Sweetest Flower, Darkest Desire (Part 3)
Do you know that feeling?
The feeling you get when your entire world is flipped upside down.
And nothing makes any sense anymore.
The feeling of no longer recognizing yourself, or trusting your memories.
Where you can no longer say you're totally self aware, and it feels like everything you've ever known is one giant lie.
That's the feeling Mari, Shiro, Koko, Takahashi, Takumi, and I are all experiencing right now, as we gaze at a picture that shouldn't exist.
But, nonetheless. Here it is, right in my hands. A picture…
Of us.
We're all wearing a brown uniform, seated on a fountain. Mari's all the way on the left, her lips tilted up in a smirk. Her arm is around Taka who is next to her, looking as disgruntled as ever. Koko sits next to him, a smile sweet as can be on her face with her hands neatly folded in her lap. Then there I am. Smiling directly into the camera, a technique I've used for years to get the most attention on you (eye contact gets you noticed, after all). Takumi's sitting next to me, smiling and holding up his fingers in a peace sign behind the head of Shiro, who is shyly smiling and looking away from the camera.
One could see the picture and think it was just a cute picture of friends that decided to capture the memory of a good day.
But the six of us couldn't muster up any sort of smile as we knew this picture simply shouldn't exist.
"H-How?" Takumi stammers, his purple eyes staring at the picture, unable to look away. "We never took this!"
"This can't be real, maybe it's a painting?" Koko suggests, her hand on her mouth.
I shake my head. "No. I've had many pictures taken of myself, and paintings done for my work. And this is a real photo, not painted or photoshopped in the slightest. And these people are us, unless we all have an identical twin we didn't tell each other about."
"But it's impossible," Mari frowns. "I've never met or heard of any of you before we met here! So how the hell could we have taken a picture together?"
"It shouldn't be possible, but this really is a real photo, huh…" Shiro says quietly, tracing his hand over his face in the picture.
Takahashi starts to chuckle, causing us all to look at him.
"What's so funny?" Takumi asks with furrowed brows.
Takahashi smirks, shaking his head. "Ah, not funny. Just…wow. This is really gonna fuck ya'll up, though…"
"What is?" Shiro nervously asks.
Taka's smile slowly drops and he sighs. He puts a hand on his heart and forms it into a fist. "...We took this picture…because we did know each other before all this. We just can't remember it."
"Can't remember?" Mari scoffs. "I think I would certainly remember taking a picture with my arm hanging around some ginger dolt!"
Taka surprisingly doesn't even budge, ignoring Mari's comment. "No, you wouldn't…because this confirms something we've thought about before. The fact that…our memories have been taken from us."
All of us audibly gasp, and my heart starts to pound. Our memories...taken away from us?
That reminds me of something…
"We all have a headache..." Rose muttered, glancing at the ceiling in thought. "It could possibly...be the effect of drugs."
"Drugs?" I repeated. Does she think we all got high together before this or something?
"I'm thinking that we didn't take any drugs out of our own volition." Rose surmised. "Our kidnapper probably used them to put us to sleep." I thought to when I first woke up. The feeling of uneasiness, the confusion...If our kidnapper drugged us, the side effects would explain a lot of my feelings. But what I still don't understand is why? What the hell did we do to deserve this?
"Ah," Onyx nodded, realizing what Rose was suggesting. "It'd definitely make it easier to transport us here if we were unconscious."
"They used some strong stuff," I frowned. "We're still feeling the effects of it after like, an hour..."
"Hm, maybe our kidnapper had an ulterior motive." Rose suggested. I'm not sure what she meant.
"What do you mean?" Cherry asked, curious.
"Well, I-I'm not exactly sure," Rose sheepishly blushed. "But it doesn't take a powerful drug to knock someone out. So, I was just thinking that maybe the drug that our kidnapper used was meant to knock us out, and then do something else..."
Something else…Satoko was right the entire time.
The drugs we took made us forget some parts of our memories. I'm not sure when the hell this picture was taken but clearly the memory of it and the memories surrounding it have been yoinked away from us.
"This is so weird…" Koko says, biting her fingernails. "So did we actually attend Hope's Peak?"
I thought for a moment. Is it true? Did we really forget attending the most prestigious school in the world? Is there a drug out there that can really do that? All the classes, all the friends we must've made…It sounds hard to believe. Almost like something out of a FanFiction based on a best selling mystery adventure video game series.
We stood in silence for a few minutes, honestly unsure of what to say or how to feel. Something like this is definitely enough to make your skin crawl.
"I…am going to bed…" Takumi sighs, putting a hand on his forehead. "I don't feel very well…"
"Same here…" Shiro admits, pulling the drawstrings of his hoodie.
"I do need my beauty rest." Mari says, flipping her hair in Taka's face.
"I'm going to try to sleep." Koko slowly nods.
One by one, everyone agrees to put this behind us and fall asleep.
As we start to finish however, a certain someone speaks up.
"Let's keep this between us for now." Taka says, putting the photo back in the box and setting it in his arms. "We have enough shit to deal with for now."
We all hesitantly nod, unable to really refute his request.
I kind of understand his point; we're all about to play a hide and seek game to the death after all, I don't think the others would be able to see a photo that shouldn't exist…
We all bid farewell to each other, and retired to our rooms. It wasn't until I got back to my room that I realized I never got anything to eat…
The next morning, the Monokuma morning announcement woke me up with a startle, and my heart started to pound in my chest.
Today…someone's going to die.
Getting ready in my room was like getting ready for a funeral. My anxiety was out of this world, and it got worse and worse as I got more ready for the day.
Looking in the mirror of my bathroom I took a deep breath. I got this! All I have to do is win a simple game of hide and seek and I'll make it!
But what about everyone else…? Who's going to lose? It's a scary thought, knowing that it could really be anyone. If we're lucky, maybe it'll be Mari-
Knock, knock
I raise a brow. A morning visitor?
I walk to the door and open it to reveal my mystery guest.
"Good morning, Seizo."
Surprisingly, it's Fran who has come to say hello. The English girl is looking much better than she has been recently, and her familiar warm smile has now returned. Still, you can see a certain sadness in her eyes…She can't fool an actor, after all.
"U-uh, good morning Fran!" I reply. "I didn't expect to see you…"
Fran chuckles. "I know. I've been quite down lately, huh…? However, I realized that negativity won't do anything to advance my time here. In fact if I dwell on the past too much, it will just make me go crazy…"
I nod with a smile. "I'm glad to hear you're feeling a bit better. I know it's hard but I think Evelyn would want you to try your best to move on without her. Live for her, if you will."
Fran smiles back at me. "You are right. She would certainly hate to see me so negative, that's for sure!"
"You're exactly right!" I beam. Hey, it looks like my words are getting through to people! So all those sleepless nights holding the weight of everyone's burdens weren't for nothing after all!
"Anyways, what brings you here, Fran?" I ask.
"Ah, well, I just wanted to say…thank you." She answers.
My smile drops slightly and I raise a brow. "...Thank…you…? For what?"
Fran sighs, putting a hand over her heart. "Seizo. You were the one in the trial who ultimately revealed Eve to be the culprit. And you did it in such a respectable manner…you did not hold back from proving her crime just because she was a friend, or because she wasn't as malicious as Ritsu or cold as Hiiro.
It must've been hard…but you took the responsibility and did it for all of us. And it's just that…I don't think anyone's told you thank you."
My eyes are wide and slightly watery after Fran's speech. Thank you…Something I haven't heard after all this…
I've been forced to play the role of high school murder detective, mostly because of a certain pilot. I did it because hey, it seemed like the right thing to do. But little did I know how fucking hard it would be.
So hearing thank you…
My arms moved before I could even think and before I realized it, I'm holding Fran tight in my embrace.
"Thank you," I smile. "Thank you!"
"Y-You're welcome!" Fran stammers, presumably in a bit of shock.
I hang onto her for a few more moments before letting go and looking at her with a wide grin. "You just improved the hell out of my mood! Now, let's go play some hide and go seek!"
Fran and I both enter the cafeteria together, and quickly were in for a very interesting morning.
Taka stands near the kitchen - the front of the room, with everyone else standing in front of him. As soon as he spots us, he waves us over.
Fran and I look at each other and nod, going to stand with the others.
Taka clears his throat.
"Morning, losers. Today…we have to do something that really fucking sucks. But it's a decision we made together. And we're gonna stick by it no matter fucking what.
I know we're all hungry and groggy but we have to do this now before Monokuma makes us make a decision."
"This is not how I pictured starting my morning…" Leonia admits, crossing her arms and sighing dejectedly.
"At least we are getting it over with first thing…" Jack says, trying to offer some positivity.
"I would rather not do this at all…" Clara groans, nervously tapping her foot.
We all express our anxiety and discomfort at the current situation, but deep down we all know we had to do what we had to do to stay in the villa. Even if it meant playing a children's game at 7 in the morning.
Taka claps his hands. "That's enough talk…this is how it'll work.
I'll close my eyes for three minutes. In that time, you'll get to hide anywhere you want in the ship that's a public area. Meaning you can't hide behind a locked door like your room."
"Dang it!" Akumu frowns. "There goes my plan…"
"After that, I'll catch you all one by one. When you're all found, however long that shit takes, we'll all gather back here where I reveal who is going to volunteer to die. Capiche?"
Damn. Morbid.
"I think we all get it, yes." Norikazu answers.
"E-Even if it's t-totally nerve wracking…" Shiro whimpers, his face probably the palest than I've ever seen it which is saying something because he's pretty damn white.
"I believe we all understand…though none of us wishes to go through with it…" Isami frowns.
"I just hope we can do this as peacefully and quickly as possible." Koko says, face slightly sweaty with anxiety.
"This will be easy." I hear Mari whisper, a smirk on her face.
"Alright mother fuckers!" Takahashi yells, displaying a face of determination. "Get ready to hide in 3…2…
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1!"
We all instantly took off running, some people seemingly already having a hiding place in mind. Some people took off in the direction of the dormitory, while others made their way to the announcement room.
"Shit…" I whisper, watching Takahashi slowly count to 180. I didn't bother to think of a hiding place!
What would be the best option? Hide somewhere super far away to avoid getting caught first or hide somewhere nearby to be one of the first ones caught?
Unfortunately, I didn't have anyway of knowing which option was best. After all, this isn't your usual game of Hide and Seek…
I look around the room and realize I'm only one of three people inside. Mari is relaxing on a chair per my advice to got caught first (which I hope works out…), while I can see Norikazu hiding under one of the tables. He must have faith in getting caught first. Hm…
I'm running out of time and my brain does all the thinking for me. I quietly make my way towards the kitchen.
Inside, I am joined by Leonia.
"Seizo, quick." She beckons. She's crouching down next to an array of discarded food boxes. I shrug and decide to hang out with the photo shoot choreographer.
Leonia looks at me with a stern expression. "This may not be the best hiding spot, however I am of the belief it is best to be caught earlier than later. After all, we don't want to be waiting around anxiously, yes?"
I nod. "Oh, that makes sense…Still, it's a bit unnerving knowing Satan is standing just outside waiting to come in for the kill…"
Leonia chuckles, a rare sight that I haven't really seen from her. "Takahashi, Satan? I suppose I can see the correlation. Although do you not think it's a bit too far?"
"I mean, it's just a joke…" I sheepishly smile. "He's just really damn terrible, don't you think?"
Leonia shakes her head. "I have seen and dealt with much worse. As…awful as his behavior can be at times, there is always one thing I have respected him for. He has treated everyone the same. There is not one person he favors over another, and everyone gets an equal share of his wrath and anger. He does not pick on someone just for who they are: everyone is fair game to him."
I raise a brow. "Is that really something to be proud of?"
"Not proud of, just a respectable quality. Especially when you've seen people take advantage of someone else your entire life just for being who they are." Leonia frowns.
"Oh damn…Aidan?" I question.
"Ah no, my fiancé is quite capable." She answers. "I'm talking about my twin sister, Lenora."
My eyes widen. "Twin...sister? I had no idea!"
Leonia nods. "Yes. Lenora is my identical twin sister, who is rather different than me when it comes to our personalities."
"Is she dumb or something?" I joke.
"Ha, no…" Leonia replies. "She is very smart. However, unlike myself, she is much more quiet and reserved. This has led to many people taking advantage of her, and I've often had to stick up for her just to make sure her voice is heard."
"Ah, I get it." I nod. "You're the more stern twin, able to speak your mind and say exactly what you want while she has a bit of trouble since she's quieter."
"Precisely." Leonia says. "There have been plenty of awful people who realize just the thing that you did and use it against her, using their voices to overpower her because they know she has a hard time speaking up for herself. I know that Takahashi may pick on people, calling them obscene nicknames and making inappropriate comments, but he does not strike me as the type of person to pick on the weak just because they're weak."
I hesitantly nod. "I…suppose you may be right. Guess he has that going for him, huh?"
"Yes, yes…" Leonia nods along.
Leonia has a twin sister? Nice! If Aidan had a brother I'm sure he'd be going all in on that one. Still, it's kinda interesting, to be honest. I would've never guessed if she hadn't told me.
Twins…double the trouble.
Leonia and I's conversation suddenly got caught short as the door quickly opens. The blonde and I look at each other and sigh in defeat, hearing the heavy footsteps of him.
He spots us almost instantly given we're only hiding behind a few boxes.
"Dumbasses." Takahashi scoffs. "But not as dumb as Mari…I saw Leonia first. She's the second one caught. Seizo, you're number three."
Two and three? He must've caught Mari, which also explains his comment, but I guess he's still missing Nori Omori.
The two of us stand up in shame, trudging towards the dining room.
"Ah, you two are also safe then, huh?" Mari says upon our entrance. We take a seat at the same table as her.
"Safe?" Leonia asks. "How do you know?"
Mari smirks. "Oh, just a hunch…" She turns to me and winks and I have to do my best to keep a straight face. If only she knew…
The three of us talked about random things for quite a while as Takahashi continued his search. After he was done in the kitchen, he went in the direction of the dormitory, allowing Norikazu to still remain unseen.
Minutes passed and slowly people started to get caught and were sent to the dining room. Takahashi finished in the dormitory wing and then came back to go to the announcement room, second floor, and third floor.
An hour passed from the time we started the game, and only two people remained uncaught: Takumi and Norikazu.
"Ugh, can this just be finished already?" Jack complains. "I'd like to just get this death thing over with."
"Yeah, I'll admit this is getting pretty boring waiting around like this…" Akumu nervously laughs.
"Hey! Kinda morbid." Koko remarks. "It almost sounds like you're waiting for someone to die…"
"I meannn, we kinda are." Akumu sadly admits. "How casual death has gotten for us…"
"I wonder what Silver would think." Isami suddenly speaks up. "He was so determined to have us live here forever…"
"He'd probably be real disappointed in us." Fran sadly frowns. "Rightfully so…"
"No, no, I don't think Silver would be the type of guy to be disappointed in anybody." Clara disagrees. "He was just that kind. Not a black spot in his soul."
"Way to speak for the dead guy, Clara…" Mari rolls her eyes.
"I a-agree with her," Shiro says. "Silver was the only p-person here who hasn't said anything, u-um, messed up…"
"Hey! Neither have I…right?" Koko nervously laughs.
"We have all had our moments…" Fran blushes.
"Yeah, yeah, Silver is holier than all of us, big deal. Anyway, where the fuck is Norikazu?"
We all gasp in surprise as Takashi walks into the dining room from the announcement room, dragging a sheepish Takumi behind him.
"Oh man, even the Ultimate Escapist?" Akumu sighs. "Taka really is a master of hide and seek…"
"I tried my best but alas," Takumi dramatically groans. "My efforts were for naught…"
"Norikazu, come out." Takahahsi demands in a loud voice. "I've searched this entire ship. Where is your scrawny little ass?"
Finally, the Ultimate Illustrator crawls out from underneath a table. As soon as he does, Taka's face turns red with anger, but he quickly composes himself.
"Fair enough…" He frowns. "The place I would least likely check."
Norikazu looks very proud of himself, but not in a cocky way as he just nods. "Good game. I did not expect to be the last one caught. However, I wonder if my achievement was worth it or not."
"That is the question…" Leonia sighs. "We really have to do this, huh…"
Taka nods. "Yeah. So let's just get it over with…"
Mari raises a brow. "Get what over with?"
Uh oh.
"The drawing of the number." Akumu explains. "Remember? The whole reason we played this game?"
Mari frowns. "Didn't we already do that?"
"No." Taka replies. "What are you talking about? Obviously I waited to do it with everyone."
Mari instantly turns her head toward me and I instantly look away. This isn't good…but also, she should still be fine. It'd be real fucked up if the first person caught was the one who has to die.
Ah, that's right. The order that we were caught in. It goes…
Mari
Leonia
Me
Isami
Jack
Shiro
Akumu
Clara
Fran
Koko
Takumi
Norikazu
I gulp, Mari's eyes burning into my soul.
Taka reaches into his pocket, a little shaky. It's beginning to hit all of us that we're going to decide who's going to die right here, right now. Nothing lasts forever and the mood in the room is about to undergo a huge shift.
We're all dead quiet as Takahashi slowly pulls a piece of paper from his pocket, folded up. He sighs, unfolding it…
His eyes do all the talking, as they widen in shock. Oh god…
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"It's number…" He slowly starts to say, my heart pounding inside my chest.
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"...Number…one."
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"WHAT?!" Mari instantly stands up from her chair enraged. "NO! I was promised Number one would be safe!"
Taka can't bear to look her in the eyes, and neither can I. I'm in total shock.
No one dares speak or look in her direction, as Mari has been declared the loser of a game everyone was determined to win.
But I should've known that she'd force a certain someone to talk…
"YOU!" She grabs my head and pulls it up to look at her. The model is probably the ugliest I've ever seen her: her eyes wide and wet, her face the color of a tomato, and her nostrils flared. "YOU…LIAR!"
I can't disagree with her.
Or even apologize. All I could do is silently watch her facial expression change from complete anger…
To total depression.
Her mouth closes, and her face relaxes, with her eyes slowly filling with tears that then begin to fall down her face. "I…I…I can't believe you!"
I don't think I've ever felt so shitty. My lie…did it cost her her life?
"Mari, it isn't his fault." Someone speaks up.
Mari and I turn our heads to see Clara, looking at the ginger with pity. "I know it must hurt. And that you do feel lied to. But you have to realize…Seizo's lie isn't what sealed your fate. Any number could've been chosen. It was a 1/12 chance, and unfortunately, the number one was chosen out of everything else. But Seizo couldn't have known that…"
"He lied to me!" Mari cries, letting go of my head. "It doesn't matter if it wasn't his fault! What if I didn't listen to him and I was the second caught? Or the third? Anything but the first!"
"What if the number chosen was two? Or three?" Clara refutes. "Mari. It is as I said, any number could've been ch-"
SMACK!
…
It's silent again, and Clara's eyes are now the ones wide as can be as Mari looks at her with hate.
"YOU DON'T GET IT!" Mari says, moving her hand away from Clara's face following her slap. "YOU'RE NOT THE ONE DYING! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU THINK IS A SMALL LIE MEANS TO ME!"
Clara is now speechless just like me, and for once, I realized that no matter what Mari has ever done to any of us…I fucked up completely. She doesn't deserve this.
"Mari…I'm s-sorry…" I stammer. Mari's head quickly looks to me.
"SORRY?" She repeats. "IS SORRY GOING TO SAVE ME FROM BEING-"
"Killed!"
Monokuma appears right in front of Mari. "So! It looks like you're the one volunteering for death, right? Well then, letsa-go, Princess Peach!"
"N-no, I…" Mari steps away from the bear, her face full of fear.
Monokuma tilts his head. "Hmmmmm? Was that not the deal you all made? Whoever was chosen would sacrifice themselves, rightttt?"
"B-but…" Mari continues to step away from him.
"Ok, ok…" Monokuma sighs. "I guess because it was an unofficial game you guys all had, unrelated to me, I'll do my own announcement."
He clears his throat and turns to look at all of us. "It's time to die! Who volunteers to come with me, peacefully?"
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No one speaks up, and Mari begins to sob. "N-no!"
"Going once…" Monokuma evilly counts down, turning back to Mari, probably knowing no one in their right mind would ever volunteer to die.
No one in their right mind…
"Going twice…"
"P-please stop!" Mari's back is against the door to the kitchen, her chest heaving up and down as she looks at Monokuma with the most fear I've ever seen her display.
I…can't…
I can't….
I can't let myself do this to her.
"And…looks like no one is willing to take your place! So! The spot of death is sold to Ms. Mari Tamatsu-"
I take a deep breath. "No, I'll d-"
"I'LL DO IT!"
Someone speaks up before I can get a chance to. A chorus of gasps echo throughout the room at the result of someone's outcry, and we all turn to look for the source of the sound.
It's him. He's smiling and looks nothing like someone who just volunteered to die, instead standing up from his chair and walking over to Monokuma with a cheerful demeanor.
"My, my!" Monokuma cackles. "So, it's you who wishes to volunteer? Are you sureee?"
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Takahashi yells. "We had a deal with how we were going to deal with this!"
"Yeah, yeah, but like Monokuma said: that was unofficial." He says. "I'm sure, Monokuma. I'll volunteer to die so the others can play their game."
Mari looks at him, then back to Monokuma, then back at him. But she dares not speak a word, nor does anyone else.
"Well, well!" Monokuma nods. "Then I suppose it is decided!
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Mr. Takumi Kyoshi, the Ultimate Escapist! You will become the 8th victim of this Killing Galactic Life! Are you ready for your punishment?"
"Wait!" I speak up. "No! Let me do it! I deserve it, not him, not Mari, not anyone else! I..was the one who lied. Let me try to repay for my sin-"
"No." Monokuma instantly held up a paw. "My boy, it's already been decided. Takumi is the one who volunteered! Too bad! He beat you to it, upupupupupu…"
You're…you're serious?! I can't believe this is happening…
"T-Takumi, but why?" Koko cries.
Takumi is still smiling. "Don't cry, everyone! I'm doing this for all of you. I don't wanna say goodbye to any of my friends, so I'll be the one to leave! I was never that smart, and you all would be better off without me, right?"
"Don't say that!" I scream. "Takumi, you're the Ultimate Escapist! If anyone can find a way out of here without any more deaths, it's-"
"All of you." Takumi finishes for me. "Your brains together can surely figure a way out of this nightmare; more than I ever could. You're all smarter than you realize and I'm sure you'll realize the truth and escape this place."
I run out of my chair and up to Takumi, putting my hands on his shoulders. "Shut up! We need you! Don't fucking do this! Let me do it, I'm literally just some actor, I can't offer anything more than what you could!"
"Who's the one who solved three murders in a row?" Takumi laughs. "You are a lot more capable than you realize, mi amigo! Trust me, these guys need you a lot more than they need me."
"STOP SAYING THAT!" I yell, tears beginning to fall down my face. "I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO!"
I hear similar cries of sorrow around the room, everyone confused and shocked at why the hell Takumi would ever volunteer to die in place of Mari, who we fairly decided should be the one to go.
Through it all, though, Takumi is smiling, not a hint of sadness on his face.
"Live for me, ok?" He grins. "I better not see any of you in Heaven until you're 100 years old and you die from old age!"
"TAKUMI!" I scream.
"I'll see you again one day!" He beams, moving away from my grasp and walking towards the announcement room. "I'll wait here, Monokuma!"
Monokuma nods. "Sure, sure! I'll give you some time to decompress before it's all over!"
"STOP THIS!" I plead. "I VOLUNTEER! TAKE ME, NOT HIM!"
Monokuma just starts to laugh. "Ahahahahahaha! It's OVER, Mr. Morine! Takumi Kyoshi is going to die, and you're just going to have to live with that! Here, if you can't calm down, I'll offer some help and get you to relax!"
Monokuma claps his hands together, and instantly a pink smoke starts to pour out from speakers on the walls.
"W-what is this?!" Clara coughs.
"Upupupu, let's get our game started! I'll see you all very soon! I'm just going to have to kill Takumi and then I'll be righttt there to guide you along!" Monokuma announces, walking behind Takumi.
I see Takumi turn around and wink at me, giving me one last wave.
"N-no!" I cough, falling to the ground along with everyone else. "D-D-don't t-take him…"
My throat is soon full of smoke and I can't manage to get any words out. Pretty soon, my eyes start to feel heavy too and I can't keep them open.
My last image is of Takumi and Monokuma entering the announcement room: the place of his demise…and I couldn't do anything about it…
Anything…
About…
It…
I'm getting…
Really sleepy…
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"Hello," 'Question-mark boy' smiled. "My codename's Cotton, a shade of white, and I'm the Ultimate Escapist, as in escape rooms and stuff. It's nice to meet someone who doesn't have anger issues!"
"Who the hell are you saying has anger issues, you little shit?!" 'Tall boy' yelled. Cotton seemed unfazed.
"OK then!" Cotton nodded. "My name is Tak-"
As Cotton spoke, his ankle monitor started beeping, cutting him off.
"Huh?" Cotton frowned. Nothing seemed to be wrong with him. Maybe the 'punishment' Monokuma told us about was untrue after all.
"Um, as I was saying," Cotton continued, projecting his voice louder. "My name is Takum-"
BEEEEEP
There was one final beep before Cotton's voice stopped. He looked at us with wide eyes.
"Surprise!" The lights came on, and everyone jumped out from their hiding spaces.
Cotton's eyes instantly widened in awe as he looked around. "W-what's all this?!"
"It's for you." Rose smiled, approaching Cotton and I. "Your welcome back party!"
Cotton looked at her in disbelief. "You guys did all of this...for me?"
"Yup!" Azure beamed. "We wanted to celebrate your return!"
"And to the fact that you're alive and well!" Noir cheered.
"Thank you!" Cotton smiled, looking at everyone. "Thank you all so much!"
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What the hell?
For what feels like the billionth time since I've been here, I open my eyes to an unfamiliar sight. I'm laying on the ground, which is cold and slightly damp. The scent of rain fills my nose.
I stand up from the ground, looking around me and taking in my surroundings which are…extremely fucking bizarre.
I'm…outside. As in, outside outside. Like, not the fake simulated room on the third floor of the HFH Enterprise, but actually genuinely outside on what looks like Earth. There are tall, green trees surrounding me and the ground is covered in dirt and leaves. Almost like a forest.
"What the hell…" I mumble to myself. It's a beautiful sight but how can this be possible? We're supposedly thousands of miles away from Earth floating around space.
That's when I notice something else…
I raise a brow, glancing down at myself and realize I'm wearing something different than my usual get up.
It looks like a poorly done Greek costume: A toga the same color as my usual jacket with a black sash emblazoned with a gold emblem. I'm also wearing a pair of surprisingly comfortable brown leather sandals.
Ok, what's going on?!
Why am I outside? And wearing this? Is this…Monokuma's game?
I am so fucking clueless right now…
I realize that there looks to be something like a path in front of me, leading to hopefully some answers. So, with nothing else to do, I decide to follow it.
"Wow…"
What I arrive at is yet another unexpected sight.
It looks like a small little castle - nothing super grandiose like Buckingham Palace or anything, but extremely impressive nonetheless. Stone architecture, stained glass windows, vines on the walls, the whole nine yards! It's something out of a storybook that I've never seen before having grown up in Tokyo.
There is of course a door, slightly open.
I guess I have no choice but to enter…
"Seizo!"
Inside I finally meet the faces of my classmates, who look just as confused as I do. Additionally, I notice they are also wearing different clothing. So this really must be a part of Monokuma's game after all…
We are inside a foyer, with two staircases at the front of the room, both looking like they lead to separate wings of the castle. A red rug is strewn on the floor, and candles light the room, held by several tall and fancy looking silver pillars.
There's really nothing of note in the foyer besides a large round table made of wood in the middle with 13 envelopes. One of the envelopes stood out as it had a large red stamp on it.
"What is going on?" Norikazu frowns. He's wearing what looks like green medieval peasant clothes. "We've been somehow transported to a castle in the middle of a forest."
"Another one of Monokuma's tricks, probably…" Fran sighs, wearing a green archer outfit, minus the bow.
"Where's Takumi?" Koko gulps, wearing what looks like a medieval chef's outfit. "Did he really…"
That's right…Takumi…
"He sacrificed himself." Jack says, wearing what looks like a king's outfit. "That should be honored and respected."
"Still, he shouldn't have gone and done all that…" Akumu sadly sighs, wearing a blue bard's outfit.
"So what? You would've rather I died?" Mari scoffed, wearing a blue dress and made up to look like a queen.
"No one is saying that, Mari…" Clara rolls her eyes, wearing a red dress and looking more like a princess.
"I-I w-wish he didn't do that…" Shiro whimpers, a few tears streaming down his face. He's wearing an all black outfit, looking like a thief.
"At least he went out of his own accord…" Isami says, trying to offer some comfort. She's wearing what looks like a black archer's outfit, but with fur and a hat, more of an official looking archer than Fran.
"That damn idiot…" Takahashi curses, wearing silver armor, presumably supposed to look like a knight.
"I believe we can worry about that later. For now our focus should be determining the current situation." Leonia snaps us all out of our depression, reminding us we're in the middle of Monokuma's suspicious game. She's wearing white robes, looking like some medieval priestess.
She saunters forward towards the table with the envelope, grabbing the one with all red.
Slowly, she rips it open and takes out a piece of paper, beginning to read it over.
"Here-ye! Here-ye!
Welcome to the medieval times! Say goodbye to the thrilling adventures of space and relax in tranquility in the Castle de Monokuma, where you all play a special role…
Ah, role! That's right. There is one catch to this fun little game. You all have tasks you MUST complete if you wish to complete the game alive.
The game will take place for three days. If by the end of the third day you have not completed your task, you will be executed. The only way out of this fate is something you are all familiar with…
MURDER! The only way out of your task! So choose wisely. Complete your task or kill one of your own!
Enjoy the bit of role play too! A fun change of pace from space, right?"
…
…
…
"Another motive…" Isami concludes.
"Disguised as yet another game." Norikazu groans. "This is getting old."
None of us were surprised, but it was still quite annoying to hear Monokuma wanting us to murder again. Isn't he tired of all the investigation and class trials? I know I am…
"So our, uh, role…" I say, walking up to the table next to Leonia. "I bet it's on these envelopes."
"No shit, Sherlock." Taka rolls his eyes, walking up to the table and snatching up one of the envelopes. "Our names are written on them…everyone grab your envelope."
We all immediately oblige, having no choice but to find out the task we must complete to ensure our survival. I find my envelope and pick it up.
As soon as we all got our envelopes, I noticed people started to walk away from each other, not wanting to open their envelope next to someone else.
Huh…I can understand that. We have no idea what's written on here…
I moved away from the group and sat down on the last step of the staircase. Turning over the envelope in my hands, I ripped it open and pulled out the small piece of paper.
ROLE: The Dark Wizard
TASK: Must be the only male student uninjured by the end of day three.
What the…
First of all, Dark Wizard? I'm supposed to be the hero!
Second of all…how the hell can I guarantee that?! Every other male student has to get hurt besides me? I don't know how Monokuma expects me to guarantee their injury without-
Oh.
Ohhh…
FUCK!
"I see…" Leonia nods. "These tasks…none of them are easy, are they?"
Koko shakes her head. "Yeah, no way! How am I supposed to do this?! It's almost…impossible!"
"Almost." I repeat with a sigh. "But not entirely. Monokuma wants us to work hard to complete our task, even if it means doing something fucked up."
"Ah, something fucked up…" Mari says. "Something you should be familiar with, Seizo."
I narrow my eyes. Damn…
"It should be fine to bring up our roles, right?" Clara asks. "I don't think they matter much."
Norikazu nods. "I do not see why not. Apparently, I am the 'Poor Artist'."
"I-I'm the 'Mischievous Thief'…" Shiro blushes.
"Ah, the thief of my heart." Isami also blushes, giving Shiro a kiss on the cheek.
Shiro's face burns red hot. "I-I-I-I-Isami!"
Isami winks at him. "Heehee…I am the 'Crafty Huntress'." She reveals.
"The 'Charming Bard'!" Akumu winks.
"The 'Righteous Archer'. Wonder what it means…" Fran chuckles.
Leonia raises a brow at her note. "The 'Divine Priestess'...Well then…"
"The 'Insufferable King'..." Jack frowns. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Who cares? I am of course the 'Beloved Queen'!" Mari smirks. Damn, you would have no idea she was just crying for her life to be saved just half an hour ago…
"I'm supposed to be the 'Heroic Knight'." Taka shrugs. "I don't know about heroic but why the fuck not…"
"The 'Comedic Cook'!" Koko giggles. "Pretty fitting, if you ask me!"
"And I'm the 'Desperate Princess…" Clara deadpans. "How charming…"
"Then just…Seizo." Isami says. "You have not told us yours."
I sigh. "It's…the 'Dark Wizard'..."
"Ooo, scary!" Akumu laughs. "Nah, that doesn't fit you at all!"
"Are you sure about that?" Mari mumbles.
After revealing our roles to each other, another envelope suddenly falls from the ceiling and lands right in the middle of the table.
We all look at each other with curiosity, and go to grab the envelope. Fran gets to it first, and reads it to us…
"I almost forgot…your next objective is to enter one of the two wings upstairs, where you will be spending the entirety of the game. You are not allowed to enter the other wing. How to know what wing you are supposed to enter? I'll tell you!
You will be split into two even teams of six. You will only be able to interact and mingle with your fellow team members.
The left wing, otherwise known as the Dawn Wing will be occupied by Team Dawn. Team Dawn consists of…
Takahashi, Isami, Shiro, Akumu, Fran, and Jack!
The right wing, otherwise known as the Dusk Wing will be occupied by Team Dusk. Team Dusk consists of…
Norikazu, Koko, Leonia, Mari, Clara, and Seizo!
You will live in harmony together for the duration of the game. Remember, you must complete your task…
Ah, and one more thing!
One very, extremely, super, IMPORTANT thing!
There is a prize in this game!
Remember how I talked about murder?
Well! There's two advantages to it in this game! Number one is not having to complete your task…number two is…
Any wish your heart desires will be granted! (Disclaimer: If you are the killer, and are caught, you may not wish to live, in any scenario.)
That's right! Even if you murder and get caught, I'll still let you have your wish!
Any wish in the entire world can be yours, you'll just have to decide if it's worth killing someone else…
Play the game normally…?
Or add murder to the mix?
As always, I'll leave the decision up to you!
On that note, bye bye! I'll see you in three days…"
There it is.
The true motive.
"We should've known he had a trick up his sleeve…" Akumu says. "He'll do whatever it takes to get us to murder."
"Wait, wait, why don't we just wish for the killing game to end?" Koko suggests. "Then we can all go home!"
"First, someone still has to be killed to make that happen." Clara says. "Additionally, you have to pay attention to Monokuma's wording. You notice how he said something specifically? Any wish your heart desires. He is insinuating that any wish in the entire world can be granted. As such, there's some people who's desire for something other than escape from the killing game may be greater…"
"Seriously?" Koko sadly frowns. "But how can that even be possible?"
"Well consider this." Norikazu speaks up. "Someone who knows their family is struggling and poor, living from paycheck to paycheck may wish to enrich their families lives with wealth to ease their suffering. Or maybe someone has a dying family member who can't be cured: a wish to make them healthy again would change their life. Literally."
"I see…" Leonia says. "But is something like curing an incurable disease really possible?"
"We've seen what Monokuma is capable of." Jack replies. "I don't think that's entirely out of the realm of possibility…who knows, maybe we can wish for someone to return back to life…"
We all became quiet, left alone with our thoughts. Any desire in the entire world can be granted. Would we waste it on simply just escaping the killing game? Or would we use it for something we've always wanted for our entire lives?
There it is. The distrust again. Monokuma's motive always causes a rift in our group, as we start to consider the hearts of our fellow students. The last motive we had was based off of fear. Who's fearful enough to murder their own?
This time, it's desire, an even greater emotion. Who's heart's desire is strong enough to murder their own…?
We wordlessly begin to split off into our separate teams (some are happier than others to be in a team with certain people…).
Just as we all made our way up the stairs, I felt a pull on my arm, and turned around to see Takahashi standing with Isami.
"I need to speak with you." He demands and I instantly know what he wants.
The others luckily don't seem to notice and enter their respective wings until eventually the foyer is left with Isami, Taka, and I…
The remaining members of The Ultimate Spies.
"Well, Takumi failed…" Isami sighs.
"Shut up." Taka rolls his eyes. "I have something to tell both of you."
I raise a brow. "What is it? Anything exciting?"
Taka smirks. "I guess you could say that…"
Isami tilts her head and crosses her arms. "I'm not sure I like the expression on your face…"
Taka laughs. "I don't care. I'm just really fucking excited, fuckers! We're finally doing something."
"Doing what?" I groan. "Just tell us!"
Taka rolls his eyes. "So fucking impatient…anyways, I guess long story short…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Don't worry about Takumi."
I-
"HEH?" My eyes widen. "What are you talking about?"
"I can't talk about it, dumbass." Taka rolls his eyes. "You never know who's listening. But don't worry about Takumi. I'll tell you one day, but let's just say he's finally doing his fucking job."
"Oh?" Isami smiles softly. "This is some good news…"
"No shit!" I gasp. "This is great news! I could cry!"
"Don't cry, I'll punch you." Taka glares.
"Ok." I sigh.
"There's more to talk about, but it's going to have to hold on until after this game." Taka continues.
"That's right, I'm not in the same team as you guys." I nod. "No more meetings for a while."
Not in the same team…
"There's no further developments anyway." Isami shrugs. "Nothing more to discuss, yes?"
"Then let's reconvene in three days." Taka nods. "Hopefully none of these dumbasses kills anyone…"
Isami and Taka begin to head to their wing, and I groaned. Fuck me.
I had to do this as quickly as I could. I grabbed a candle off the wall and rushed up behind Taka, pressing the flame against the side of his neck with as much force as I could.
"OW! WHAT THE FUCK?!" Taka screams in pain, instantly grabbing his neck in pain.
"Sorry!" I yell, running away to my wing. "You'll understand later!"
"YOU MOTHERFUCKING - I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He continues to scream.
I ignore him and run into the Dusk Wing.
Hehe, one down…
...
In the dark, a certain boy grins to himself. "They don't call me by my title for nothing…"