Note: I will be using a lot of Japanese terms here, but I will try my best to explain them. I did a lot of research on Japanese traditional homes, so correct me if I made an error. I made this chapter a bit earlier than the introductory chapter, so that's why I updated this story quickly.

Also, everyone please thank Lowrietial! They're going to be betaing this story, so please give them your warm gratitude! They also helped edit the last chapter. They're honestly amazing at betaing, and they're the one who provided this story with a full-on level of intensity. They're honestly amazing at their job, so please give them your thanks.

"Alright, we're going to choose the class president of the 42nd class." The principal stood at the front of the classroom, looking over the sixteen students who stared inquisitively at his words. "Since we are starting a year with you talented young folks, I would like for you all to pick someone to be class president to lead this class to its utmost potential."

Kousuke did not know what to do. It was his first week at Hope's Peak Academy and yet the school already demanded much from his class. He didn't say anything, and remained silent as someone raised their hand.

"Uuh, we don't even know each other that well. We just gathered here, Mr Headmaster sir," a boy with short black hair, cropped to the right, explained.

The police officer would later know this first speaker as Hisashi. He was silent as the principal nodded, understanding where Hisashi was going with this. "That is precisely why a class president needs to be chosen. I am hoping that this strategy of having a class president teach and lead the class will be successful."

"Wait," a pretty girl with a slightly muscular build spoke. "So we don't have a teacher in our class?"

"W-what?!" another girl, this one with yellow eyes and barely visible bags, declared. "T-this is weird…"

The principal smiled, but it was tight-lipped and impatient. "Please calm down. This is a new strategy my staff and I are trying. We are experimenting with you guys. We hope that this strategy of having you all teach one another and look up to one of your fellow classmates will bring forth your talents."

A plain looking boy hummed with interest. "I see…"

The man nodded and began to stack a bundle of folders together, now walking towards the class and passing each individual their specific one. "I've gathered a basic profiling of all of you. You will all look through each other's profiles and base your vote on who you think is best fitting to be the class president. You will all place your votes by circling the person's face and passing the profile to me. I'll count the results."

Everyone in the class were uncertain, but little by little they started to look through each profile. Kousuke eyed the thick batch of papers in his folder, and began to shuffle through each one.

Honestly, he wasn't that good at reading people. Sure, as a police officer, he's had to handle all sorts of weird humans. From terrorists, to robbers, to simply awkward crooks (like that one person who accidentally stole an ice cream cone), he knew how to connect with them. However, that was on a job-standpoint. To read people based on their talent and personality - he was not at all good with that.

Kousuke sighed and lazily circled the next person's profile. He didn't know who he selected, however he deduced from the person's face that it was Miho, the pretty girl who spoke up earlier. He tried to imprint the names and talents of his classmates into his mind though, just so that he could refer to them without fumbling through introductions. He languidly handed the folder to the principal as the man walked past his desk.

Minutes ticked away on the clock until everyone handed their folders over. The principal glanced through each one with an affirmative nod or hum, and turned to the board. He grabbed a hold of a black marker and began to write the results.

"It looks like you're the class president, Hayashi Kousuke."

Kousuke's eyes widened. Everyone voted for him. He glanced surprisedly around, looking at his classmates who smiled awkwardly his way.

"I was hoping I'd win, but congratulations." Zero applauded the police officer with a slight smile, "Leader."

Someone whistled his way. Machiko was clapping her hands loudly, screaming loudly as well. "WOOHOO! You go Kousuke-Bousuke!"

Kousuke was silent. He looked at the principal who smiled his way before looking back at his classmates. "Why did you all vote for me?" He asked, curious.

Miho smiled brightly. "It's because you look like such a reliable person!"

Kousuke and the others followed Mr Miyamoto down to the entrance building. He noticed a few older people lingering inside the building. They seemed to be friends of the old man, as they smiled and waved at the group. A few of his classmates waved back.

Kousuke walked at the front, just behind Mr Miyamoto. He could see Miho strolling leisurely next to his side, an excited smile written over her lips. He smiled back at her as he held her hand, wanting to drag her down alongside him.

"Woooow, I should sue you two for PDA!" Hisashi mimicked, yelling from the back with a grin on his face. His smirk only widened as Koro shook his head, embarrassed. "Hisashi!" Koro hissed, while he pursed his lips.

The group stopped in front of the village center, surrounded by many houses. There was a smooth, stone pathway which led further into the village.

"Alright," Mr Miyamoto began, turning to look at the group. "The houses here are where each of you students will sleep in. Two in each room, gender-seperated. I wished we built more houses around here, but this should be fine. Please choose who you want to be with so I can ask my friends to drag the luggage to the houses."

Kousuke nodded and cleared his throat. "Alright, let's all choose our roommates." He stopped before eyeing Hisashi. "Hisashi, I know what you're thinking, but no."

Hisashi frowned and pouted, but heeded the police officer's words anyways. Everyone listened to Kousuke without hesitation, beginning to pair up. The class president watched them for a moment before noticing someone make their way towards him. "Oh, Zero." Kousuke subconsciously crossed his arms. "Do you want to pair up?"

Zero nodded, wringing his hands. "If it's fine with you, leader."

Kousuke smiled, trying to look approachable. "Yeah, I'm fine with it. As long as you don't act dead while you sleep, alright?"

The drama club leader nodded, humming his agreement. The police officer sighed. When the boy sleeps in class, he tends to act as if he was dead. Whether if it was to practice a play or not, Kousuke didn't know. However, Zero's tendency to play dead led to his classmates becoming irritated, leading to a few of them - Machiko and Hisashi - to scribble on his face as a playful prank. It escalated to the point where Kousuke had to enforce a new rule: Zero is to not sleep on the school grounds, at all. Not in the classroom, not in the lunchroom, not anywhere.

It didn't take more than a minute for the groups to form, with Kousuke informing Mr Miyamoto that the task was done.

Kousuke observed as Miho paired up with Kagami, while Machiko and Kimiko went off together. The four remaining girls - Chizu and Anna, Kiyomiko and Chiyoko, also split off.

Since Kousuke knew what would come if Hisashi and Koro were to pair together, so the duo had to split. Hisashi prompted Takumi by nagging. Koro and Hyoushi decided to partner up as well. Seishin and Kenta were the final pair.

"I see." Mr Miyamoto smiled at the group of students. "Alright, the girls are to sleep at the room on the left, and the boys on the right." He chuckled, possibly to himself. "Do you students want to check the houses? Each are the same."

Machiko slapped her cheeks together with joy. "Yeah, let's check them out!"

Kousuke watched the group scatter, the girls heading left while the boys flocked to the right. He spotted Zero walking to one of the houses and followed. Kousuke waited as the gray-eyed boy slid open the fusuma. One inside, Zero slid off his shoes. Kousuke did the same, taking off his dress shoes and moving inside to look around the home.

The home was definitely traditional, styled to the sukiya-zukuri format - befitting of the village's atmosphere. The architecture was old-fashioned, carpenters using wagoya to style the roof. He could see several small verandas surrounding the home, 'engawa' as people would call it. The panels above the shoji inside of the room were engraved and crafted beautifully. Kousuke walked around the tatami floor as Zero observed the dark wooden cabinet to the left side of the room, looking at the molded dough urns and pots.

"Whoever worked to establish these houses is amazing," the drama club leader said, while eyeing a small painting on top of a cabinet. It was a sunflower sketch.

Kousuke nodded, staring at the chabudai in the middle of the room. The room was definitely used to hold tea ceremonies. The police officer exhaled, comfortable and slightly fatigued, before making his way to the next sliding door. He slid it open with ease and made is way in.

He found himself inside of a small room where a small Shinto shrine stood. Kousuke's eyes widened and he immediately bowed his head down, paying respect to whoever was watching him at the moment. After paying his respects, he backed out and joined Zero in going through the other shogi.

Kousuke padded humbly onto the ground, eyeing the inside of the room. He looked down to find the irori, or sunken hearth. It was in the middle of the spacious room, surrounded by a handful of thin pillows. Kousuke assumed that the room was where the villagers would eat and cook food, and proceeded down, straight into the next room.

He was walking down a hallway, actually. Kousuke turned to the closest shogi available, sliding it open and finding himself inside of the bedroom. There was a large space inside of the room. Kousuke walked on the tatami floor to the smaller sliding door, opening it to reveal futons and pillows. Kousuke yawned graciously and glanced around, finding himself eyeing the window. He opened the panels to reveal the moon shining brightly onto the village itself.

This is a nice view, Kousuke thought to himself, looking at the mountains and forests. He closed the window and headed out the bedroom, now walking down to the hallways. He spotted another room akin to the bedroom, however it was most likely fitted for as a guest room instead. The police officer then headed further down and opened the next door, revealing a bathroom.

Kousuke glanced at the toilet and the sink. They were fairly clean, thankfully. He eyed the small cabinet to his left, seeing a few spare toothbrushes, toothpastes, and other utensils.

Kousuke headed to the next to last door, then finding the bathroom. The police officer wasn't surprised to see that the bathroom also had a wooden drum, a faucet that allowed water to be poured in. Kousuke saw yellow orchids sitting prettily on the window sill, and gray towels that hang below it. Pink soaps on the sink emitted a sweet fragrance when he sniffed curiously at it.

The police officer decided that he observed everything that needed to be observed, and headed out to the hallways - towards the last door. He slid it open, revealing a beautiful black garden. The grass was perfectly trimmed; there was not a single strand longer or shorter than the rest. When Kousuke padded over it in his socks, it prickled against his feet like small sedative needles. Several looming trees were grounded in a perfect symmetrical aisle, and short bushes bloomed with small flowers. It was a beautiful garden, and Kousuke was awed.

So this place is one of the homes the villagers lived in…

It was amazing. The Village of Cicadas was truly amazing. To think that such dark rumors would spread about the village now confused him.

It took minutes before Kousuke decided to move out. He called out to Zero once, but was met with no answer, so he assumed the other boy left. He walked back to the village center where most of his classmates lingered with elated grins, and saw M.r Miyamoto waiting with a peaceful expression on his face.

"This place is stunning," Hyoushi said, smiling brightly. "I would love to compose a song based on this place's beauty."

Seishin did not look impressed. "The spirits are restless in this false paradise, mortal."

Kousuke habitually facepalmed. "Jesus Christ, Seishin."

"Well, I think this place's nice," Anna said, directing a kind smile at Mr. Miyamoto.

Mr Miyamoto laughed. "I'm glad you children are enjoying your stay here so far. Let's walk down the path. I'll show you guys the other buildings around here."

The group followed Mr. Miyamoto down the rocky path. Kousuke took time to absorb, as he walked down the staircase, a large, spacious agricultural field to his left, speckled with trees and stone benches. He glanced to the right to find wooden buildings, presumably where they were headed to. Another path lay adjacent to the structures, leading them downwards to a few houses. Trees slopped and caved gently into the path, long, willowy branches blocking out the stars in the sky.

They took a right, and was thrust into an entirely different area. There, they saw all sorts of buildings which Mr. Miyamoto kindly pointed out. The building closest to them seemed to be a medical building - a small hospital or infirmary. Mr. Miyamoto then informed them of a large building to the right - a school. He indicated to the farther ones, which, in order, would be: a temple, a market, a library, and a barn.

Mr. Miyamoto smiled crookedly to the group, watching as they observed the area. "This area is deserted, so it'll be for your use only. The people who toured here before you all were generous enough to supply you folk with medical supplies and food."

"It still looks so clean and pretty, though," Miho said, eyes dazzling with glee. She opened the door to the medical building and glanced inside. As expected, it was empty, spare boxes of medical supplies. She closed it. "It was nice of the previous tourists to drop these here, huh?"

Kousuke nodded, looking through the windows into the school building. In comparison to how it looked on the outside, it was dusty in the inside. "Odd…" he voiced out loud.

Mr. Miyamoto shot him a glance as the group continued to investigate the area. "Shall we head to the shrine then?" he inquired in a wry voice. "It's back from the way we came."

"Alright." Kousuke cleared his throat. "Let's go, guys!"

Everyone quickly gathered together, following Mr. Miyamoto from the area and headed down into the path where the trees caved in.

Shadows danced across the ground as the group followed the man. They could briefly see the sun from above, however they mainly saw the leaves scatter and move. Miho moved towards Kousuke and grabbed tightly onto his hand. He flashed an endeared smiled at her, and she grinned affectionately back. The shrine lights flickered dazedly above them.

"Kousuke." A low voice sounded behind his ear and a finger tapped his shoulder. Kousuke turned around, meeting the steady gaze of Takumi. Seeing no mirth in the boy's gray eyes, he unlinked his fingers with Miho and slowed to Takumi's pace.

"He's lying," the Ultimate Investigator said, and gestured blatantly at the village head.

Kousuke didn't need an explanation. "I know."

There was a wild, breathless moment when Miyamoto glanced their way with an all-knowing smile. The Ultimate Police Officer lowered his voice. "We'll investigate this place later, when he doesn't suspect anything."

A few minutes passed before the group spotted the shrine. The entrance welcomed them as Mr Miyamoto walked towards the saisen-bako. The group spared a few seconds praying before deciding to look around the shrine. The trees were tall and high, surrounding the area, their leaves sinking into the shrine.

It was a beautiful Shinto shrine, gleaming a royal red. Fresh paint. A normal shrine, but nonetheless a wonderful one.

That was it for the tour. Mr Miyamoto smiled, explaining his fatigue and aching legs. He brought the group of students back to the core of the village, waving to them before leaving to the entrance building to speak with his friends.

The group of students looked around, eyeing each other. Takumi held Kousuke's gaze intensely. The class president shook his head. He stole a glance at Mr Miyamoto. Not yet.

Takumi sighed and wandered off.

"I want to rest," Chiyoko said, yawning. "I'm pretty exhausted. Do you think the luggages are in the houses?"

Kimiko shrugged. "No idea."

Chiyoko nodded to herself. "I'll head to bed. I'll wake up in a few hours."

"See you, cutie!" Hisashi cried, waving to the fashion stylist as she sauntered away. He threw his crossed his hands behind his back and eyed the class president. "So, what're we going to do now, Kousuke?"

Kousuke cupped his chin, pondering. "Hm, Mr Miyamoto said he'll rest, so I'm supposing we could do what we want for the time being."

"YES!" Machiko pumped her fists up. "Let's go run around the place, now!"

Anna smiled and glanced at Chizu, who was trying to unroll a parchment. "Hey, Chi-chan, you want me to help you map out the place?"

Chizu's face flushed a light, pink hue and she nodded with uncertainty. "I can do it myself. But fine."

Kousuke watched Chizu and Anna move hesitantly down to the village entrance, and observed as Machiko ran alone to who-knows-where. Koro added that he wanted to check the medical building a little more carefully, and he left with Hisashi by his side. The police officer also took notice of the people who were absent from this unofficial meeting, or decided to stay in their houses - Kimoko, Kagami, Zero, and Seishin. He watched most of the others leave to travel around the village, either alone or in groups.

Everyone left, all except for his girlfriend. The boy looked at the acrobat with a curious gaze. "Do you want to rest, Miho?"

"Nope." Miho smiled brightly. "I was thinking that we should go off track and try to find some secret hang-out spots."

Kousuke's eyes widened. "I don't-"

"Kousuke, don't be such a stuck-up!" Miho pouted, playfully smirking as she placed a finger to his lips. "I know you're a stickler for the rules, even if it's all in your head, but we're having a field trip! Don't you think you should let loose?"

"Well…" The police officer averted his gaze, thinking. He remembered the dust in the building. It wasn't enough evidence to confirm anything. He needed to investigate more, and Takumi couldn't shoulder everything himself. "Mr Miyamoto did not speak much on the "rules" either, so… I guess you're right."

"Right?!" Miho giggled, happy that she convinced her boyfriend. She threw her arms around him, excited. "Alright! Where should we check first then?"

Kousuke sighed. "Well, if I have to make a guess, I'd say we go off track and go through the bushes from the right down the stairway."

Miho turned to the right as she looked down from the staircase. "All the way to the agricultural fields, huh."

He nodded. "I mean, Mr Miyamoto didn't necessarily lead us there. I'm guessing he'd assume it's not important, but… I think it's worth a shot."

The acrobat smiled. "If you say so then!"

The duo headed down the stairway, then heading to the right, walking down the hills and carefully making their way to the expected, the fields were vast and huge, however as they walked by they noticed how fertile the soil was and how healthy the crops were. Kousuke and Miho couldn't help but smile at one another and continue forward, continuing to walk past each field as time passed by.

It was as if the couple were walking through a romantic Japanese garden. The night sky was stunning; a mixture of hues that was almost too similar to a beautiful painter's masterpiece. They were walking down a field brimmed with life, and it was immensely romantic and relaxing.

"Want me to be honest with you?" Miho began, looking straight into Kousuke's eyes as they continued down the fields. "I honestly wished we could've been here alone, just the two of us. This place is so amazing!"

Kousuke smiled, wrapping an arm around her as they continued to walk. "Honestly. I cannot believe that a village like this would have so many dark rumors behind it."

The acrobat chuckled. "But doesn't it make this village all the more interesting? Not only is it beautiful, but it's also beautiful in a way that there's a lingering darkness behind it! It's exciting."

The police officer rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, you do have a point."

About an hour passed until the duo found themselves walking into an area secluded from the village. Miho, excited, quickly moved through the bushes, eyes glittering up as she ran down. "Wow, there's a pond here!" She cried, clapping her hands together. She looked down, eyeing her own dark reflection. "I did not expect to find something like this hidden."

"Yeah, I know right?" Kousuke looked down at the pond, the water still as it revealed his reflection. There was a small water lily sitting in the middle of the pond.

Miho laughed. "Haha, if this place wasn't so far away, I would've claimed it to be our secret dating place!" She grin and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I mean, it still could be a hiding place of our's," Kousuke mentioned, smiling playfully at the acrobat who giggled.

Miho stood up from her spot, now walking around the pond. "You're right," she replied and began to move her hands through the soft leaves on the bushes. Kousuke watched the wind gently stroke her hair, fraying the short ends. His heart thrummed. Miho was beautiful, so beautiful, and absolute perfect. She walked aimlessly around, and Kousuke was glad to observe the way the moonlight dappled on her cheeks, the way her eyes rippled with the calm of the pool, the way- she stopped. Her hands stilled, and she turned around. "Hm? What's this?"

Kousuke shuffled towards her, curious. "What did you find?"

The police officer walked over to his girlfriend, and watched as she covered her mouth with her hands. Her face paled. She staggered and fell. Kousuke's heart thumped, and he rushed over to her immediately.

He quickly placed his hands on her shoulders. "Miho! What's wrong? Are you alright?" His gaze was drawn to the bushes, where Miho's eyes were locked.

"I-I'm fine…" She said, stuttering. Her body was shaking. "I-I just scared myself." She forced herself to her feet, laughing. "I think I just saw a dead prop."

"Dead prop?" Kousuke frowned, taking the initiative and making his way through the bushes. He pushed the leaves aside and took a step forward before he saw it.

It was a burnt body.

Holy shit.

"What the hell?" Kousuke's hissed. His eyes widened. He slowly observed the body, holding his breath. He could hear Miho making her way towards him.

"I-it's probably a prop," she said, forcing a shaky smile. "Like, rumors are rumors. The whole shit about the village being some cursed place and all is just a rumor! This must be a prank - ugh, it smells!"

Kousuke bit into his lips, gesturing Miho to stand to the side. He walked carefully towards the body, scanning it. The body, the burnt body, made it impossible to conclude whose body it belonged to. Whether it was a male or female, he didn't know. The body had been mangled and torn, bones rotting, showing marrow. Pieces of burnt, black skin lay on the ground, ready to be picked at by vultures.

"This body…" Kousuke crossed his arms, trying to calm his beating heart. "If my deduction's correct, this person had died just a few days ago."

"Wait, that's a real body?" Miho began to shake. "T-that's bullshit."

The redhead eyed his girlfriend, thinking hard to himself. This person died a few days ago. How the person died is most likely by burning. Why the person's here, far away from the village... It's obvious that no one would know that someone died if they died far away from the public eye, but…

Kousuke looked back at the body. If the person who died was a villager, then shouldn't Mr Miyamoto or the others know about this? Wouldn't the smoke attract onlookers? And why is the body here in the first place?

The man's wry smile came back to his memory.

What if...

The rumors and old newsfeed spreading about the village came through his head, rolling like a film.

[Disappearance at Cicada Village! Villagers claim to know nothing]

[Are the villagers at Cicada Village plotting to mass murder?]

[Twenty elementary schoolers and two teachers are missing after touring Cicada Village! Is this the end of the village's beauty?]

Despite all the dark news and rumors spreading about, everything had eventually died down slowly and popped back out without a sense of concern from the media. Everyone only cared that the rumors were dark, laughing and nodding their heads at how interesting the village seemed, which in return sparked the demand for tours.

Now that I think about it, isn't it strange that neither the police nor the detectives at my station never investigated fully into the situations concerning the village?

Kousuke's heart was beating. The media didn't care about the village's looming darkness, only concerned about the fact that the village was gaining a reputation. Despite the strange disappearances and deaths, the thought of adventure and danger attracted the mind of the daring.

This place...is dangerous.

The police officer began to sweat, realizing the horrible situation he brought his classmates into.

Takumi was right. They couldn't afford to wait. He should've acted on instinct.

"Miho," he began, desperately walking to the acrobat. He took ahold of her hand, dragging her away hastily. "We need to go. This place isn't safe."

"What?" Miho's eyes widened as she was pulled away from the area, the duo heading back to the houses - away from the fields. "I mean, shouldn't we tell Mr Miyamoto-"

"That's not possible." Kousuke continued to drag her by the hand, instantly regretting how long the trip from the agricultural fields to the village's centre was. "This whole situation, this field trip, everything… It's suspicious. We need to go. Now."

"K-Kousuke!"

Kousuke's eyes widened, stopping in his tracks as someone stood in front of him. He instinctively placed Miho behind him, putting himself in a defensive stance. "Are you one of Mr Miyamoto's friends?" He asked, trying to sound calm as his hands shook.

It was a young man, approximately in his thirties. The man had messy brown hair and small silver eyes, wearing a simple loose gray sweatshirt and green shorts, brown sandals at the bottom. He looked at the police officer for a moment before flashing a lopsided smile, nodding his head. "Yeah, I'm just here to say that you two shouldn't go off track. You might get lost."

That raised more than one red flag in Kousuke's head.

"I'll make note of that."

Kousuke observed the man for a moment before quickly walking past him, Miho following suit.

The duo paced quickly down the fields before running, heading straight to the village. There, standing listless and motionless, was Kiyomiko. She turned to eye them, an odd cross of emotions evident in her expression.

"Where were you two?" she asked. Then she noticed the look on their faces. "Are you okay?"

Kousuke shook his head. "Sana, is Mr Miyamoto awake at the moment?"

Kiyomiko eyed him curiously, but didn't question him and shook her head. "Haven't seen him yet."

The police officer exhaled impatiently. His mind was racing and he couldn't place down a single coherent thought. The Ultimate Lucky Student obviously noticed his distress and was starting to panic too.

He broke the mood before it became out of hand. "Then do you have your phone with you? Miho left her's in her room."

"Um...yeah." Kiyomiko reached into her pocket, her bracelets danged as she handed her phone to the class president.

"Thanks." Kousuke quickly began to dial 119, moving the phone to his ear as he waited for the line to pick up. And, despite the Wi-Fi having worked fine beforehand, there was now no connection. To make things worse, there was no reception as well. The police officer frowned and redialed the number, yet there wasn't a single answer.

Oh no. The class president pursed his lips and handed the phone back to the lucky student, Kiyomiko raising an eyebrow as he turned to Miho. "Miho, you think you can gather the others from the buildings? We need to go as soon as possible."

Miho nodded and ran away, moving down the stairs. Kiyomiko crossed her arms as she looked at the police officer. "What the hell's happening?" She asked, worried.

"I shouldn't have accepted the invitation here." The police officer was murmuring to himself, cursing at his inability to realize it sooner. I was too excited to be in a so-called mysterious village…!

He recalled his classmates ecstatic faces. I let them down. He remembered pushing down his lingering anxiety as they got closer to the village. This is my fault. If anything happens to them...

Kiyomiko's eyebrows furrowed. "Kousuke, I need an explanation."

"Sana, I-"

The class president was unable to finish his sentence, as Mr Miyamoto walked towards the duo with his usual wry smile. It was like the calm before the storm. "Hm? Where are the others?"

"They're looking around," Kousuke began. He bit his lips, inwardly weighing the odds and deciding to come up front. "Mr Miyamoto, Miho and I found a dead body hidden somewhere."

Kiyomiko's eyes widened. "What?"

The villager frowned, an innocent look on his face. "A dead body? Kousuke, what're you talking about?"

"We found a burnt body an hour away from here. It is most likely that the person died a few days ago, and…" He crossed his arms. "I don't want to come off as assertive, but shouldn't you and the other villagers have known if someone was missing? It's also highly suspicious that someone would've died there."

Mr Miyamoto was silent, flabbergasted.

Kousuke frowned. "The Wi-Fi here was working well, but it's gone now…did you do something to it? Did you cut off our connections?"

There was a laboured pause in the air. Kousuke could only hear Kiyomiko's frantic breaths and his own thumping heart.

"I guess you figured it out." Mr Miyamoto looked at the police officer with mock sadness. "You're right."

The boy's eyes widened and he suddenly took a step forward, reaching out to his handcuffs, hidden around his belt. "Mamoru Miyamoto, I'll have to arrest you as a prime suspect for the unnamed person's murder."

Mr Miyamoto sighed as he held his hands up Kousuke walked hesitantly over to him, before he heard the man speak. "I don't think you have to worry about me, but whoever's behind you."

"Huh?" Before Kousuke could comprehend what was said, he heard a thud from the side. Kiyomiko was on the ground, unconscious. His heart raced, and before he could turn around, his world went black.

The world began to color itself, and Kousuke's head ached. Through blurred vision, he squinted his eyes and forced himself to come to consciousness faster. His entire body throbbed with obtuse pain.

He found himself facing fifteen of his classmates, all tied up and grouped together in a cluster.

"Guys?" Kousuke's eyes widened, realizing that his classmates had been taken hostage and were now rendered useless. He startled, overwhelmed with the urge to free them, however found himself unable to, seeing that he, too, was tied to one of the poles which held the Shinto shrine together. He twisted his hands in the knot, and attempted to wring his hands free with the tactics they taught him in police training, but tangled himself more. This was bad; they took into account that he'd know how to wriggle out of simple ties. He struggled to move, trying to writh himself free but to no avail.

Anna was sobbing. "What's going to happen to us?" She wailed, tears falling from her eyes.

"Don't cry, Anna!" Hyoushi said, trying to comfort her despite being tied as well. "Let me sing a song to soothe our nerves! Ahem, laaaaa-"

"No, we don't need that right now," Kimiko said, glaring at the mandolinist.

"HRAAAH!" Machiko was struggling against her restraints, but, like everyone else, it was of no use.

Hisashi smirked. "I applaud your effort."

"Hooray," Chiyoko said, lapsing into sarcasm.

The group sunk into silence, filled only with Anna's strangled sobbing.

"Boy, looks like we got ourselves into a really tangled mess." Kenta added, laughing nervously.

"Yeah, we're really tied up with this one." Takumi followed.

Kousuke connected his gaze with the Ultimate Investigator.

We're fucked, he seemed to say.

The Ultimate Police Officer couldn't help but agree.

"Kousuke!" Miho didn't seem to care about herself, instead her attention was focused on her boyfriend.

"Miho, stay calm," the police officer said, trying his best to not worry the acrobat. "We'll be fine. Don't panic." He looked at her as he said this, but it was addressed to everyone.

Miho's face was pale, eyes wide as she looked at Kousuke. "I-I don't understand what's happening to us."

"Me neither." Kousuke glared at his restraints, struggling to try to free himself. The knots were tied tightly into his wrists, no doubt to cause rope burn. He thought about what to do, staring at the black skies that offered no help. It was nighttime, and the moon still shone merrily along with the shine lights.

He could hear footsteps. Kousuke's eyes widened as he looked straight at the pathway. It was Mr Miyamoto, however that wasn't the most shocking sight. Kousuke glanced at the man's feet, at a strange monochrome bear walking besides the man.

"YOU!" Machiko glared at the head villager. She noticed the stuffed bear and faltered. "And that weird bear thing! Let us out, NOW!"

Kousuke saw Hisashi light up like a firecracker. "Beastality?! Gee, Mr Miyamoto, if only you'd let me know sooner, I'd totally cosplay for you. I make a great furry." The horologist threw a dry smirk. "Meow."

"Not the time," Kimiko interrupted.

Mr Miyamoto smiled awkwardly at the group before walking around the hostages, moving up to the shrine where Kousuke was, the strange bear following suit.

"Look, I was the one who found the dead body first!" Miho cried, fearing the worst. "If you want to kill someone, kill me first!"

Kousuke shook his head. "Calm down! Let Mr Miyamoto and…" He eyed the weird bear. "Um…just let them explain!"

The monochrome bear frowned. "Hey! I know you're judging me! Hmph!"

Kagami's eyes widened. "H-he can talk?"

The bear pouted. "Of course I can speak, Kaga-Kaga-Mi-Mi!"

"Y-you know my name…?"

"Of course! I know everyone's names! Like Kousuke-Bousuke over there!" The monochrome bear pointed to the police officer, smiling happily.

Takumi's eyebrows furrowed in thought. He stared incredulously at the animated bear. "Who are you?"

"Glad you asked, Taku-Taku! I'mmm…" The bear spun around before winking at the group. "Monokuma!"

Silence.

"Helllooo? Where's the applause?" Monokuma frowned, then turned to side-eye Mr Miyamoto. "These kids suck, dude."

Mr Miyamoto sighed before hearing one of the students' voices. He looked back to find Chiyoko eyeing him. "Why are you doing this? So the rumors are true?"

The old man frowned. "The rumors…" He looked at Monokuma who nodded, taking the lead.

"Yessiree!" Monokuma saluted the students, quirky and energetic. "You're right! The rumors are true! The disappearances and deaths - yes, that was caused by the villagers!"

"No kidding?!" Machiko's voice boomed.

Chizu's face paled. "What? I thought those were just lies…"

"Hmph. So this place is a false paradise," Seishin scoffed.

Monokuma laughed. "You think? I think this place is an awesome euphoria for death-lovers such as myself and the villagers here."

"S-so you're going to kill us?" Kenta asked hesitantly, eyes wide.

"Kill you? No, that's too easy." Monokuma snickered. "It's a tradition here for our dear, dear tourists to participate in what we call - a killing game."

Kiyomiko bit into her lip. "K-killing game?"

"Yup! We're going to throw you lovely bastards into a killing game!"

Kousuke's eyes widened and he shot a glare at the bear. "I don't know what you are and why you're working with the villagers, but this will not slide in the eyes of the law."

"Says the officer who's tied in a bundle." The monochrome bear smirked at the police officer, jumping up to place himself on the boy's head. "Wow, your hair's soft!"

Kousuke immediately tried to wrestle it off. "Get off me!"

Mr Miyamoto eyed the pair before sighing. "Leave the kid alone, Monokuma. We need to explain the rules of the game. We don't want to disappoint the overseers, right?"

"Ha, you're right, old man." Monokuma jumped down, feet stepping onto the saisen-bako with negligence. "Anyways, you guys will be living here from now on until only two people are left. You bastards are gonna all kill each other, but it's not some death match. It's a game with what I'd call..." it paused dramatically. Kousuke could feel his heart thumping painfully in his ribcage. Everyone held onto the bear's words, anxiety ripping at their throats.

"A class trial!" it announced.

"Class trial…" Koro repeated. He shuddered visibly.

"Once someone kills someone, an investigation will start and then we'll go straight to a class trial." The bear grinned. "The trial's where you guys will see if you can find the culprit of the case and have them be executed! Of course, there's a price if you don't find the blackened or don't participate in the killing game - execution will be used if such a case is necessary!"

Opposite him, Zero shot Kousuke a frightened look. The Ultimate Police Officer was about to shout the gray haired boy reassurances, but remembered that this was the Ultimate Drama Club Leader he was dealing with - he was probably faking it.

Kousuke watched as he slid a pocket knife from the cuff of his blazer and started sawing off the ropes of the person tied behind him - Miho.

"You can't make us kill!" Anna cried, her voice mangled and raw. Tears streamed down her face. "W-why would we listen to anything you say?"

Monokuma's red eye glowed and he rubbed his hands. "Glad you asked, Anna-banana." He laughed before speaking again. "The answer is also fortunately our very, very first motive!"

Hisashi frowned. "Motive?"

"Yessir! When the villagers knocked you guys out cold, they've implanted small, tiny, but very dangerous bombs inside of you guys' stomach. A timer is set to explode you guys into chunks if a murder does not occur within three days."

Kimiko's face paled and her eyes darted to her stomach. "Bombs…?"

"Haha, do you guys believe it? Well, it's true, so it's not a lie! Ahahahaha!" Monokuma was laughing maniacally. "Don't fret! You guys have three days to kill someone! Whether if it's by bludgeoning someone to death, poisoning them, stabbing them, or laughing them to death… Anything goes!"

Mr Miyamoto raised a hand. "The bombs will only set off if a murder does not occur in three days. He paused, then added: "I made extra sure that my friends did not accidentally insert the wrong bomb into your system."

"Mhm, and don't even try to escape! We're stuck together in this forest! We're hours away from civilization!" Monokuma smirked. "The villagers also shut off any possible way to escape, so it's futile to try hiding in the trees and all that shit."

"Fuck that!" Free from her restraints, she charged straight at Monokuma who jumped back effortlessly. She scoffed before glaring at the old man, grabbing ahold of his shirt. "This is sick!"

"It's not a good idea to harm me," the old man started, raising his hands up in surrender. However, he did so mockingly.

The acrobat growled at the man. "What?"

Mr Miyamoto glanced to the left, Miho following his gaze to find Monokuma having clawed his way towards Kousuke, his other claw touching the officer's skin.

Miho's eyes widened. "Kousuke!"

Kousuke gritted his teeth, glaring at Monokuma who was just milliseconds away from slitting his throat. Monokuma laughed. "Puhuhu! It would be a shame to have our cute class president die first, right? Violence against the villagers and I is prohibited, Miho-Hoho."

The acrobat snarled, but loosened her grip on the old man and stepped back.

Monokuma grinned, removing his claws from the police officer. "Haha, well, I knew someone would try that the moment they're free, so that's why Kousuke-Bousuke's tied up over here!" The bear nodded to himself, absolutely satisfied by what had just happened. He jumped back to the ground, now staring at Miho and the others. "Isn't it just disheartening that your class president can't do anything about this? Hahaha! You guys should just disown him and listen to me now! Go kill as soon as possible, alright?!"

Miho bit into her lips, unable to do anything as Monokuma laughed, now turning to Mr Miyamoto. "Let's go, man. I wanna drink some whiskey."

"How about the kids?"

"Miho-Hoho's up and running. She can handle it herself."

And with those words, Kousuke watched the duo walk from the shrine, letting the darkness envelope them.

Miho shook her head. She ran over to Kousuke's side, untying him and throwing her arms around him. "Oh my god, Kousuke!"

"I'm fine, Miho." Kousuke smiled as he ruffled the acrobat's hair. He went around to untying the rest of his classmates. They were all shaken and trembling.

Zero eyed the police officer worriedly. "W-what should we do now?"

The class president rubbed his wrists and looked back, taking in the resilient structure of the shrine. He then looked down the pathway, still seeing the lingering forms of the smug bear and Mr Miyamoto.

"We need to stop them, of course."

And that's the end of this chapter. Tell me what you think about it, and please vote on the poll on who you guys would like for the FTEs...

Wolffang1795: It's fine. Everyone has their own character they prefer over another. I'm glad I portrayed Kagami well, thank you. Glad you enjoy the couples.

jaughy: It's good that I portrayed Anna well. Have a nice day/night as well.

Crimson Spider Lily: I like your first impressions here. I'm glad you liked the introductions despite them being short, and I'm glad you are excited for what is to come. Thank you.

Lowrietial: Most of it was in one sitting, yes. Hyoushi is a lovable character. I'm glad I portrayed Machiko well. Thank you.

Maestro Infinite: I'm glad you enjoy how I write Hyoushi. Thank you.

Shyjoker: Nice to see your first impressions. I never knew yaoi pairings were rare in the syoc stories, interesting. True, it is a norm, and I might've been too sleepy at the time I was writing this.

TheRoseShadow21: Glad you enjoy what I had for the introductory chapter. Your first impressions are interesting, nice to see them. I'm glad I portrayed Kiyomiko/Sana well.

liammarklh88: I'm glad you are more engaged in this story. Your first impressions are nice to see, and I am glad I portrayed Seishin well.

ToonGuy: I'm glad you enjoy the last chapter overall. Your first impressions are interesting, nice to see what you think of the others. I'm happy I portrayed Miho well.

RioA: Nice to see your first impressions, and I am happy I portrayed Hisashi well. Thank you.

ThePersonOfNothing: Yes, I'm glad you like the idea. Thank you.