AN: I've got good news and bad news. The good news is, this should have been the last "hiatus" in a long time, considering that this month has been all about finals and crap that took away my writing time. Since summer is coming I hope to go back into an acceptable rate of putting out chapters, priority being weekly and maybe even daily.

The bad news is, because of finals this chapter is pretty short and it should be another two weeks or so before I get to actually sit down and write, and like a few days after that to actually write the whole thing, so there is going to be a big meaty difference between chapters. I'm 90% certain.

Reven228: Thanks for the review!

Ode 30: Is the story really THAT dark? Lol, I guess I didn't notice I overdosed on despair. Thanks for the review, sorry if it's not going the way you'd like.

MizunashiFuyuko: Thanks for the review! Guess I lost my streak but, you know, lol.

DarkNite88: I'll take Kuzuryuu .-. And yeah I do think that I could have worked on distinguishing the personalities a bit from DR2. But I think Takayashi was more sensible and less hyperactive and Kirei just didn't really want to talk much. Thanks for the review!

Kizi1999: Thanks! I wrote a lot, huh? .-.

TheRoseShadow21: Well...a big one. Like a warehouse supply closet. Idk.

Gingericus19: Grammar is not my strong point, lol. Hopefully it's at least readable. I don't, want my grammar. To be like this? :P Thanks for the review!

BeatzMaze: Who knows..? That's something to keep in mind. Something even more over-the-top could happen. You never know in Danganronpa...thanks for the review!

...Where are we..?

I looked around, Monokuma standing at the open door frame. What the hell is going on?

I let out a loud sneeze, the dust forming around us. Monokuma just laughed in contempt. Meowykins was beneath Monokuma's shadow, working a cash register.

...Are we at the gift shop? But that would be at the other dome.

I just had a sinking feeling – this couldn't be happening. I got up and rubbed my eyes, and slowly walked past Monokuma into the store. I spun around slowly, just to confirm my confusion. So that's what happened, huh..? Monokuma brought us here. And we were definitely at the gift shop.

But why?

Soundtrack: Monokuma Sensei's Lesson

"Upupupu," Monokuma chuckled. "And here I thought you guys were playing a game of hide and seek!"

Mirai got up after me, tripping over some toy trains and a sewing machine, and stumbled next to me.

"Isn't this...?"

I nodded, and walked over to Monokuma.

"Oi, pedokuma, why did you bring us here?"

Monokuma shyly crept away from us, bringing his paw to his mouth.

"Oh, no ma'am, what are you talking about..? Tis not I who brought you here..!"

"...No?"

"Nope," Monokuma said, abruptly bringing his other persona to an end. "Are you blind? I'm just a small little adorable mascot for you all. How can you expect me to carry your fat asses here? I'm not THAT strong."

"And here I thought you were overbearingly confident," Unmei said, creeping out of the supply closet. "So what? How can you say you didn't bring us here? I remember exactly what happened anyways."

"Is that so..?" Monokuma asked. "Please tell me then. What do you think I did to you?"

"Well, I was going to bed, but I heard a knock on the door. Then you threw some sort of metal can that spewed out some smelly gas."

"I won't deny that."

"So then how can you say you didn't bring us here?!" Unmei yelled.

"Does that really matter..?" he replied. "The point is this: you are here. You will be stuck here."

"...Um, you're making us stay in this dome?" I asked. "Why..?"

"Because I think we all need our obligatory beach scene, and if I don't bring you here by force, none of you would have thought twice about finding my patented bikinis and entering the very expensive beach I made." Monokuma nodded, his head bobbing up and down quickly.

"Give me a break..." I sighed. "You really expect us to do that even if you brought us here..? There's a risk of death when wearing those swimsuits."

"Electrocution ain't so bad," Monokuma assured. "It sort of tickles, and then you just drop down dead. Much better than say being skinned alive or something."

"Please don't talk about that unless you intend to do that to one of us..."

"Well, anyways, I think you all understand the situation you're in now," Monokuma said. Monokuma stared at the others in the supply closet. They were awake, but still dazed.

"Looks like the gas you made affected y'all more than I thought," Meowykins said, observing the others.

"Meowykins!" Monokuma snapped. "Get your ugly ass back to the counter, you fool."

"Yes sir," Meowykins sighed, walking away from the closet. "I was only concerned, is all..."

"There's no need for you to be concerned about these hormonally stressed teenagers," Monokuma scolded. "Now be a good slave and work the cash register."

"But you aren't going to get any customers," Unmei pointed out. "It's not like we'll buy anything. We don't even have money."

"I don't care about the small details," Monokuma responded. "All I really care about is how Meowykins isn't running my business efficiently enough. I need my fix, man!"

I took a deep breath, and recalculated my thoughts. It was sort of clear we weren't getting out of this dome here. So there's really nothing else to say or do.

"So how are we going to go to sleep tonight?" I asked. "You didn't provide bedrooms or anything."

"You can sleep anywhere you want, I honestly don't care," Monokuma insisted. "But know that wherever you sleep, you're going to be very warm. You're going to get even warmer after that too!"

"Yeah, yeah," I said, brushing Monokuma's threat aside. "It's not even that hot right now. It's bearable."

Brushing my hair aside, I turned to look at Monokuma, and pointed my shoe at him.

"Don't think you'll get us to crack because of some bad weather."

"Don't point that shoe at me!" Monokuma cracked. "It's annoying. Plus I've got dirt on you so there's really no point in threatening me on anything, so you can just cry blood and tears. I was here first after all."

"Um, what did he say?" Unmei asked.

"Nothing," Monokuma fawned. "I only meant well..."

"He has dirt on you?" Unmei asked again.

My body froze a bit, until I realized I'd have to act clueless in order to keep up my facade. Now was not the time to admit what I did in the last trial...

"He has dirt on everyone, if you think about it," I sighed.

"That is true," he replied. "Plus there's the off-chance that I may decide to kill you."

I sighed in relief, thinking I managed to save myself. I turned away from the others and peered back into the supply closet. Noah let out a small grunt, and walked out of the closet in a daze.

"Ugh..." he moaned. "What the hell..? Where are we?"

"Aw man," Monokuma sighed. "I thought I'd be in no position to explain anything to you. Keiko, you explain it for me!"

"Well we can all explain it, can't we?"

"Don't backtalk me!" Monokuma yelled. "I oppress you in every way."

Music Halts

Monokuma let out a little chuckle and waddled out of the store, humming a strange tune. I turned back to Noah and let him know about the stuff that was going on, though he let out a stranger reaction that I expected.

Soundtrack: Beautiful Ruin

"...I see. So Monokuma decided to trap all of us in here, is that right..?"

I nodded. More groans began to form from the closet, the others finally beginning to come back to their senses.

"What are we doing here..?" Kaito groaned.

"Why do you think, you idiot?" Unmei asked. "It could only be because of Monokuma you know."

"W-well, I knew that much..."

Hikaru soon stumbled out of the closet after the others, scratching his head in confusion.

"This...is peculiar."

"...Yes it is," Noah sighed. "This does ruin my plan a little bit..."

What..?

"Your plan?" I asked.

"It's nothing to be concerned about," he assured. "It's nothing as unfathomable as murder. I could never take a life..."

"Is that so?" Yoshinori asked. "You are a cop, though. You may have to shoot someone when you don't want to, right?"

"Well, I'm working to become a private investigator," Noah explained. "You have to become a cop first, however. You'd need to work up the ladder. So as a result, if I had to kill someone, I would. It's entirely in my conviction after all. It's in my blood to convict people of their misdeeds, detective or not."

Noah walked and stared at Hikaru with contempt.

"Don't think that excludes you."

Hikaru closed his eyes and didn't react. He just tilted his head to the ceiling and kept his eyes closed. Noah let out a small chuckle, walking of the store in a hurry. He was clearly stressed about something.

"D-don't let him bother you," I told Hikaru. "He probably just doesn't like criminals by nature! Um, I mean... Well, you know what I mean."

"I'm fine," Hikaru said. "I barely know him, and I'm the kind of person who doesn't really mind about how others perceive me."

"Is that so..?"

Hikaru nodded, and turned his gaze out to the entrance, where Noah was leaving.

"Still...I wonder what's got him so hostile at me."

I stared at Noah walking away, and turned back to Hikaru.

"Who knows..."

Location: Boardwalk | Time: 12:00 PM | Chapter Four | 20 DAYS LEFT

"..."

I stared at the food cart that Monokuma had laid out over the boardwalk. Monokuma essentially put everything we would ever need here; there was even water under the wooden planks now. I had to admit that it sort of felt like a boardwalk. Still, I was rather antsy over the fact that I didn't eat any breakfast, and it was even worse because Monokuma wasn't here to man the food cart that would contain my lunch.

Where the hell is my lunch?!

"Monokuma!" I yelled, ringing the bell placed on the cart. "I want food!"

"M-Master, calm down," Mirai said. "I'm sure he'll be here..."

I turned to Mirai and pointed to my stomach.

"I'm empty here Mirai," I said. "There is nothing inside here and it's making me very uncomfortable!"

"W-well, did you think about it..?"

"About what..?"

Mirai fidgeted with his fingers, his face turning a bit red. "A-about my request..."

"What..?" I gawked. "You really want me to help you find a swimsuit!"

"I-I've never been to the beach, so...no, well, I might have. But I don't remember if I did, so..."

"I got you," I sighed.

"So...will you do it..?" he asked.

"Help look for your swimsuit?"

Mirai nodded.

"I guess," I responded. "But I do worry a bit."

"Why..?"

"Because you'd probably lose track of time in there. You know Monokuma said that the suits would electrocute us if we stayed there for too long."

"I'll manage my time correctly!" Mirai promised. "I'll get out in time, don't worry!"

"Well, you say that now, but..."

Soundtrack: AoE Second Suite Movement 5P+3P

"Er..."

I gasped out in surprise, as Meowykins slowly crept out into vision from the back of the cart.

"What do y'all want to order..?" Meowykins asked, holding a notepad in his right hand. "We have delicious french fries...and some great hamburgers made from 100%, unquestionable, top-quality, definite, unmistakable, beef."

"I'll pass on the hamburger," I sighed. "So Monokuma has you working the food cart now?"

"Well, he said, and I quote: 'Meowykins! That grubby bitch is screaming my name down at the boardwalk because her fat flabby skin needs to be pumped with copious amounts of grease and lard. Go get her some saturated food and shut her up!'"

I balled my fists a little bit, and did my best to ignore what he said to me right now.

"Do you have anything healthy?" I asked.

"This is boardwalk food," Meowykins replied. "There's no such thing as healthy boardwalk food."

"...Okay then, I guess I'll just get some french fries."

Meowykins nodded and reached inside a metal container, filled with golden french fries.

"Anyways," I said, looking at Mirai. "If you really want, I'll help you find a swimsuit. But I'm coming with you inside then...I don't trust you alone."

"T-that's sort of harsh," Mirai whimpered. "But I guess it'll be more fun with more than one person..."

"Maybe we should invite the others," I said, as I took the french fries from Meowykins.

"That'll be 2.50," Meowykins said, holding his paws out.

"No," I said, as I walked out of the boardwalk with Mirai.