WARNING! SUPER DANGANRONPA 2 SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER! IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME YET, LEAVE AND FINISH IT. OR LOOK UP A WALK THROUGH OF IT.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay guys, I'm not out of school yet, but I promise that once summer rolls around, I'll start updating more frequently. (And hopefully get to the final class trial before November so I can make an amazing joke.)

Also, give thank's to my editor, bookSmartcat, for editing this chapter, and the fantastic ending she gave for this chapter.

Anyway, on with the show!

Chapter 2: Hidden Truths (Daily Life Part I)

-Naegi

"Good morning everyone! It's now 7:00 AM! Time to get up and get to work!" The Morning announcement woke me up from my sleep, I opened my eyes to see the back wall of my room. I then sat up from my bed and stretched, letting out a monstrous yawn that could've woken up the whole school. I looked over to the other side of the bed to see Maizono still soundly asleep.

'So, it actually happened.' I thought to myself… 'Maizono and I slept in the same bed last night.' I felt a rustle in the bed and looked over to see Maizono waking up.

"Good… morning… Naegi." She said while she rubbed her eye. The sleepy idol then let out an even louder yawn than I did. It's a good thing that the rooms are soundproof, or else everyone would've woken up.

"C'mon sleepy head, let's go have breakfast. No doubt Ishimaru's gonna yell at us; even if he knew about us sleeping in the same room or not." I told her as I got up from the bed. I then walked towards the door with Maizono following closely behind, and opened up the door.

The first thing we saw was Joshen's jaw, halfway to the floor, as he saw Maizono and I walk out of the room.

"Your balls could not be any redder right now." He said. A generous amount of pink covered our faces at such bluntness; the idea that I could have… well… taken advantage of her was absolutely absurd.

"N-no, y-you've got that wrong! She was just scared and wanted someone to sleep next to." I tried to convince Joshen that we weren't doing anything perverted last night. He then dashed away and entered the kitchen, Maizono and I followed suit. And the next thing we heard couldn't be more embarrassing.

"HEY GUYS! THE NAEZONO SHIP HAS SAILED!"

'Naezono? Was that what he called us?' I thought, we then walked into the kitchen to see everyone inside the school, that was not physically injured, at the center table.

"Naegi! Do you not know that relationships are not welcomed in a school environment!?" Ishimaru shouted in our face, making us take a few steps backwards.

Aside from him, Cal, Fujisaki, Oowada, Oogami, and Joshen congratulated us for getting to "first base" as Joshen says. While the rest, Togami, Kirigiri, Celeste and Fukawa, didn't feel the need to draw attention to it for various reasons.

As we all started to eat breakfast, the PA bell sounded and the monitor in the cafeteria switched on. "Congratulations to everyone who passed the class trial… As such, starting today, the second floor will be open. And you will be free to use it at your leisure." Monokuma announced. The sound of metallic grinding reverberated from the hall outside as the gates rose to reveal the stairs to the second floor.

"Well, let's go everyone!" Joshen said as he started to walk up the steps. Everyone then followed suit, Maizono and I split off from the rest of the group to search around the second floor. There we found two classrooms, a pool, along with a locker area each one for the boys and girls, and a library where most of us were located at the time.

We began to search the bookshelves to try and find some sort of information on the school and its layout…sadly to no avail. Togami was trying to see if he could tamper with a nearby computer. "Blasted thing won't even switch on." He said as the rich kid continued to mess with it.

"Yes, because hitting the left bracket key always turns on a computer. Oh and this is a laptop, so it will probably need to be charged." Joshen said, sassing the progeny. Togami then scoffed him and stalked moodily off towards a storage room and flung the door open.

"With my skills, I really have no need for computers. All I need is in here." Inside the storage room was a bunch of police case files in binders sorted in alphabetical order. "And with this arsenal at my disposal, I should have no trouble beating this game."

His words shocked most of the students. "A-a game?" Maizono asked quivering in fear.

"Yes, that's what this is correct?" He asked the azure haired idol standing next to me.

Joshen sprung up from the book shelf he decided to check, promptly sending it crashing to the floor, and then started a verbal assault on Togami.

"The only person who would call some sick tournament where you kill your peers 'a game' would be that damned bear!" Togami simply scoffed at Joshen.

"I do agree with Togami here; we can pretend to be friends all we like. But in the end, you can't trust anyone." Celeste stated in affirmation. "That's exactly the purpose as to why we accused Maizono of being Zuta's killer." The gambler put a carefree smile on her face, acting like an innocent child.

"She's standing RIGHT HERE! You know." I replied, holding Maizono close. Cal then whacked Celeste on the head with her sketch book. Celeste furiously raged at the creator in a very uncharacteristic outburst.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!" She yelled, flipping Cal off.

"It was to knock you out of your psychotic trip." Cal said putting the sketch book away in her bag.

"You all are pathetic." Togami said before he started to walk out of the library. Joshen then glared at him and shouted his last words at the heir's retreating figure.

"CAN IT, DONALD TRUMP! NO ONE WANTS TO LISTEN TO YOU!" Togami then slammed the door on the rest of us.

"Well that's an… odd turn of phrase…" I muttered to Maizono. That boy continued to confuse me. And everyone else for that matter.

"Welp, back to scrolling for more joke books 'n stuff!" Joshen then picked up the bookshelf that he knocked over and started to search the books again.

Kirigiri started to stare at the comedian in curiosity. "Hmmm." Maizono then looked over at her asking what's wrong. "Look at him, one minute he's shouting at the top of his lungs; and the next he's back to grinning like the fool we know him as."

"Maybe he's bipolar?" I asked giving my opinion on the matter. Kirigiri simply turned away from me, with no reply, and made her way to somewhere else in the room. Maizono and I reached the conclusion that we've done all the searching we could do for today and headed back down stairs to the cafeteria.

Around the afternoon everyone was gathered in the same room to discuss what we found on the second floor.

"So, did anyone find anything useful?" Ishimaru asked all of us, and every one of us shrugged in response. Except for one.

"I do!" Joshen shouted and raising his hand.

"Pray tell, my good sir, what have you found?" Ishimaru asked confidently.

"It might be just a theory, but I think I know who the mastermind is!" He said. We all started to gather around him asking who it was. Joshen's response was just to place a book on the table, and open up to a bookmarked page. The page showed a student with long black hair that went down to about his ankles. "Izuru Kamukura."

"Who?" Oowada asked Joshen. The comedian simply stood up and walked around the table in a clear imitation of a classic novel detective.

"Before, we even entered Hope's Peak Academy, there was a killing game just like this. Fifteen students who were forced to kill each other with motivations, and kept sequestered in the same location, unable to leave." He started. "One of these was a reserve course student named Izuru Kamukura. His original name is not listed in this book, but the original student was put into an experiment, called the 'Hope Cultivation Plan' which was to establish a talent to the reserve course student to create a 'perfect genius' as they say."

I was shocked, not just the fact that they were was an experiment to create a perfect genius, but also the fact that there was a killing game before us. "What was the result of this killing game?" Celeste asked Joshen, taking a sip of her tea.

"Izuru was the only survivor. He killed all of the other students." He said calmly. The rest of us were shocked, just the fact that all of the other students were killed by this perfect genius was startling for us.

"Are you sure this is him?" Kirigiri asked "The only Izuru Kamukura that I've heard of is the founder of Hope's Peak Academy." She closely stared at the book that Joshen placed on the table. Suddenly we heard a familiar voice…

"Ugh, what's with all the noise? I've just been stabbed by like… six or seven of those things, and I'm not in the mood to argue now." Enoshima walked into the cafeteria, alive and well. She then sat down at her normal seat across from Celeste and put a hand to her cheek. Maizono stared wide eyed at the fashionista.

"What the hell are you looking at, you blue haired slut?"

Maizono then gasped and took a step backwards. I clenched my fist in rage, sure I was about to do something regrettable, but Joshen held me back with a firm hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I've seen you on various magazine covers and you look so different in person." She said calmly, as if Enoshima's little comment never happened. Or simply ceased to phase her.

"Well, they had to use Photoshop on the pictures just so they'd look genuinely pleasing."

Joshen's voice pipped up in the background, trying to hold in his laughter. All eyes looked towards him and then Togami asked him a question.

"Why are you snickering so much?" Joshen almost fell out of his seat from laughter and replied to Togami's statement.

"If they used Photoshop on those pictures, then that means that they had to use editing magic to make her boobs bigger!" He then slammed his fist on the table as Enoshima covered her chest with her arms. She then glanced at the book we had on the table and asked what it was.

"Oh, I just found this book that gave me a theory on who the mastermind is." Joshen said holding the page of Kamukura up. Enoshima gave the page a hard glare as Joshen closed the book.

"Anyway, it's, like, six and we haven't had dinner yet. So, if someone wants to make something nice, that would be great. In the meantime, I'll go put this book in my room." Joshen then walked out of the room with the book under his arm.

As Joshen went to put the book back in his room; the rest of us decided on who was going to cook dinner, but Maizono was the only one who volunteered for the job. As she went into the kitchen to cook, I followed her to see if she needed help.

"Alright! I'm gonna do the cooking then!" she then opened the fridge and looked inside. Maizono pulled out a variety of bowls, some uncooked noodles, and other ingredients like meat from the fridge. Spices were retrieved from the pantries inside the kitchen, and other ingredients for the meal she was making.

Maizono plopped the uncooked noodles into a bowl filled with water. Afterwards, she set the stove timer and then went over to the cutting board and started to chop up some of the extra foods to add to what she was making. As I leaned over her to see what she was cutting, she then stopped and put the knife down.

"Naegi…" She said, look depressed. "Thank you for letting me stay in your room last night." She then looked towards my direction. I could feel the emotional confession a mile off. It had become a rather common occurrence with us. "To be honest, I've always felt alone. I've grown up without a mother I can't even remember..."

She then turned around and continued chopping up the ingredients.

"It also didn't help that my father would always work late every day of the week. He pretty much lived at his office." I couldn't help but sympathize with her. "I started watching idols on their shows. I... felt some kind of connection with the dancers on screen. It's like they gave me hope, and courage to stay strong. Which is why I wanted to become one." She then finished chopping and went over to the broth to check it.

"Ever since then I've had my backup singers from my idol group, and I've been the most popular girl in middle and high school." Despite the apparent happy memories, there was no smile on her face; I started to worry.

"But, for some reason, I still felt alone. The kids at my school just wanted attention and fame; but I didn't know that. So I always questioned why I was still unhappy... Maybe it was because my dad was never really an influence on my life; I don't know." She then turned towards me and her eyes started to tear up, just like when she saw her motivational video. "But last night *sniff*, it was the first time when I didn't feel alone. That's why…"

She then rushed toward me and wrapped her arms around me. "That's why…I want to stay by your side forever Naegi. I don't want to feel alone again…"

I then hugged her in response, as if a tighter grip could squeeze out the pain. To be honest, I always imagined that her life was perfect. She always had a smile on her face, that no matter what. She seemed so positive and uplifting. I couldn't even imagine that that was just a mask that hid the lonely girl that she really was.

After a couple of minutes, Maizono and I finished preparing the noodles that we were making. We passed them around, to everyone who was sitting in the cafeteria. As our classmates took a very cautious first bite, their eyes visibly lit up once they swallowed, and soon the whole crowd was digging into their bowls. All the while throwing compliments towards the chef.

"I've never had ramen before, but now that I have. I might just start making it for myself!" Cal said as she slurped up the last remaining noodles in her bowl. The rest of the comments given were similar tone. Even Togami complemented us. In his rather backhanded manner, of course.

"Thank you everyone, but it was Maizono who did most of the work." I said trying not to blush too much. Light conversation continued on amongst the group until the nighttime announcement played.

The bowls were picked up and left in the kitchen to be magically cleaned and replaced in the night, and goodbyes and goodnights were exchanged as the teen captives split off. I asked Maizono if she'd want to sleep in my room again tonight, and she gratefully accepted.

The walk back was… quiet. And calm. It was nice, especially after the chaos that had been this last event. Maizono kept turning bright, happy glances my way, and I could tell that for the first time in a while, these were genuine. The door to my bed then stood before us, and I opened the door for the former idol to walk in first. After settling back under the covers, in a similar position to the night before, we both pulled the covers over us and closed our eyes, falling into peaceful sleep.