Just like last time, I want everyone to know the poll for the Act 3 free times is up on my profile page for you to check out and vote on! As usual, vote for up to 4 characters you want Tsukushi to know better, and I'll round up the votes and give the five most-voted people an FTE this time around! (Although Yori is an option, don't mind voting for him. He's guaranteed to get an FTE since he's the only one left and I want to get the initial FTE's over with!) That being said, let's get on with the...
Review replies!
SongBirds-Lullaby: Reading your review, as emotional as you were when you wrote it, made it unbearably happy as a writer! I wasn't sure if I got the drama and the all the loss sappiness to the extent I wanted to, but your review has me hoping I did a good job. As for the rest of the review, yes, the poor girl was indeed a traitor, although she never did anything too traitorous 'onscreen', as far as we know yet... thanks for the review!
Katastic Writer: I'm glad this second act was a clear upgrade from the first one in your eyes! As far as V3 executions goes, I have spoiled myself on all of them and can corroborate how gruesome and, weirdly, satisfying they were. If I may pick a favourite, the first one was top-notch in creativity and despair value! I'm glad you enjoyed the execution, thank you for your review!
dashunterman: I'm sure he will, Tsukushi is a man of his word... thanks for reviewing!
Crimson Spider Lily: It's a matter of whether Sakurako will be the Ishimaru of the story and die immediately after, or the Fuyuhiko and be a survivor... she might be neither, of course. I'll leave that up to you to guess on! The information Sakurako found will be revealed in due time, you shouldn't wait too long to check it out along with the rest of the class! I'm happy to see you liked Frances's execution, it's one of my personal favourites from what I devised up until now. Sakurako's, Chigusa's and everyone else's reactions will be present in this chapter and all subsequent ones, as per usual. Also, don't worry about getting Blackjack/Sakurako's name wrong, I'll probably do it a lot out of force of habit. Thanks for your review, as always!
TheRoseShadow21: I never expected someone's most liked feature of an execution chapter would be to learn Sakurako's real name, but different strokes for different blokes, I suppose. I'm happy to read you find the chapter emotional and brutal, it was a mix of emotions I was trying to get to, so thanks! And as usual, thanks for being a regular reviewer!
BIBOTOT: I'm glad you don't have any qualms with the motive nor the execution, and thank you for the 10/10 review! I was actually feeling a little wonky on my Monokuma writing since I tried to make him have a different personality than canon!Monokuma, and I was iffy on whether that was a good decision or not. Finally, it pleases me to no end to find out this is becoming one your favourite DR fanfics here - it's comments like those that make me hyped to keep writing! Thanks for reviewing!
ACT 3: Holidays For The Hopeless
CHAPTER 1: Aboveground
LATE NIGHT
Location: ?
Being greeted by the cold outside air never felt more disheartening than now. After exiting the quaint, cozy interior of the trial grounds - an atmosphere that greatly contrasted the purpose of said room - the elevator seemed like the perfect way to reflect on what we'd all known but refused to accept until then. The sinking feeling that another one of us died, leaving our sixteen-people group down to a mere twelve.
Well, counting Shizuka in, anyway... there's no sign of him in the central plaza, although with the grandure of the circular center of Anghern, it's hard to notice anyone in this weak nighttime lighting.
"Is she too heavy?" Riou stuttered as he approached me, jaw chattering in the aboveground temperature. "I can help you there." he suggested, as he lifted the limp, unconcious girl from my back.
Blackjack - or Sakurako, as we now knew her - was heavier than I had initally expected, which made it a bit hard to carry her out of the trial grounds and into the elevator. "I-I could've done it." I add after thanking the Boxer, letting a bit of pride get to me. He simply smiled forcefully and cradled her in his biceps, carrying her forward as we entered a new hall.
Just like the others, it was large, long and badly-lit. A lackluster experience for those who sought sightseeing in this admittably beautiful city... and with heavy plods, the group exited the corridor and looked around for anything familiar to help them navigate. The Estimator sighed, bringing attention to him and the Magician he was aiding. "I see... it seems we were indeed correct. We are not in Verdant Views any longer." Yori commented, smelling a distinctly unusual scent emanating from his surroundings. The bushes and natural smell of the last section was nowhere to be found.
"Yeah... this doesn't seem to be Valley Views either..." Kikyo noticed, judging by the difference in the predominant tones of the buildings around us. It seemed to be a much more developed sector in terms of entertainment, which again, contrasted Verdant Views' natural feel harshly. "I wonder..." she unhooked her arm off of Yatarou's and slid her handbook out of her kimono's breast pocket. "I see..."
Yatarou peeked over to his friend's device before reaching for his own and checking the map screen. "It looks like we're on a whole new sector." he confirmed with a heavy tone to his voice, dragging out his lack of energy. "Marine Views, from the looks of it."
"Marine, you say?" Akahana sought to confirm, and thought to herself. "It'd seem we are in a different thematic sector then... I believe it to be the place where we saw Frances' untimely demise."
Sakurako shifted uncomfortably in her sleep, almost as if she was awake and listening to the painful reminder that her girlfriend had been executed right before her eyes. "I-I d-don't think th-that's t-true..." Chigusa stuttered, although I couldn't put my finger on whether it was because of her normal anxiety issues, her crying, the cold weather or a mixture of all three. "It was s-sunny out wh-when F-Frances..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
A familiar trailing off, if I may be honest. No one wants to accept the fact that Frances was killed in such a gruesome fashion... me included.
"A weird detail to notice right away." Akahana noticed but made nothing of it. "Kikyo. Yatarou. Please notify us of any lodging possibilities we find in this new Marine Views setting." she ordered.
The Hairstylist and Tour Guide proceeded to swipe - seemingly at random - through the maps on their handbooks before Yatarou stopped on a landmark. "It seems there's a lake not far from here... and a lake house right by it."
"A lake house? Qué raro..." Maruko commented grimly. "Doesn't sound big enough for tout le monde."
"It is a landmark nonetheless." Akahana stated, and grabbed her own handbook in her hand. "Follow me, I shall guide us to the lake house."
The trip there was awkward and mostly silent, with me and Riou following Akahana, the others close behind. I turned to look at the Boxer regularly, to check on the sleeping Information Broker he carried in his arms, only to receive a sympathetic smile from Riou. I sighed.
How is she going to react after she realizes what happened...?
We entered the conveniently unlocked house quickly, to escape from the cold outside. The main entrance seemed decorated like one would ornament a vacation home in the countryside, with a rustic rug, wooden furniture and very few electrical appliaces. Entering the house and turning right would reveal a corridor with a door on each side and a set of stairs leading to another floor above us. The door to the left, a kitchen big enough to rival the resort's, and to the right, a door that led outside, to the lake and an outdoor shower.
Noting every detail in our heads, we silently disbanded to search the house. "Hey, guys..." Kikyo called unethusiastically from upstairs. "There're a bunch of bedrooms up here. More than enough for all of us." she added, exhaustion clear in her tone.
Both mental and physical, I'd guess.
A trip upstairs revealed only a corridor with several wooden doors on both sides. An exact count would round the sixteen-people mark... the initial number of people that entered this city.
"There're enough rooms for everyone this time." Eita noticed quickly, doing the math in his head. "It seems sharing rooms won't be a problem."
"Well that's a fuckin' relief..." Kiyoshi sighed. "Sleeping out in the cold sucked balls. I'll take this one, if you don't mind. See you." he opened the door to the nearest room on the right and locked himself in.
We all silently stared at the door for a few seconds before Akahana spoke up. "At the very least, we now know the keys to these rooms are probably all inside." she thought aloud, resting her chin between her index finger and thumb. "Does anyone have any qualms with a random distribution of rooms?"
No objections were risen - either by actual indifference, or lack of patience to argue further on something as basic as where to sleep. "The rooms are probably all the same anyway..." Yatarou sighed in defeat before giving in to Akahana's suggestion. "I'll take this one here." he waited for any rebuttals but none came his way, and so, he left for the room opposite Kiyo's.
Room after room were occupied, until only three people remained. Me, Riou and the sleeping Blackjack.
"What do you say we stay together here too?" Riou suggested, eyes shifting away from me. "It's not like we have to, but I enjoyed last time."
I thought it over and found no qualms with it. "I'd like to, sure, but I think the others would find it strange... plus, I doubt we could both fit in a single bed. You had enough trouble fitting in a single bed yourself!"
Riou blushed and looked away. "Yeah you're right... forget I said anything."
"No, no! We can still take neighbouring rooms, if you want. The ones at the end of the corridor are still vacant, what do you say?"
"O-Oh, s-sure." he stuttered. "I'll just lay her down in the other room... okay?"
"Sure." I say, heading towards the end of the hall, where a large window stood. "Pretty nice view... almost nice enough to forget what just happened." I thought aloud before going into the unlocked room on the right side. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Riou nodded and smiled me, wishing me goodnight. "See you tomorrow, Tsukushi."
MORNING
Location: Lake House
I stretched lazily as I got out of bed, rubbing my eyes sleepily with a clenched fist and shaking my head. With wobbly steps, I found my way to the small private bathroom I had and took at look at myself in the mirror. A brilliant combination of an outdated outfit, eyebags and bedhead. It had been my morning greeting every day for the past few days, ever since we've been thrown into this prison of a city.
"Tsukushi! Tsukushi!" a sudden calling came from the door, complimented by fervent and incessant knocking on the wooden slab. Waking up forcefully and with a jolt, I speedwalked to the door and opened it. "O-Oh..." he paused for quite a while, and gave me a look, eyeing me up and down. "I'm glad you're doing fine."
I tilt my head and blink a bit to diminish the blur that settled into my vision. "R-Riou?" I mumbled, voice deeper than usual since I had just woken up.
"Where have you been?" Riou asked, taken aback, crossing his arms. "We've been waiting for you for a while."
"Huh? I-I'm sleeping... Just woke up actually." I answer, still confused as to why Riou was up at that time in the morning. "W-Wait... did the morning announcement go off already?"
"Like hell it has! It's almost noon, little guy." he shook me slightly, trying to awaken me further to which I had no choice but to comply. Being 'lightly shaken' by Riou is not unlike surviving an earthquake, especially if you're not used to this kind of stuff. "Get downstairs a.s.a.p., everyone's waiting."
I swallowed the lump off of my throat and asked what was on my mind. "Is... Is Sakurako okay?" Riou's face darkened and he looked away. "F-Forget it... I'll be right there. Thanks." I smiled and slowly closed the door on him as he nodded and walked off.
I need to take a shower before I get back down there... embarassing enough having Riou seeing my messy morning look.
A quick morning routine afterwards, and I was downstairs with everyone else. A nicer look at the kitchen made it look like - again - the Sierra Resort had some fierce competition. The wooden floorboards, the island in the middle, the freezer in the back and the various cupboards... the layout was virtually identical, which wasn't too comforting, since we now know someone lost his life there...
"H-Hello there, T-Tsukushi." Chigusa greeted me with a soft, weak smile, Maruko eating breakfast right behind her. Eita and Yori were pacing out of the freezer and into the kitchen, only to exit shortly afterwards, with only a quick 'good morning, Tsukushi' to their names.
"Morning, guys" I smiled sadly, still shaken from the day before. "How are you?"
"F-Fine." she replied. "You?"
I simply nodded and walked off to the cupboards, a notice taped onto the farthest one. Curious, I advanced towards it and squinted, reading the fine print of the writing.
To every participant in the Mutual Killing Game, this is your mutual eating spot! All cupboards, freezer and pantry will be refilled with fresh produce every morning during the morning announcement. Starvation is a vintage motive for murder, and I long for the refreshing feeling of fresh despair so don't worry about going hungry during your time in Marine Views, bastards!
With love (and despair),
- Principal Monokuma
The mere thought of mind-reading the words 'murder' and 'motive' in the same sentence made my stomach turn and my blood boil. This second massacre had just happened and Monokuma was already shoving the idea of a murder down our throats again... I... I just won't be able to wrap my head around another murder... and another execution.
"Herr Hananari?" Maruko called me, noticing I was a bit too stressed. "Du seem unwell."
"O-Oh, it's nothing... just leftovers from last night. I-I'm not over what happened yet." I explain, ripping the piece of paper from the cupboard's side and threw it into the trash beside me. "Sorry."
"There is no need to be sorry, Tsukushi." Yori walked in alone, with Eita following close behind, careful not to disturb the Magician's focus. "I'm afraid no one has forgot what happened. It shall take quite a while before we move on, I'd assume."
Eita agreed silently, and Chigusa corroborated. "Y-Yori is r-right..."
"Hmhm" Maruko sighed in agreement. "Jeg wish Herr Baishou et Herr Kanzaki were here."
"We all do, I believe." Yori studied the area around the island and feeling the cold air radiating from the freezer, turned on his heels to face me. "But we cannot bring the dead back to life... I... I miss Frances dearly as well, but... this is the way things are for the moment."
"Yori..." I thought aloud, pitying the Magician's loss. Although Frances had been closer to Sakurako over the latter half of her time here, we all seemed to write their friendship off as something on the side, that no one ever really took notice of. Maybe her girlfriend has it tougher after the loss, but... Yori is a human being with feelings too.
I should spend some time with him sometime and try to cheer him up. Eita could use the rest, too, I reckon.
The breakfast to come was mostly silent, with pointless small talk dotted around to make things less awkward, and maybe - just maybe - slightly more welcoming. Eita and Yori kept entering and exiting the room as the latter presumably studied the house along with his partner, giving him a mental map of the vicinity.
"I've been wondering..." I break the quiet as I put my plate in the sink. "Where's everyone? Riou told me they'd be around, but only us are here."
"They all went their separate ways and are giving Marine Views a first look." Eita explained, before informing me of everyone's whereabouts. "When they left, Riou headed for the mall, Akahana and Sakurako for the music venue, Kiyoshi for the cinema and Kikyo and Yatarou went to the lab. Chigusa and Maruko here, along with Yori and I stayed behind to see the lake."
"The lake? I never took you for a nature kind of guy, Eita." I confessed, and the Estimator shrugged.
"Understandable, for I am indeed not much of an outdoors person. Yori, however, needs to familiarize himself with the house's surroundings first, so I'm helping him out." he explained, making the Magician smile uncomfortably.
I do have to wonder if he thinks himself to be a nuisance sometimes... I know I would.
That succint remark put an end to our little chat, and the kitchen quickly became an awkward, tense place to be, with us ignoring the elephant in the room and all. "I think I'll head out and check the place... sounds like we're going to be here... until we find a way out, anyhow."
Both the Estimator and the Gardener looked at me with uncertainty, like they didn't believe what I said. Although, to be completely honest, I didn't fully believe my own statement either, as an eternal optimist, it's my job to keep hope alive in this place.
"See you, then" I bid the other four farewell and took my leave.
Now... where should I go first?
LATE MORNING
Location: Plaza del Anghern
I entered the expansive building in front of me and looked around for any sign of people - none whatsoever were found, unsurprisingly enough. None except for one, who was coincidentally exactly the person I wanted to find. "Heeeey, Riou!" I called, waving at the Boxer who stood at the other side of the large, one-story mall.
"Hm?" Riou cocked his head my way and smiled widely before approaching me. "Oh, hey, Tsukushi! Good to see you're awake, my dude."
I met him halfway down the food court and grinned back. "How long have you been here for?"
"Oh, for a while. This mall is pretty big, although I don't think many people would be interested in most of this crap for now." he sighed, reminding himself of the terrible happenings of the previous day, but quickly shook those thoughts away and forced a new smile on his face. "Want me to give you a little tour?"
"Sure!" I thank the Boxer for his offer and follow him around the perimeter of the mall, talking as we went.
Hang out with Riou?
[Yeah, sure] [Oh, heeeeeell no]
Riou: First of all, there're a few clothes shops around. Well... you can't really call them shops.
Riou: There're no price tags on anything here, and no shopkeepers so... it's more of a crappy flea market?
Tsukushi: Don't you want to get some new clothes? I can help you choose.
Riou: Wh-What...? Why? Are you uncomfortable seeing me shirtless?
Tsukushi: N-No, no, no! Hell, I've grown used to it, but I'm worried you might get sick.
Tsukushi: All these temperature variations... it's a wonder you haven't fallen ill yet.
Riou: I have a pretty good immune system, I guess. Eating healthy works wonders!
Tsukushi: Speaking of eating healthy... does the food court sound good to you?
Tsukushi: We could grab a bite to eat later!
Riou: I was actually meaning to ask you out for lunch, haha, but it seems like you beat me to it!
Riou: There's this food chain I really like... their food is 100% organic and rich in nutrients!
Riou: Hell, I ate there so often that they offered to sponsor my boxing career!
Tsukushi: Sounds like you were one hell of a client...
Riou: Hahaha, I guess I was, I guess I was... but, what do you say? Lunch?
Tsukushi: Yeah, I'd love to, one of these days...
Tsukushi: Oh, oh, look, Riou! There's a sports apparel shop there!
Riou: I know, I've already checked some of their gear... I like my gym shorts too much, though!
Tsukushi: We could try and find something for me... that way I can go jogging with you more often!
Riou: Y-Yeah, that sounds nice... very nice, actually, thanks!
Riou: Moving on with the tour... there's a hair salon over there, so maybe hair pipsqueak can have some fun.
Tsukushi: She's gonna flip once she sees it! Remember back in Valley Views? Kikyo ran after Yuzuru trying to give her a haircut...
Tsukushi: I wish we could go back to that time... it was all much easier then.
Riou: Hey, hey, don't go depressed on me now! I don't want to see you sad, Tsukushi, so cheer up.
Riou: I know it's difficult but... we've gone through this before. So we can do it again.
Riou: And if you can't do it by yourself, we can do it together!
Tsukushi: I really didn't expect Riou to worry this much about me being sad...
Tsukushi: The quintessential soft-hearted giant has a softer spot for me, it seems.
Riou: The queen the sun shall what?
Tsukushi: Sh-Shoot! Thinking out loud again! Looks like he didn't understand me, though... Oof, that was a close one.
Tsukushi: Nothing, nothing! Is there anything else around the mall? Any more stores?
Tsukushi: Electrical appliances, music shop, news kiosk, bookstore...
Tsukushi: Nothing here that looks like it interests you.
Riou: Yeah... reading and news ain't my shtick. Same thing for music.
Riou: And the only machines I understand are gym equipment and the like...
Tsukushi: What do you say we go back to the sports apparel store? You can help me pick something to jog in! You're a pro, after all!
Riou: W-Well... I wouldn't go that far, but you got me. I'll recommend you some running gear, come on.
Riou Ryielo
Despair Shard Obtained!
Riou seems to fall into the 'muscular meathead with an abnormally big heart' trope, as I've come to know him during the last few weeks, especially during our time in the motel together. It also looks like he has some special favouritism towards me, which I can get behind. We've become really close after all. Some fun facts I learned during our trip around the mall: he used to eat at this healthy food chain so often that they decided to sponsor his boxing matches for quite a while, he dislikes reading, music and technology and he has a great immune system thanks to eating well. I guess muscles don't get that big unless you commit yourself like that...
Also, total side note... for someone who jogs three times a day and therefore sweats a lot... Riou smells really well.
Item Obtained!
Jogging Outfit
A sleeveless black sports tanktop and matching shorts with a Monokuma brand symbol on the hem, along with new sneakers. Riou helped me pick, and he rambled on for a while about the best type of fabric and size for me... I never imagined he'd be keen on fashion, but I guess sports trends aren't too weird for a Boxer to know.
"Hoo-ee, that was quite a tour." I chuckle. "Thanks for showing me around, Riou! I think I'm going somewhere else... I've still got most of Marine Views' ground to cover. Wanna come?"
"Well, I don't have any good reason to stay behind so yeah, sure. Where we going?"
If we keep going the way opposite the one we came from, a.k.a., away from the lake house... "The music venue, it seems. B-B-Breast... Bonanza?"
"Isn't that...?" Riou noticed the same detail I did, which coming from the person who can't be bothered to remember everyone's name, caught me off guard. "Shit, I think the dancer pipsqueak's girlfriend went there too. Shit, we gotta go and check on her, quick!" he bolted.
"R-Riou, wait for me!"
EARLY AFTERNOON
Location: Breast Bonanza
As Riou and I rampantly made our way in, we stumbled across a devastating scene. Sakurako had crumpled to the floor, weakly pounding away at a wall at the back of the stage, on her knees. The Boxer and I shared a look and carefully approached her, rising to the stage without using the stairs on the sides. "S-Sakurako?" I stuttered, trying to get her attention.
"H-Hello, Mister Hananari." Her voice was filled with both a severe lack of interest and a distinguishable melancholy, which made my muscles stiffen. Riou sighed as he found himself helplessly trying to comfort the sobbing girl. "I... I have been here for quite a while." she spoke, voice trembling. Her voice was the same mature one I'd grown accustomed to, but I don't think I'd ever heard Sakurako with this much emotion in her voice.
"Is everything... okay?" I asked.
What a stupid question, Tsukushi, what the hell!? Her girlfriend just got fried to death in this goddamn building and here you are asking if she's doing fine?
"I... I am okay." She replied. I couldn't believe her words at first with how hard she was sobbing and weeping, eyes puffy and chest rising and lowering unsteadily as she sniffed away tear after tear, but soon enough she continued. "I... I am not." she revealed, unsurprinsgly.
Riou comes forward, beckoning me to do the same and we both kneel down facing her back. Her neck was slumped forward as small tearstains sullied the ground in front of the back wall of the stage. A look upwards explained what I failed to remember - there was a door there, presumably locked. That was where it happened. "Pipsqueak, you really shouldn't be around here..."
"I am not okay, Mister Ryielo." Sakurako reinforced the idea of how unwell she was, but quickly added something to her statement. "I'm a mess. A bloody mess, if I may say, although I do agree 'bloody' is a term to use wisely inside these walls. However... I will be fine."
"Huh?" Riou and I groaned in unison, confused to no end. Sakurako's loss had took quite a toll on her, that much was evident - but to be so bold as to say, the day after such a tragic event, that she would eventually be fine? It was a logical assumption that the pain would one day go away but to me, it seemed like she was just pulling a tough girl act, but...
She turned around with her lips swollen from incessant biting, fruitlessly trying to keep the sobs from coming out, and her red eyes were painful to look at. Sakurako was right in calling herself a mess - and how could you feel anything else? I know how I would feel if I lost Riou and I definitely would throw all logic out the window so... how is Sakurako being so poise and collected now?
"Mister Hananari, please." she alerted me of my not-so-inner ramblings with a sad smile. "If you're curious, you need but ask. I am going to mourn my girlfriend's death for quite a while, but such a nightmare won't last long. F-Frances wouldn't... she wouldn't want that." she stated, looking back at the door behind her and letting out a heavy sigh. "I... I would like to be alone here for a while longer. Would you please leave?" she asked and Riou and I felt forced to comply.
With a sympathetic embrace, we turned around to hear an instant increase in sobbing and moaning, but refused to look back. Sakurako wouldn't want anyone to see her like this, I'm guessing.
"She sure was quick in making us leave." Riou commented as we left the premises.
I sighed and shrugged. "Sakurako just lost her girlfriend less than 24 hours ago... it's only natural she doesn't want people bothering her now of all times..."
"I think all this is taking years off our lives, to be perfectly honest." he confided with a heavy sigh and wrapped his arm around me, as he usually did. "All this stress is making us so tense, I could use some time to relax..."
"Tell me about it... after what happened to Yuzuru and Frances, I really need a rest." I sighed and snuggled closer into him for emotional comfort as he tightened his arm a bit. "Not right now though... I don't think I can sleep for now."
Riou rolled his eyes. "For someone who can't sleep now, you sure slept in today, pipsqueak." he mocked and let out a small deep chuckle as he shook his head again.
"Heeeeeeey, don't blame me!" I groaned with a cheeky smile on my face. "It wasn't my fault."
"I know, I know. Just trying to cheer you up, little dude. I already told you I'd protect you, come what may."
I smiled again and looked down. "Thanks for worrying about me, Riou. I think we should focus on Sakurako for now, though... Frances and her used to be together all the time, so she's basically by herself now. Maybe we could let her join us for lunch?"
"Oh, um... sure." he agreed with a hint of disappointment and walked forward. "Where are we going next, by the way? We're... well, not going into the night club."
"Since we're already going clockwise... lake house/lake, mall, music venue... next stop is the lab and then the cinema. We're back to the lake house after that."
Riou nodded silently and paced in front of me with a pensive look. "Hm-hm, let's go then..."
AFTERNOON
Location: Anghern Laboratories - Entrance (Pharmacy)
The atmosphere given off by the four-level building in front of me was cold and robotic, even though the front sign denied having any connections to robotics as a science. The four floors were divided not only by altitude, but also by predominant research subject - chemistry on the first floor, physics on the second, and biology on the topmost floor, the third. The ground floor was not only an entrance, but also a pharmacy or clinic of sorts, equipped with all sorts of medicine filed away in cabinets and glass shelves, giving this floor a futuristic vibe.
"Oh... hey guys." Yatarou greeted unenthusiastically. "How ya doin'?" he added, tone as cold as the surrounding area.
I smiled slightly, my previous mood dampened by the Tour Guide's offputting, but expected, behaviour. "Hey, pipsqueak." Riou greeted back soundly, contrasting my silent greeting - a wave. "Anything funny here?" he asked.
"Nothing much." he stated concisely, not feeling to elaborate on the suspect. "I... I have a lot on my mind, right now. Please, leave me be for a little while, okay? I... I have to think some things through before I can go back to investigating. Kikyo is around here, talk to her." he explained rather unspecifically and walked away, tracing his finger along the vials of medicine on a random shelf before stopping in front of a cabinet labeled 'vitamins'.
I sighed in defeat and looked at Riou. "Mission 'cheer up the pipsqueaks' isn't going too smoothly." he shrugged sadly. "I'm sorry I can't be of much help, Tsukushi, I really am."
"No, no, jeez, don't beat yourself up about it. It's too soon to try to cheer everyone up yet... yesterday's events are still too fresh in our minds. We'll keep trying later and make it in due time... for now, I think we should go and find Kikyo, okay?"
"Um..." Riou hesitated and scratched his head. "I think I'm going back to the lake house. I... I have some stuff to do. Want me to take back your new stuff?" he excused himself, pointing at the bag that had my new sports apparel.
Although a bit skeptic, I simply side-eyed him and handed the bag over. "Why the sudden urge to leave, huh?" I questioned him, although I didn't have much of a response.
"Science isn't my thing, that's all." he explained. I could see that being true, as he's said and shown he isn't the thinking-type, but his lack of conviction and hurry to leave just made it seem suspicious, like he pulled an excuse out of his ass. And with that, he left.
I sighed - a habit I'd grown accustomed too, really. For the past few days, I swear I've been sighing at nearly everything, good or bad.
Now to find Kikyo...
Chesmitry lab...? Nope, doesn't look like she's here.
Physics lab... no. Not here, either. Maybe upstairs?
AFTERNOON
Location: Anghern Laboratories - Third Floor (Biology Lab)
Biology lab... ooh, shoot, that's cold. That's r-r-real c-cold...
"O-Oh, h-hey, T-T-T-Tsukushi!" Kikyo greeted me shivering, from the other side of an unlocked room. The door plate read 'Pod Room', although I wouldn't be sure of what pods there were inside. "C-Come h-h-here q-q-quick!" she added, stuttering so much I'd assume the Gardener was talking to me instead.
Before entering the freezing room, I had a quick glance around which showed me a set of locked metal safe-like structures screwed onto a wall and various desks and operating tables with dissecting tools, surgery supplies as well as drugs and poisons. Unsure of what to expect, I entered the room Kikyo was in and instantly felt the hairs on my arms stand on end.
"G-G-G-Good g-g-god, K-Kikyo, wh-what is th-this!?" I asked, impatiently waiting for a quick reply so I could exit the room.
"N-No t-t-t-time for q-q-q-questions!" she flailed her arms quickly to improve blood circulation and create warmth. I started rubbing my arms and looked around uncomfortably, trying to find something wrong with the room. "Check-ck-ck-ck th-th-this p-p-p-p-pod out-t!"
I slowly walked over to the white tanning-bed-lookalike and spied through the glass visor. "Is... I-Is th-that!? Sh-Sh-Shizuka!?"
A/N: So many feels happening right at the begginning of Act 3! Why couldn't it be like Verdant Views were everyone was just understandably depressed...? Maybe there're subplots just waiting to be exposed and subsequently developed? Sooooo much mystery, haha!
That being said, I hope you enjoyed the start of Act 3. Did the drastic decrease in drama turn you off? We all need a breather once in a while before sinking ourselves back into despair, so I think not.
QOTC: How would you react being in Tsukushi's shoes right now? After a class trial and execution, finding your missing friend stuck in a mysterious pod in the biology lab of some research facility would be, at the very least, unsettling, I think!
I'll see you next time, as always! Until next chapter... Yamazaki out!