One last FTE this chapter, this time of our favorite psychologist Taizo! See you all at the end!

Day 3

BEGIN

The night felt very, very long. But, the whole not sleeping thing actually wasn't as bad as I would've thought. As long as I was just...doing something, it wasn't that hard to keep my mind off sleep. I would pace the length of my room, go out onto my balcony and wait for a few moments for a nonexistent breeze to blow through, and even sit down to read through the manga Kasane had lent me. I heard the occasional footsteps outside, but paid it no mind. The others must be just as restless, especially since we had all agreed to staying inside the building.

After what felt like years, my bracelet suddenly let out a large burst of static, making me jump slightly. Just as before, Gigi appeared on the screen, sitting neatly while surrounded by various computer monitors.

"Attention all students. Curfew is now over. You may proceed past the cafe as you please. Let's make today another wonderful day!"

I took in a deep breath as my bracelet switched off, running a hand through my hair. That was only the first night, and I could only imagine it would get worse as time passed. I'll just have to find a way to deal with that when the time comes. I told myself, quickly getting ready before heading outside.

Nearly everyone was in the cafe when I made it, although I noticed the chatter was a little more subdued than before. However, it looked like Rurumi and Kotetsu had made breakfast for everyone once more, and Rurumi was at least just as energetic as usual.

"Mornin' Denjii!" She called as I entered, waving happily. "Glad ya could make it!" I called out a 'good morning' to her as well before I gathered my food.

Nobody had anything to report as of yet, although Edmund and Nizu did note that the guard system we had established the day prior was successful. Otherwise, nobody really had anything important to add. Conversations mostly boiled down to what everyone would be planning for the day and where we would be searching next. I didn't exactly pay attention, focusing more on poking at my food than speaking with the others. So I'm sure you can just imagine my surprise when someone suddenly approached me and slammed their hand down on the table right next to me.

"Oi, mind lendin' a hand to Jean and me?" It was Bonnie, looking down at me with a big grin stretched across her face. "We were plannin' on havin' a perk night, gettin' supplies from that store there. Been askin' everyone if they wanna come pertend up for the night. But I don't wanna be pullin' the leg or anything, so no pressure, ya know?"

"You're...planning on having a sort of party tonight?" I asked, my mind working quickly just to decipher what she was saying. "Who else will be coming, and where are we having this party as well?" Bonnie looked as if she was biting the inside of her cheek, most likely trying to think.

"We'll be havin' it in my room, I thinks." She finally said. "As fer who's comin, we got Akari, Clara, and Jean comin' so far. Thinkin' of askin' Rurumi next, she seems like a party gal!" Her grin grew even wider. "Might need you an' some other scoundrel to go scare up supplies from the store. You in?"

"I suppose so." I said, nodding. "This may help move the night along faster. I assume that we will be having this party after curfew?"

"Right on the spot!" Bonnie exclaimed. "We'll be havin' this ho down at 'round...hmm….let's say 11 o'clock, sharp. You're gonna need to rustle up the supplies sometime before then!"

"Understood. I'll keep that in mind." I replied. Bonnie grinned and began walking off towards Rurumi, practically shouting at the top of her lungs at this point.

Hmm...A party tonight…. I reflected, looking back down to my plate. It is a good idea of raising morale. Especially in a time like this… I checked the time quickly. I still had some free time before they would need me to gather some supplies for them. I might as well try to make the most of it.

Free Time

RESUME

Taizo

After finishing breakfast, I went to go wash my plate. No one else was in the kitchen when I first entered, which I was secretly relieved about considering I didn't want to make awkward small talk. I quickly washed the plate, pausing for a second as I suddenly heard the door open behind me.

"O-Oh! M-Miss Tokunaga!" I turned around, quickly shutting off the water. Standing in the doorway was Taizo, already nervously rubbing at his arm. "I...er...well….I-I just wanted to know if….you were going to do anything r-recently?"

"I don't have any plans, if that's what you're asking." I said, tilting my head. "Is there something you needed?" He nodded slowly, averting his gaze.

"Y-Yes….Ever since the motive was announced…." He explained, rubbing at his arm even more than before. "I-I've….been giving everyone quick check-ups...j-just to make sure we're all s-still mentally stable….L-Lack of sleep has a tendency to….w-well, lead to s-some very nasty side-effects….i-interesting side-effects but-" He suddenly shook his head, taking a deep breath before he continued; "M-My bad….I-I started rambling again….I-I just wanted to know i-if I can perform a s-small check up for you…."

I simply nodded. After all, I didn't have a lot to really do until they needed me to help them with the whole party setup. Taizo looked relieved and waved a hand for me to follow. I quickly put away the plate before following after him.

Taizo led me to the courtyard, where he began performing a variety of tests. He kept taking notes and muttering a lot about things I didn't quite understand. He actually took quite a while before he finally gave me my results.

"S-So...from what I can tell….you should be perfectly fine." He finally said, scratching at his cheek. "Er….O-Of course...there is the whole issue concerning a-amnesia….Are you sure you c-can't remember anything beyond w-waking up in your room?"

"Yes. I am positive." I nodded, frowning underneath my mask. "In fact...I didn't remember my name upon waking up, nor my talent. I only learned of it after checking my bracelet. It was on my file. I even wondered if it truly was my name…."

"N-No….I think it's definitely your n-name…." Taizo said. "T-The student files l-list you as such…." He took in a deep breath, looking as if he was trying his hardest to think. "...I-I'm very sorry, Denjii….I-I'm not entirely sure i-if, in our current situation, y-you'll be able to recover your memory any t-time soon…."

"Taizo...no, no. It's fine." I said, trying to wave it aside. "You're trying your best, and I understand that. Recovering my memory is something I must work out for myself. But I am grateful for your worry."

"A-Ah….I-I'm glad you feel that way…." Taizo said with a small smile. "I-I'll make sure to check i-in with you e-every so often then….I-I can't imagine what k-kind of….of f-fear you must be feeling….n-not knowing who you are or what your p-past is…" I noticed with a hint of alarm that a strange look crossed his face for a moment.

It was a look of extreme interest, almost eerily so. I even saw a slightly crazed smile flash across his face, before it returned back to that neutral, slightly worried look. I felt myself tense up slightly, but I didn't say anything.

Nizu had been right back on the first day we were here. It felt like there was something off about him.

Taizo and I grew a little closer today.

After Taizo was satisfied with his observations, I simply went back to my room for the rest of the day. While I had quite a bit of free time before they needed me for the party, I just didn't feel like speaking with anyone else. So, I instead opted to just sit in my room and read. Once or twice, I actually felt myself drifting off before the shock from my bracelet jolted me awake once more.

Time seemed to pass slowly, and it felt like forever until it was finally time for us to gather for dinner. I once again ventured down to the cafe, finding everyone inside and even more quiet than breakfast. It was rather surprising that the effects of the motive was already taking effect, as I had figured that it would take a few days. But I suppose the stress of our situation only sped up the process.

Conversation was sparse this time around, but it wasn't like I was too upset about it. It didn't look like anyone had found anything to help us escape. I wondered for a brief moment if there really was a way out of here and if we were actually just wasting time, before I pushed it out of my mind. It did no good to think that negatively. The only way we were getting out of here was to think positively. Or at least, that's what I continued telling myself.

"Jiji! Yo, you listenin'?" I was jerked out of my thoughts by Jean, who was standing in front of me with Akari by his side. "C'mon! We're gonna go get some stuff from the store for the whole party thing. You're still comin', and Bonnie wasn't just yankin' my chain, right?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I'm sorry." I said quickly, trying to laugh it off. "Just give me a moment, I want to clean up before we head out."

"Take as much time as you need! We aren't starting until 12, after all." Akari pointed out as I gathered my plate up. "We'll be waiting by the entrance for you!" I only nodded as I hurried to the kitchen. To my surprise, Kotetsu and Rurumi were inside, seemingly making even more food for the others.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Kotetsu asked, neither of them hearing me enter. "It feels like we shouldn't be staying out this late. I mean, what if Edmund gets mad? We could get in trouble!" Rurumi rolled her eyes, slamming down a plate.

"Does it look like I give a damn about what Edmund thinks?" She asked confidently. "Listen, it ain't like we'll be out for long. Just a half hour or so after curfew. And it's for a good cause! We might as well try to keep everything cheerful."

"I dunno, Rurumi…" Kotetsu muttered, turning a spoon over in his massive hands. "I've...I've got a bad feeling about this. Maybe we can just wait until morning?" Rurumi only huffed in response, turning and finally taking notice of me.

"Oh! Hey, Denjii!" She said, as if nothing was wrong. "I can take that plate if you want! You'll be heading to Bonnie's room later tonight too, right? Just tell Nizu that I'll be comin' in late, if you see her. Hobbes and I got a big plan for tomorrow morning!"

"Hobbes….?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. She only jerked a thumb back towards Kotetsu, who immediately let out an indignant "Hey!" in response. "Ah. I see. I'll make a note to tell her that. You...won't be out for long, right?"

"Nah, like I was sayin' before, it'll only be a half hour or so." She replied, stepping forwards and taking the plate from my hand. "See ya later, girl!" I bid my farewells too, before heading back out and meeting up once more with Akari and Jean.

It took us the good part of the evening following dinner to gather up enough supplies. Or, at least, enough supplies Jean deemed necessary. It was already close to 9 o'clock when we began heading back, arms full of various bottles of soda and bags of snacks. Jean made sure to tell us to grab a lot of sugary snacks, which I saw as an attempt at keeping us all awake.

We arrived at the apartment building not long after that, where Jean was the one to unlock the door for us. He was the one to lead the way back up the stairs and further up the building, stopping us on what seemed to be the third floor.

"Yo? Ni? You in there, girl?" He called. Ni? Is this Nizu's room? I wondered, squinting a small bit to catch a glimpse of the door's sign. Sure enough, there sat a miniature, 8-bit recreation of Nizu dead in the center, complete with even her little rabbit-like bow ends.

"Maybe she's still in the cafe?" Akari suggested after a few moments of silence. "Or she could've started watching for the night too. Maybe she'll be coming later?"

"I just wanted to talk with her for a sec," Jean pouted, crossing his arms as much as he could, "but if she ain't here, might as well just wait a bit longer. You two can head up to my room 'out me. Bon-Bon should be up there already." Akari nodded and began heading down the hall for the stairwell, while I hesitated for a few seconds.

"...Jean, may I ask a favor?" I finally said, making him turn to me with a questioning look. "When I went to the kitchen earlier, I overheard Rurumi and Kotetsu talking about their plans to stay after curfew. I assume Rurumi is...coming to this party, or am I wrong?"

"Nah, you right, you right." Jean nodded, frowning ever so slightly. "Guessin' you want me to mention that to Ni when I see her, yeah?" He attempted to give me a thumbs up, but nearly ended up dropping the bags he was holding. "You go catch up with Ari, 'kay? I'll be fine here, sista, you ain't gotta worry about me." I bit my lower lip, thankful for my face mask hiding my doubt, and nodded regardless.

"Of course. Thank you, Jean." I said, before I began hurrying so I can catch up with Akari. Jean shouted a goodbye as I rushed off, the sound of his voice cut off as the door to the stairs closed behind me. Akari had stopped on the landing upstairs, having noticed I had stopped a while back and was waiting for me.

An somewhat awkward silence hung over us, or at least some kind of silence. I could tell the awkwardness was coming only from Akari, who would sometimes shoot me a backwards glance here or there. But she never initiated a conversation. Of course, I didn't either, which might've been part of the problem. However, I couldn't tell for sure.

Eventually, we reached the very top of the building, stopping in front of Jean's room door. I was the one to step forwards, knocking on the door before standing back with Akari and simply waiting. There was a few seconds of silence, before I heard stomping heading right to the door just as it swung open.

"Denjii! Akari! There y'all are!" Bonnie was standing behind it, hand on the brim of her hat. She even tipped it to us as she stepped aside. "C'mon in, we just been settin' up all this time! Y'all can just set down all that junk on the counter, then ya can help us with all the settin' up and such. Tryin' to keep it quiet-like too, so don't go tearin' up Jake now, y'hear?"

"Yeah, we'll keep that in mind." Akari said as we entered. Jean's apartment was just the same as mine, which I figured was the same for everyone really. We set our bags down on the counter, as Bonnie slammed the door closed with reckless abandon, turning back to us with her usual grin.

"Right-o partners! So, Clara's gettin' things set up outside, I think." She said, pointing out to the balcony. Sure enough, the Ultimate Modern Dancer was outside, glancing around at the surrounding area. "So, while she's got things handled there, I want y'all to get all them fixin's ready. Then we hunker down here for a while. 'Til everything 'ficially begins anyways."

"Understood. It seems like a simple enough task, anyways." I simply said, nodding. Akari nodded as well, actually setting her bags down first. I moved to do the same, until Bonnie grabbed me by my arm before I could move that is.

"Listen, don't wanna sound like I'm castin' doubt or nothin', but…" She said, scratching at a spot below her chin. "Just curious as ta' where Jean is, y'know? Where'd that wolfer get off to?"

"Oh, he said he was waiting for Nizu. He wanted to discuss something with her apparently." I explained. "If you want me to, then I can go check on him myself. It looks as if you'll have plenty of help from Akari." A frown crossed Bonnie's face as she thought for a minute, before she finally nodded.

"Alrighty then!" She said, putting both her hands on her hips. "Just be back with either one a' them, yeah? And try to get your asses back here too, these gals and I might end up gettin' a bit too wolflish if ya catch my drift." She broke out into an uproar of laughter, even slapping her knee.

"Er...I'll...keep that in mind, Bonnie." I said, laughing awkwardly. "I won't be too long, I promise." She nodded once more, as I headed right for the door.

"Ni? C'mon, I know you're in there! Stop ignorin' me, will ya?" I heard Jean well before I reached him. I sped up, quietly opening the door only to see he was still standing outside Nizu's door, pounding on it at this point. "It's just one little question! Are you seriously going to ignore me for that?"

"Jean. Haven't you been out for long enough?" I asked, emerging from the stairwell. "Bonnie's worried about you. And we need you to help set up for the party, anyways."

"I'm a persistent man, Jiji." Jean said, not even phased by my sudden reappearance. "And unless Ni comes out right now, you dudes are just gonna have to make due without me." I sighed, folding my arms.

"If you're going to stay here all night, then let me take what you have." I finally said, pointing to his bags. "They probably need it upstairs." Jean's hand tightened around the handle, and he seemed to consider the request for a few moments. But, just as he was about to hand it over, the door on the other end of the hall opened.

"Oh. Jean. Denjii." It was Nizu, her voice and face revealing absolutely nothing. It was almost like she wasn't even surprised to see us. "Why are you two outside my room? Did you need something?"

"Oh! Yeah, just wanted to ask ya something!" Jean quickly said, laughing slightly. "You're comin' to the party, right? We're tryin' to gather everyone up 'fore midnight. Guess Bonnie didn't catch you in time during breakfast. Or during dinner for that matter."

"Wait, you weren't at breakfast or dinner?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. I was more preoccupied searching for more information of our area." Nizu explained. "As for this party, I suppose I might as well. At the rate we're going, we might be able to make it to...I'm assuming your apartment, Jean?" The Ultimate Rapper simply nodded, pushing his backwards cap up slightly. "As I guessed. We might be able to make it before the curfew announcement."

"Yo, wait, it's nearly 10?" Jean asked, dropping his bags to check his bracelet. I checked the time as well. 9:57. It was even later than I thought, it seemed. "Damn. We were out getting supplies for a long time, then."

"I've just ended my watch shift." Nizu continued. "Edmund and I agreed on going for different times. I'm not sure how long he said he would be going for, but I always watch from 8:50 to 9:30."

"If that's the case, then why did we not see you coming in?" I asked, tilting my head. "Jean, Akari, and I all returned not long ago, yet I did not see any sign of you while we were passing through the lobby."

"I had to…" Nizu started, pursing her lips. "...step out for a few moments. That must've been when you three passed through." She shook her head, clearly a bit embarrassed. "Let's….move away from this subject. Why don't we just head up to Jean's apartment?"

"Yeah, no prob, Ni." Jean said. He gathered up his bags once more and the three of us began to head back up the stairs. However, as we climbed up the stairs, the thought occurred to me.

"Nizu, may I ask a quick question?" I asked, looking to her. She merely nodded, expression unchanging. "After you came back, did you happen to see Rurumi come back?"

"...No, I'm afraid I didn't." She said after quite a bit of consideration. "I didn't see anyone enter or leave prior to meeting up with you two." She quickened her pace. "Let us just enjoy this party for now. Rurumi should be fine."

You say that, but… I thought, frowning. No. I need to believe in her. And remain positive. We'll all be in Jean's room tonight. Or at least everyone in this building. And she can perfectly take care of herself. She'll be perfectly fine.

"It is now 10pm! Curfew is now in effect. All students should refrain from venturing farther than the cafe or risk punishment. Behave yourselves, now!"

The announcement shut off just as we made it to back to Jean's apartment. Set-up was easy from there. Bonnie was the one directing us, surprisingly knowing quite a bit about setting up for a party. We placed snacks in bowls and placed them literally on any flat surface. The counter, the chair on the balcony outside, the coffee table, and I swear I even saw one of the bowls on a couch arm.

"Alrighty folks! I think we're all ready!" Bonnie eventually shouted, at around 10:20. She looked rather pleased with herself, a huge grin plastered all over her face. "Y'all good with startin' the hootenanny early?"

"We've still got a few people missing, right?" Akari asked, glancing around the room. "I don't think Rurumi or Kasane are here yet. Maybe we should wait for them?"

"Rurumi should be fine." I piped up. "As for Kasane…" Bonnie put a hand on her chin, frowning and trying to think.

"How 'bout this then? Akari, you and Denjii here go find Kasane and see if she's gonna mosey on down." The Ultimate Cowgirl said, pointing to the both of us. "Meanwhile, rest of us are gonna get our party down! Yee-haw!" Akari looked as if she wanted to object, but sighed and shrugged, turning to the door.

"I suppose we'd better go then." I said, rushing to her side. "Do you know which floor her room is on?"

"Yes, I think so at least." Akari said confidently, leading the way downstairs. "She should be on the….second floor. Right above your apartment, I think!" I nodded and simply followed her. Yet, as we walked down more and more flights of stairs, I slowly felt more and more uneasy. A strange pit settled at the bottom of my stomach, causing a shiver to run down my spine with every door we passed or every step we took. Something was wrong, but I just kept trying to tell myself to push those thoughts aside.

However, as we reached the third floor, my fear was only cemented further. Outside of the room's door was Kasane, knocking quietly and looking rather concerned. She didn't even seem to hear us as we got closer. And I soon figured out why. On the other side of the door was a faint scuffling noise followed quickly by various, outdoor noises. I sprinted ahead of Akari, who only looked confused.

"Kasane, what's going on?" I asked. Kasane's fist tightened on the door and she merely looked at me, clearly conveying a specific message. I set my jaw firmly and began pounding on the door as well, trying the door knob.

Locked.

"Denjii, what's wrong?!" Akari asked, finally making it closer. "Is there something going on? Is everything alright?" I wanted to answer her and assure her everything was alright, but opening the door was my main priority at the moment. I instead just ignored her questions, jiggling the door handle as much as I could.

Goddammit… I thought, furrowing my brow. Without thinking, I backed up before trying to ram my shoulder into the door, shuddering slightly and coming to the realization that I was almost definitely athletic. But I suppose that should've been obvious considering my talent. But my poor athletic skill didn't deter me, I instead continued trying to bash the door down using my shoulder alone. Akari eventually caught onto what I was trying to do, ordering for both of us to stand aside.

She unsheathed her sword, performing a downwards strike on the door. I fully understood why she was called the Ultimate Fencer, as the strength behind her blow was incredible. I could even feel the strength reverberating off of the door as wood chips flew everywhere. She stuck the door another couple of times, eventually creating a hole big enough for her to slip her hand through. She managed to unlock the door from the inside, pushing it open.

The room inside was a complete mess. Furniture was thrown everywhere and there were dents in the actual wall. The balcony door had been left open and the chair outside had been tipped over. There were red stains all over the walls and I even saw a big rip in the paneling. I heard Akari gasp and back away while Kasane remained completely silent.

My heart leaped into my throat as I moved further into the apartment. Everything is fine. Everything is fine. I kept trying to tell myself, trying my hardest not to look at the red handprints and smudges all over the wall. This is nothing….Everything will be fine...just stay positive. Just….stay….posi…

That's when I should've realized. No matter how positive you try to be in this town, Despair will always find a way to rear its ugly head.

The couch was sideways, facing the open balcony door. Someone lay on their side, head lowered so as to look as if they were simply asleep. In fact, they could've easily been mistaken as asleep if it weren't for their front, which was completely died scarlet. I stepped forwards, pulling on the person's shoulder only to feel nothing but cold death. And see the person's face.

In front of me laid the cold, lifeless corpse of Rurumi Roka, the Ultimate Kickboxer.

Dead.

Students Alive: 15

Students Dead: 1

END OF FREE TIME

The first murder victim, Rurumi Roka. It was super hard choosing who the first victim should be, before I eventually settled on Rurumi. As much as I love her and wish I had a bit more time to develop her, every killing game needs a first victim. Besides, I have bigger plans for the rest of the characters.

So, the way things role from here should be simple. Next chapter will be our investigation along with a list of all our truth bullets, then the next few chapters should be the class trial. Not sure now how long said trial will be, but we'll get to that when it comes, I guess. Voting for FTEs is now over as well, and I swear I didn't know I could just make a poll on here, I'm still relatively "new" to this site. So the next pole should be up following the trial.

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! See you all during the next chapter!