Let's start off with review replies!
BlueTanaka: Tsukushi's personality being replaced with Kiyoshi's because of this newfound tiredness is definitely a possibility, but you can never scratch off the chance that Tsukushi's efforts are getting to him, right? Let's see if your guess regarding Tsukushi and the other one is right. Thanks for leaving a review!
TheRoseShadow21: It seems like Tsukushi's tiredness has raised a suspicion flag on him without him knowing, huh? Thanks for the review!
Revolution921: Thanks for the kind words and it's great to see you commenting on this story again! I hope you'll enjoy the rest of it. Thank you for reviewing!
Katastic Writer: Yes, it was indeed half-guessed, but I like to think I was creative enough to make it hard to guess this particular motive, when I thought of the talent swaps. Riou and Kikyo becoming friends was something I liked writing, definitely, as well as all the others. I'll have to agree with you on Eita's swap though - him being so cheerful greatly contrasted his robotic and monotone personality, which was something I strived for with this motive. As for your and your character's guesses, you'll have to wait and see what I've got in store for you! As always, thanks for taking the time to review!
The SENDER and the TRAVELER: Tsukushi's getting most of the votes for the personality swap. Regarding your well-based Kiyo is an Assassin theory, I could always be dropping fake hints to lead you on, couldn't I? But either way, you'll get the answers soon enough, hehe. Thanks for your review!
ACT 3: Holidays For The Hopeless
CHAPTER 6: Free Time
MORNING
Location: Lake House (Tsukushi's Room)
"Not feeling well, you say?" Kikyo's brows furrowed as she looked at me suspiciously. "You seem fine to me. Tired, if anything."
"I've told you guys, I've got a headache... why are you being so annoying about it?" I reply, quickly running out of patience after the second time over explaining my fake illness to Kikyo and Yatarou. "Can't I just rest a while?"
"Sure, sure." Yatarou nodded hesintantly and looked at Kikyo, who shrugged in response to his gaze. "We'll leave you be. If you need anything, text someone and we'll come running."
A set of knocks on the door made me sit up on the bed and look at the entrance to the room with sleepy eyes. "Hello. May I come in?" Sakurako stood there, arms crossed in front of her breasts as she silently came in.
"Yeah." I welcome her in. "Hey, Sakurako, what's up?"
"I, um..." She was visibly flustered. "I would like to speak to you, if at all possible. Mister Nekomirin, Miss Namikaze, if you could please leave... If I am not interrupting anything, of course. My apologies." she continued, but Yatarou and Kikyo saw themselves out after bidding farewell to me and the Information Broker.
A certain tension came from between us, almost as if there were words we didn't want to say. An unnecessary friction, if you will.
Hang out with Sakurako?
[Yeah, sure] [Oh, heeeeeell no]
Tsukushi: What do you want?
Sakurako: I came up here to check on your situation. Mister Ryielo seems to be showing signs of Monokuma's mind control.
Sakurako: As you were the person closest to him, you are the most likely to be suffering from said signs.
Sakurako: As such, I would like to know of your feelings towards this new motive.
Tsukushi: Oh, I... I hadn't thought of it really. Riou's acting weird, sure, but he's not crazy.
Tsukushi: This motive just made him a bit... quirkier.
Sakurako: You're saying you don't mind his new personality driven from Miss Namikaze's SHSL talent?
Tsukushi: Well... to say I don't mind is a bit far. Of course I do.
Tsukushi: I guess I'm just too tired to care. I've been feeling awfully sluggish and impatient for a while.
Sakurako: Sluggish and impatient, you say? So much so that you were deprived of caring for Mister Ryielo?
Tsukushi: It pains me to say but, yeah, kind of. I'm worried, sure, but I can't do anything to help, so why bother?
Sakurako: Hm... for an optimist like you, I have to say I'm shocked to hear you say that.
Sakurako: I would expect you of all people to run to the lab in order to find a cure of some kind.
Tsukushi: Monokuma tinkered with our brains... I'm sure the lab wouldn't have a serum to fix them.
Sakurako: Hm, a valid argument. Speaking of this brain manipulation however...
Sakurako: I seem to remember something was off regarding yesterday's discussion at the sundial and the kitchen.
Sakurako: We have yet to find two of the motive's victims. Do you have any idea who those might be?
Tsukushi: The other two victims, huh?
Tsukushi: Can't say I've thought of it until now. But even then, I'm sure Akahana and Sakurako have it covered so, meh.
Tsukushi: No clue, sorry. Have you got any suspicions?
Sakurako: Nothing I'd like to pounce on, at least up until now, but I have my eyes open.
Sakurako: Now that four of us are gone I... I feel the need to protect everyone I can.
Tsukushi: Sh-Shit, that was a sudden drop in mood. What made you say that?
Sakurako: ?
Sakurako: Understanding the motive is the main means of finding a way to confront and nullify it.
Sakurako: Therefore, no more unnecessary deaths will have to occur.
Tsukushi: You... You really think someone else will do it again? Goddamnit...
Sakurako: Maybe I'm just paranoid because of my current situation but Monokuma's motives have yet to end well.
Sakurako: I think my concerns are justified.
Tsukushi: Speaking of your situation... how've you been holding up?
Sakurako: If I may be honest, I've been doing significantly better than I thought.
Sakurako: I have mourned my time away for a while, but I don't think Frances would want that from me.
Sakurako: Therefore, I am forcing myself to be a bit more cheerful and friendly with everyone here. Unnecessary worries will only hinder our progress in this situation.
Tsukushi: Friendly, you say? I wouldn't have noticed. You're so serious all the time.
Tsukushi: And you sure clash swords with Kiyoshi a lot. Maybe you can try a little harder, or maybe try a different approach?
Sakurako: Hm. You make a find argument. Which approach should I take?
Tsukushi: First of all, how about trying to call us by our first names? Mister 'Surname' is a bit too formal for friends.
Sakurako: I see... I shall try to do so, Mister Tsukushi.
Tsukushi: Just Tsukushi will be fine, I'm sure. Work on that!
Sakurako: Okay... Tsukushi.
Sakurako Ohwatani
Despair Shard obtained!
Sakurako came by to check on my reactions to Riou's newfangled personality, to which I responded with, surprisingly enough for the both of us, calm and indifference. She's apparently been studying this new talent swap motive in order to nullify it and prevent another murder of happening, preventing anyone to go through what she did at the last Class Trial. Even though she's not alone, she feels the need to protect everyone - presumably because she couldn't do it earlier. She told me she was doing a bit better than expected regarding Frances's execution, but her tone of voice made it seem otherwise... not that it matters, I'm guessing. She's making an effort to be better friends with everybody as well, and will even try to call us by our first names as of right now.
"There... was that so hard?" I forced a smile on my face and slumped down on my bed. "Now you just need to do that with everyone. Can't be that difficult, can it?"
Sakurako smiled and nodded assertively, although her grin was quick to disappear. "Y-Yes, Tsukushi, thank you."
"Don't be afraid to smile." I warn her, snuggling deeper into the bedsheets, reminding myself of the illness I was faking. "Come on, do it."
Her grin grew back, and she laughed a bit to boot, nodding as a way to thank me for my time before corteously showing herself out, wishing me well before leaving. Now... naptime.
LATE AFTERNOON
Location: Lake House (Tsukushi's Room)
"Knock, knock, sleepyhead!" Kikyo cheerfully woke me up from my slumber, knocking on the door with a smile on her face and the vocal accompaniment. "You've been resting all day... don't you want to get some fresh air?"
"I'm sick, Kikyo, don't make me leave bed or I might drop dead." I dryly spit, wrapping myself deeper in my now untucked besheets, and turning around so my back was facing her. "Leave me be, I'm goddamn dying here."
Shocked by my rudeness, Kikyo's almond shaped eyes widened into a rounder shape and she looked down instinctively. "No need to be so rude... Are you not feeling okay? Maybe it's this motive getting to you..."
"Maybe." My answer was short and dismissive. In my brain, I knew I wasn't acting like myself, but the overwhelming tiredness in my body didn't let me be anything but rude to her - it was like I wasn't myself.
"I came to... keep you a little company. Can I?" she offered, a renewed smile on her face. I groaned a confirmation to her, deciding to fight against my sassy, jerkish instincts and she walked towards me, sitting on the edge of the bed beside my feet. "Great! We have lots of gossip to share, don't we?"
Hang out with Kikyo?
[Yeah, sure] [Oh, heeeeeell no]
Tsukushi: Do we?
Kikyo: You bet your bottom dollar we do!
Kikyo: Lots of stuff happening around Marine Views these past few days, don't you think?
Kikyo: Cough, cough, my OTP has sailed?
Tsukushi: The way Riou's standing right now, I don't think we can call ourselves a couple. Unfortunately.
Kikyo: Aw... this motive isn't going to last forever, though! I'm sure Monokuma'll get tired of it.
Tsukushi: You do realize that if the motive ends, it means someone died, right?
Kikyo: U-Uh, well... that's... I didn't think of that. But let's not talk about sad stuff! Keep the positive energy cycle running, huh?
Kikyo: How was the mall date?
Tsukushi: After you and Yatarou freaking forced me into a hair salon and harrassed me, it was pretty short.
Tsukushi: We met, he told me he loved me, and we passed out. I managed to snatch a kiss, though.
Kikyo: Aw... that's cute. I wish you wouldn't be in this situation right now! You two are adorable together.
Kikyo: Sounds like everyone here is in kind of a pinch regarding their love life...
Tsukushi: What was that?
Kikyo: Huh!? Oh, n-nothing. Just thinking out loud.
Tsukushi: Do you have love problems too? You can't be crushing on someone here as well, right?
Kikyo: W-Well, I... that's not completely wrong? But it's not the source of my love problems.
Kikyo: I'm kind of engaged. Back home.
Tsukushi: Woah, rewind there! You just half-said you were crushing on someone here! What kind of bitch would crush on someone else when they're getting married?
Kikyo: Y-You didn't let me finish! I'm not a bitch, you know that. It's just... my family arranged the marriage.
Kikyo: Arata, my fiancé... he's a jerk. An asshole, in blunter terms. He's everything I dislike about a man but...
Kikyo: My parents are more concerned about me marrying into a nice family than me being happy...
Kikyo: When I got accepted into Hope's Peak, I basically jumped for joy. Because it'd mean I could stay far away from them for a while.
Kikyo: W-Wait! I... I'm sorry, I told you we needed to keep the positive energy flowing, but here I am venting about my life back home.
Tsukushi: Nah, it's fine. Makes me have to speak less. Still, who are you crushing on here?
Kikyo: I'd rather wait for a while before telling... just in case something goes wrong. My apologies.
Kikyo: Changing topic, let me tell you a few things about today!
Kikyo: Um, we didn't have any progress in terms of finding out who the other people affected by the motive were.
Kikyo: We have a few more guesses though. One in particular.
Tsukushi: Meh. I'll hear about it tomorrow.
Kikyo: S-Sure... um, what else... oh! We're planning to go to the movies tonight. Have a girls night.
Kikyo: Since the girls took care of everyone during the day, we're leaving the boys to do their work during the night!
Kikyo: Neat idea, huh?
Tsukushi: Dumbasses... movie nights are always the biggest catalyst for murder in horror movies.
Tsukushi: Yeah. Neat.
Kikyo Namikaze
Despair Shard obtained!
Kikyo and I spent a few minutes sharing gossips about the past few days. I told her all about Riou, and then she started complaining about her own love life. Apparently, she's engaged to some boy called Arata Inokuma, son and heir to an enormous amount of wealth - which, when you know Kikyo is also daughter of a wealthy family, doesn't surprise me. Her parents arranged the entire thing, and she doesn't even love Arata back, so she was lucky to come to Hope's Peak before the marriage, so that she could run away from her responsibilities for a while longer. Makes me wonder how she feels about this killing game... it can't be worse than marrying an asshole, can it?
Oh, she's also going to have a movie night with the other girls, tonight. Best of luck to them, I guess.
"That's about it though..." she concluded, standing up and patting down her wrinkled kimono, adjusting her bun slightly. "Some of the guys might come here to check on you later. I'll get ready for the movies." she added, laying her head on the bedsheets over my legs with a warm smile on her face.
"Have fun. I'll go rest a while longer." I reply to her, diving deeper into the mattress, waiting for her to leave.
"Mm-hmm..." she trailed off lowly as she stood up. "See you."
NIGHT TIME
Location: Lake House (Tsukushi's Room)
"Hello there? Tsukushi?" a male voice marked the third time my sleep was interrupted and I moaned lowly not to anger myself any further. Blinking away the sleepiness - although not completely - I started sitting up on the bed to find out who entered the room during the night. "Ah, I see you're resting. Are you awake?"
A sigh of frustration later, I responded. "Now I am..."
"Oh, my apologies." Yori bowed and kept walking towards my bed, his magic wand leading him as he patted the floor and objects in front of him. "I was tasked with coming here to aid you. Are you in need of anything?"
"No, nothing." I yawned at the end of the sentence.
Yori nodded and kept walking to me, much like a blind man would: carefully. "I'll keep you a bit of company before heading back to someone else's room. If that's alright with you."
"Sure..." I tried not to make my tiredness escape through my voice, but Yori's augmented hearing probably caught it. "We haven't had any free time together, have we? I barely know anything about you."
Hang out with Yori?
[Yeah, sure] [Oh, heeeeeell no]
Tsukushi: Tell me about you.
Yori: I don't think I have an interesting enough backstory to warrant much curiosity, if I'm honest.
Tsukushi: It's a formality at this point. Knowing Yuzuru helped us in the last trial, so...
Yori: Are you implying there will be another trial? With me as the main focus?
Tsukushi: No, no, jeez. Knock on wood, dude. I'm just making conversation, get off me.
Tsukushi: I recall you were, like, the leader of a circus or something?
Tsukushi: Tell me more about that.
Yori: I wouldn't call myself a leader. And my troupe isn't necessarily a group of circus performers.
Yori: We are merely enthusiasts of entertainment. Cirque des Fleurs isn't a magician-only team.
Yori: There are illusionists like myself, but also actors, musicians and clowns. All kinds of entertainment.
Yori: As for my leadership... I was the founder of the group, after leaving my father's behind, but...
Yori: I don't believe any of my companions think of me as their boss. Only as a... coworker with a slight bossy feel?
Yori: I'm not sure I'm making myself understand.
Tsukushi: Yeah I got you. You said you left your father's group though? Magic runs in the family then?
Yori: In my case, and I believe Shizuka's as well. My forefathers founded a famous japanese circus, which my mother and father now preside over.
Yori: I have been in magic tricks ever since I was a child. Seeing them spiked my curiosity from the very beggining, and that made me all the more interested in it.
Tsukushi: Wait a second... you were intrigued by these tricks because you saw them? How the hell?
Tsukushi: You do realize you're blind, right? Or was that just a figure of speech?
Yori: Ah! Maybe I have misled you during the past couple of weeks... I was not born with this disability of mine, Tsukushi.
Yori: I was severely injured during a magic trick of my father's. A hypnosis trick.
Tsukushi: Your father tried to hypnotize you?
Yori: Yes. An unsuccessful attempt, unfortunately. There was a sudden flash of light which resulted in me losing sight.
Yori: This is the reason why I never do hypnosis tricks... A bit of a childhood trauma I wasn't able to surpass, you see?
Yori: I'm a bit ashamed of it. A SHSL Magician, who refuses to do a certain kind of tricks... pathetic, is it not?
Tsukushi: Kind of, not gonna lie.
Yori: Yes... Y-Yet here I am, haha. A Magician worthy of Hope's Peak.
Tsukushi: How were you scouted by the Academy anyway?
Yori: Luck, I guess. Maybe a scout happened to see me in one of my shows? How were you scouted?
Tsukushi: I was actually involved in a case with a former Hope's Peak alumni... a SHSL Volleyball Player, if I recall.
Tsukushi: She was accused of murder and after I got her off the hook, Hope's Peak started to look into me.
Tsukushi: I guess... with this memory loss bullshit, I could be remembering all sorts of things wrong.
Yori: Oh! Let us not talk about sad things. We need to keep our morale high!
Yori Hanamichi
Despair Shard obtained!
I finally got around to have a long overdue talk with Yori regarding his past, and I must say, although I was silent and half-asleep during the entire thing, he had a pretty deep past. He was born into a family of magicians, Haruko and Nana Hanamichi being his parents, and was immediately thrown into the world of magic as a child. When he was younger, he was involved in one of his father's hypnosis tricks and a sudden flash of light blinded him permanently - rendering him unable to do any kind of hypnosis trick due to trauma. A few years later, he continued pursuing magic and eventually gathered a bunch of young entertainers, founding a circus-themed entertainment group called Cirque des Fleurs. His goal as a magician is to entertain people with magic tricks and, above all, safety.
"Uh, let's see... did something interesting happen today..." he started to recall the morning events, in order to change the topic around to something more positive. "Oh!" he interjected, remembering something. "Maruko offered to clean the entire lake house - inside and out! Seeing her run around with that ladder and bucket of water was fun. Or so I was told... and... oh! Yatarou helped her! And-"
"Don't you have anyone else to take care of?" I interrupt the Magician with a yawn.
Yori looked down and frowned for a second. "R-Riou said something about a beauty sleep, and Chigusa is resting in order to train tomorrow morning. Maruko was ordered to sleep and she did. Maybe being a Maid isn't so bad, yes? But that means no one is in need of help. Even Kiyoshi is fast asleep."
I rolled my eyes at the mention of the Custodian. He'd probably be sleeping even if there were people to help. "What about Eita?"
"He is being taken care of by Yatar-"
"Yori! Could you come by Eita's room for a minute!?" the Tour Guide called from across the hall.
The young Magician smiled at the coincidental timing on Yatarou's part. "Oh? It seems my help is needed somewhere else... I'm sorry to cut this short." he apologized and stood up, not being able to walk before being interrupted again.
"Hahahaha! Yoriiiiiii, come hereeeeee!" the Estimator giggled, shouting for Yori to meet him.
"Oh my... Um, I'll be right there! I'll leave you to rest, Tsukushi. Should you need anything else, call someone." he offered
I nodded sympathetically and started covering myself once again. "Will do. See you tomorrow. Leave the door open in case I need something."
"Yes, I will. Good night, I will see you tomorrow."
MORNING
Location: Lake House (Tsukushi's Room)
Screams woke me up and I jolted out of the bed in record time. Sat up under the bedsheets, I looked around my room, door closed and sunlight peeking through it. I groggily rubbed my eyes with clenched fists and slipped my shoes on before hurrying off to the call's location, only to bump into two people on my way out of the room.
"Kikyo! A-Akahana!?" I call the two girls as they stared out the window, the Hairstylist's eyes twitching in fear as she saw the sight outside.
"No! Someone... No!" Kikyo screamed, banging on the glass separating her from the outside world.
"Hananari!" the Prosecutorial Attorney shouted as she noticed me, fallen on the floor. She helped me get up and looked at me with a frightened, restrained expression on her face, with squinted eyes and pursed lips. "It's happened again." she stated sadly, and stepped aside from the window, letting me see whatever was outside.
Floating on the surface of the lake was someone I remembered all too well. There was no blood around the body, only a lifeless husk. "H-He might still be alive!" I hoped, but that hope was soon shattered.
A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED!
AFTER THE DESIGNATED INVESTIGATION TIME, THE CLASS TRIAL WILL BEGIN!
I bolted down the hall, noticing two pieces of clothing on the floor. Other people opening their bedroom doors as the seconds passed, with various degrees of confusion.
Going down the stairs, I was met with a second nightmare.
A blotch of red covered his otherwise jet-black hair, its messiness being contrasted by a flat backside, as if it'd been squashed by something heavy. His almond-shaped brown eyes were closed, making me unable to see if I should be expecting the worse fate possible or not. But my hopes were dashed, broken.
"S-Shizuka...?"
What is happening!?
A/N: And with this Free Time chapter, the Daily Life segment of Act 3 is over! I want to apologize for this month-long hiatus where I started planning my other story (a Pokémon SYOC, if any of you are interested) and focusing on schoolwork, and also want to say sorry if this chapter seems a bit short or rushed, although, to be fair, I have a reason to do so (but I'll have to point out that reason next time, for minor spoilers' sake)! That being said, I'm back, and seemingly with a double murder!? Say whaaaaaaaat!? Two people dying on the third trial, who would've guessed?
QOTC: Who do you think died?
All is to be revealed across the next chapters of Act 3! Until next time, Yamazaki out!