The Ultimate Spies (Part 3)

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Well, without further ado, the chapter:

Yawn

…

I blinked open my eyes and groaned. I'm so damn tired...

Huh. I may be exhausted, but that was a great dream! I can't remember exactly what it was, but my heart feels full.

Unfortunately, waking up in this place yet again quickly emptied it.

I mentally prepared myself to be startled by Monokuma's shrill voice, but then remembered what happened yesterday.

"That's right." I muttered, slowly getting out of bed.

"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."

I'm supposed to meet with the HFH Enterprise Official Bank today.

Sheesh...I'd kill for more sleep but I'm a man of my word.

I made my way to the bathroom and got ready for the day.

Let's see, I'm pretty sure the members of the bank meet inside the computer lab on the first floor. I wonder what the hell they want to talk to me about.

Sure I handle large amounts of money but truth be told I don't know all the details about it. That's what accountants are for after all!

Still, it'll be interesting to see the dynamics between the three members, all with completely different personalities (none of which you'd expect are capable of working at a bank…).

I grabbed the handle of the door leading to the computer lab and entered.

"SEIZO, HELP ME!"

Almost immediately upon entering, I was tackled by someone.

"Ouch!" I yelled, falling to the floor. I groaned and looked to see who my attacker was.

...Evelyn?!

The translator had collapsed on top of me. Her face was full of horror, almost like she'd seen a ghost or something.

I saw movement from behind her and turned my head to see what it was…

And immediately understood why she was screaming.

"What the hell's going on here?!" I yelled, grabbing Evelyn and helping her (and myself) up from off the floor.

"Hm?" Sonoda tilted his head. "What seems to be the problem, Seizo?"

Normally Sonoda wouldn't freak me out this much, but today I've never been more terrified.

Sonoda and Clara were seated at a table in the dining room...wearing a familiar suit.

"You know what the problem is!" Evelyn frowned. "You're wearing Silver's clothes! Have you lost your mind?!"

"Do I really look that terrible in them?" Sonoda sadly frowned. "I figured the color complimented my skin."

"How the clothes look on you isn't the problem," I sighed. "It's the fact that you're wearing Silver's clothes! I mean, it's Silver! He died!"

"How could you condone this, Clara?" Evelyn asked in a disappointed tone. "You don't exactly strike me as the brightest bulb in the box, but I figured you would have more sense than to disrespect the dead like Mari did."

"I'm going to ignore that first comment…" Clara mumbled. "Ahem...this wasn't my choice. Sonoda said we had to follow through with it or he'd get Takahashi to order us to."

"But why?" I asked. "What does wearing Silver's clothes achieve?"

"Well if you'd just give me a moment to explain," Sonoda said, gesturing to the two seats in front of Clara and him. "You'd understand perfectly."

I looked at Evelyn, who simply shrugged.

I sighed, making my way over to the table and taking a seat. Evelyn followed me.

"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!"

"Well, my esteemed guests, it looks like it's time!" Sonoda smiled. "Should we begin the meeting of the HFH Enterprise Official Bank?"

He said guests...I guess Evelyn was invited here too.

"That's why we're here…" Clara muttered.

"As you know, I invited both of you on the pretense of possibly becoming a member of our staff." Sonoda started.

Staff? But someone is missing.

"Where's Takumi?" I asked. "He's usually always hanging around you guys, and isn't he your personal assistant or something, Sonoda?"

"Business partner." Sonoda corrected. He then sighed and rolled his eyes. "Apparently Takumi is too busy to join us today. I went to go get him from his room, but when I got there he told me he was doing something. That boy doesn't have a malicious bone in his body so I figured it'd be ok to let him sit this one out."

"Alright then…" Evelyn slowly nodded. "That's all well and good, but I'm more curious about the elephant in the room. Why are you wearing the clothes of a dead man?!"

Sonoda chuckled. "Because, every bank needs an official uniform! Unfortunately, we do not have access to clothes other than each other's. It'd be way too weird to wear someone else's clothes who is alive, so I thought about who's died. Silver's outfit was classy and clean, so he naturally was the perfect choice! I asked Monokuma to make some special tailored Silver uniforms, and he agreed!"

"Then Sonoda woke me up this morning, handing me this." Clara finished, gesturing to her outfit. It was identical to Silver and Sonoda's, but tailored to fit her body. "Even the shoes are my exact size."

"It cost me a small amount of Monocoins, but it was worth it." Sonoda shrugged.

So Sonoda got special tailored suits for the members of his bank? And because there's no other clothes on the ship besides our own, he thought it was a good idea to have Monokuma tailor some of Silver's outfits?

I was starting to feel sick…

There's three members of the HFH Enterprise Official Bank. We're all given 3 extra copies of our outfits, on top of the outfit we wore when we got here.

Theoretically, you could infer that Sondoa, Clara, and Takumi simply took all of Silver's extra uniforms.

However…

"Mari, what the hell are you wearing?" I frowned.

Mari smirked and shrugged. "What's wrong, Seizo, don't you like it? I asked Monokuma if he could lend me one of these. I did a little altering, and now it fits me like a glove!"

Normally, I wouldn't care about the fashion choices that Mari made. But instead of the fur coat she usually wore, she was currently wearing Silver's suit jacket, cropped to fit her. My guess is that Monokuma gave her one of his spares.

Mari already took one of Silver's spares!

Which means…

"Yeah and that's all well and good, but either you, Clara, or Takumi are wearing the clothes that Silver died in." Evelyn said for me, looking pale. "Doesn't that...concern you a little bit?"

Clara paled. "Wait a second, you didn't tell me that! I swear if-"

"It's me." Sonoda sighed. "I'm not a fan either but it was the only option. But don't worry too much, every article of clothing was washed and dried and there's not a speck of death lingering anywhere on the suit."

"Still…" Clara frowned. "It seems wrong. Don't you have any respect for the dead?"

Sonoda sighed, bowing his head down. Then, his eyes started to water. "...Of course I do. I've lost almost my entire family over the years. The only person I have left is my father, a banker. I know you all think this whole HFH Enterprise Official Bank idea is dumb and everything, but I truly just wish to live a life with some sort of normalcy in it. And it also helps me feel closer to my father…Silver was a good man who I think would have approved of this! He doesn't seem like the type of guy to want us to cry and mourn him. Instead, we can honor his memory and wear his clothes; the symbol of an accomplished businessman like himself."

Clara bit her lip and sighed. "Ok, I understand now. I'm sorry Sonoda, I didn't know this meant that much to you."

Evelyn also sadly frowned. "Ja, I also should have been more considerate. I still think it's a little bizarre, but I do agree with the fact that Silver would have probably been ok with this."

I looked between the three of them. Sonoda wiped his tears and smiled at Clara and Evelyn. "A-ha, no need to get all mopey. Let's begin the actual part of meeting! Mr. Seizo, are you ready to tell us all about your experiences with money?"

I smiled. "Sure thing. Hopefully your hopes aren't too high, though, I don't know how much help I'll be."

"Please, I know your experience in negotiating contracts and brand deals has to have paid off somehow!" Sonoda laughed.

I also laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right…"

On the outside, I was smiling and laughing along with Sonoda…

But on the inside every part of me is unsettled. For one, Sonoda just called me Mr. Seizo.

And what's got me even more creeped out:

Sonoda's words and tears...are that of an actor.

The meeting lasted more than an hour, with Sonoda explaining a whole bunch of boring money stuff to me and Evelyn. I understood nothing while Evelyn was completely engrossed. In the end, it looks like my invitation was for nothing: Sonoda politely told me that I was 'excused' from future meetings, while Evelyn was instructed to ask Mari for her spare Silver uniform.

"What a weird ass start to the day…" I muttered, walking into the cafeteria. I was starving, and hearing Evelyn talk about macaroons covered in gold from Paris certainly did not help.

It was well after breakfast already, so not everyone was in the dining room as per usual. I looked around to see my options of who to dine with…

As per usual, Norikazu, Isami, and Shiro were goofing off at one of the tables, playing what looked like was a game of Go Fish.

There was also Koko and Leonia, where the latter looked like she was showing the former some photoshoots from a magazine that she found interesting.

And lastly, there was a lone Nadia, reading what looked like to be a book called "How to be a Better Younger Sister".

I don't know why, but I'm being drawn to Nadia, the only person by herself in the cafeteria. It almost feels like I have some sort of obligation to deepen my relationship with her all of a sudden.

I went into the kitchen, grabbed some lemon-flavored waffles, and returned to the dining room to approach Nadia.

"Good morning, Nadia." I smiled, taking a seat in front of her. "How are you doing?"

Nadia immediately jumped at the sound of my voice and almost dropped her book. "Oh! Um, h-hello, Seizo. I was just getting some reading done before Mari returns from the pool with Takahashi."

They're really going into the pool after...never mind…

"But there's no lifeguard to watch them." I frowned. With Hiiro gone, we no longer have an appointed lifeguard to fulfill Monokuma's rule.

"Oh, you missed it," Nadia said. "Takahashi decided to appoint himself as the lifeguard. He then also said that he could give it to anyone who was going to the pool so that one person didn't have to always be there just to watch."

"I see." I nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Why're you still here, though? Didn't you want to tag along with them?"

Nadia immediately blushed and anxiously ran her fingers through her long hair. "N-No! I, um, didn't want to interrupt them on their date, you see."

"Really?" I asked in surprise. "But you're practically always hanging around the two of them. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you tagged along just to swim with them."

Nadia shook her head. "No, no, plus I, um, don't know where my swimming gear is so-"

I laughed. "Surely the Ultimate Daredevil knows how to swim without the help of water wings and floaties. If you don't, then I'd be more than happy to teach you!"

Naida looked up at me…

And began to cry.

My eyes immediately widened. "N-Nadia?! What's wrong, is it something I said?"

Nadia shook her head, sniffling. "I'm just...a-ashamed…"

"Of not being able to swim?" I sadly frowned. "Don't worry, plenty of people don't know. In fact, I didn't learn until I was 12-"

"It's not that." Nadia interrupted, wiping her eyes. "It's something else...something I hate about myself…"

Hate about herself? Nadia isn't the most confident person in the room, but I don't see why she'd hate anything about herself. It breaks my heart to hear that she dislikes something about herself so much that it makes her cry…

"Nadia," I sighed, gently placing a hand on her own. "There's nothing about yourself you should feel ashamed of. You're a very pretty and talented girl, who got accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in the entire world! We all have parts of ourselves we dislike, but you should never go as far as to say you hate something about yourself. We were all created equal and we're perfect in our own way."

Hey, that monologue I did for an anti-bullying campaign actually came in handy!

"Seizo…" Nadia said quietly, her eyes brimming with tears. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you for your words of encouragement...you're one of the only people here with a very pure heart."

"Why thank you!" I grinned. "And just know you can talk to me about anything! I'm always here to listen. In fact, I want to make it my personal mission to bring you out of your shell!"

"H-huh?!" Nadia gasped, her face turning red yet again. "You don't have to do that!"

I nodded. "You're right, I don't have to. But, I want to. We're going to be on this ship for a very long time, and we should all feel comfortable with each other. You shouldn't have to feel like you can't hang out with your friends because of XYZ."

Nadia glanced at the ground, running her fingers through her hair again. "...Ok. I don't know if it will be of any help, but I'll try my hardest to listen to your words."

"And that's all I ask of you." I smiled. "Now then, tell me about this book you're reading…"

After a lengthy conversation with Nadia about growing up in Russia with her Mari-like sister, I was fairly burnt out so I took a quick nap.

Afterwards, I headed to the park on the third floor for some 'fresh air' (hey, it might not be real but it feels better than breathing in the freezing cold air conditioning).

In the park, there was quite a few people enjoying the fake sun.

Ironically I noticed a common theme among them. Akumu, Fran, Takahashi, Norikazu, and Leonia were all spread out, doing their own thing.

They all either have talents involving the outdoors, or talents that appreciate the beauty of the outdoors.

I decided to pay each of them a quick visit just to say hello.

Akumu was on one of the benches, reading the same book he was reading yesterday.

"Good morning, Az." I smiled, taking a seat next to him.

"Morning?" He repeated with a laugh. "It's already the afternoon at this point! Sleep in?"

"I wish…" I sighed.

I filled him in on everything that happened with Sonoda and the rest of the HFH Enterprise Official Bank.

"Oh, cool!" He nodded. "But you don't sound so excited…" He pointed out.

I frowned, shaking my head. "I dunno...something about the way Sonoda was acting...it felt off, y'know? I know I've said this probably a million times already, but remember: as the Ultimate Actor, it's pretty easy for me to tell when someone's just putting on an act. It's obvious with people like Mari and even Kuro sometimes, but I've never gotten the vibe from Sonoda before that I'm getting today."

Akumu sadly smiled, watching as Takahashi and Fran kicked something around in the field. "It must be hard doubting your friends, right? I don't see why Sonoda would lie or be suspicious, but if you really think he is, then I'll trust you. Maybe I can weasel my way into his bank and see what I can find out?"

"You'd really do that?" I asked, astonished. "I never thought Mr. Positivity would stoop so low!"

Akumu laughed. "I'm sure whatever Sonoda's hiding isn't anything too too bad. Who knows, he might just be putting on an act to make everyone else feel better!"

"Maybe…" I muttered. "But I wouldn't hold my breath. Thanks for investigating, Akumu. Let me know what you find out?"

"Of course!" Akumu beamed, holding out a thumbs up. "I'm pretty good at pranks if I do say so myself, so this should be pretty easy for me!"

"Let's hope so," I laughed. "Wouldn't want you to get caught or anything. Who knows how Sonoda would react?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Akumu insisted. "You worry too much, Seizo!"

Yeah, I really do...I'm sure Akumu's investigation won't turn up anything terrible. Sonoda might just be acting weird cause he's homesick.

I bid farewell to the cryptid enthusiast and moved onto say hello to Leonia and Norikazu, who were both drawing in notebooks as they sat in front of the lake.

"Hey you two," I smiled. "What's going on?"

Leonia looked up from her notebook. "Hello, Seizo. Norikazu and I were just admiring the lake when we were both struck with ideas."

Norikazu nodded. "I thought up a good idea for a cover of a manga that I'm the illustrator for while Leonia got an idea for a photoshoot set."

"A photoshoot set?" I repeated. "On a lake?"

Leonia chuckled. "No, no. Here, take a look."

Leonia turned her sketchpad to me and I now understood what she was talking about. She had taken the water aspect of the lake and used it to create mini sets themed around it, like a shipwreck and a beach.

"Very pretty." I smiled. "Maybe when we get out of here, you can choreograph my next photoshoot for my show!"

"That sounds like a plan." Leonia nodded with a soft smile. "If my schedule permits it, of course."

"What show did you say you worked on again?" Norikazu asked. "I know you've mentioned it before but I usually just tune you out."

Well fuck you too, Norikazu…

"Sun Witch Esper Ito." I answered. "I play-"

"Prince Kirishima!" Norikazu answered with a gasp. "I'm right, aren't I?"

My eyes widened. "You know who I am?"

Way back when we first woke up here, I only spoke with one fan of Sun Witch Esper Ito, who couldn't even remember my character's name.

"Sun Witch Esper Ito?" Cherry repeated. "I love that show!"

"Then you'd recognize me," I surmised. "I play Prince Kirishima."

"Hm? Prince Kirishima?" Cherry looked at me funny. "I don't think I remember him."

"Seriously?" I asked in surprise. "He's the main antagonist. He goes all the way back to episode 1."

Cherry looked perplexed, putting a hand to her forehead. "That's so weird...I know who you're talking about, but I can't remember ever watching him...I can't even remember his voice or what he looks like..."

Cherry, or rather Koko, couldn't even remember Prince Kirishima's name, but Norikazu does!

"I've been trying to figure out what character was missing from my memory for the longest time." Norikazu revealed. "Hearing you talk about working on the show triggered something, and now I remember Prince Kirishima."

"And the fact that I play him?" I asked hopefully.

"No." Norikazu bluntly answered. "I deduced that you play him since I can't remember who does. I can't picture his face, voice, or really anything about him other than his storyline and character."

Just like Koko…

"Hm…" Leonia looked up at the sky in thought. "Perhaps the longer we're in here, the better our memories are becoming?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, I've always found it strange how none of us recognize each other, despite the fact that we're all Ultimates." Leonia replied. "I was thinking that maybe something is wrong with our memory. Perhaps partial amnesia brought on by our kidnapping?"

"So you're suggesting we have seen and heard of each other before, but just can't remember it?" Norikazu replied.

"Precisely." Leonia nodded. "And because we've spent so much time together, our memories are getting better little by little; which is why you just now remembered the name of the character Seizo plays."

"You still can't remember the fact that I play him, but we're going in the right direction." I nodded. "Let's keep spending time together and strengthening our bonds. Hopefully our memories will improve that way."

"I see." Norikazu said. "Well, not remembering something is rather frustrating, so I'll cooperate. Let me know whenever you want to talk, Seizo."

"Same here." Leonia said. "I'm confident we've had to have heard of each other before, spending time together may help us remember."

I promised Norikazu and Leonia that I'd speak to them soon, and made my way over to Takahashi and Fran.

Memory loss, huh...Is that really true?

And if it is, then how and why did it happen?

"Seizo!" Fran waved. "Great that you're here, we need your help!"

"Hm?" I walked up to them and saw their conundrum.

They were huddled over some sort of tight bottle thing, almost like a time capsule.

"It's a time capsule." Takahashi said.

Ok, a tight bottle thing that is a time capsule.

"Where'd you guys find this?" I asked.

"I was digging around in this field for...anything, really, and stumbled across this! I immediately alerted Takahashi since he's our leader." Fran explained. "Plus, I couldn't get it open so I thought he'd be of some help…"

"But this fucking thing is impossible!" Takahashi complained. "We've tried everything to get it open but it doesn't even budge."

I looked around the two and noticed they weren't using any tools. "You guys have just been using your bare hands this entire time?" I deadpanned.

"Um...yes?" Fran nervously laughed.

I sighed. "Even the strongest brute can't open this without the help of any tools. Takahashi, you should grab some from your room. Remember, the ones we took from the equipment room?"

"The hell are you ordering me around for?" Takahashi frowned. "I'm the Ultimate Fucking P-"

"Do you have a better idea?" I interrupted.

Takahashi gave me one last glare before storming off.

"Wow, I've never seen anyone convince him to do something without any yelling!" Fran said, amazed. "I had to practically drag him from the pool to get him to help."

"I always try to keep it chill." I smirked. "But anyways, I feel like someone's missing...where's Mari? Her and Takahashi are usually always attached at the hip."

Fran narrowed her eyes. "Oh, um, she stayed behind to 'get some beauty rest'."

I noticed her down trodden expression. "What's wrong? Not a fan of Ms. Diva?"

Fran laughed. "I don't think any of us are really that fond of Mari, but no, it's something else…"

Her eyes were staring at the ground, but I could still see them clearly: they were starting to water.

Fuck me, why am I making everyone cry today?!

She then quickly shook her head and wiped her eyes, putting on a clearly forced smile. "Actually, sorry, forget I said anything! I'm just being dumb, everything's ok."

I sadly frowned. Yet another actor…

"You don't have to act like that with me, Fran." I insisted. "I'm here to listen to you if you want."

"Seizo…" Fran said quietly.

"Is it your cat?" I asked. "Do you miss her?"

Fran stopped, raising a brow. "Um, well I of course miss her but...it's...um...my father! Yes, it's my father."

Well that sounds totally believable…

"You see, he went missing when I was a younger teenager." Fran explained. "It was all so sudden, and he didn't leave a trace of where he went behind. Our relationship has always been positive, so I knew he wouldn't just up and leave me like that. So I spent the next couple of years searching everywhere for him. From the Himalayas to the Carribean, I did everything I could to try and find him."

"But to no avail, huh?" I sadly frowned.

Fran sighed, shaking her head. "I wish I had a clue...something that told me where he went. But I haven't found a thing. And now I'm stuck in space, thousands miles away from wherever he is…"

"We'll get home, and I'll help you find him!" I promised. "All the posters money can buy, search and rescue teams, everything! We'll find him Fran, no doubt about it."

"Seizo," Fran smiled. "You're far too kind. I can't ask you to spend money on me."

"Don't be silly," I said. "Friends do anything for each other, right? I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

Fran blushed. "...Thank you Seizo. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"Don't mention it." I smiled. "Well then, let's work on getting out of here first so we can find him, ok?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Fran beamed. "And we will get out of here, no question!"

Fran definitely wasn't telling me the whole story, but I could sense she was telling the truth about her father.

Still, why did Mari of all things trigger her to cry? There's more to the story, but I'll leave her alone for now.

Just as we finished up our conversation, Takahashi came with a tool box.

"Ready to try this out?" He asked, holding up a wrench.

Fran and I looked at each other and gulped.

I have a feeling this is going to take awhile…

After what seemed like forever, Takahashi finally released Fran and I back into the wild. We tried everything from wrenches to power drills, but nothing could get that damn time capsule open!

Takahashi took it back to his room for now. He mentioned in private to me that we'd discuss it at the next Ultimate Spies meeting.

What to do now…

Hm, I'm hungry, let me grab some food from the caf-

"Attention everybody! I have a very important announcement for you all! Please gather in the announcement room IMMEDIATELY!"

…

…

…

Fuck.

This can't be good.

I had just left the third floor, so I all I had to do was climb down the stairs to the first floor, where the announcement room awaited me.

Butttt, I really didn't want to.

If what I'm thinking is true, then Monokuma is about to throw us all for a spin, just like he did with the introduction of Traitor/Truce.

The same game that got me locked in a room for a couple of days, and got Satoko killed.

Damn it! Things are actually going pretty well right now, but Monokuma has to ruin it…

"Seizo?" Someone called.

I turned around to see Takumi emerging from the gym.

"Seizo!" He said again, this time with a smile.

"What's up, Takumi?" I asked.

"Nothing much." The escapist answered. "Just heading to the announcement room for Monokuma's announcement. The motive, right?"

"That's what I was thinking." I sighed. "What could he possibly have up his sleeve this time?"

"No idea," Takumi said. "He clearly isn't following a pattern or anything. First up was the savior perk, then Traitor/Truce, which was coupled with harm coming to our loved ones. Now, he could've come up with anything!"

"Well, all we can do is hope no one succumbs to it." I said. "Kuro seems to be MIA right now, so he shouldn't stir up the trouble like he did before."

"True!" Takumi nodded. "Plus, as we spend more and more time together, I think more people become unwilling to kill."

"You think so?"

"AHH!" Takumi and I screamed. We turned around to see a pale Jack staring at us.

"J-Jack," I gulped. "What happened to you?"

"...Hm? What's wrong with me?" Jack repeated. "Nothing much...I just keep having this dream every time I close my eyes. Satoko...getting hit in the back of the head by Hiiro. She's calling out for help, but no one can hear her. Hiiro's crying because he doesn't want to do it, but he just keeps whacking her, over and over again…"

Takumi gulped. "That's some pretty dark stuff."

"Yeah...I haven't been able to get much sleep." Jack said (which I could already tell by the dark purple bags under his eyes).

"I'm sorry buddy." I frowned. "Just try to remember that she's at peace now. No longer trapped in this place."

"...Peace?" Jack repeated. "She didn't get to say goodbye to her friends or family, or figure out the truth of the killing game, but she's at peace?"

"S-sorry, I didn't mean it like that." I gulped, trying to calm Jack down.

"...No. No, it's fine. I shouldn't get angry with you." Jack sighed. "My apologies...instead, I should channel my anger at the person who ended Satoko's life."

"But Hiiro already got his punishment." Takumi said.

"No, not Hiiro." Jack shook his head. "Kuro. Hiiro would've never killed Satoko if it wasn't for his threats. Why is someone like that allowed to walk around while a good person like Satoko is dead? Not just her either, but people like Silver, Hiiro, and even Ritsu."

"It's the cruel nature of this killing game." I answered. "People die regardless of whether they're a good person or not."

"I see…" Jack slowly nodded. "Well, there's another motive. Let's go find out what it is…"

And with that, the card dealer took his leave.

I nervously turned towards Takumi.

"He'll be ok, right?" Takumi nervously asked.

"I hope so…" I quietly replied.

By the time Takumi and I made it to the announcement room, everyone was already there.

Jeez, why does that always happen to me?

"M-Monokuma better have a reason for w-waking me up from my beauty sleep." Mari angrily remarked. She was still wearing her swimsuit, so she was shivering like a leaf in the cold announcement room.

"Oh, Mari!" Evelyn said. "I need to talk to you later on."

"Need some f-fashion advice?" Mari cruelly smirked.

Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"W-what's going on, guys?" Shiro sniffed. "...Are we going t-to play Traitor/Truce? K-Kuro told me about it and it sounds really scary…"

"No, I don't think so." Isami answered. "None of the booths are out and Monokuma would have announced another round."

"...Are you sure you're not Kuro right now?" Jack frowned.

"No, I p-promise!" Shiro insisted.

"Mind your business." Isami sharply said. "I can tell the difference...Shiro is definitely himself right now."

"Hmph." Jack crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"I always hate these stupid motives." Koko sighed. "Why can't Monokuma leave us alone?"

"We'll be fine, Koko!" Fran smiled. "None of us will fall for Monokuma's trickery."

"Don't we say that every time…?" Norikazu muttered.

"Monokuma's motives have never once enticed me!" Akumu proudly announced. "No matter how enticing they seem, murder is never ok."

"I've learned from my mistakes." Clara declared. "I'll never try to take the life of another again...even if they're a roach."

"I can't imagine what Monokuma considers more important than family." Leonia thought aloud. "We didn't succumb to that, so what else could he possibly think of?"

"I-I'm so scared…" Nadia trembled. "I don't want anyone else to die!"

"Another day, another motive." Sonoda said nonchalantly. "No matter, I won't be falling for it. And I'll also make sure to keep my employees in line."

"This fucking bear…" Takahashi muttered. "How far is he going to go to kill us off?"

"The escape plan's coming along good." Takumi whispered to me. "I was looking at the vent system in the gym to find out how it works across the whole ship!"

Alright, my obligatory conversation with everyone is now over. He should be showing up any second now…

"Woah! You all look great!"

Just as expected, Monokuma appeared on top of the podium on the stage like always.

"Well of course I do." Mari smirked, flipping her hair in Clara's face (which earned her a glare from the dancer).

"I mean four deaths and none of you are even phased?!" Monokuma gasped. "My, my, it's like you guys have no hearts!"

"You won't get to us, Monokuma." Akumu frowned. "No matter how hard you try."

Monokuma cackled. "Upupupu, well I don't know about that one! After all, two of your classmates did resort to murder, so you never know who'll snap next!"

"You're wasting our time with your shenanigans…" Isami sighed. "Simply tell us the motive and allow us to continue on with our day."

Monokuma crossed his arms. "Jeez! You all are so impatient! Sit down, take a load off!"

…

…

…

No one moved.

"I said sit down." He said menacingly. "That's an order."

Well damn! Someone's serious…

We all sighed, rolling our eyes as we took a seat. We unintentionally found ourselves sitting in the same seats we sat in on day 1…

Both Hiiro and Satoko are gone, so all I have is Akumu next to me, with Koko two seats away, sitting next to where Hiiro used to sit. I couldn't help but shed a single tear.

"Why are you doing this?" Evelyn questioned. "Do we really have to sit down just to hear the motive?"

"Yes, yes you do!" Monokuma answered. "After all, you're going to have to stay to witness the first event…"

"E-event?" Shiro repeated. "W-what does that mean?!"

"Is it a food tasting event?" Koko smiled. "I love those!"

"I sincerely doubt it." Fran deadpanned.

"You all have earned yourselves seats to the greatest show in the history of shows!" Monokuma announced, standing up from his podium.

"You're going to show Sun Witch Esper Ito?!" I asked excitedly.

"Who?" Monokuma tilted his head.

Fuck you too…

"Anywaysss, it's time! Taking place every day from now on is...Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge Extravaganza!" Monokuma revealed.

"Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge Extravaganza?" Sonoda repeated. "Is there money involved?"

"There can be!" Monokuma cackled. "If that's what your fear involves…"

Wait, don't tell me…

"What's that supposed to mean?" Takahashi frowned.

"Yeah, what are you trying to get at here?" Mari asked.

Monokuma sheepishly put a hand behind his head and blushed. "I'm soooo glad you asked! In Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge Extravaganza, different students will undergo one of their deepestttt fears in front of their classmates!"

"H-huh?" Nadia's eyes widened. "How could you know what our fears are?!"

"Yeah, we can just tell you we're afraid of puppies or something." Koko nodded.

"Ooo, I'm afraid of cats!" Fran laughed.

"No, Fran, you're afraid of things that remind you of Katrina." Monokuma said in a monotone.

Fran's smile instantly dropped. "How...How did you…"

"Upupupu, I know everything about each and every one of you!" Monokuma evilly remarked. "From your deepest fears to your darkest secrets: they'll all be exposed on stage for everyone to see!"

"This is terrible…" Koko frowned. "Some people's fears are really personal."

"Yeah, this shit sucks!" Takahashi agreed.

"You can't do this to us!" Evelyn yelled.

One by one, we all expressed our frustrations and anger at this super invasive motive.

I stayed silent however...because I knew what was about to happen next.

"You don't want to participate?" Monokuma tilted his head to the side. "Then kill one of your classmates and get away with it. That's all you have to do! I don't know why you guys complain so much when I've given you a clear way out!"

That shut everyone up real quick.

"In fact, I think we'll start today!" Monokuma laughed. "We're all gathered here anyways, right?"

"A-already?!" Nadia gasped.

"Well, this isn't good…" Jack bluntly stated.

"Hm, who should our first victim be?" Monokuma thought aloud.

"Notmenotmenotmenotmenotme…" Takumi chanted.

"I don't want to go back to brown!" Mari sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

"Kuro, please help me…" Shiro whispered.

"How about…

…

…

…

...

…

…

The cockiest guy here!"

"Haha, looks like you're up, Takahashi." I smirked.

"Fuck you." The ginger sneered. He stood up from his chair and started to make his way to Monokuma. But…

"Hey, hey, not you!" Monokuma held up a hand, stopping Takahashi in his tracks. "I'm talking about Mr. I WAS ON SUN WITCH ESPER ITO, Seizo Morine!"

...Huh?

"M-me?" I blinked. "Cocky? First victim? Face my fear? In front of everyone?"

"Loser." Takahashi smirked, going back to sit with Mari.

"Are you ok, Sei?" Akumu asked, concerned.

"Step right up, Seizo!" Monokuma demanded.

"Yeah...Yeah, I'll be fine." I gulped.

I shakily stood up from my chair.

The room was silent and all eyes were on me. I don't usually get stage fright, but then again, I don't usually experience my deepest, darkest fear in front of my friends…

I walked up to the stage.

"Alrighty then, time for the first event of Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge Extravaganza! Seizo Morine, ARE YOU READY?" Monokuma announced.

"Ready as I'll ever be…" I muttered.

"Well then, without further ado: LET'S GET OUR SCARE FREAK ON!"

The lights suddenly shut off, and I heard some noise happening next to me.

They turned on after a second or two, and my heart dropped.

No…

Fucking…

Way…

A/N: Well, there you have it everyone! The motive. What do you guys think?

Any theories so far? Who's our victim and killer of the chapter? Let me know!

Before you click off, I just wanted to really quickly thank you guys for the support over the course of this year. It's been a hard one for a lot of us, and seeing all the love for this story has definitely made it better for me. It's now December, the final month of what most people would call the worst year of their lives, so let's make it a good last month!

Remember, please DM me if you wish to join the Discord and the link is expired! Take care you guys and see you in the next one.