(AN: Replying to reviews… I recommended you read my reply to Ode 30's review if you want a tiny hint at a future development to the story…

Reven228: Thank you very much! I'm glad I was able to portray your character well!

FateOblivion: Thanks a lot! Glad I portrayed your character well!

wmsm5ever: Haha, no problem at all. Thanks for the kind review!

DivineService: I'm really sorry about not choosing your OC. That's the part of making an SYOC that urks me the most – denying people! I'm really glad you'll continue to read this story though!

MizunashiFuyuko: Thank you! It was just the introductions so hopefully I can portray all of your characteristics!

Masuyo Takishima: Phew! Glad it didn't feel forced at all – I think that's the hardest thing to manage. Thanks for the review!

Kougari: Being stoic is so cliché though, lol. That was my thought process, lol. Glad you liked the chapter, thanks for reading and for leaving the kind review!

king okami: I'm sorry for not portraying your character that well. It was just the introductions so hopefully I'll get it right this time. Thanks for the review!

AssAssinAtEd: Thanks! Glad the background music can make a difference! Not a problem at all to wait for Free-Time events. Hope I can probably characterize these characters better.

AnimesWorld: I'm really sorry, I made a big mistake with that, didn't I? Genuinely, I'm sorry, and I hope I portray your character better in this chapter. Thanks for the review!

TheRoseShadow21: Thank you very much!

G4Crash: Haha, thanks! Love your shipping choices!

cartoonfanatic1: Not a problem at all about the Free-Time events. Thanks for the review!

Ode 30: …Yeah. There WAS supposed to be 16. Wonder why there isn't… Hmm… Thanks for the review!

CatsinMyWaffles: Thank you so much for the review! It feels amazing to be complimented like that; never thought my fanfictions were in the prime and I'm really glad you like it! Thanks again, hope I don't disappoint!

Sorry if I missed your review, and enjoy this chapter!)

Soundtrack: AOE Suite Second Movement 5P+3P

"Let's go!" Meowykins yelled. Meowykins got up on the cafeteria table, and pumped his fist in the air.

By the time that I had awakened, I was already moved into the cafeteria (per Meowykins' command. I didn't think anyone wanted to disobey a talking stuffed doll.) The others had carried me there, and Meowykins was spinning on top of the table when I awakened. The air was cold; frigid enough to cast a shiver upon me.

"It's about time!" Meowykins snapped at me. "Control your damn blackouts better next time! Meow! That goes for all y'all too! I don't want anyone to see my interrupting me because of any damn medical injury, got it?"

As Meowykins spoke, I observed his speech patterns. Meowykins meowed as a dog, which was weird, and he also possessed a southern twang to his voice that echoed across the room. The others didn't seem to care, and most of them were actually afraid that a stuffed doll was talking to them. For some odd reason – I wasn't, since it didn't feel very scary to me. I had no idea why, but I decided not to worry about it too much, since I didn't want to defy Meowykins in any way he could imagine.

"U-um, Meowykins," Micky murmured. "W-why exactly did you call us down here, uh, please?"

"Hmm… I wonder," Mirai said. "…"

"Y-you're smart, right Mirai?" Yoshinori asked. "This is a problem… I can't tell whether or not Mirai is smart or not. But I'm a problem solver..!"

"Don't worry about it," Kaito said. "Meowykins will soon announce his motives. Isn't that right?"

"I guess," Meowykins sighed. "It's not fun watching y'all scramble in confusion like that, so I guess I have no choice, huh? Meow!"

Kaito sighed. "Then go ahead and tell us already."

I got off the table and sat in a nearby chair. The others were staring at Meowykins with a confused and terrified gaze. Meowykins began to lick itself, I guess pretending to clean itself as it was a dog. Or was it a cat?

"Anyways, I can't really tell you anything yet until our guest of honor comes," Meowykins said. "He's a cool dude, bros! Meow!"

"Guest of honor?" Mirai asked. "Someone from the military?"

"Jesus Christ," Ryoko sighed. "No, not someone from the military. Guess this guy isn't as bright as we thought."

"He's just mysterious," Noah observed. "Mysterious and weird."

Mirai tilted his head at the incoming comments. He shrugged without getting a response and began rubbing his left eye.

There wasn't a terrible amount of awkwardness, but more like an anxiety running through all of us. We weren't sure what to expect, but I think we all knew how we'd have to work together through this. Of course, it didn't help at all that we were just a couple of highschool students underwater. Thinking through it – it won't be easy to fight against a group of masochists that sent us here – especially going as far as controlling a couple of stuffed dolls.

Meowykins raised its arm and took a glance at it, pretending like he was looking at a watch (though there clearly wasn't one.) Sighing, Meowykins crossed his arms and began shaking his head.

"He's late again," Meowykins sighed.

"You keep talking about him," Rhyssa said with contempt. "Who is this person you're talking about..?"

"You must be patient," Meowykins said. "It will be worth the wait if you just keep your chin up, and stay calm, meow."

Waiting, and waiting, and waiting… I lost track of how long we waited in the cafeteria. Soon, the anxiety turned into more of an enervation, and I could tell most of us were extremely tired. I looked over and saw Furo sketching rapidly in his sketchpad. He looked at the glass windows were the fishes swam around us, and looked back down. Meanwhile, Hikaru was leaning back in his seat – eyes closed, strangely peaceful looking for a prisoner. He seemed to be able to catch my gaze as he opened one eye. I jerked my head away to divert my eyes, but I knew it was too late when I heard Hikaru's loud chuff.

"P-please don't make a mess..!" Kirei protested. I looked over, and Kirei was shaking her head and waving her arms over Ryoko, who apparently started to take a nap. Ryoko's head lay flat on the table, and a pool of drool formed around her mouth. Kirei looked around rapidly for a napkin, but gave up sooner or later and moved to a different table to cure her apparent OCD.

My observations came and went, and I noticed all the small things the others did. It was somewhat entertaining and helped me learn more about the others. The small things all lead to their personality, which I take notice of. Meowykins was still on the table, now acting like he was asleep, to the point of a snot bubble forming out of his nose. That… was totally weird. Observations were fine and all, but what was so important that Meowykins wanted to show us..? I suppose it was just time to wait.

Music halts

Time passed.

Some more time passed.

I lost all track of time.

The room turned dark as the sea turned black. The fish swam to the bottom, and I realized it had already been nightfall. Meowykins had woken up a few moments earlier and was infuriated. Trotting around the cafeteria, he was fuming with anger.

"That goddamn bear!" Meowykins stomped. "I can't believe he was this mother fucking late to the mother fucking meeting! Mother fucker!"

The rest of us stared in curiosity as Meowykins covered its mouth with its paws.

"Oh, sorry kids," Meowykins said. "That wasn't very nice, was it? Meow!"

"No, no! By all means!" Takayashi started. "Vent out your anger. Release your spirit animal..!"

"…What's a spirit animal?" Mirai asked, tilting his head. "Is it the materialized ghost of a dead animal, perchance a cute puppy?"

"Not even close," Ryoko sighed.

Hideki was twiddling his fingers in the seat behind us. I twisted my head to take a look, and it was apparent that he was going under withdrawal from not being able to play a game for so long. His legs were shaking and the twiddling of his thumbs grew gradually and noticeably faster.

"We're getting a little tired," I said finally to Meowykins. "Can this wait until tomorrow?"

"Absolutely not!" Meowykins protested. "He said not to let you go out of this cafeteria until we had a goddamn meeting to which he was five hours late too! Meow!"

Meowykins began to jump on the table out of impatience. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, hoping it wouldn't be a long night.

As some more time passed, we grew even more silent. Even Meowykins was suppressed, as he grew gradually tired. But all of a sudden… fog came in from behind us. A thick white fog came through the doors of the cafeteria, and dramatic music blared through the speakers.

Soundtrack: Blood-C OST - Shousa ni wa Houbi O, Haisha ni wa Bachi O

"…Upupupu…"

We heard a squeaky voice come in from the doors, and the silhouette forming through the fog grew even larger.

"…How is it to be underwater for the first time, you bastards?"

"W-well, actually mysterious voice, this isn't my first time," Takayashi corrected with a nervous voice.

"U-uh, not to be rude, b-but why would you say that?" Yayoi asked.

"I actually was underwater once too," Unmei said. "It was a relaxing trip to the beach… my uncle was a scientist you see, and he took me to an expedition underwater in his amazing submarine – it was so much fun!"

"Did you get wet?" Kaito asked, cutting her off with a question open to numerous interpretations.

"Pervert!" Unmei shouted. "You, stupid pervert!"

The voice boomed from the cafeteria doors once again. "…All right, all right," said the silhouette. "That's enough –"

"I'm not a pervert!" Kaito snapped.

"Then why would you ask such a stupid question?!" Unmei yelled.

"…What's a pervert?" Mirai asked.

"You don't know what a pervert is?" Yoshinori asked with bewilderment. "…Hmm, actually, I don't know either."

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?" Ryoko laughed. "A pervert is a piece of societal trash who kidnaps women and rubs their breasts all day with some Pac-Sun lotion!"

"Pac-Sun doesn't make lotion," Mirai said. "…Or do they?"

"I don't think that's what a pervert is," I said to Ryoko, jumping into the conversation.

As we conversed among ourselves, forgetting about the fog, the music stopped, and the room filled with lights.

Soundtrack: Monokuma Sensei's Lesson

"Jesus fucking Christ!" said the figure from behind us. "Let me goddamn finish!"

Turning around to meet the squeaky voice, all of ours jaws could be heard hitting the floor as another stuffed doll approached us. This doll wasn't like Meowykins – rather it was a bear. A strange bear with one half of his side white, another half black.

"Highschoolers these days have no respect for their elders," the bear sighed. "Wouldn't you say, Meowykins?"

"Y-yes sir!" Meowykins said, raising his paw to his head. "I'd like to mention that you were six hours late, sir! Meow sir!"

"Yeah, yeah," the bear sighed again. "Save it for later, chumps."

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Mirai asked, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the figure was clearly a doll. "Are you a friend of Meowykins?"

"…No," the bear responded hesitantly. "I am in fact much better than that catdog. Please don't lump me in with that gender confused bear."

"I know what gender I am," Meowykins said. "I'm an it."

"That's not a gender," Mirai said. "…I don't think."

"O-of course it's not," Yayoi said, flabbergasted.

The bear began to rapidly slap its face.

"Quit talking please!" the bear said. "I do believe I have yet to introduce myself! I am your savior, your hero…"

"MONOKUMA!"

The bear began to dance in a Egyptian style, clapping its paws together and shaking its head.

"Disco style!"

The bear switched to a disco dance as the room flashed with strobe lights. He shook his paws around as if he were born in the old ages.

"…What exactly is happening?" Ryoko asked, tossing her cigarette away. "Why the hell is this stuffed bear doing the disco?"

"I'm not a stuffed bear!" Monokuma protested, suddenly stopping. "I'm Monokuma! Your new principal in this prestigious academy!"

"W-what academy?" Kirei asked. "W-we're not in an academy! We're underwater!"

"Cool, right?" Monokuma asked. "Yeah, I pulled some strings. You are now students… overseas, so to speak."

"I see what you did there," said Kaito ambitiously.

Monokuma began to go to the front of the cafeteria. He stood up on the table, and started to speak again.

"As you can tell, you are here underwater as a part of the Hope's Peak Blabbity Blabbity Blah Program!"

"What program is that?" asked Rhyssa angrily. "I don't remember signing up for anything taking me underwater, and especially in something as complex as this stupid place!"

"Ooh!" Monokuma started. "The slut of primetime TV gameshows is getting mad at me! How arousing!"

Rhyssa clenched her teeth and struggled not to lunge at Monokuma at anger, we all managed to suppress our confusion for the moment. Monokuma took out a microphone from behind his back. The microphone had an emblem of Monokuma's face on it, and it was encrusted with jewels. Tapping the microphone, a loud booming noise resonated throughout the cafeteria.

"Um, excuse me? Is this on?"

"Yes," Mirai needlessly confirmed.

"Cool," Monokuma said. He through the microphone up in the air, and caught it in his other hand. "Welcome to your new school lives, you bastards!"

Music halts

Our new school lives..? Down here?

"Our new school lives?" Yoshinori began to ask. "What about the real Hope's Peak up at the surface?"

"Oh, hell no, you won't ever get there," Monokuma chuckled. Yoshinori stepped back in shock, and Monokuma, satisfied with her reaction, jumped off of the table and advanced towards the rest of us. Microphone still in his left hand, he spoke once more.

"Yes, indeed! Your new school lives is in the Underwater Academy of Despair!"

Soundtrack: A Dead End to the Ocean's Aroma

…Underwater Academy of Despair? What?

"W-what do you mean by that?!" Micky yelled, wrapping his arms around his body. "Are we going to be playing hide the finger..? I mean, we are underwater…"

"Okay, I don't know what that is," Monokuma said. "But we sure as hell aren't doing that."

"…Then what exactly are we doing here?" I asked, my voice in a mix of fearfulness and confusion. "Are you trapping us down here?"

"…Man, was it that obvious?" Monokuma asked disappointed. "Yeah, yeah… I'm trapping you guys down here…"

I could hear everyone's gasps – clearly taken aback by what he just said. We were all shocked at Monokuma's words. To think we were trapped in a place we didn't know about… and underwater at that! How the hell did that make any sense?! And to top it all off, we were controlled by a stuffed bear! In an essence, I guess that made our situation a little more believable… if someone had the power to get a stuffed doll down here, there's a small chance for us to escape.

"T-that's stupid!" Furo stuttered in denial. "There's no way we're trapped here underwater!"

"Hmm, I guess you're right," Monokuma said. "It's not healthy. But that's what artificial natural air is for, right?"

"You fucking asshole!" Ryoko growled. "This isn't fucking Smart House!"

"We are underwater," Monokuma said.

I gulped my fear down, and spoke up.

"Is there really no way to get out?"

"C'mon! It's cool!" said Monokuma with a serious voice. "I'd know at least seven guys who'd kill to be in your spots now. And I mean that literally!"

"U-um, literally?" Takayashi asked.

"Never mind about that," Monokuma said, cutting himself off. "Keiko asked a great question! This would be a boring thing without a way to get out, right? I mean, it's not like I'm holding all of you guys for ransom or anything."

"He sure isn't!" Meowykins added. "He's doing this all with his own funds! And investors, meow!"

"…Investors, huh?" Mirai asked to himself suddenly.

"T-this is crazy," Hideki said. "I won't ever see another game again?!"

Monokuma laughed into his paws. "Addictions aren't healthy, Hideki! You should know that!"

"Okay, so, how do we get out?" I asked.

"Hmm, how you get out, you ask?" Monokuma said. "Upupupu, wouldn't you like to know? You want to know, don't ya?"

"Of course we do!" Rhyssa yelled. "That's what we've been saying!"

"Alright, alright… I suppose I can tell you," Monokuma said.

Music halts

"If you want to get out so badly…"

"…Upupupu, so very badly, from this underwater paradise…"

Soundtrack: [Deadman Wonderland OST 1] Track 5. DW28A

"All you have to do is kill to get out!"

"…Kill?" Yayoi said with an extremely fearful tone. "…Did I hear that right?"

"…I-I heard that too," Ryoko said, her personality changing in a second. "Yeah… he definitely said kill."

"Y-you guys! Just don't listen to him!" Micky said. "He's not going to actually do that! We're all going to live a peaceful live in this underwater paradise, right?"

"The hell with that!" Furo snapped. "This has to be a joke..! Some fucked up goddamn joke!"

I looked at Noah. His face was stern with concern, but a natural calmness that I only perceived that a policeman was able to have.

"Upupupu, what joke would this be?" Monokuma asked. "I'm a cute little bear that managed to trap you sixteen kids down in an underwater base. What do you think I'm joking about? Global warming? I believe in natural purity, you know."

"I agree!" Meowykins spoke up. "Y'all better believe this bear as he utters these words, got it?"

"…There's only fifteen kids here though," Yoshinori said. "What are you planning?!"

"Oops! Spoiler alert!" Monokuma chuckled. "All you really have to worry about for now is that you'll never get out without killing someone!"

Hikaru clenched his fists. "There's no way in hell that we'd kill anyone."

"It's funny to hear that from the Super Highschool Level Prisoner!" Monokuma laughed. "Damn, you guys are one big comedy troupe, aren't you? This is the most fun I've had with a class roster for a long, long time!"

"What do you mean?" Mirai asked, without a hint of worry. "You've trapped other people before?"

"You don't really need to know that," Monokuma said. "All you need to know right now, is that you'll never be able to escape unless you kill one of your classmates here! That's it! Zip!"

My eyes widened, and my lips quivered. There was no better word to describe what I was feeling except pure terror. I looked around, and saw the others doing the same thing. I didn't know any of these guys – there's no way I knew what they thought and what they were planning. And now that we were trapped underwater…

…No, what am I thinking?

There's no way..! No way that we'd actually..!

"Upupupupu! Nyahahahaha!"

Monokuma and Meowykins laughed in a sadistic unison. Kirei began to cry. Furo dropped his sketchpad. Micky hugged himself even tighter. Takayashi dropped onto the floor. One by one, we all lowered in spirit, realizing the futility of our situation.

"…You think we'd actually kill each other?" I asked, looking up to Monokuma.

"Who knows?" Monokuma said. "I just met you bastards. Obviously, there's no way to tell whether or not you'd actually jump on the occasion to taste some blood, you know?"

Looking around again, the slight confidence I had to think that we wouldn't kill each other slowly dropped. The twiddling of fingers and the biting of lips made me wonder… what would really happen.

"Of course, there's some things we still need to lay down," Monokuma said. "Ground rules, for example, but you guys are pretty tired, so I'll just tell you what you need to know tomorrow. Cool, right?"

"Y'all better be grateful you have such an amazing host like Monokuma!" Meowykins yelled. "He won't do anything if y'all don't actually kill each other!"

"…But we wouldn't be able to leave?" Mirai asked. "Is that it?"

"That's crazy," Yoshinori said. "I don't believe this at all..! I don't believe this at all – hell, I flew all the way out of Japan to Seattle just to prove that Hardcore Pawn was a goddamn hoax! And a freaking hoax it was!"

"…I'm right, right?" Mirai asked again. "…Or am I?"

"No, you're pretty much on the dot," Monokuma said. "But since you all seemed pooped, I'll leave it at that."

Monokuma disappeared in front of us. In all of the ridiculous things that happened today, I just witnessed a stuffed doll disappear in the blink of an eye. Soon, Meowykins was gone. And we were left to wander in our shallow pool of tears and despair.

…So much happened so fast.

And I fainted.

Fainted in the middle of the cafeteria, only to think about what's to come in the future.

"Upupupu! Monokuma's legendary poem!" blared Monokuma through the speakers. "Ahem…"

"Who are we to judge life and death?

God wields the fist of judgment.

He creates all. The sadists were born from his hand.

And we all know death isn't a dream.

…But a nightmarish reality.

Think about the factors that go into this.

This fearful despair that we call life.

Do you really want to continue living?
Living in a world that He created?

If not, then continue your life in my underwater paradise.

If so, then do what you must.

Will blood be spilt?

Will tears be shed?

The mighty fist of judgment eagerly awakes my game.

We can tell, because we continue breathing.

Breathing, and observing.

Observing, and creating.

This twisted survival game."

Continued in Chapter 1: (n)everyday life

(AN: And we close off with some dramatic music and a terrible poem that I created on the spot… an attempt to create drama, lol. JFC though, I love Deadman Wonderland's soundtrack. This music IMO will fit great in a Danganronpa world…

Hope you liked this chapter! I ended my hiatus a little early for you guys. And I hope you guys caught the sixteen students thing. I have to praise Ode30. He caught the fact that I showed only fifteen students… but hell, the person who has that sixteenth slot should know who exactly they are, since I already confirmed they'd be in the story.

Hope you like! I think I might be able to update more often throughout next week, but I won't promise anything, since my mind works in a way that if I don't feel like writing, I don't. If I do it that way my story turns to crap. Aaaaaand I hope this chapter wasn't crap because I feel like it was for some reason, lol. But leave a review and tell me what you think! Bye!)