Other than the good stuff at the end, there's something in this chapter that I think a great many fans of Dangan Ronpa will enjoy. Disclaimer: I don't own Dangan Ronpa.

Chapter 4: Aoi Asahina

"And that's when I saw Sakura fighting with Monokuma," Makoto told Kyoko. Three successful cases, and Kyoko had felt comfortable enough around Makoto to confide in him a few interesting facts that she had learned from Alter Ego. When she had suggested they hook Alter Ego up to the main school server, Mukuro suggested otherwise, saying the only place they could safely do so was well known to the mastermind. That led Kyoko to suspect Mukuro knew the mastermind personally. "I think she and the mastermind may have originally worked together, but now there is a rift between them. The spear trap that killed Toko is proof of that."

Normally Makoto would have been hesitant to reveal Sakura was with Monokuma, but something inside him told him it would be worse if he kept it hidden. "You've grown in confidence as of late," Kyoko said, "Perhaps it is because..." She blushed a little. "Of the three women now in love with you." It was certainly becoming a female dominated group, especially since the last three killers were men, as well as two of the victims. And with Sayaka, Mukuro, and Celeste hanging around Makoto like a gang of groupies, even Mondo admitted he was jealous of how much of a man Makoto had become.

Thinking about the current situation, Makoto said, "Should we tell Hina?" Aoi and Sakura had become good friends from day one, and the idea that Sakura might be working for the mastermind would no doubt be heartbreaking. "I think we should," Kyoko said, "Better to hear it from us than to hear it from the mastermind." With the fourth floor opened, the students were able to explore a chemistry lab, the staff room, and the music room. It was in this last room that Kyoko and Makoto pulled Aoi aside and broke the news to her. "But why?," Aoi asked, "Someone as gentle as her... Why would she be working for the mastermind?"

As anticipated, Monokuma's next incentive involved revealing Sakura to be the mole, and then ordering her to kill someone or else her family would suffer. Sakura silently left the gym. Mukuro folded her arms. "Damn... So that's how far the mastermind would go. Why would they be so desperate?" Byakuya adjusted his glasses. "Well, I trust this will teach you a lesson. In this game, we cannot trust anyone. After all, we never know what anyone is thinking..." But he was quickly interrupted by a sharp slap from Aoi, sending his glasses dropping to the floor. "You really asked for that," Celeste said, "Because even if this is a game, making friends can be the key to saving your life. Do not make light of other people's feelings."

"She's right," Kyoko said with a nod, "Not everyone thinks along the same lines as you. And the sooner you remember that, the better off you'll be." One by one the others left Byakuya in the gym, Mondo spitting in his direction before heading off. Byakuya retrieved his glasses. "You'll all learn soon enough...," he muttered. "The nerve of him," Mondo said as he and the others sat in the cafeteria, "I mean, what choice does Sakura really have? That damn bear is apparently holding her family hostage. Hell, they may actually be dead. None of us knows what's going on outside, so who can say?"

"If she is forced to kill someone," Sayaka said, "I hope it's that bastard Byakuya. He's been acting like a jerk this whole time. And the way he's been acting so cold at everyone else's death. Hiro got roped into my stupid murder plan only to fall victim to someone else. Hifumi thought he was doing the right thing by confronting him, he may not have even meant to kill Hiro. Toko wasn't even in control when her serial killer side was stalking Chihiro, and poor Chihiro was just defending himself. Leon was the victim of a misunderstanding. Taka was more concerned about his family as a whole than for himself."

The next day, Makoto saw Mukuro walk into the cafeteria with a sad look on her face. "It's Sakura," she said, "She's decided she won't kill any of us, but is instead taking a third option. She was told to kill someone, not necessarily one of us. She's turning Monokuma's own penchant for loopholes against him and committing suicide." Makoto, Kyoko, and Mondo all stood up at that revelation. Aoi quickly got up and headed out of the cafeteria. "Where the hell is she?," Mondo asked. "In the rec room," Mukuro said, "And I'm not the only one she was talking to." She stepped aside to reveal Celeste.

The group all headed to the rec room. On the way, Makoto noticed Byakuya passing by them on the way to the kitchen. Outside, the group saw Aoi sitting against the wall outside the rec room, tears streaming down her face. It didn't take long to see what she was crying about. Inside the room, Sakura was sitting on one of the chairs, blood streaming from her mouth. Makoto quickly got the door open and the checked on her. However, they didn't need to check her vitals, as the corpse discovery announcement suddenly came on. "Damn," Mondo said, "She really went through with it."

"But why didn't she wait until she'd convinced all of us?," Celeste wondered, "Me and Mukuro had our doubts, sure. But I didn't think there were people she'd trust enough to know her better than to kill someone else. Except perhaps for Hina." "That's a mystery you'll have to solve as you investigate," Monokuma said, "After all, that's the best time to solve such mysteries, right? During an investigation." For once the students had to agree with him. Byakuya walked into the room and looked at the corpse. "So it seems the game continues. I look forward to finding out which of you finally took my advice." Makoto narrowed his eyes as he took the latest file.

Celeste and Mukuro showed the group the letters they had received. Makoto remembered getting one as well, as did Sayaka, Mondo, and Kyoko. Aoi didn't receive one, likely because she knew Sakura best and of course Sakura would never bring harm to Aoi. Byakuya said he hadn't received a note either, which made Kyoko and Makoto very suspicious. Mukuro noted the teacup in front of Sakura's chair, and with a quick sniff confirmed the presence of poison. There was also a void on the table where the teacup sat, showing another cup had been placed there.

There seemed to be some sort of yellow powder on Sakura's sneaker, and Sayaka headed for the chemistry lab to see if there was anything matching it. Sure enough, there was a whole mess of the powder on the floor in front of the cabinet, and a void of footprints that matched Sakura's size. There were also two identical vials, one with poison and one with a protein supplement. Oddly, the one that was labeled as protein was slightly empty and filled with a substance that matched the poison in the teacup, while the vial labeled as poison held the same yellow powder that was on the ground. In addition, it looked as though the labels had been switched.

Curious, Sayaka checked the trash bin and found another vial, or rather pieces of one. The part with the label said that it had contained protein. In addition, there was another poison bottle with a substance that matched the poison in the cup. Remembering he had seen Byakuya heading for the kitchen while the rest of them went to check on Sakura, Makoto looked to see if he could find anything in the kitchen. Sure enough, there was a freshly cleaned teacup sitting in the drying rack, and two missing from the cupboard where they were stored. Kyoko checked the trash bin in the kitchen and found a few interesting things.

The first was a note from Sakura, asking the recipient to meet her the rec room at a certain time. The time mentioned matched the time of death in the Monokuma File. The second was what looked like a suicide note from Sakura. Kyoko handed the note to Aoi, who cried as she read it. "She wanted all of us to live in peace, and not hate each other." Even through her tears, a smile came to Aoi's face. "That's just like Sakura. I knew she'd never give in to Monokuma's demands." She looked at Kyoko. "We have to find out who killed her. If this wasn't at the crime scene, then it means someone had to have removed it, which means it had to be her killer." Kyoko smiled. "My thoughts exactly. Come on. We have a trial to win."

"Well now," Monokuma said, "This one might be a bit tough. Someone struck at Sakura before she could make her move." "That narrows the list of suspects," Byakuya said, "Mukuro and Celeste admitted to meeting with her, and Hina was found right outside the rec room when Sakura was found dead." Kyoko shook her head. "The notes they had been given don't match up with the time of death. In fact, the reason they had been called was for Sakura to reassure them that she would not kill them." Celeste nodded in affirmation. "It's true. All that happened was that Sakura offered me piece of candy as a peace offering, then assured me she did not call me to the rec room to kill me."

"Same here," Mukuro said, "In fact, when I asked who she did plan to kill, she said 'myself'. That's when I went to find Celeste and afterwards we both headed to the cafeteria to break the news." Byakuya scoffed. "I highly doubt this was suicide. If she was planning to kill herself, she would have barred the door to prevent anyone from stopping her." "True," Kyoko said, "But that doesn't mean she wasn't planning to kill herself." She revealed the suicide note. "This note was written by Sakura. Hina confirmed it's Sakura's handwriting. This was found in the trash bin in the kitchen."

"So someone removed it," Mondo said, "Maybe it was the killer." Byakuya smirked. "The only person who would remove it was Hina. After all, we know Sakura was poisoned. But how did the poison get there?" He held up the poison bottle from the chemistry lab. "Don't bother with a demonstration," Sayaka said, "The label on that bottle was switched for one from a protein container. I noticed it when I checked there myself. In fact, there was a whole mess of a similar substance spilled on the floor. In the trash nearby was the remains of the bottle it came from, which was in fact a protein vial. There's no poison at all in the bottle Byakuya's holding."

Byakuya grumbled. "You just had to ruin my fun, didn't you?" "For a good reason," Sayaka said, "There's no evidence that anyone other than Sakura was near that cabinet. There was a void in the powder that matched her footprints. If someone had switched the labels, it would have been before Sakura went for the poison. Tell me, Byakuya, when could Hina have gone and switched the labels?" Byakuya scowled. "Hina was being comforted by the rest of us for most of the day," Kyoko said, "There was never a time when she was out of our sight until just before the body was discovered."

Byakuya smiled. "So we're out of suspects." Makoto shook his head. "I don't think so." He held up the other note Kyoko had found. "This was found in the trash bin along with the suicide note. Now all of us were given a similar note, except for Hina, who wouldn't need one since she knew Sakura would never kill her. But you supposedly never received one, Byakuya." Byakuya frowned. "Your point?" "I think you get the point very well," Mondo said, realizing what Makoto was getting at, "Why wouldn't Sakura send you a note? You were the one most suspicious of her."

"The teacup that was removed from the rec room and washed is proof that someone was there when Sakura died," Kyoko said, "And likely slipped the poison into her cup. Given how the labels for the poison and protein were switched, it's easy to see how she was tricked. The killer then took the teacup, the two notes, and the poison vial from the room." "Given how much time passed between the time of death and when we found the body," Makoto said, "There was more than enough time to carefully replace the poison vial without stepping in the powder, wash the teacup, and dispose of the notes. A careful removal of evidence."

"That certainly sounds like your style, Byakuya," Celeste said, "And you have been reminding us about how you intended to win this so-called 'game'." Byakuya smirked. "And you're basing your theory on so little evidence?" "Sometimes the lack of evidence is the greatest evidence of all," Kyoko said, "For example, you're shoe size is a few sizes smaller than Sakura's, so it wouldn't be too difficult to carefully step into the void in the powder to replace the poison. Additionally, you've always made a habit of personally taking care of your own dishes, washing them before and after using them just in case. The way the teacup was washed matches your preferred style."

"Not only that," Makoto said, "But out of all the people who were not confirmed to have visited Sakura, you're the only one without an alibi for the time of death." Monokuma started chuckling again. "Well now, it seems you've all come to a conclusion, yes? Then let's get to the voting. Remember, everyone has to vote. No stalling now." Once again, the votes were tallied and fanfare and confetti filled the room. "Bingo! You guys got it right again! Byakuya Togami was the one to kill Sakura Ogami. Funny, all his attempts to cover his own tracks only left a trail of breadcrumbs right to him. For the record, Sakura tried to kill herself before he entered the rec room. Imagine the look of surprise on her face when what she thought was poison was just her protein supplement."

Byakuya slammed his fist against his podium. "Damn... All that planning, and I still get found out?" Kyoko grinned. "I guess you could call it karma. You may have done a good job hiding evidence, but you counted on Sakura's actions to give us additional suspects. It didn't work." Celeste turned to Byakuya. "It's like I told you before, you shouldn't make light of other people's feelings. We're not all like you. Did you really think me and Mukuro would suspect Sakura of trying to kill us? I actually went into that room betting I'd be leaving under my own power."

"Too bad, Byakuya," Monokuma said, "It was a good plan, but in the end it had its flaws. Now comes the good part, the execution! And I have the perfect execution in place for the Ultimate Affluent Progeny." He hit the big red button, and Byakuya was dropped through a trap door. He fell into what looked like a hellish landscape, the walls of which resembled a trash can. Monokuma popped out, dressed like a peasant boy. He threw several sharp stones at Byakuya, who quickly ran from the hail of stones. When he found an exit, he took it, only to find himself in a frozen landscape. With no other way out, he wound up dying from his wounds and the cold.

Makoto was in Aoi's room comforting her after the loss of her best friend. "That jerk Byakuya got what he deserved," Aoi said through her tears, "But... But I would have preferred it if Sakura didn't have to die at all." Makoto gently caressed Aoi cheek. "Listen, Hina. You can't let yourself give in to despair. That's what the mastermind wants. Don't forget, Sakura's last wish was that the rest of us get along and the killings stop. We're now in a situation where that is possible. The mastermind would have to take direct action for any more killings to happen."

As Aoi starred into Makoto's eyes, she began to blush. "I... Wasn't expecting us to get this close..." She placed her hand on Makoto's shoulder, and Makoto, realizing where this was going, moved to kiss her. She didn't resist. Without thinking, Aoi moved Makoto's hand to her breasts. "Are you sure?," Makoto said, having a good idea what Aoi was thinking. Aoi nodded. "I want to forget all this, if only for a little while." And with that, she undid her ponytail. Makoto smiled. "You were always worried you weren't girly enough. But from what I'm looking at, you have nothing to worry about."

Aoi smirked as she rubbed Makoto's crotch. "I can tell. This has gotten real hard." She removed her track jacket and tank top, revealing her sizable breasts. "How are they? I know they're bigger than Sayaka's, Mukuro's, and Celeste's. But I know some guys don't like it when a girl's boobs are too big." Makoto smiled as he massaged Aoi breasts, causing her to sharply gasp. "It doesn't matter to me what a girl's measurements are," Makoto said, "All that matters to me is how a girl thinks." Aoi smiled as she unzipped Makoto's pants. "Well, then let me show what I think... Oh my!"

She was staring at Makoto's cock. "It's much bigger than I thought," Aoi said, "With your height, I would have assumed..." Makoto chuckled. "Surprised, huh? This may be the only thing about me that's above average." "We'll see about that," Aoi said as she slipped her shorts off. Judging from the damp spot on her panties, she was already wet. Makoto smirked. "I'm guessing just rubbing your breasts was enough. You must be really sensitive." "Well," Aoi said, "My boobs are real, believe it or not. In fact, they really helped when I learning how to swim, actually helping my float on my own."

Makoto gently slid aside Aoi panties. "Well, if you're this wet..." Aoi nodded, and Makoto gently entered inside her. "Amazing," Aoi said as she felt Makoto's fullness inside her, "So this is what the other girls have been getting." She placed her hand on Makoto's leg. "Well, get moving. We both know where this is going." Makoto nodded and began to move. Feeling the intense pleasure rushing through her body, Aoi grabbed one of her boobs and started sucking the nipple. With a playful smirk, Makoto did the same to the other one, causing Aoi to really feel it. As they came closer, Aoi wrapped her arms around Makoto. With a loud scream, Makoto released inside Aoi womanhood.

Aoi was panting heavily after that. "Incredible..." Makoto, a little worn out himself, lay down right next to her. "You know," Aoi said, "We do need to find a way out of here that doesn't involve killing each other. I mean, with this much inside me..." She rubbed her belly. "I think I might become pregnant." Hearing that Makoto realized something. It was possible Sayaka, Mukuro, and Celeste were pregnant even now. There was no way Makoto wanted his kids to grow up within the confines of the school. They needed to be outside, in the real world. "We'll find a way," Makoto said, "I'll see to it."

"So sure of yourself," the mastermind said, "But who knows? You may be onto something." She turned her attention to Kyoko, who was still holding Sakura's suicide note. "I didn't get a chance to look at that note in full, but I suspect there's something important on it besides her last words. I need to find a way to look at it, and if necessary destroy it." She opened a nearby closet. Inside was a fright mask and white cloak. "This game is winding down, with only one trial remaining. It didn't go as I anticipated, but then again, plans can fail."

To be continued...

I should mention that next chapter will NOT be the last, just the midway point. Anyway, read and review.