ichijou asked, "What are you doing?"

Nagasaki frowned, "Some of the plants are dying; I haven't been watering all of them. I'm not sure what to do..." Leaning down, Ichijou saw a lot of the ones on the center table were indeed a bit wilted and shriveled, the edges of the leaves browning.

Ichijou noted, "Well, I bet with a bit of water, some of them could recover."

Nagasaki nodded, "I just tried, but..."

Ichijou pointed out, "Er, it doesn't work immediately." With that in mind, Ichijou helped Nagasaki with sorting the plants, the unsalvageable ones set aside, while the manageable ones were kept.

As they worked, Ichijou got a bit careless, bumping into Nagasaki's back as she passed her as she worked, nearly dropping the plant in his hand. As he moved past, Nagasaki muttered, "Sorry..."

Turning and blinking at the girl, Ichijou simply stared, Nagasaki noticing and turning back, the two looking at each other in silence. Ichijou finally explained, "I touched you from behind, but you didn't do anything..." Nagasaki looked aside, not really impressed, but Ichijou smiled, "That's great, I think."

Nagasaki muttered, "I guess... I try not to get close to anything that can hurt me, like something sneaking up on me. Maybe I'm starting to get used to the atmosphere here: I don't have to hunt for food, there aren't any dangerous wild animals. Sure, there's the Killing Game, but Yokozuna was here, and you are still here."

Putting the plant in his arms down, Ichijou dared to take a step forwards, smiling, "Well, I'm glad you're my friend, Nagasaki-chan." The Survivalist gave a weak smile, before quickly looking away and getting back to work quickly. Ichijou decided to keep his mouth shut as they continued to work, organizing things.

As they finished, the two briefly talked about what to do with the shriveled plants, and Nagasaki decided she'd do some research on it, looking for the best way to handle the plants, rather than simply throwing them away. The two headed away from the Greenhouse, reaching the main path on the Second Level. Before they split up, however, Nagasaki stopped Ichijou, mumbling something.

"What was that?" Ichijou asked, having failed to hear here.

Reaching into her pocket, Nagasaki shakily brought out her knife, holding it carefully by the blade. Stretching out her arm, she began to hand the implement to Ichijou. His movements gentle, Ichijou placed his hand under hers, and she placed the weapon in his palm.

Looking at it, Ichijou watched as Nagasaki took a step back. His face breaking into a smile, Ichijou said, "Thanks, Nagasaki-chan." A bit nervously, the Survivalist nodded, turning away, clearly a bit anxious. Slowly, Ichijou began to walk down the path on his own way, his head turned to keep an eye on Nagasaki.

Surely enough, the girl turned and walked back after Ichijou. The Luckster stopped as the shaky blonde girl asked, "Er, c-can I h-have that back?" Without blinking, Ichijou nodded, handing it back. Looking embarrassed, Nagasaki took the knife and pocketed, muttering, "S-sorry." Finished, she turned and ran off, leaving Ichijou to sigh to himself. It was some form of progress, at least.

Continuing on his path, Ichijou made his way up to the Third Level, doing a full circuit. The Hot Spring and Fort were fine, but as he passed the Shrine, he became interested. Heading in, he walked by the cleansing font, going past the offering box and up to the door. Swallowing, he attempted to open it, finding an unexpected success as it opened, the door leading to only blackness. Swallowing in anticipation, Ichijou made his way inside, cringing as he smelled something sour.

As he moved in, his head bumped something dangling. Pulling it, he found it was a light switch. The room was illuminated, revealing its contents. Against one wall was a small bed, facing a large screen on the opposite side. The screen was surrounded by labeled boxes, each containing a shiny disk inside. The floor was littered with garbage like emptied bags of snacks and soda cans. Hanging up on the wall was another cloak and mask, while tossed into a pile underneath were a number of sets of pajamas. Tachibana had been living here for days, apparently.

Noticing a ladder that descended into the ground, Ichijou went down, finding a bathroom and another door. Opening it, he stepped out into the light, finding himself outside once again. Looking around, he found that he was on a balcony, extending from the cliff side, shrouded in dim light under the cliff above no doubt out of sight from anyone who looked down from there. There was a lounging chair and a pair of headphones, attached to what appeared to be a small, black rectangular object. In the view beyond the edge of the fenced off balcony, Ichijou could see more of the flooded region, the water looking almost grayish.

Being a bit more interested in the black thing. Ichijou stooped down, giving it a look. After a few moments, he found that it had hinges within, pulling it open, seeing a screen on the lighter, upper half, and a board of buttons on the lower one, each one marked with a character of some kind, be it a number, roman letter, or hiragana symbols.

Before Ichijou could dare fiddle with it, the screen flicked on displaying a masked figure against a dark background. However, due to prior events, Ichijou knew full well who the girl was behind that white mask. The Priestess of Despair spoke, the pitch of her voice changed to disguise it, "Ufufufu, greetings, Hopeful Students of Hope's Peak Academy. I am the Priest of the local Shrine to none other than the established Goddess of Despair. You have her to thank for the accommodations..." The 'Priest' trailed off, before tilting her head, mumbling in her normal voice, "Eh, not ominous enough. I can do better...eh, nah, I'm done, this is stupid." Tachibana raised her arm, and the screen blacked out. Before Ichijou could make a move, he heard a startling crackling noise from the machine, like a buzzing of bees. Reaching his hand out, he recoiled as he was zapped by a bit of static.

Shaking his hand in pain, he grimaced as a bit of smoke came out of the thing. Frowning, he looked around, going back up to grab the cloak before using it to wrap up the object, making it easier to carry. Certainly the others would want to see if, even if he did break it...

Deciding not to clean up after Tachibana, Ichijou took his leave of the Shrine, continuing on his way. Reaching the Ranger Station the place was still a mess, with plates and cups scattered about. Hoping to tackle this one later with Ishihara, Ichijou instead chose to move on. Reaching the elevator up, he decided to leave the cloak in the room just outside the Hot Spring, putting it in one of the lockers, before heading up.

As Ichijou stepped out onto the Fourth Level, dressed in his cold weather clothing. As he walked, he knew of one place he wanted to check out first. Reaching the bottom of the Lift, now operational, he couldn't help but notice it was cleaned completely, just as all the other murder locations had been. With a shudder at the memory of yesterday morning's sight, he continued, making his way to the Cabin.

Reaching the area, he found that it was already partly occupied: Uzatei Kotetsu in his jacket was already at work. Entering, Ichijou met him in the living room, greeting, "Hey there, Uzatei-san!"

With a nod, Uzatei asked, "Are you here to aid me? I don't even know where to begin with this cleaning. There's blood on the floor, shattered glass and some can of god knows what outside, lemon halves. All this snow blew in so there's water now..." With a disgruntled look he noted, "You did a fine job in trashing this once cozy abode."

With an awkward laugh, Ichijou began to help clean up, wiping up the water, carefully gathering the garbage, and wiping up the rest of the mess. As the two scrubbed at the blood drops on the stairs, Ichijou wondered, "So, Uzatei-san..."

"I am not Gold Dragon," the Fashion Designer said quickly.

Ichijou blinked, nodding, "Okay." Uzatei gave him a look, and Ichijou quickly changed the subject, wondering, "I was just curious about something. I mean, during the last Trial, you were being really suspicious. Same with when Minami was trying to figure out who Gold Dragon was."

Uzatei grumbled, "I have a bad luck for that sort of thing... I guess part of it is also habit." Ichijou gave him an odd look, to which he elaborated, "Have I ever told you about the Uzatei Family before?" Ichijou shook his head, and Uzatei began, "We tend to focus on finding our worth, earning and paying favors. A lazy, good for nothing mooch will find themselves outcasts. I can't say I'm too fond of it myself, to the point where I'll avoid doing some things if I think it will net me a favor."

Ichijou gave him a confused look, wondering, "Wait, why wouldn't you want to help someone?"

Uzatei shrugged, "Because such a big deal is made of it all. Helping someone who's fallen on ground might earn you a small favor, but do it once, and they might expect you to give them small favors when they rush to help you on equally small tasks. It's maddening! But that is how the unskilled survive: as grunts to those who are in line to become the top of the family."

Ichijou blinked, asking, "Top of the family? Like you?"

Uzatei sighed, "Like me..." Clearing his throat, he finished, "But as I said, I think my reluctance to help in the Trials and such stems from that, though I have no excuse to outright hindering you all. At the very least, we don't have to worry about sleep as much. I could have chosen a better location to rest, no?"

Ichijou tried to imagine sleeping with cicadas echoing throughout the area, let alone the moonlight. He probably wouldn't have so difficult a time, but if Uzatei lived as luxurious a life as he seemed, Ichijou could see where he was having difficulty.

After a bit more work, the two finished cleaning the Cabin the best they could, the Fashion Designer giving Ichijou no end of complaints for the avoidable messes. When they finished their work, the two parted ways, Uzatei heading back down, while Ichijou went up the incline to the Observatory. Though the building itself was already clean, Ichijou had a goal in mind with the destination, heading down the passageway into the Mall area.

As he descended, he took note of the areas that needed cleaning, but given how trashed some of were, Ichijou was thinking they shouldn't bother with the Mall, and probably the Mines too. Those areas were a bit messy, but not as the result of the Students held there.

As he walked through, he did find one exception in an electronics store, where Furugori Yasuo was at work, reassembling the electronics he'd been messing with the other night. As Ichijou approached, the Computer Engineer muttered, "No, this must go to the other one...but what's this for?"

"Need a hand?" Ichijou asked.

Startled, Furugori jumped from his sitting position, the clatter of a few small objects being heard as he turned to the Luckster despondently. Taking a breath, he grumbled, "No thank you."

Realizing he might have messed up, Ichijou scratched his head, mentioning, "Er, I'm sorry."

With a light sigh, Furugori adjusted his glasses, shaking his head, "No, no, it's fine." Leaning back onto his arms, Ichijou leaned over, taking a look at what Furugori was working on, seeing a half reconstructed radio, the sleek plastic silver colored.

Starting to understand where Furugori was coming from earlier, Ichijou said, "Oh, yeah, that radio does look pretty fancy. I haven't seen one like that."

Furugori nodded, "I see. Guess that makes sense, since you're in the countryside, but I live in the city and I haven't seen one like this before. The numbers on the parts are ridiculous. They've gotta be typos or something, but they looks so professional otherwise."

"Eh?" Ichijou asked.

Furugori let out an amused sigh, before explaining, "It's when you're typing something on a typewriter or computer keyboard and make a little mistake."

Remembering something, Ichijou asked, "So, keyboards are like flat surfaces with a bunch of buttons on them, right? And the buttons have numbers and letters and symbols, right?" Furugori blinked, nodding, so Ichijou said, "I found something like that! I'll show you later."

Furugori's eyes widened, and he stammered, "Th-there's a computer here? Where was it!?"

Sensing his eagerness, Ichijou answered, "Er, It was in the Shrine, but-" Before he could finish, Furugori bolted off, exiting the store, glancing both ways, before heading off. The chubby boy running surprisingly quickly, Ichijou could only mutter, "...I moved it."

Deciding it was best not to touch anything more, Ichijou simply left, continuing on the path back down, certain he would find the time to tell Furugori later.

Passing through the Mines and the Auditorium, Ichijou found nothing in particular that needed cleaning. Just about done, he quickly grabbed lunch, before secluding himself into his Lodge, looking at the books he'd been recommended by Kirigiri. As much as he wanted to check out the interesting mystery novels, he knew full well where he needed to place his priorities on trying to solve that poem. As he flipped through one of the brochures on the Resort, he once again read the name of the Resort's owner, Takenouchi. As it struck a chord of familiarity in him once again, he tried desperately to remember where he'd heard it before. Trying to find a picture, he tore through the books, but none of them seemed to have anything more on the person, disappointing Ichijou even more.

After a couple hours of futile searching and frustration, dinner time began to near, so the Luckster headed out to the meal. As he sat, a pair of eyes glanced at him. Furugori pouted, "It wasn't there."

Ichijou scratched his head sheepishly, suggesting, "Er, I moved it, sorry! I can get it for you though."

Furugori thought about it for a second, before shaking his head sadly, "N-no, it's fine, I still have to finish cleaning up my mess from before anyway."

Saruta, hovering by the table, asked, "What's this now?"

Furugori explained, "Ichijou-san said he found a computer, so I wanted to give it a look."

Saruta blinked in surprise, before asking, "Really now? Fascinating. Where was it?"

Ichijou explained, "Well, I took a look at the Shrine now that that girl is gone, and I found it there."

Furugori nodded, "I gave that place way too good a look." The Computer Engineer shuddered, explaining, "She was probably stuck there ever since we opened up the Third Level, so she had...everything."

Saruta imagined aloud, "So, food, water, entertainment...personal effects?"

Furugori frowned, "Are all girls gross or is it just her?"

"I pray you weren't talking about me," Minami rumbled from the door.

Freezing in fear, Furugori shuddered before explaining, "N-no! Honest!"

Saruta confirmed, "He did a thorough search of the Shrine where Tachibana Chiyoko resided."

In understanding, Minami nodded, noting, "Ah, I see. I am hardly surprised that she was a slob, in all honesty."

As that bit of conversation wound down, Saruta looked over to Ichijou, asking, "Ichijou-san, you weren't in a very good mood when you came in. Was something amiss?"

Ichijou thought for a moment, before shaking his head, "I was trying to figure out the poem but it's stupid..."

Saruta wondered, "Perhaps it's not as simple as an allusion. A complex anagram, perhaps?"

As the evening went on, the crowd around the table grew, continuing their speculations for a short while before the conversation died out. Ichijou was getting a bit tired of some of talking about sparrows, blood, and bays however, but with Saruta promising to sort out some anagrams, he was feeling a bit relieved about the whole affair.

Sometime later, after everyone had assembled, Ishihara came out of the Kitchen, exiting shortly after with a tray of mismatched sandwiches. As he passed them out, Minami, still standing, as if prepared to leave, noted, "Is this all for dinner?"

Ishihara answered with a nod, "Yeah, sorry."

Raising an eyebrow, Minami asked, "No sides or drinks?"

Ishihara smiled, "Oh, I can get drinks!"

Minami snorted, "Allow me."

Ishihara looked on nervously as she stood, heading for the Kitchen. As she reached the door, Ishihara suddenly blurted, "Hold on..." Stopping, Minami looked at the Aeronaut over her shoulder. He began, "I think I know what you're really going in there for..."

Turning to face him, arms crossed over her chest, Minami asked, "Oh, are you so sure?"

Ishihara flinched, nodding, "Our dinner tonight is made up of leftovers scrapped from previous meals. I started insisting I cook everything because...we're running out of food."

Standing swiftly, and starting to shake, Nagasaki muttered, "N-no, you're lying."

Ishihara frowned, shaking his head, "Why would I lie?" Looking over to the sandwiches, he explained, "I've been trying to stretch it out for a few days now. At this rate, it won't go for more than two days..."

Saruta sighed, noting, "Distressing, but humans can live for roughly three weeks without food, and we have a constant supply of air and water. Even if Monokuma shuts us out of our plumbing, there's the Lake and Hot Spring..."

Ichijou thought, "Didn't Monokuma say we could eat the cicadas?"

Uzatei grimaced, "Surly you jest."

Minami shrugged, "They have valuable protein. If we run out of options, it may be our only way."

Saruta suggested, "Was there anything in the Mall?"

Furugori shook his head, "No, all the cafés and restaurants are wrecked."

Getting a though, Ichijou looked over to Nagasaki, asking, "What about the Greenhouse?"

Nagasaki shook her head, "Everything is flowers or plants. I'm growing some food, but they're still only little sprouts."

Ishihara shrugged, "We can eat the seeds though, can't we?"

Nagasaki muttered, "Maybe..."

"Upupupupu, wouldn't that be great, watching you scramble around munching on seeds and cicadas like birds!" Monokuma laughed, approaching the table from a blind spot. He laughed, "Maybe if you hadn't killed the Farmer, you'd have a chance at living here forever!"

Ichijou scowled, "Hey, that's right! You said-"

Monokuma growled, "And then I changed my mind! I mean, let's be honest, you guys don't really wanna stay here forever, do you?"

Minami grumbled, "You have no room to speak."

Monokuma shrugged, "Well too bad, I'm gonna speak anyway!" Pointing his paw, he exclaimed, "Consider this the last incentive! It's a bear eat bear world, so if you don't 'eat' the life of one of the others, you're going to be quite starved..."

Uzatei mumbled, "Well, that was rather modest. Giving up on the showmanship?"

Monokuma shrugged, "Eh, I'm rolling with it. Besides, this way is way better, isn't it? Faster, at least." Turning to leave, Monokuma laughed, "Better kill quick before you're too weak to even move! Unless you want to nibble on what little you have left. Upupu. Upupupupupupupupupu!" With his ominous laughter trailing him, he left quickly.

After a brief silence, Ishihara said, "Er, we'll manage..."

Saruta reasoned, "At least we are aware of it now. I would have preferred you told us about it sooner, Ishihara-san."

Minami nodded, insisting, "It might have prevented...snooping."

Ishihara let out a small laugh as he admitted, "Yeah, probably. Sorry guys, I didn't want to worry you."

Saruta added, "It's fine, but if food shortages are your worry, perhaps we can stretch it out even farther? Perhaps skipping lunch from now on?"

Uzatei frowned, "I can't skip my three meals a day: I maintain quite a routine to perfect my figure."

Minami snorted, "Hush you."

Furugori laughed, "I'm sure I can manage with a little less food..."

Ishihara was silent for a moment, before his face focused, and he said, "We'll talk about it tomorrow. Maybe we'll have a better idea by morning."

With everything settled, Minami and Saruta took their leave as everyone else dug in to their light meal, a layer of tension covering crowding the atmosphere, the fear of never having a proper one again taking hold of them.

After the meal, everyone began to fan out, Ishihara promising to clean up the Ranger Station on the upper Level in the evening. Ichijou offered to help, but at being rejected, he instead made to head back to his Lodge intending to read a bit more. However, shortly after exiting the Restaurant, Minami came up from in front of him, holding her empty plate, getting his attention with a simple, "Ichijou-san." Looking up at the large girl, she asked, "Would you come with me for a moment?"

Ichijou nodded, and he was led away once she deposited her plate, the two heading up to the Second Level. Leading Ichijou down the path, she took him to the blue signpost, where a rope hung down from a tree onto the muddy bank below. Minami descended, Ichijou following. Looking around, he was surprised to see a large, rough, wooden object lying in the mud. As Ichijou looked it over, Minami flipped it over, revealing it to be hollow. Ichijou realized, "Is this your canoe?"

Minami nodded, explaining, "It's not quite done yet, and I haven't even begun to work on the oars, but if it can't float with me inside at this point, I will personally find it useless. I shall probably finish it anyway, however." Sitting inside of it, she asked, "Now, if you would do me a favor and help me to push it?"

Looking at the combined mass of wood and Contractor, Ichijou replied uneasily, "Er, okay..." Bracing himself against the mud, Ichijou held himself against the canoe as Minami dug her fingers into the slosh, helping it along. The two were able to push the canoe into the dark Lake water, where it began to float. As it got a bit farther out, Minami messed with a bit, rocking it gently, or leaning back and relaxing.

After a few minutes of observing, Ichijou felt strangely satisfied, impressed she could make this in such a short time. However, he noticed that without an oar, Minami had no way to get back...

As he began to ponder that bit, Minami shouted, "The rope!" Looking up at the object tied around the tree, Ichijou fiddled with the knot, untying it. With a few tries, and the help of a rock to weigh down the end, he was able to toss it to Minami, who pulled herself in, beaching the canoe.

Ichijou smiled, "You did it!"

Minami nodded, beginning, "Now to smooth it out and make some oars..." With a longing sigh, she looked back to the darkening Lake, what little light remaining glistening off the ripples.

Ichijou wondered, "Was it fun?"

Minami frowned, "I miss...never mind."

Ichijou wondered, "A friend? Family?"

"My boyfriend," Minami finally grunted at his prying. Ichijou froze, before giving an uneasy nod. He hadn't even considered the possibility. Minami began, "We are short on time enough as it is, and this Game is no help." As Ichijou frowned, Minami sighed, "Well, I suppose you'll ask eventually. My boyfriend has something of an illness: terminal, incurable, and potentially hereditary."

Ichijou felt a pang of pity, starting to understand her motive for murder a bit more. Minami continued, "My only desire is to make these last years of his life memorable. As a Contractor, I can think of one way to make it so that his name is not forgotten."

Ichijou blinked, replying, "Uh, I don't follow."

Minami answered, "If I play the right cards, I may be able to have a building named after him. It would be well worth the effort, I believe."

Ichijou smiled, "I think he'd be pleased." He hid his sourness at the idea of living like he did, knowing he only had a little time left. Curious, Ichijou asked, "What's his name?"

After a moment of silence, Minami answered, "...Zouichi."

Ichijou nodded, adding hopefully, "Maybe I can meet him one day?"

Minami gave a slight smile, suggesting, "Perhaps."

Considering her words, Ichijou kept that in mind as Minami retied the rope around the tree, leaving the canoe as the two headed back. Reaching the First Level, they parted ways, Ichijou heading back to his Lodge. He did his best to read a bit more, trying his best to figure out that poem again, before finally finding yet another uneasy rest on this mountain Resort, his last thoughts on that day plagued with diving birds and images of ports towns.

Several hours later, Ichijou woke up, a short while before the call of the morning announcement. Stretching as he sat up, he looked around at the books littered about. Picking one out for later, he gave it a quick look until the morning announcement played, and he took his leave.

Arriving at the Restaurant, he remained there in his usual silence as everyone else began to come in. As they did, Ichijou noticed something amiss just as Minami asked, "Did Ishihara come in?"

Stomach sinking, Ichijou stood, not even bothering to check the Kitchen: Ichijou had arrived first, so he knew the hero wouldn't be there. Trying to be calm, he said, "One second..."

Heading out, he made his way over to the Lodges, finding Ishihara's and ringing the doorbell. Frighteningly enough, there was no answer, even after a few repeated presses. Heart beginning to race, he broke into a run back to the Restaurant, bursting in, exclaiming, "He's not answering!"

Adjusting his scarf, Uzatei muttered, "Troubling...shall we split up and give the Resort a look? Or eat a bit first?"

Ichijou spat, "I'm not eating without him!"

Minami grunted, "Fine, fine, let's split up."

Pairing off, Ichijou and Uzatei headed down to the Ground Level while Minami and Nagasaki headed up, to be followed by Furugori and Saruta after they gave a better search of the current Level.

After quickly checking the Ranger Station, Ichijou and Uzatei moved on to the Auditorium, moving beyond to the Mine, stumbling through helplessly until they reached the Mall. As they entered, Ichijou's blood chilled as he saw something on the metal spire in the center of the underground area: trailing from a blot on the tip, dozens of meters up, was a line of blood. There were several trails leaking down, which made Ichijou fearful.

Not hesitating, Ichijou wailed, "Jouji!" as he broke into a run, ascending the trail around the spire. Uzatei floundered behind him, keeping pace.

As the two reached the top, Ichijou felt horror as he got a better look at the top of the spire. Blood streaked down from the tip, trailing down the side or onto one of the metal sheets streaming from the railing at the edge of the path to the spire. Impaled on the tip was a figure garbed in a gold, full-body suit, the tip of the spire separating the flaps of its vest, the red forked cape tossed aside, hanging loosely. Gold Dragon's limbs hung limply at his sides, his right hand bare and uncovered. The mask still covered his face, cracked and missing a few bits but Ichijou knew full well who was behind it.

Super High School Level Justice was dead.

No, Ichijou realized: in this Resort, in this Game, justice had never been alive...