The Ultimate Spies (Part 1)
"Oh, look who it is."
My heart almost jumped out of my chest. I could've sworn I went to bed last night by myself; so why am I hearing voices?
I hesitantly opened my eyes to reveal a sight I'd never thought I'd get to see again.
"Took you long enough, Mr. Crimson…" Said the voice of a silver-haired gentleman.
"I was starting to think you were never going to wake up." A girl wearing a tattered black t-shirt smirked.
"I've missed you so much!" An intelligent looking girl cried out. "I thought I'd never get to say goodbye!"
I turned my head to see the final figure in the room, an apron-wearing boy standing away from the rest of the group. He wouldn't look me in the eye, instead nervously staring at the ground. "A-ahem. Long time no see, Seizo…"
These voices…
These faces…
They're all…
The deceased captives of the killing game!
Silver, Ritsu, Satoko, and Hiiro, all staring at me with various looks of smugness, joy, and awkwardness.
"W-what the hell?!" I gasped, jumping out of my bed. My heart was beating a mile a minute and all traces of exhaustion left my body as pure adrenaline pumped through me. "How is this possible?! You guys...y-you're dead! I mean, Ritsu and Hiiro, I saw you die with my own eyes!"
How could I ever forget? The lasers cutting across Ritsu's body...the boiling hot coffee melting Hiiro's...it's a sight that'll haunt me forever.
"Are you really that dense?" Ritsu chuckled. "This is a dream, obviously."
Satoko nodded with a sad smile on her pale face. It was then that I noticed the four of them looked like themselves...as if they were ghosts. Pale skin, semi-transparent bodies, and their clothes ruined depending on how they died.
Satoko, for example, was dripping wet.
"You're in the REM stage of sleep right now-where your brain activity is at its highest." She started to explain. "You're dreaming of us in particular because you're constantly thinking of us. Your brain basically can't think of anything else to dream of!"
"I'm flattered that you'd think of me of all people." Silver admitted. He had a trail of blood leading from his mouth, representing the poisoned Long Island Iced Tea he drank that ended his life. "I mean, I didn't really get to leave the mark I thought I would, hm? The Ultimate TV Host should've been a lot more charming..."
"Didn't get to leave a mark?" I repeated with a frown. "That's not true at all. Silver, there's so many questions I've been meaning to ask you. To begin with, why did you have that note with our names on it?"
"Ah, I apologize, Mr. Crimson." Silver sighed, dabbing at his mouth with a handkerchief. "That is a question I cannot answer. Remember, I'm not really Silver, just your brain's own interpretation of him."
"We only know what you know about us." Hiiro nodded. His skin was covered in burns. "So we can't talk about anything we didn't tell you or that you didn't find out about us."
"Sorry about that," Ritsu sighed, twirling her ponytail with one of her fingers. Her skin was also burned, but the marks were lines rather than all over the place like Hiiro. "That's the pesky thing about dreams, isn't it? You want answers like, does this person like me? Are they lying to me? What's their true intentions? But sadly, all your brain can do is theorize and wonder. You'll never truly know what you want to."
I sighed, sitting back down on my bed. Why am I dreaming about this right now? There must be some reason…
I've always had pretty vivid dreams since I was a kid. Ever since I started acting, it was like my brain couldn't turn off the part where I was in make believe scenarios, like what movies and dreams both are.
"It shouldn't be a problem, though." Satoko said. "You do know a lot of things about us. More than most other people do."
"Huh, what are you talking about?" I asked. I only knew them for a couple of days; why would I know them better than most?
"That's right, you wouldn't remember, would you?" Silver sighed, sadly frowning. "Those memories are locked up somewhere real tight."
"Someday soon, he'll remember." Hiiro said confidently. "He has to realize who the mastermind is and put an end to their plans, after all."
Mastermind? Is he talking about the one who kidnapped us and forced us to play the killing game?
"I'm afraid it might be impossible." Ritsu claimed, looking concerned. "Seizo is only Seizo, after all. He wouldn't be able to remember what someone else did or went through."
"I wouldn't be so doubtful," Silver smiled. "Mr. Crimson is the Ultimate Actor, he should be able to realize what's going on."
"Uh, how does being the Ultimate Actor make me capable of figuring out who put us in here?" I deadpanned. "I know how to act as characters in movies and TV shows, not how to find out who kidnapped 20 Ultimate students and took them to outer space."
"19." Satoko corrected. "Don't worry, you'll understand someday soon. I'm sure you can beat him!"
Him? 19? But at the beginning there were 20 of us…
20 of us…
…
Unless Satoko is trying to say that…
One of us is the mastermind.
"I think it's time for us to go now." Hiiro said, looking at the door.
"Yes, it's time for you to awaken." Silver nodded, straightening his tie and smiling at me.
"See ya later, Morine." Ritsu waved. "Try a little harder to figure things out, ok? Wouldn't want my death to be for nothing."
"Please stay strong for the others." Satoko pleaded. "I know things are tough right now, but fighting and arguing with each other won't do anyone any good."
"Wait no!" I called, reaching my hand out. "You can't go yet! C'mon, I don't know what to do!"
But it was too late.
They were already gone…
"Ahem, this is a HFH Enterprise official announcement! It is now 7 AM, which means that nighttime is officially over! Time to get up out of bed. Let's all welcome this new day with an open heart and mind! "
I woke up with a startle, my body sweaty and my chest tight.
Ugh, that damn dream...it just made me more confused than anything else, to be honest.
But whatever, it's only a dream, right?
Not like some deadly premonition that's going to come back to haunt me later and wish I spoke to the others about it and did more about it, haha…
I shook my head. Life isn't some best selling horror-mystery video game (even though our time on this ship so far could be made into something like that). I'll be fine!
I jumped out of bed and nodded. It was my first full day back since being eliminated. Even though yesterday was hard, I'm determined to have a good day today! Hopefully if I keep a positive attitude, things will go back to normal...well, normal as they can be with four of us gone...
I felt gross and sweaty from not taking a shower in days, so I gathered up some clean clothes and my toiletries and headed for the shower room.
The showers were empty, much to my relief.
I picked a random one, undressed, and started to take a nice hot shower to burn the scent of death off of me.
Woo-hoo! This water feels great! It was kinda gross seeing all the dirt and grime that had accumulated on my body wash down the drain, but it was also oddly satisfying. Hopefully I'll never be trapped in a room with my leg chained to the ground again…
As I continued to shower, thoughts of home and comfort in my head, I heard the door slowly creak open, which made my heart skip a beat.
"Ugh, hello?" I called out, trying to listen for any footsteps.
…
…
…
No response.
Oh shit...I am about to be murdered?!
Tensions are at an all time high between everyone right now, so it wouldn't be surprising if someone snapped the day after Satoko was murdered. Plus, no one would be expecting it so it'd be a huge shock that'd throw off the investigation and trial.
But damn, does this have to happen now? Can I at least get dressed first? I don't want anyone investigating my naked dead body...
"Seizo!" A voice called. "I knew it was you."
I could see the silhouette of a figure outside, leaning against the lockers.
Judging by his voice and the smug way he's leaning against the lockers…
I think it's safe to say the voice belongs to the one and only Sonoda Eisen.
"Sonoda?" I said, breathing a sigh of relief as I relaxed. "What're you doing in here? Come to take a shower or something?"
Sonoda shook his head. "No, no. I was actually looking for you!"
…
I awkwardly laughed. "Well, uh, I'm kind of busy right now, man. Maybe we can talk when I'm finished showering?"
"Oh, this won't take long." Sonoda claimed. "I just wanted to ask if you would be open to attending the next meeting of the HFH Enterprise Official Bank! As an actor whose most likely dealt with a large amount of money in the past, you would be a valuable asset to our team, and I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on our organization thus far."
…
Is this guy serious?
"For real?" I asked. "Don't you think there's better things to be worried about than your bank? I mean, Satoko and Hiiro just died, and we have a psychopath among our ranks."
Sonoda nodded along as I talked. "Yes, yes, all valid points. However, wouldn't a meeting such as mine serve as a little distraction? I'm not trying to erase or forget about the events that have happened lately, I'm simply trying to get back to a sense of normalcy. That is what we all want, correct?"
I couldn't see his face through the shower curtain, but his tone did sound sincere, so I don't think he's acting.
Normalcy, huh? That's something I've definitely been trying to get back to…
I sighed, shaking my head. I'm always so quick to talk back to people, I need to work on that in the future. I may be a rich, attractive, talented, young, virtuous, healthy, kind, loving, charitable, esteemed, famous, wealthy, good looking, likable, and charming actor, but I'm no better than anyone else.
"Sure, Sonoda." I said. "When do you guys meet? I'll be there."
"Tomorrow right before the morning announcement!" He answered. "That means you should wake up a few minutes before hand to get ready to be there on time."
I nodded. "Fine with me, I'll just go to bed a little earlier tonight."
Sonoda nodded in response. "Perfect. I will see you then, Seizo."
With that, the salesman made his leave.
I sighed in relief. It was pretty weird having a conversation while naked, especially with someone like Sonoda…
After showering, I made my way towards the dining room.
Just like every other day, however, I was stopped. This time by a black and purple haired card dealer.
Jack looked relatively composed, but I noticed slight bags under his eyes. He must not have slept well given all that happened yesterday…Especially because of her.
"Good morning, Seizo." Jack nodded. "I wanted to talk, if that's fine with you."
"Of course." I said. "Anytime, man."
Jack sighed. "Alright...Well, I just wanted to say...thank you. I know you went through a lot with being held captive in Heaven or Hell, but nonetheless, you worked hard and managed to find Satoko's killer. The circumstances may have been...unique, to say the least, but you managed to find out who did it anyways."
He held out one of his gloved hands, and I took it, shaking it.
"I know I'm not the most emotional or outgoing guy, but I really am thankful. Satoko was a good person, it's a shame her life ended so soon." Jack continued, retracting his hand and narrowing his eyes.
I nodded with a sad smile. "I understand, don't worry about it. You're allowed to grieve in your own way, and take as much time to do so. I always got your back, no matter what."
Jack offered a very slight smile in return. "Oh, speaking of...there's something I've been wondering. Back then, why did you lie for me? You hardly knew me. Hell, you hardly know me even now."
"Huh?" I asked. "Back when?"
Jack chuckled. "Ah, you can't remember? It was during the first trial…"
"I was right next to Mauve during the entirety of Sage and Sunrise's argument!" I said confidently. "We even laughed about it when Sage pushed Sunrise, because of how stupid we thought they were being."
"What?" Sage raised a brow. "I thought you yourself said that you were all so focused on our argument that you didn't see the killer escape, but you were able to notice Mauve?"
"Well, I mean yeah," I chuckled. "He was right next to me, after all. I wasn't that hammered that I didn't notice him…"
Mauve immediately shot me a look, almost as if to say: "What the hell are you doing?"
But I simply shook my head and gave him a look that said: "Shhh, just let it happen…"
"And why didn't you mention this earlier?" Royal angrily questioned.
"I just remembered," I explained. "My mind was still a little foggy from the alcohol, y'know."
"Oh!" I realized, laughing. "That. Well, uh, if I'm being honest: I don't know. I know we only knew each other for a short amount of time, but I just got good vibes from you. You seem like a chill and good guy, I think we would've been friends if it hadn't been for this whole killing game thing."
Jack nodded. "I see. I think the same of you, you're one of the few people in here who I can trust. And yes, it is a shame that we're in this killing game, where we all inherently view each other as enemies no matter how hard we try to think otherwise…"
"Yeah...Speaking of the first trial, that is one viewpoint Ritsu had right." I said. "She had only known us for such a short amount of time, Silver included. I still think murder is wrong, but she thought the guy was suspicious and did what she felt was right to try and get out of here. Kuro, on the other hand…"
"Yes, he simply wants to knock us off one by one for the fun of it and for his own benefit." Jack frowned. "Satoko was probably the person here most undeserving of what happened to her, and yet he still chose to have her killed due to it being convenient for him…Ah, that reminds me."
"Hm?" I asked. "Reminds you of what?"
"Sorry to change the topic of conversation, but what you said before, about Ritsu." Jack explained, glancing at the door leading to our bedrooms. "I was thinking, and as the Ultimate Spy, plus the fact that she was looking for a way out, I feel like she must have known more than she let on. Her room probably has a bunch of things that could help us out…"
"Well, if she did find something else that was important, don't you think she would tell us?" I asked.
We originally thought Ritsu was some hyperactive rabbit who did way too much LSD, but then it turned out it was all some sort of act that she kept to keep people from being suspicious of her. In actuality, she was a cold and calculating spy who found a note given to Silver that had our real names on it, and had been planning on killing Silver for quite a while.
Jack frowned. "Maybe...but then again, she only had a few minutes before...well, you know."
Hm, that is true. Plus, Monokuma was right there and she had to obtain permission from him in order to show us the note. So it would make sense that she didn't say anything more...plus, there was the whole 'about to be executed' thing that was probably weighing on her mind.
"You all didn't see what I did." Noir frowned. "Trust me, it made all the difference in my decision."
"What do you mean?" I asked. "What'd you see?"
Noir sighed, before shaking her head. "I can't s-"
"Go ahead!" Monokuma suddenly said. "It doesn't matter now, anyways! The plan is finally complete!"
Noir's eyes widened. "What? What are you talking about?"
"Upupu…" Monokuma cackled. "You can share what you found is what I mean! Nothing will happen, I promise!" He added, putting his paw on his 'heart'.
Did Ritsu really know more? It sucks that we can't find out, I vaguely remember Monokuma saying something about not being allowed in the dead people's rooms…
"Anyways, it's just a theory I had." Jack said. "I've been trying to work harder at finding a way out of here. I don't want what happened to Satoko to happen to any of the rest of us ever again."
"I understand." I nodded. "If I ever find out anything, I'll let you know, man."
Jack nodded one last time, and then took his leave into the dining room.
I sighed. Nowadays all we do is theorize and look for ways out of here...If only we could actually have fun for once and get along like we would've if we were classmates instead of fellow captives…
I shook my head. I was thinking unrealistically, too hopeful. It's good to have optimism and all that, but I can't get my hopes up too high, otherwise, as cruel as it sounds: I might end up like Satoko…
I took a deep breath, and followed Jack into the dining room, mentally preparing myself for what I was about to walk into.
Everyone was present, sitting at their own tables and having their own separate, quiet conversations. Things looked pretty tame, but I could see people sneaking uneasy glances at each other every so often.
I took a moment to look around at the various groups. Now that we've been in here for a while, everyone has kind of formed their own 'cliques', the people they feel closest with and trust the most (or in Mari's case, the people she can manipulate easily).
It wasn't like high school or anything, where they were all super close friends who went to festivals and date cafe's together; it was more like they shared common interests and goals, which made them...bonded, in some strange way (despite the fact that we're in a "every man for himself" killing game).
Seeing as there were four tables, there were four different groups who ate together.
The first one consists of what I'd call "The Wallflowers". They don't really vibe with anyone but each other. In this group are Isami, Norikazu, and Shiro (evident by the fact that he's currently crying, muttering "I'm sorry" over and over again while Isami and Norikazu awkwardly try to comfort him).
The second group are basically all the loudmouths, with a couple of odd balls mixed in. I guess technically they're "The Popular Kids"? I dunno. It's clear who the leaders of the group are, as opposed to who the followers are. Takahashi, Mari, Sonoda, Clara, Takumi, and Nadia all sit at this crowded table, having taken a chair from Isami, Norikazu, and Shiro's table to accommodate their large numbers.
The third group is what I like to call "The Girl Gang", as everyone who sits at the table happens to be a girl. They're all smart, intelligent, and sassy at times, but they're all generally good people. Leonia, Evelyn, Fran, and Koko (having had to leave her two person group with Hiiro due to his untimely death) are the members of this group. I assume if Ritsu were still around, she'd also be a part of it too…
The last group...is everyone else. People who don't really fit in anywhere else, or people who just don't simply care about being in a group. An appropriate name would be…"The Outsiders", not in a negative "social outcast" type of way, just in the fact that they just don't care to fit in with everyone else. Its members are Jack, Akumu...and well, me, I guess. We're all either friends with everyone (Akumu and I) or don't really care about anyone (Jacky Boy). Satoko also would be a member if she were still alive today, and I'm guessing Silver would be too, fitting into the friends with everyone category.
I sighed, watching as everyone did their own thing. It was a pretty depressing sight. Shiro crying, Mari berating her 'friends', Koko sobbing as Fran and Evelyn attempted to comfort her, and Akumu talking to a very uninterested and exhausted Jack.
What happened to the days where all the tables were together and we laughed like friends? That first week when we planned a whole party for one of our own?
Who am I kidding…? It's obvious who's to blame…
That damn animatronic, Charles Entertainment Cheese rip off!
Always messing things up for us...I mean, first he makes us play this whole killing game thing, and then he gives us motive after motive that causes distrust and fear between us. We can't win with him around!
Yesterday, Takahashi mentioned to me that he wants to try and overthrow him...I still have no idea how that's going to work out, but it's the only way that'll be able to get us back to normal, and it'll bring us one step closer to going back home.
Alright, time to get grafting! If I want us all to be friends again, then talking to everyone should be the ever important first step!
I slowly approached The Wallflowers, careful not to startle the bleary-eyed Shiro.
"Good morning, you three." I smiled, walking up to them.
Isami looked up at me, her golden eyes looking slightly tired today. "...Good morning."
Norikazu sighed. "As you can tell we've been trying to get Shiro to relax practically all morning...He even woke us up last night because he couldn't stop crying."
"I-It's not my f-fault…" Shiro insisted, looking up at me. "K-Kuro keeps yelling at me! C-Calling me stupid…"
"Then why don't you just tell him to, well, 'shut up'?" Norikazu questioned.
"Nori…" Isami sighed, shaking her head at the illustrator. "You know it's not that simple, especially for someone like Shiro…"
Noirkazu frowned. "Well of course it isn't simple, but if he doesn't like it, then he could stand to gain something if he just stood up for himself. His weak state of mind is the reason Kuro's able to take over and cause trouble so freely."
"How is he supposed to stand up for himself against himself?" Isami argued back, giving Norikazu a very slight dirty look.
"G-Guys…" Shiro sniffed. "I'm right h-here…"
The two didn't seem to hear him, however, as they continued to argue…
I nervously backed away from the confrontation. Ok, so I guess this group isn't up for talking right now…
I moved onto the next group, hoping for a better conversation that didn't involve arguing.
Ah, Clara and Takumi are in this group, so we should have a nice chat.
"Hey, guys." I waved, walking over to The Popular Kids' table.
"Get lost, D-Lister." Takahashi demanded, not even bothering to look me in the eye as he lounged back in his chair with his feet on the table.
"C'mon man, that's not very nice." I frowned.
"Do you think I care about being nice?" Takahashi scoffed. "It's 8 in the morning and there's already 4 people I don't care about invading my personal space, I don't need a 5th."
"...4, huh?" Clara repeated, glancing around the table. "But there's 5 of us, not including yourself."
"Yeah, so if there were 4 people you didn't care about, then there's 1 you do care about that's sitting here right now." Takumi surmised. "Wow, I wonder who it is?! Is it me, by any chance? We did investigate the ship together on our first day here, so maybe you developed some feelings of attachment towards me, and I mean who could blame y-"
"Shut up!" Takahashi angrily yelled, slamming his foot down on the table. "I could care less about some string bean with the world's worst hair cut."
"H-hey!" Takumi frowned, patting his hair down in embarrassment.
"It's obviously me, right?" Sonoda chuckled. "After all, we have shared many a conversation involving a variety of subjects, and my HFH Enterprise official bank idea has really interested you, ri-"
"Hell no." Takahashi sneered. "Honestly the only reason I'm entertaining that stupid ass idea is to give you something to do that will keep you busy and away from me."
"Ah, I see…" Sonoda slowly nodded, narrowing his eyes.
"U-Um, is it me, by any ch-" Nadia nervously started to ask, until Takahashi gave her a frightening look that quickly shut her up.
"Ok…" She nodded, sniffing and bowing her head.
"It's obviously me." Mari smirked, flipping her hair in Clara's face. "I mean, I'm the one whose spent the most time with Taka! We even went on a date and I totally got to feel up his abs."
"Um, that quickly ended with you and him discovering Satoko's corpse." Clara deadpanned, scooting her chair away from Mari.
Mari simply glared at her in response.
"Can you guys keep it down and forget about it," Takahashi muttered, closing his eyes. "I'm trying to get some rest and you losers are making it really hard to do that."
"No way, I want to know which one of us you care about!" Takumi demanded, crossing his arms.
"Um, I'm kind of curious too…" Nadia admitted, blushing and twirling a piece of her black hair.
"Fuck me…" Takahashi groaned, covering his ears as his table mates berated him with questions.
I backed away. This was clearly none of my business.
Takahashi was either too much of a prideful asshole to admit who he cared about...or he's too much of a prideful asshole to admit that he simply misspoke.
I sighed, rolling my eyes at their antics. At least they weren't arguing over something serious like Shiro, Isami, and Norikazu.
I turned to walk towards "The Girl Gang"...
And wanted to turn right back around as I noticed what was going on.
From where I stood, I could spot a crying Koko, with Fran and Evelyn comforting her, patting her back as she wept. Also sitting at the table was Leonia, who seemed to be telling Koko something.
I gulped, and nervously approached them.
"Um, morning." I said in a soft tone. Adding a good in front of that didn't feel right considering everything Koko's been through in the last 24 hours...
Koko looked up at me, quickly rubbing her eyes and mustering up a small smile. "O-Oh, um, good morning Seizo."
Fran sadly smiled. "Good morning. I hope your day started out better than poor Koko over here. She insists that she's feeling fine, but it's quite clear that she isn't..."
"Buena, Seizo." Evelyn nodded. "It's good to see you looking well, it's still so crazy to think I thought you and Fran were dead just a day ago…"
"Good morning, Seizo." Leonia said, adjusting her eyeglasses as she looked up at me. "Did you shower? I have to say, you're looking especially nice and put together today."
Wow! The other two groups barely acknowledged me, but now these lovely ladies are giving me all the attention. It's no wonder that they're my favorite group here!
I smirked. "Well, to answer all of your questions, I-"
I couldn't even answer one of them before Koko started crying again.
"I-I'm sorry, Seizo!" She said in between sobs. "I know you told me to try and stay positive after Ritsu died, and I really have been trying, but now Satoko and Hiiro are gone too! They're all people I was close with...it's almost like I'm a d-death magnet!"
"Well, Silver also died and you weren't close with him!" Fran said, presumably in an attempt to cheer Koko up.
Koko simply looked at her and started to cry harder.
"Francesca!" Leonia chastised. "That was rather blunt, and that's saying something coming from myself…"
"My apologies!" Fran quickly said. "I didn't mean to upset you even more, I was just trying to explain to you how you're most definitely not responsible for anyone's deaths. I understand it may feel that way due to your relationship with them and the circumstances surrounding it, but I can assure you that you're not a murderer or even an accomplice! You're a great person, Koko, and you should never blame yourself for something so horrible."
Evelyn nodded along as Fran spoke. "Tochno. Exactly. At the end of the day, we all know who the real person is to blame. Monokuma, without a doubt. He's the one who gave us those twisted motives, warping our minds and causing us to think unjust things. Some of us have been able to resist his temptations, but others unfortunately gave in. You had nothing to do with that, so don't think for a second that you're responsible."
"I may not know you very well, but it is clear to me that you're one of the kinder ones among our group." Leonia remarked. "Everything you do, you do with good intentions in mind. You don't have malicious intent or want to hurt anybody; you simply want to be kind and become friends with as many people as possible. You're probably the only person left here with a completely pure heart, if I'm being honest. You are not a death magnet, a killer, or a bad person. You're simply a good person trapped in a stressful, evil, and horrible situation that'd make anyone doubt themselves."
Koko stared at the three in awe as they gave her words of encouragement. Even I felt like shedding a tear or two! This is exactly what I mean when I say we could all get along! Giving each other words of encouragement, uplifting each other instead of putting each other down, that's what I want. We don't have to all be BFFs, like how Koko and Leonia aren't really that close, we just need to respect one another and recognize the fact that at the end of the day, we're all just human beings going through a rough ass time.
Koko's tears slowly came to a halt. She wiped her eyes free of any stray tears, cleared her throat, and put on a small, but noticeable smile. "Thank you, guys...I really needed to hear that. I'm still not completely ok, and not totally convinced that I'm not a death magnet, but I'll try to think a little more positively from now on...Losing Hiiro was hard, but I'm still alive, and I can't spend all my time crying! Right, Seizo?"
I smiled at the food critic. A few days ago, I didn't know if Koko could ever get to this point. But, after that conversation with her in the game room, as well as this conversation with her now, I now know that she's capable of anything. She's a much stronger girl than she lets on; despite all the losses she's been through, she's still standing.
"I'll take things one step at a time." Koko declared. "It won't be easy peasy lemon squeezy, but with you fries by my side salad, I peel like I can handle any onion ring!"
…
…
…
"Too soon, Koko…" Fran deadpanned, staring in horror at the food critic.
"Y-Yeah, for real…" Evelyn agreed, nervously wiping sweat off her brow.
"Huh?" Koko questioned, tilting her head. "What did I do wrong?"
Leonia looked quite pale. "The puns, Koko...The puns…"
I was going to throw up in disgust if I stayed there for any longer, so I quickly took my leave.
Phew, those were some exhausting interactions. Between The Wall Flowers' passive aggressive arguing, The Popular Kids' full on aggressive arguing, and The Girl Gang's...whatever that was, I was ready to relax with my fellow outsiders.
Jack and Akumu looked perfectly content sitting by themselves. Akumu turned to me as I approached them.
"Morning, Crim." He waved.
I waved back, taking my seat. "Good morning, Az. Feeling good today?"
Akumu nodded, gesturing to his breakfast. "Definitely. It's great to not be all chained up in a room against your will with no food and water!"
I laughed. "Yeah, that sucked...Thanks for being there for me, even if you didn't really have a choice. You and Fran made things a whole lot better, I probably would've gone insane if I was on my own."
"Anytime, bud." Akumu grinned. "I know the room we were in was called 'Heaven or Hell', but honestly it just felt like Heaven with you. I've found that being next to you really calms me down!"
"Oh, uh, thanks." I nodded, a little flustered.
"I felt that same way with Satoko…" Jack remarked. He was staring into the void, probably wishing Satoko was here instead of Akumu and I.
Poor guy.
"Ah, speaking of Satoko, I forgot to show you this, Jack." Akumu said. He pulled a notecard out of the pocket of his hoodie. "I found this letter in my room last night. I'm pretty sure Satoko slipped it under my door."
"Wait, really?" I asked, stunned. "That's awesome, it could provide some closure. What does it say?"
"Yeah, did it mention me anywhere in there?" Jack questioned, looking quite interested.
"See for yourself," Akumu answered, handing the letter to Jack. I leaned over his shoulder to read along.
To whom it may concern,
I'm not sure who's the one reading this. I slipped it under Akumu's door, but who knows who got to it first. I wanted to explain my intentions to someone, as I'm not sure I'll be alive for much longer…
Tonight, I found a vent in the gym's equipment room. Through some careful analysis of the ship's layout, I assume that it leads to the room at the end of the hallway. I believe that this room is being used to hold Seizo, Francesca, and Akumu captive. The vent cover is tightly secured to the wall, but I believe that with enough force, it can be pried open.
I'm exhausted after such a long day, so my rescue mission is unfortunately going to have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully then I'll have enough energy and strength to get the cover off.
I worry for my safety because what I'm doing is most likely against the rules of the Traitor/Truce game. I suspect if Monokuma finds out, I'll be punished. Of course I'm trying to be as safe as possible, but I'm sure there's cameras and other equipment tracking our every move.
I'm writing this letter to say goodbye, if I do end up getting punished. I'm leaving it to Akumu because I know you're alive, and I know you'll eventually find this note. You were one of the people I was closest to in here; my first friend. I'll never forget you, and please, live on for me and find out the truth of this killing game.
And to someone else who I hold dear...Jack. You never managed to not annoy me and I feel my blood boiling just thinking about your cheating ways, but I can't deny the connection between us. I know you're a good guy, deep down. I know you don't always smile and are never really cheerful like the rest of us, but you care for your friends and would protect them with your life. You've supported me the most out of anybody; without you, I'd probably think I was crazy. Thank you, Jack. I truly value you as a person, please don't give up on making friends and opening up more now that I'm gone.
Well, that's pretty much it, I think! I've said all I needed to say.
(If someone gets this letter and I'm actually alive and well, then please disregard!)
Respectfully,
Satoko Kiyomizu
…
Jack looked at the letter with no emotion. No tears, smile, or even a shred of a frown. He looked pretty much how he always did.
Akumu awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Not going to lie, I may have shed a few tears while reading it. Makes you realize she's really gone…"
I nodded. "It sucks. She should be here right now, helping to figure out the truth...but instead it's left to us."
Jack handed the note back to Akumu, not saying a word.
"Uh, are you ok?" I asked, concerned. Considering Jack's previous outburst following Satoko's death, I would've expected him to be more emotional.
Jack sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "In all honesty, no. I miss the sound of her voice, her smile, and even the time's she'd argue with me. But, I'm done crying and getting all emotional. I know she wouldn't want me to spend my days being dark and broody. Like she said in the letter, we need to work towards finding out the truth of the killing game and getting out of here."
Damn.
The Jack I met on the first day would've probably pushed everyone away from him and would've been fine just spending time by himself, waiting out his days on the ship. But this Jack is different. He's motivated and more open, willing to share how he feels and willing to work with others.
"You're so cool, Jack." Akumu praised with a warm smile on his face. "Able to remain serious and caring at the same time! I guess you could say you're a Jack of all trades!"
…
…
…
"That was a terrible pun, but wait a sec...your family owns casinos, right?" I questioned.
Jack cleared his throat, still a bit stunned by that awful pun. "Um, yes, several actually. Spanning from Las Vegas to a couple of other major cities."
"So...did they name you Jack on purpose?" I asked, seriously interested. It can't be a coincidence, right?!
Jack frowned. "How should I know? They probably just liked the name…"
"No, I'm sure they named you Jack for a specific reason…" Akumu theorized, rubbing his chin in thought. "There's the Jack playing card, the popular American alcoholic beverage Jack Daniels, the phrase 'Jack of all trades', Black Jack, Slapjack…"
He rambled on for quite some time about the various phrases and things including Jack's name.
By the time he was done, Jack looked quite pale. "M-my parents didn't name me after alcohol! ...Right?"
Fortunately, a suddenly loud voice interrupted the awkward conversation.
Unfortunately, it was a voice belonging to someone who's most definitely about to start an even more awkward conversation.
"Howdy! Hi there! Heya! Wow, who knew there were so many ways to say hello?"
Monokuma appeared in the middle of the room, his 2'1" squishy body and high pitched voice managing to make all of us jump.
"Where the hell did you come from?!" Takahashi angrily yelled. "I was trying to take a nap when your shrill ass voice penetrated my ears!"
"Well speaking of penetration, my dear pilot, I have a great way to explain where I came from! When a mommy bear and a daddy bear love each other, they-" Clara quickly shut the bear up.
"Please stop talking." She sighed, shaking her head at Monokuma's antics.
"Hey!" Monokuma frowned. "I wouldn't have to explain to poor Mr. Takahashi here if the Japanese school system bothered to teach you all sex education!"
"That's a topic they cover in high school…" Isami said, writing in her note book as per usual. "Something we'd be in if you hadn't kidnapped us and taken us to space."
"Yeah, besides, not all of us from Japan." Fran brought up. "I've actually already learned all about it! You see, the best way to put it is-"
"Ew, gross, no one wants to hear that!" Monokuma whined, covering his ears with his paws.
Fran simply glared at him in response.
"Why are you here this time?" I asked. "Come to gloat?"
"Gloat?" Monokuma repeated, tilting his head. "I have nothing to gloat about!"
"Of course you do." Koko frowned. "There's two less of us here than there was yesterday. I'm sure you're thrilled about that…"
Monokuma cackled. "Upupupu! Well of course I am! It fills my tiny, tiny heart with oh so much joy! But I can't take the credit for Mr. Sayoama's kill! He was the one who slammed the baseball bat into poor Ms. Kiyomizu's fragile little skull! If anything, the one who deserves to gloat is the ever so manipulative Kuro! He orchestrated the entire crime, but Hiiro's the one gone! Upupupu, I'm sure you're glad, aren't ya pal?"
Shiro shrank down in his seat. "I-I'm Shiro, not Kuro...I had n-nothing to do with it!"
"Well, you kinda did." Takahashi admitted. "Maybe if you weren't such a spineless little shit, you could actually try to repress Kuro and gain total control over your own body."
"T-Takahashi, isn't that a little harsh?" Nadia quietly said, nervously looking at the Ultimate Pilot.
"It definitely was." Evelyn frowned. "You know how strong and crazy Kuro is, you can't fault him for not being able to repress him-"
"N-No…" Shiro interrupted Evelyn, much to her and everyone else's surprise. "M-Monokuma and Takahashi are right...I need to l-learn how to repress Kuro, o-otherwise he's going to keep misbehaving. He h-helps me out a lot in daily life, but in a p-place like this, he does more harm than good. I'll work on it, everyone, I p-promise! I won't l-let him do anything else to hurt you guys!"
I never thought we'd get to this point. Up until now, Shiro's never talked back to anyone, and has mostly preferred to just stay quiet rather than getting into confrontations. But now he's actually agreeing with Takahashi and promising to try and repress Kuro? It's a pretty big promise to keep, but I guess Shiro's willing to work hard to keep it.
"Hey, now's not the time for emotional revelations!" Monokuma whined, waving his arms at us. "I have important news!"
"Oh God." Norikazu rolled his eyes. "Any news of yours is always horrible."
"If it's something that requires physical activity, I'd rather not participate." Mari admitted, whipping her hair in Clara's face yet again (to which the dancer simply sighed in response) "I'm already in a bad mood over Mr. Jack Attack over here refusing to let me wear Satoko's totally adorable denim jacket, I don't need to be put in an even worse mood by walking more than three feet." She complained, motioning to her heels.
I raised a brow at that 'Jack Attack' comment. Akumu leaned in and whispered to me.
"You know how she wore Silver's jacket the day after the trial? She tried to do the same thing again but Jack had asked for all of Satoko's spare clothing beforehand so Mari couldn't get her hands on them."
"Someone like Mari doesn't deserve to wear something that Satoko wore." Jack mumbled, glaring at the runway model.
"Calm down everyone, it's not like I'm going to make you play another round of Traitor/Truce..." Monokuma said, sheepishly twiddling his fingers. "...Unless you guys want to?"
We all quickly yelled out a unanimous "no".
Monokuma frowned once again. "Fine then. You're all being so cold this morning, you probably don't even deserve it, but because I'm such a kind, forgiving soul, I'm going to give it to you anyway! Drumroll please!"
…
…
…
Silence.
Monokuma awkwardly cleared his throat. "Um, despite your rudeness, I am pleased to announce the grand opening of the third floor!"
...
…
…
Silence, once again.
This time however, it was out of confusion…
"Third floor?" Sonoda repeated. "I can't remember seeing any staircase leading to a third floor on the second floor…"
"Yeah, the only rooms there were the VR room, game room, gym, pool, infirmary, and the Heaven or Hell captive room." Clara recounted, nodding along with Sonoda.
"Ooo, is there another secret room we didn't discover, like the room with all the pool controls?" Takumi asked, raising a brow and smirking.
"Or is this supposed 'third floor' just a key word for something sinister?" Fran frowned.
Monokuma simply waved his paws in frustration at everyone's questions and comments. "No, no, no! You've got it all wrong! There wasn't any staircase, there's no secret room, and as much as I wish it was, the third floor is just a regular old floor! While you little bastards were off dreaming of boning your celebrity crushes, I was hard at work at renovating the Heaven or Hell room to make way for a staircase!" He revealed.
"You did all that in one night?" Norikazu asked, unconvinced.
"I don't think that's possible." Evelyn admitted. "It took a team of 4,000 people to build the Great Pyramid of Giza, but one animatronic bear managed to build a staircase in roughly 12 hours?"
"...A pyramid built in Ancient Egypt is one thing, a staircase is another…" Fran nervously laughed. "Eve, did you just tell us that analogy just so you could boast about your knowledge of the pyramids?"
"Maybe." Evelyn giggled.
"Grrr, if you all doubt me then you can go see for yourselves!" Monokuma angrily said. "Honestly, you kids are so ungrateful these days…"
And just as soon as he appeared, he disappeared into God knows where...Seriously, how the hell does he do that?!
"So, a new floor, huh?" Mari said aloud. "I guess I can muster up the energy to walk all the way up there…"
"It sounds exciting," Clara started. "But also a little frightening, as now there's more opportunities for people to come up with murder plots…"
"I'll never be able to look at the pool and the equipment room the same way ever again." Fran admitted, sadly glancing at Koko. "Hopefully this new floor will do us more good than bad."
"I-I hope we can do something f-fun, all together soon." Shiro blushed. "Maybe there'll b-be something new to do on the n-new floor?"
"The second floor was themed around recreational activities." Jack noted. "What will the third floor's theme be…?"
"I can't say I'm not a little excited at the prospect of this new floor…" Norikazu admitted. "For more potential canvases, of course." (Does this guy think about anything other than good canvases?)
"The VR room on the second floor is so cool," Nadia gushed. "I feel like anything on the third floor won't be able to top it…"
"And hey, this means we got some new potential escape routes!" Takumi beamed. "Time for the Ultimate Escapist to finally make a move!"
"Just how many floors does this spaceship have?" Leonia wondered. "Honestly, this seems less like a spaceship and more like some sort of building floating through space."
"New floor, new opportunities!" Evelyn remarked. "Though I can't help but wonder why Monokuma continues to reward us like this…"
"Judging by my notes…" Isami mumbled. "Whatever's on the third floor is most likely just to entertain and distract us, like the second floor did…"
"It'll be hard to get past what happened yesterday…" Koko admitted with a sad smile. "But exploring this new floor should help me out, right?"
"Alright, an entire new floor to explore." Akumu smiled. "I'm looking at this as a positive thing, and so should the rest of you."
"Ah, this is nice." Sonoda commented. "Something like this is the perfect start to the day, don't you think?"
One by one, everyone expressed their opinion of the new floor. Some were a little cautious and skeptical, but it seems the majority of us were excited.
I for one couldn't wait to find out what awaited us!
Without needing to say anything, everyone quickly cleaned up the mess they left behind eating breakfast and headed for the second floor. I was about to join Akumu and Jack in doing the same, but a certain dictator held me back from doing so…
"I have to talk to you." Takahashi said, his tone as harsh as ever.
Jack raised a brow. "Do you need us to wait up, Seizo?"
"Yeah, we can hold on if you still want to go look around together." Akumu nodded.
I looked from Akumu to Jack, and then to Taka, whose serious facial expression told me what he most likely wanted to talk about…
I sighed. "No, don't worry about it. Takahashi and I just had an idea for something, is all."
"If you say so." Jack nodded, walking towards the announcement room door.
"Don't keep us waiting too long!" Akumu joked, following after Jack.
Once everyone in the dining room was gone, Takahashi looked at me…
And slapped me upside the head.
"Ow!" I yelped, quickly backing away from him. "What the hell was that for, you douchebag?!"
"OOGA BOOGA, Taka and I just had an idea for something." Takahashi said in a high-pitched voice, presumably trying to mimic me. "Are you fucking braindead?! Why couldn't you have just told those losers to piss off?"
"Shut up," I rolled my eyes. "I just said we had an idea, not that we're planning on overthrowing Monokuma and escaping."
He slapped me upside the head again. "You shut up, don't talk about the plan in the middle of the dining room like a dumbass."
Though he's smart and a good leader, I forgot how much of an asshole Takahashi could be. He's definitely gotten better since the days of calling Clara a stripper and complaining about doing dishes, but he still has a long way to go to in terms of being a likable guy.
As much as I hate hot headed douchebags like him, I have to work with him if I really want a shot at getting out of here. For now, I'll just bite my tongue as long as possible…
"Fine, my bad." I sighed. "What did you want to talk about?"
Takahashi glared at me one last time, before shaking his head and giving me his usual neutral expression.
"We need to start finding more people to help out with this plan. A pilot and an actor don't bring much to the table by themselves." Taka explained.
"Well I mean, we're pretty smart by ourselves." I shrugged. "Why don't we start working on the foundations of the plan before we start dragging more people in?"
"The only one of us with any intelligence is me, D-Lister." Takahashi sneered. "All you celebrities are brain dead idiots who only care about themselves. I told you before, didn't I?"
Oh yeah, I almost forgot...
Sunrise stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to look at me. "You like planes? What's your favorite model?"
"...Um...First-class?" I answered.
Sunrise sighed. "Yeah, figures. You're just a poser like the rest of them." He went back to grab planks.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I frowned.
"Tch, means you're just a fake ass celebrity he wants to act like he knows more than he does," Sunrise said. "You make fun of the rest of us simply because we're 'lower on the totem pole'."
One of the several reasons Takahashi doesn't like me is because I'm a 'fake ass celebrity'. I tried to tell him he was wrong, but I guess his opinion still stands.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I frowned. "Ok, if you want to recruit people who can help us, then Takumi would be a good option. His talent would be very beneficial."
"Sure." Takahashi slowly nodded. "Just don't get his ADHD ass all excited, remind him to keep things on the down low. Who else?"
I thought about who else could be an asset to looking for an escape.
Takumi of course due to his being the Ultimate Escapist…
But who else?!
"It doesn't just have to be someone with a helpful talent, you know." Takahashi said. "We also need people who are generally smart."
Well in that case…
"Isami!" I suggested. "She's probably one of the smartest people here, despite the fact she isn't the most talkative. Plus her talent could also be an asset depending on how you look at it."
Takahashi frowned but ultimately nodded in agreement. "Ok. That's a good start. Tell Takumi and Isami to meet up with us in the pool room after we finish exploring the third floor."
"The pool room? Why there?" I shuddered just thinking about being in the same room where Satoko's corpse was found…
I know it was pretty hypocritical of me considering we go to the announcement room all the time, and Silver died there, but unlike the pool room we have to go to the announcement room. If I had a choice I'd avoid it at all costs...
"Because it makes you uncomfortable." Takahashi answered with a smirk. "It makes everyone uncomfortable. No one's going swimming anytime soon, so no one has any reason to go to the pool room. It's the perfect base of operations for that exact reason."
"Ok…" I sighed. "Sounds good."
I started walking away, figuring the conversation was over.
"Hey," Takahashi frowned. "Wipe that mopey look off your face. I told you before, we're not here to become friends, you know what the objective is."
I shook my head, turning around to face him. "Trust me, I know. It's just...couldn't you be just a little nicer? I know for a fact that you're not a bad guy, you're whole 'Ultimate fucking Pilot' thing is just an act. So why can't you just show everyone the real you instead of pushing them away?"
Takahashi narrowed his eyes, and for just a second I saw him caught off guard. But he quickly reverted back to his usual self.
"We're all strangers trapped on a spaceship forced to take part in a killing game." Takahashi answered, looking me in the eyes. His tone was serious and he wasn't just trying to sound intimidating; he meant everything he was saying. "Why would I ever want to let my guard around people who I have no clue what the fuck their intentions are? You think everything's all fine and great, and that we can all be friends? Then what about those of us who felt their life was more valuable than everyone else's, and murdered one of their so called 'friends'? You may think I'm being an insufferable asshole, and who knows, maybe I am. But I'm just here making the rational decisions that's going to get me out of here in one piece. And I know you're smart enough to realize that this whole escape plan won't come without some sacrifice, even if you won't admit it. You're either with me or against me, D-Lister. I don't want anyone to die but I also don't want anyone to hold me down. So, are you going to shut up and work with me or let your unwavering optimism and that hopeful attitude of yours stop you?"
I clenched my fists and closed my eyes.
Damn it…
As much as I disagree with his views, I can't help but know that there's a part of them that's true…
Of course people care more about themselves than the others here! I mean, you'd have to be a fool to think otherwise. Yes, there's people who are nice and caring, likable and friendly. But even the kindest of people could have sinister intentions.
Ritsu poisoned Silver without any concrete evidence that he was the mastermind.
Hiiro hit Satoko over the head without trying to find a way out of the situation he was in.
And Kuro manipulated an innocent, vulnerable person in order to keep himself safe.
You never know what snakes are lying behind angel faces…
But still. I can't completely agree with Takahashi. These people are my friends, even if they drive me a little insane or are pretentious pricks sometimes...I won't give up on them until they give me a reason to.
For now, I'll work with Takahashi. We'll try to figure a way out of here.
But in the future maybe things will be different and I can have more of a say than what I do now…
I nodded. "Yes, whatever you say...You're smarter than me so I trust you."
"Good." Takahashi responded. Most likely pleased with getting the last word, he headed into the announcement room.
I waited for a few seconds to put some distance between us and then made my way towards the third floor.
"Holy shit…"
I couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the staircase.
It was so strange...just yesterday, this was a room, but now it's as if it was never there.
Where Heaven or Hell used to be now stands a simple staircase, identical to all the other ones on the ship.
I spotted the vent that leads to the equipment room, still in tact (Monokuma can't change ventilation after all). However, the door leading to the pool operations room was gone.
Additionally, I no longer spotted the stake in the ground that my leg was chained to.
"Glad I don't have to see that again.." I muttered.
Well, enough admiring the staircase. Time to see what the third floor has to offer!
After climbing the stairs, I immediately gasped.
This whole entire floor is unlike anything on the ship!
The first floor theme is futuristic, with the white glossy flooring and walls.
The second floor's theme is urban, with the bricks and band posters lining the hallway.
And it seems this floor's theme is supposed to be nature.
The walls are white, with various vines and plants growing off of it. I can't tell if they're fake or not, but they definitely look real. The floor is a really nice pavement with little animal footprints drawn into it, like something you'd see in a garden or a zoo.
The lighting of the floor was a bright white, and actually gave off a little heat. Is Monokuma trying to replicate the sun or something?
Overall, I think this is definitely going to be one of the coolest floors. I wonder what the rooms are like…
I approached the first room, on my left. It's so big that there were no other rooms on this side of the hallway! What the hell could it be?
To find the answer to my question, I walked in.
I was immediately greeted with a bright light. I looked up, and noticed the ceiling of the room...didn't look like a ceiling at all.
Instead, it was like I was standing outside! The blue sky looked exactly like I remembered it, and the sun was partially hidden by a few cirrus clouds.
It was so amazing…
But it was obviously all fake. We're on a spaceship in space, after all.
I looked down to observe my surroundings. The room was made to look like a park, and the walls were tall iron wrought fences, I guess to keep the outside feeling of the room. I turned around and noticed the door looked like a gate.
As with any park, there were several things to do. A walking path to ride your bike, water fountains to stay hydrated, several benches to sit down and relax, a few grassy fields to play a game of kickball, and even a few trees to catch some shade.
The most interesting thing in the room was a pond. It was a decent size, and perfect for fishing if that was your thing.
"Hey, Seizo!"
Koko, Fran, and Nadia were investigating this room. Fran beckoned me over, so I made my way towards her.
"This room is crazy, huh?" She remarked, staring up at the sky. "I wonder how much it cost to build something like this!"
"W-Well, um, this room alone probably cost somewhere in the billions." Nadia theorized. "And then along with everything else on the ship…"
"The entirety of the HFH Enterprise probably cost trillions to make!" Koko gasped. "Oh wow, who even has that kind of money?!"
"No one, I don't think." I said. "Well, not one individual, I mean. There are plenty of companies that have a trillion dollar net worth, though. Plus, the government is always using their money for things they shouldn't…"
"Makes you wonder who managed to do all this." Fran frowned. "It's clearly a powerful group with a lot of money, but who? Some random company? Or maybe the government had something to do with this?"
"But why?" Nadia sadly frowned. "I still don't understand why we were k-kidnapped in the first place, and if the government had something to do with it, then that's even more scary…"
The government huh? It's definitely a possibility. They're always up to shady experiments and doing things they aren't supposed to.
But would trapping 20 students on a spaceship and sending them to space really be something that they're even capable of? It'd take so much time, money, and resources, surely it wouldn't be so easy…
Damn it! I wish I could remember something about my kidnapping, I'm sure it'd help me out…
"Well, if the government had something to do with it, then don't you guys think Hope's Peak would be involved too?" Koko gulped.
"Oh yeah, that's right." Fran nodded. "We're all Ultimate students, and were supposed to attend Hope's Peak as the next incoming class. That fact can't be ignored. Is it really just a coincidence or is there something sinister at play?"
Nadia started to shake slightly and her eyes started to water. "Oh, I want to go home so badly! I miss my family and friends, and being able to do my daredevil stunts. Why is t-this happening to us?"
"It'll be ok, Nadia." Koko sadly smiled, putting a hand on the black-haired girl's shoulder. "I know this is scary, but we'll get to the bottom of this."
"Yeah, there's nothing to be afraid of!" Fran beamed. "We've been gone for so long, I'm sure our family back home is close to finding out the truth of everything. They'll rescue us and everything will be ok!"
Nadia sniffed, wiping away her tears and nodding. "A-Alright...I will try to hope for the best. Everything will be ok…" She repeated.
I sighed, turning away from the trio. 'Everything will be ok…'
…
Is that really true?
I bid farewell to Fran, Nadia, and Koko, and made my way to the next room.
This one was on the opposite side of the hallway, on the right. It was near another room on the same hallway, so it wasn't as big as the park was.
I entered.
"This is all really confusing…"
This room couldn't have been more different from the park. For one, it was small, and then there was the fact that it was dark, with the only lights coming from this weird tower shaped thing in the middle. It had blinking lights, wires, and panels on it.
The only other thing in the room were several small towers, located on the opposite wall from where the door was.
Exploring this room was Clara and Akumu.
Clara was currently messing with some controls on the main tower while a confused Akumu watched her.
"Hey guys," I smiled, walking up to them. "What the hell is this room for?"
"My guess is it's some kind of server room." Akumu answered. "All these towers probably power everything that's in the other rooms."
"Oh, that makes sense." I nodded. "I mean the technology required for something like a fake sky and sun must be crazy."
"Definitely," Clara sighed. "I don't understand any of these controls or buttons, and I took AP Computer Science in middle school. Guess it didn't really help me out much, huh?"
I chuckled. "Well, it's probably for the best, anyway. It'd be pretty bad for us if we accidentally messed up something in here. Who knows, this could be the room that's responsible for us having oxygen to breathe!"
"Hm, I don't think so." Akumu said, looking around. "All these towers look fairly identical, so they probably all share the same general purpose."
"I haven't seen the rest of the rooms yet, but I'm guessing that all the other rooms have the same fake sky and sun like in the park?"
Clara nodded. "Yup, all but this room and the aquarium have the fake sky effect. Oh, and Monokuma stopped by the park when Akumu and I were investigating it. Apparently the weather will sometimes change depending on the time of day, so it could be nice and chilly in the mornings, but rainy and dreary during the evening."
"Which is something that requires even more complicated technology!" Akumu chuckled.
…
…
…
"My brain hurts." I whined. "How the hell did our kidnappers come up with all of this stuff?!"
"Well, they must be incredibly intelligent to build a spaceship in the first place." Clara theorized. "And then even more intelligent in order to be able to create all the crazy and unimaginable things that we've seen here so far. They must be on Mark Zuckerberg's IQ level or something"
"I took an IQ test once and I scored pretty high!" Akumu smiled. "Well, I'm guessing I did, at least. You had to pay for your results so I just googled most of the answers to see if I had them right…"
"I took one in junior high school and scored below a lot of my classmates…" I sighed. "It's ok though, my parents always reminded me I'll have my good looks and talent to make it in the real world!"
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Seizo…" Clara deadpanned.
I left Akumu and Clara behind in the server room after they gave me a lecture on self worth and broadening my horizons.
"Ok, let's see…" The only other room in this hallway is next to the server room. Let's find out what it is!
Ah, the aquarium.
Clara brought it up during our conversation, and she wasn't kidding when she called this room an aquarium!
It was fairly small and obviously not like the real thing, but it was still really cool. The wall on the left and on the opposite side of the door had those long fish tank things you see in aquariums on them, and there were actually real live fish living in them! Unlike real aquariums, however, there weren't any actual interesting animals worth seeing, like sharks and sea turtles.
On the right side of the room was a little counter with a cash register. Behind it was a shelf full of various sea animal plushies...
…
It makes me irrationally angry that they sell whale plushies when there's no whales on display in here…
Lastly, there was also a control panel next to the fish tanks.
"I wonder what this controls!"
Evelyn and Sonoda were the ones exploring this room. Evelyn was messing with the controls while Sonoda was admiring the merchandise.
I approached Evelyn first. "Hey, what's that do?"
"Hm, I think it controls the water temperature and...something else?" Evelyn nervously laughed.
I leaned over her shoulder and noticed two dials. One had numbers on it, signifying temperature, while the other one was blank.
"Hm…" I slowly turned one of the dials to the right. I observed the fish tank, and didn't see any immediate changes…
But after a while, I noticed the air pump located in the tanks started to make more bubbles!
"Look, Evelyn!" I pointed out. "There's more bubbles for the fishies." I smiled. Although they were nowhere near as cool as jellyfish and octopus, fish were still pretty cute. When I get home I think I'll buy one of those shiny ones, maybe two so they can have a fri-
"Seizo, no!" Evelyn quickly pushed me away and turned the dial back to the left.
"Hey!" I frowned. "You're taking away their bubbles!"
Evelyn sighed. "Seizo, those bubbles are actually oxygen. They are good for the fish...in the right amounts. Too much and they can develop certain diseases, such as lethal gas bubble disease. Plus, it makes the temperature in the water warmer which could possibly kill the fish."
…
…
…
"How the hell do you know that?!" I questioned. "You're just a translator but you seem to know a lot more than the fact that hola means hi in Spanish…"
Evelyn chuckled. "I told you before, didn't I? I learn a lot of weird facts through my study of language and culture. Some parts of India, for example, actually believe fish to be sacred. So they do their best to protect them and keep them safe."
"Which includes making sure their fish tanks are at optimal living conditions." I concluded. "Good to know. Well, hopefully no one adds too many bubbles or makes the fish tank too warm."
"These fish tanks usually have a safety mechanism." Evelyn revealed. "If the control panel senses the living conditions in it are harming the fish, it'll shut down the ability to control the temperature and air pump. My guess is that in an emergency, it'll also shut down the control panel completely, allowing the fish tank to safely regulate to whatever conditions are most optimal."
"Good to know…" I nodded. Geez, first Evelyn knows all about Senza Sangue, and now she knows how fish tanks in aquariums work? I'll have to keep my eye on her from now on…
I turned to see Sonoda messing with the merchandise. I could hear him muttering something from here.
"I better check that out." I chuckled. "Wouldn't want him to get in trouble for breaking something."
"Adieu." Evelyn smiled, going to one of the fish tanks to observe the fish.
"Sonoda, my man, what's going on?" I asked as I approached him.
Sonoda sighed. "I haven't found a single Monocoin in this room. I've been all over, searching every nook and cranny, but to no avail. I guess Monokuma forgot to put some in here?"
"Maybe." I shrugged. "This is a gift shop as well as an aquarium, so it kind of makes sense you wouldn't find any Monocoins."
"Ah, fair point." Sonoda smirked. I raised a brow as he approached the cash register…
And tried to force the drawer open.
"S-Sonoda, no!" I said, flustered. "You're going to get in trouble!"
Sonoda ignored me, continuing to pull on the drawer. "I don't see the problem! I'm just exploring the third floor as Monokuma directed! I'm not breaking any rules, am I?"
I thought about it, and I suppose Sonoda was right. Monokuma didn't mention anything about something like this, plus he's not showing up to stop Sonoda…
Still, I can't be a part of this crime.
I shook my head. "Good luck Sonoda, but I gotta go. There's no telling what'll happen if you get in trouble."
"Suit yourself, Seizo." Sonoda smirked, still trying to force it open. "I'll remember you when I'm filthy rich in Monocoins!"
"Don't you mean when the HFH Enterprise official bank is rich in Monocoins?" I deadpanned.
Sonoda nervously laughed. "Ah, yes. Yes, that is exactly what I meant."
I sighed, quickly getting out of there. Accessory to a robbery probably carries a pretty hefty sentence that I didn't want to find out about.
I walked to the end of the hallway, and found myself with two more hallways to explore. There was one on the right, as well as one on the left. The one on the right was shorter, with the door of the next room at the end of it, so I made my way there.
Immediately, I noticed writing on top of the door. It was in a cartoon-y font, and the letters were colored like animal furs, such as a giraffe and a zebra.
What the writing said amazed me the most:
HFH ZOO!
A zoo? In space? No way!
I quickly entered the room, expecting to come face to face with some of the animals I missed seeing back home on Earth…
And was met with a disappointing sight.
The zoo was HUGE, the biggest room on the ship by far. The hot 'sun' blazed down on me, and the skies were clear and blue.
In the middle of the whole zoo was a tower, displaying various posters of animals and other cute zoo stuff. Hanging off the tower was this weird chandelier lamp thing with animal detailing on it. It looked out of place and kind of cheap, but probably was responsible for lighting up the zoo at night.
There were four exhibits: Lions, penguins, monkeys, and giraffes.
Each exhibit had an attaching watering hole for the 'animals', a little photo booth spot, a fact sheet about the 'animals', and a device near each entrance that I couldn't make out.
It looked like a real zoo.
But it couldn't be farther from it.
The 'animals' were animals all right...animatronics! Their steel frames moved staggeredly and did the same actions over and over again. Seriously, they don't even look real, what was Monokuma thinking?!
"This blows…" I frowned, walking past the lion, monkey, and giraffe exhibit. They were obviously robots, and moved exactly like they were too…
How disappointing.
The last exhibit, the penguins, was the only one in an enclosed room, so I had to go inside to see.
Once inside, I immediately shivered.
It's freezing in here!
The exhibit had fake glaciers, fake penguins, and a fake 'ocean', that was just a screen displayed on the wall.
Takahashi and Jack were the ones investigating this room, much to my surprise.
"Find anything interesting?" I asked the pair as I approached them.
Jack was currently knelt down messing with an animatronic penguin while Takahashi observed.
"A bunch of fake ass robots." Takahashi sneered. "How did the bear get his hands on real fish but he couldn't bother with getting real penguins?"
"Well penguins are significantly more costly than fish are." Jack said. "Plus a lot more work to take care of."
Takahashi simply rolled his eyes in response.
"I guess that makes sense." I sighed ."It's disappointing but true. It's still pretty cool though that the whole room is freezing cold. It really gives it that 'Antarctica vibe', you know?"
"There's a locked temperature control outside each exhibit." Jack revealed. "Monokuma came by to tell Takahashi the password in case he wanted to change the temperature in the future since he's the leader."
Takahashi shrugged. "It's not like I'm going to; these 'animals' aren't even real, the temperature is just for stupid ass 'aesthetic' purposes."
"Well, it's definitely doing the job." I shivered. "It's cold as hell…"
Jack chuckled. "You can't take it either? Mari felt the same way and had to leave."
"I don't blame her." I said. "I'm wearing a jacket and I still feel like I'm freezing!"
I couldn't take the cold anymore, so I quickly left the zoo. Ugh, even the name pisses me off! 'Zoo', my ass, it's just a robot exhibit…
One more room to go! I walked down to the last room on the floor. It was in a hallway by itself, so I assume it's pretty big.
It's pretty big.
This room looks like some sort of garden. There's various garden boxes full of different plants scattered all across the room, from sunflowers to sugar cane. All of the garden boxes are adorned with a label with facts about the plant.
There's also a second story with even more plants.
I walked around and found everyone's favorite trio Investigating the first story: Norikazu, Isami, and Shiro.
They were all leaning over a garden box full of strange purple flowers that I don't recognize…
"Pretty." I noted, walking to look with them.
"But deadly." Isami claimed. "Take a look at the label…"
"I-It's not for the faint of h-heart…" Shiro gulped, looking a little pale as he continued watching the flowers.
I raised a brow. If it's so scary then why are they still looking at it? I knelt down and read the label.
Kumamono Flowdeath
Monokuam's Death Flower
This gorgeous flower lures prey in due to its vibrant purple color and heart shaped petals. However, if an organism, touches its pollen their hands will become sticky with the substance and they'll start to feel itchy all over. If they can't resist the urge to itch, the pollen will spread across their skin and seep into their body, making them feel sick…
What type of sickness you ask? Why don't you find out? Upupupupu…
I shook my head. "Just another scare tactic from Monokuma. We just don't touch the pollen and we'll be fine!"
"Yes, but what if someone intentionally touches it?" Norikazu asked, turning to look at me with a serious expression.
Oh…
Oh!
"I see what you mean." I sighed. "Someone could intentionally put the pollen on somebody in order for them to feel its effects."
"And judging by the name of the flower, the effects can't be good." Isami frowned. "I'm not sure about 'deadly' but it could very well be paralyzing or flesh eating."
"F-flesh eating?!" Shiro repeated, stepping away from the garden box. "We need to s-stay away from it!"
"It's alright, Shiro." I chuckled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It only affects you if you touch the pollen."
"I d-don't want to risk it." Shiro sighed, sadly frowning. "I want us all to stay safe…"
Norikazu and Isami both looked at each other and nodded. They backed away from the plant.
"Of course, we'll be fine. We won't go near it." Norikazu reassured.
"Don't worry about us, Shiro…" Isami said, taking Shiro's hand.
I looked at the sight with a slight smile. Norikazu and Isami have really done a great job taking care of Shiro. In doing so, they've also forced themselves out of their shells, and have become a lot more talkative.
Shiro blushed. "T-thank you guys...I know Kuro already w-worries you and tries to h-hurt you, so I just want to m-make sure nothing bad happens to you."
"Isami and I are two of the most careful people here." Norikazu claimed. "The only bad thing that could happen to us would be murder, since anyone could die at any time."
"Norikazu…" Isami frowned. "Really?"
"I'm just stating the truth." Norikazu argued. "We can't shelter him."
"G-Guys…" Shiro meekly said, still holding Isami's hand.
Isami shook her head. "It's not sheltering, it's just not stating the obvious for no reason."
"It's to prepare him for the worst possible scenario." Norikazu fired back.
"There's no rational reason to prepare for the worst possible scenario at this point in time." Isami said, a little bit of an angry glint in her eye that I've never seen before.
"G-Guys…." Shiro said a little louder.
"Yes there is." Norikazu argued.
"No there isn't." Isami argued back.
Once again, this seems like something I'm not needed for, so I slowly backed away, leaving Shiro to helplessly stand there holding Isami's hand as Isami and Norikazu argued over Shiro yet again.
Alright, just one more place on this ship left unexplored.
I went over to the stairs and made my way onto the second floor of the garden.
The second floor was basically just a little balcony with a seating area and a huge basket of fruit. The railing overlooks the entire garden, and because it's fairly high up, I noticed that all of the plants were in groups. There were fruits, vegetables, flowers, mushrooms, and then a variety of other assorted plants that didn't fit into any specific category.
Two lovely ladies, Leonia and Mari, were relaxing on the seats. Mari was eating a bowl of grapes while Leonia was dining on strawberries.
That's weird, I also expected to find him here...Where could he be?
"Hey guys." I waved, taking a seat with them. "How's the fruit here?"
"It's pretty adequate, I guess." Mari shrugged. "I've tasted better at red carpet premieres, though."
"I think they're delicious." Leonia nodded. "Monokuma stopped by earlier. Apparently all the plants are watered with a special fertilizer on a routine basis, making them taste 'even better than fruit bought at your local grocery stores'."
Jesus, did everyone talk to Monokuma today except me?!
"This is pretty high up." I gulped, looking at the railing. "Kinda makes me nervous."
"Scared of heights, Seizo?" Mari smirked. "Don't worry, you won't fall off unless somebody intentionally pushes you."
"That's somehow even scarier…" I sighed.
"Ah, let's not think that way." Leonia advised. "This garden is my favorite room on this ship so far. It's so tranquil and quiet, I'm hoping it'll stay that way."
"As long as the cretins stay away, I'm sure we'll be fine." Mari said.
"Cretins?" I frowned. "Like who?"
"Well you know, the non-celebs of the ship." Mari said. "Us three know how to hold ourselves to a higher standard than most due to us being celebrities. But the others, people like Clara, Takumi, and Akumu, are so undignified."
Leonia sighed. "That's not a very nice way to think, Mari. They may not be as rich and famous as us, but that doesn't mean they're undignified."
Mari laughed. "It so does. I mean I asked Takahashi the other day if he knew who Junko Enoshima was and he looked at me and laughed."
...Junko Enoshima...
"Even Takahashi isn't exempt from your scrutiny?" Leonia questioned.
That sounds…
"Well he's hot and all but he's also just some pilot." Mari shrugged. "When we get out of here I'll marry him and he can fly me around wherever I want!"
Familiar.
"That's a very...unique way of looking at marriage." Leonia deadpanned, looking at her engagement ring.
But why?
Uh…
I don't feel so great.
"Ha, aren't we all in it for the selfishness at the end of the day?" Mari questioned. "Sure, love and everything is a bonus but I want a guy who does whatever I please. Taka is a bit...stubborn for now, but I'm sure he'll come around."
I quickly stood up. "Uh, sorry guys, but I've gotta go. I'm feeling a little hungry, so I think I'll go to the dining room."
"Oh, don't be silly, just have some fruit." Mari advised, pushing the bowl towards me.
"It really is quite delicious." Leonia nodded.
"No, no, I'll look for something else." I shook my head, quickly walking for the stairs after waving good bye.
I left The Wallflower trio behind to argue and made my exit.
Once alone in the hallway, I collapsed to the floor, holding my head in pain.
Damn it! What the hell?
Is this some sudden migraine or something?
What was going on when I got it?
Oh…
Right…
Mari said something about Junko Enoshima…
But why does that name affect me like this? I feel like she's mentioned them before and I was fine…
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to get rid of the pain.
It hurts so bad…
Almost like…
When I first woke up in here!
Almost immediately as my eyes fluttered open, I felt like closing them again. There was a pounding in my head and ears, almost like when you swim up too fast in the ocean or you're on an airplane that just took off. In short, it hurt like a bitch.
On top of the physical pain, there was also the mental. Where the hell am I? When am I?
Why? Why now? What's happening to m-
"What the hell's wrong with you?"
I slowly lifted my head up and opened my eyes.
Takahashi was looking at me, with a very confused and judgemental expression.
What the hell's wrong with me?
I wish I knew...
A/N: Thanks everyone for tuning into Chapter 3. Thoughts on the title and what's happening in the chapter? See you in the next one.