(SHE/HER PRONOUNS FOR CHIHIROTHIS CHAPTER AS WELL, ALSO THEY REFER GENOCIDER JACK AS AN MALE)
"How the fuck am I going to cry if I'm dead?",
"Well I can always hit you until you cry!"..
"Why the fuck am I still talking to you?" .
"Maybe because you loveee~ me!";
"Ew. Get the fuck out so I can sleep now." Monokuma left Makoto alone so he could sleep. "Finally god damn." Makoto felt restless so he tried to sleep and within a few minutes.
Just then the 'Morning Announcement' played.
"Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"
'Oh my fucking god' Makoto thought as he got up, and took a shower and got dressed up to head to the dining hall, "Maybe I should get Sayaka first.." Makoto thought out loud.
*Ding dong*
MAKOTO POV:
"Hello…?"
'"Good morning, Sayaka.";
"Oh, Makoto! Perfect timing!",
"Huh?" What does she want now?
"Listen, I have a 'favor' to ask…";
"A favor?". God just spit it out already!
"I was just getting ready to head out. If it's okay, would you like to come with me? Maybe we could talk…"
"Yeah, sure. Where are you headed?"
"Oh...umm... I've been thinking that...there might be something around here I could use for self-defense."
"Self-defense?";
"Well, I mean...whoever's keeping us here could show up and attack us at any time. You never know…"
'Whoever trapped us here... Whoever presented us with rules for murdering each other... Whoever put us in this insane position... She's right-we never know when they might attack.'
"So I just...want to be able to protect myself no matter what happens."
A weapon to protect herself... Well now that I think about it, that display case in the gym entryway had a bunch of stuff. Maybe...Mostly because I don't want to seem suspicious wiping out a knife or something like that in front of her.
"Oh, the gym? Okay, let's go!"
"Again...?". It's just better to play along…
"Like I said, I'm psychic." ,"Come on, I'm just kidding! Seriously, I just have amazing intuition."
Yeah, Yeah I know… We kept walking until we saw Hifumi in front of us.
"Mr. Naegi, Miss Maizono...! Wh-Where are the two of you off to!? A man and woman...growing closer…"
"H-Hey! What are you trying to say!?" UGH HIFUMI STOP YOUR MAKING IT WORSE!
"Like when two people are stuck in a hostage situation and over the course of the story they fall in love...! There's really no other way to express it but to say…". Is Hifumi comparing this to a fanfiction?
"How very poetic!";
"...".
"Makoto... Do you have any idea what he's talking about?"
"He thinks we're dating." I saw that Sayaka blushed a little then replied with,
"O-oh I'll make sure to tell him it's not like that…".
We kept walking till we found Celeste standing in the hallway,
"Well. Hello. I hope the two of you are having a nice day." ;
"Good morning, Celeste!"
"Exchanging such common greetings is somehow...strange," "Given the circumstances and everything…"
'You know, sometimes...you scare me a little. A literal Assassin' ,"Hmhmhm. Well, I'm off." . Alright so then Celeste just walked past us..
" ...:" 'I wonder what Sayaka's thinking' ," Should we get going?"
;"Yeah…" 'I almost forgot the reason for walking with Sayaka..'.
'In the 1st floor hallways, we can find the odd combination of Sakura, Hina and Toko waiting around together.'
"Well look who it is! 'Sup guys?" 'Well Hello to you Hina..'
"What are you guys up to?"
;"We're picking up where we left off yesterday. I'm really hopin' we find something today! If we do, I'll be sure to let everyone know ASAP!"
;"We have to find some way out of here, no matter what." Sakura added on to what Hina just said.
"And that's why you went with Hina and Toko?" 'Toko doesn't seem the type to hang out with them..'
"Well, Hina's the one that invited Toko. I have trouble talking to people directly…"
'Ah, understandable.'
'Toko together with those other two... Quite a combination.'
"..." , 'Oh Toko is very silent..'
"What do you w-want? You l-look like you have s-something to say…"
"Oh, no. I was just thinking that you three make a pretty unique team."
"L-Let me make this perfectly c-clear! Me hanging out w-with two people who have muscles where th-their brains should be is not by ch-choice!" 'WOW TOKO JUST WOW'.
"Wow, that was super mean!"
"Yesterday you were complaining how nobody invited you! That's the only reason I asked you to come with us!"
"I never a-asked you to d-do that! S-Stop trying to drag me farther into y-your meat dimension!", 'Well damn she left fast..'
"Jeez, I can't believe she just ran off! You think we should go after her?" ;"We shouldn't pressure her any further."
"Oh yeah, good point…"
'They're like water and oil anyway. It'd be weird if they *did* get along.'
'We can also go into the entrance hall to find Leon and Mondo hanging around.'
"Man, what the hell is with this metal hatch thing? It's really on there, that's for damn sure. Anyways, there's nothing to do around here. Gonna friggin' die of boredom…"
"And being stuck in here is keeping me from racing toward my dream, too." 'Oh yeah, his dream is to be a musician.'
"Your dream...?" 'Sayaka might be able to help him, she's a singer too.
"Yeah! To become a musician! You can sense my aura, right? The strongest vocals of the century right here!"
"God, I feel so cool getting to say that in front of a national celebrity…" 'Your a celebrity too aren't you?'
"...Dreams...:" 'Oh, does Sayaka want to play baseball?'
"Did you say something?"
"Oh, sorry. It's nothing. Come on, let's go."
'Alright now, time for Monodo..'
"Mondo? What are you doing?"
"Trying to find a way out. I figured I'd give it another shot."
"There's gotta be a way to bust this thing open!" ;"But I suck at thinkin' stuff up, so I guess I'll let you guys figure it out." "Once it's time to act, though, you just lemme know. I'll show you what a real man can do!"
"Wow, sounds like we can really count on you."
'Junko is in the School Store, so let's visit there. We haven't been in there before.'
"Hey there, Ma~ko~to~! Ohh, is it just the two of you right now? Are you on a da~~te?"
"*Sigh* Junko please refrain from using such accusations."
"Damn, Makoto! I never woulda guessed, but you're a total player, huh?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that. I'm his assistant!"
'To be dismissed just like that is somehow…'
"Huh? His assistant? What is that, like some new kinda roleplay thing?" 'Is everything about s▪️x to her?!'
"Well, whatever. What you're into is your business. I don't judge! Anyway, if you don't mind!" 'Thank God she left.'
"Let's just head to the gym already!" ,
"Yeah, let's go."
"Here we are! I might be able to find something here to protect myself with,",
"Yeah, I'm sure I'll find something in the display case I can use."
'Self-defense, huh? That sword seems like the most useful thing available.'
'Is this...a sword? Oh, no, I think it's just a replica. Still, it's pretty impressive. It's completely covered in a gold coating. But…'
"Jeez! I barely touched it and I got that gold stuff all over my hands."
"Wow, you're right. Your hands are totally gold! Even just for self-defense, I think it's a little…",
"Well, it's still better than nothing, I guess."
"You should take it with you! It might help liven up your room a little.";
"You think so?"
"But I guess you'd better be careful taking it back. You should wrap it in newspaper or something."
'And just like that, it's been decided…'
"I don't see anything I could really use for self-defense…"
,"Hey, don't worry about it! It's not like you need it right away, right? Plus, if anything *were* to happen... When the time comes...I'll protect you." .
"You'll...protect me?" ,"Thank you for saying that... If I've got you on my side, I guess I don't need a weapon after all!"
'Sayaka giggled as she said that. That mysterious smile... I can tell it comes from the heart. It makes me feel at ease... When I look at her, I honestly feel like I can do anything.'
"Okay, we can stop looking for a weapon, then. But as long as we're here, let's hang out a bit more."
'Total silence..'
"Umm...", "I know I said I wanted to talk to you, but now that we're here...I don't really know what to talk about.", "And I was the one who invited you to come with me, too. Sorry…"
"It's okay. I mean, if there's nothing to talk about, then we can just not talk, right?"
"Huh?"
"You don't have to force yourself to talk. We can just, I dunno...stare off into space or whatever." 'It's more fun that way anyway.'
"Stare off into space...?'"
"Oh, but you're probably super bored! Just standing around doing nothing…"
"No, it's not that it's boring. It's just…" ,"I've never really done it before. I don't have a lot of time to just...do nothing." 'Oh I do suppose she's quite busy after all.'
"I-I guess that makes sense. You're not a normal high school student like me. You've got tons of stuff to do every day.",
"...Hey, um...this is kinda out of nowhere, but... Makoto, do you have a 'dream'?"
'dream?'
"Well...what about you, Sayaka? What's your dream? I'd love to hear…"
"I... My dream is... I've always wanted to be a star, as long as I can remember. I grew up without a mother, you know... And my dad worked really late every night. I was always home alone... I was just a kid, ya know? So I was really lonely. But that all changed when I saw a pop star on TV for the first time. She was so pretty, like a princess. And she could sing, and dance... But more than anything else, there was her smile. Looking at her smile, I could feel my loneliness melting away. I decided that's what I wanted to be someday. I wanted to give that kind of encouragement to others."
"Eventually, that became my dream."
"That's so amazing, though. You were able to actually fulfill your lifelong dream. Honestly, it's really incredible."
"...I did whatever it took to reach that dream. I mean it. Even some things that...weren't so pleasant."
"Huh...?" 'Well that was extremely not what I was expecting.'
"I honestly believed that as long as you kept chasing your dreams, someday they had to come true. But to do that, you can't take your eyes off of your dream, not even for a second. Even if sometimes it's a bad dream... Whether you're awake, whether you're asleep... To make your dream a reality, you have to keep your gaze fixed on it no matter what.",
"In that world, if you lose focus for even a split second, you get left behind. You have to keep on swimming against the current, without even taking time to breathe... That's the kind of world my dream lives in."
"Is it really that tough? Is it not fun at all?" 'I mean I don't really know much about that life..'
"Oh no, don't get the wrong idea. It's super fun!" ,"But...that's exactly what scares me."
"Huh...?"
"I enjoy every single day I wake up and get to do what I do. Everyone in our group is amazing. We're rivals in a way, but they all mean so much to me. We've been performing together since we were young, so they're all like family to me. Without them, I would have given up on my dream a long time ago. To work together, and fulfill our dreams together, has brought me so much happiness…";
"But that's the thing that scares me the most. If the world gets tired of us, then what happens? What happens to us? Then the dream dies, those wonderful days come to an end, and everyone goes their separate ways…"
'Sayaka... She's trembling... She must be terrified. She worked so hard, sacrificed so much, to get where she is. She must be terrified of losing it.'
"So that's the reason I decided to come to Hope's Peak."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well...they say that if you graduate from here, success is basically guaranteed. Which means I could keep on performing with my best friends, forever and ever. At least, that's what I thought. I really did believe that, but...now we're trapped here, with no way out. They're probably waiting for me…" ,
"While I'm in here, the world out there is forgetting about me. Minute by minute, we're all disappearing. But still…"
"Sayaka...?".
"I can't afford to be stuck here!"
'That was the first time I heard her cry out from deep within herself. She sounds...desperate. But I can understand why she'd feel that way. Trapped here this way, the dream she put so much effort into is on the verge of disappearing forever. And that isn't something that can be fixed with a few kind words. The weight she's carrying... I can't even imagine it.'
"Ah-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to complain..," "I kinda killed the mood, huh?"
,"No, not at all."
"I'm really sorry…",
"Um, Sayaka...Actually, are you hungry? Before we head back, why don't we go to the dining hall and get some food?"
,"...So…"
"You want me to make us something to eat? I might not look like it, but I'm actually a pretty good cook!"
;"Wow, really? What's your specialty?" 'That's really not a surprise'
"Chili oil."
"You mean the condiment?"
"Hahaha. Just kidding!"
'She burst out laughing. Her earlier mood disappeared, replaced by the bright smile I'd quickly grown used to. But how'd it happen so fast? It was almost like a mask, like some kind of neutral expression.'
Anyways, we headed to the dining hall to get something to eat before returning to our rooms.
WE'RE SKIPPING FREE TIME BBY:
"Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"
I woke up to the irritating sound of Monokuma's voice; I slowly pulled myself out of bed. 'Monobitch.'
"Another night of restless sleep. Day after day, I can feel the fatigue piling up…"
'As soon as the thought had cross my mind…'
*Ding dong*
The sound of the doorbell forced its way into my room.
"A fantastic morning, isn't it!?"
"T-Taka?"
"Now then, if you'll pardon the interruption!"
Without waiting for a reply, Taka barged into my room. 'Bitch!'
"...What's up, Taka?"
"No matter how intensely the stormy seas may batter me, I will not fall as long as my feet are firmly planted! ...You agree, right?"
"U-Um, I'm not sure I understand…"
"And if you can't do it alone, just find someone to support you, and you can support them back!
"That's how you can overcome any storm!"
" …"
"I was thinking about it last night, and...I decided we all need to really come together. And that was when I realized... Every morning from now on, after the morning announcement, everyone should have breakfast together!" ,"And now is the beginning of that fateful day! Please head to the dining hall at your earliest convenience!" ;"That's all for now! I have to go let everyone else know the good news!". 'GOD DAMN FINALLY HE LEFT'.
"Well...I guess I'd better head to the dining hall."
Everyone has gathered in the dining hall now. We must talk to Taka to proceed.
"Okay, looks like everyone's here. So then, let's begin our very first 'breakfast meeting'!"
"Everyone, thank you for making time in your busy schedules to come together."
"I didn't make time for shit. You dragged me here…" 'I was pretty sure Taka would catch Leon.'
"I know I already mentioned this earlier, but... In order to get out of here, it is essential thyat we all cooperate with each other. And the first step is this breakfast meeting, to allow us to become friends and build trust! So from now on, let's all meet here in the dining hall every morning after the morning announcement! Now then, let's eat!"
"You w-want me to eat breakfast with other p-people? I've never done that b-before. I'm not s-sure…" 'Oh Toko is standing next to Byakuya. I don't think he likes her very much.'
"Yeah, it's been a while for me, too." 'Really? I always thought that the baseball players eat together..'
"Well anyway...did anyone happen to come up with any clues?" Junko just spoke up
Silence echoed throughout the dining hall.
"Seriously? Nothing at all!?" ,"Anything, it can be about how to get out, or who's doing this, nobody has anything!?"
"...You are going to die." 'Oh HI CELESTE!'
"Huh...?" Junko looks a bit shocked.
"If you can't stop yourself from showing weakness in front of others...you will die."
"Wh-What the hell? Don't even fucking joke about that!"
"I am not joking. Adaptability is survivability. Did I not say so? So you'd better hurry up and adapt to your new life here."
"Have you gone completely insane? Adapt to my new life here? Do you have any idea what you're saying?" 'Oh shit! Junko and Celeste are fighting! FIGHT ,FIGHT, FIGHT!
"Yeah, sounds like the girl wants to live here. And hell, more power to her. But shit…" , "No way in hell am I living here! I'm gettin' outta here, I don't give a shit!" Leave it up to Monodo to ruin the moment.'
"Hmhm. Sure, feel free." 'I love you so much Celeste! You're so cool!'
"Okay, so...nobody has any clues?" Red hair boy Leon spoke up.
"One thing I can tell you is who's behind all this. Someone who's totally weird and messed up. Why else would we be trapped here in the first place?" 'ransom.'
"Well, sure, it could be something like that. But for right now, actual clues are…". Baseball boy keeps bringing up 'clues',
"U-Umm…" The Programmer spoke up.
"Huh? What's up?"
"If you think in terms of people who are really abnormal or bizarre... Do you think maybe the person responsible for all this could be a 'certain murderous fiend'...?"
'Certain murderous fiend? Could she be talking about Genocide Jack?'
"A murderous fiend... Chihiro, do you have some idea who might be behind all this?" 'I don't think it's him'
"Well...maybe. I mean, I can't really be certain, but…"
"Certainty is not a concern right now! I'll allow whatever remarks you may have!" The Moral Compass beamed with reassurance.
"O-Okay, well... Have you guys heard of Genocide Jack?" 'Oh, So IT is him.'
"You mean that serial killer that's been in the news and all over the Internet?" I asked.
"The monstrous villain who's murdered scores of victims in a brutally bizarre fashion... The word "bloodlust" was left at each murder scene, written in the victim's own blood. Whoever he is, he's like a ghost. He strikes without warning, and disappears without a trace. And on the Internet, they started calling him…" ,"Genocide Jack. That covers it, I think." 'Ew. Rich boy.'
"They say he's claimed over a thousand victims…". The 'Idiot' spoke up.
"That's just an urban legend though, right? I mean even like ten people would be totally insane."
"..." 'Toko is still as silent as usual.'
"Anyway, whoever Genocide Jack really is, he's obviously some kind of super crazy killer." 'I do wonder what he looks like..'
"And if he really is this 'Ultimate' psycho, I wouldn't be surprised if he put together something like this." Mondo told the WHOLE class.
"But like I said, I can't be certain. I don't have any evidence or anything. It's just a thought…" 'It's alright Chihiro.'
"But if they're the killer, isn't that like a killer of a problem for us!?"
"It's okay! Everything's absolutely, positively, one hundred percent without a doubt gonna be okay! Cuz help's gonna be here soon, I'm sure of it!" 'Sorry Hina I don't think "Help" will help us.'.
"Huh...? H-Help?"
"We've been stuck in here a few days already, right? Nobody's been able to contact us, so I'm sure they're getting worried. I bet they called the police already!"
"AHHH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" ,"The police? You're putting your faith in the police!?"
"What are you doing here!?"
"You guys, seriously... Do you understand what role the police exist to fill? All they're good for is being a foil, playing against a villain or anti-hero or evil organization. The bad guys come along and destroy them, and that shows just how badass they really are." ;"Are you sure you wanna rely on such an unreliable group of losers?" "I mean come on! If you really, REALLY wanna get out of here, all you gotta do is kill!".
"Hahahaha!" 'Oh my fucking god..'
"Why the hell are you laughing?"
"I'm just impressed at the total commitment to this whole act." 'You IDIOT!'
"...You're still going on about that?"
"So, mister serial killer psycho freak bastard...what the hell do you want!?"
"Mr. Serialkillerpsychofreakbastard, huh? That's a pretty long name! German, maybe?"
"We know who you really are!" 'Wait who?'
"Maybe if I ignore him, he'll just go away…"
"Hey! Don't ignore me, asshole!"
"Okay, okay, let's get back to business. Your life here has already begun and a couple of days have gone by, and nobody's killing anybody!", "I thought all you kids were lazy and selfish, and here you are working together. But I'm totally bored!
"There's nothing you can say that'll make us start killing each other." 'ALRIGHT HAVE A GOLD STAR MAKOTO!'
"Wait, I think-yes! Ding ding ding! I figured it out!" ,"All the mystery ingredients are here-right people, right place. So why hasn't anyone killed anyone yet? That's what I couldn't understand. But I just realized there was one very important piece missing!" ;"What are you on about?"
"If you wanna know, I'll tell ya! It's motive! Puhuhu!"
"It's so simple! I just have to give everyone a 'motive!'" 'Motive? As in Motivation?'
"Motive? What the fuck are you talking about!?" Mondo keeps yelling at the 'Headmaster'.
"Oh, by the way! There's something I wanna show you guys!"
"Stop changing the goddamn subject!"
"I have a little video I'd like you all to see."
"Oh, but don't worry. It's not some pervy 'adult' video or anything. Seriously, it's nothing like that! It's a special video for each of you showing what's going on outside the school."
"Outside the school...? What are you talking about?" 'Just ask questions Makoto..'
"Heh-heh! Ooh, Master's so impatient today! Why don't you just watch it and find out?"
"Here in the school, there's a specific place you can go that has everything you need to watch the video."
"Good, then we can go watch the video right now. But before we do that, I'd like to know…". 'Oh hi Miss Kirigiri!'
"What are you? Why would you do something like this? What do you want from us?"
"What do I want from you...? Well, if you must know…", "Despair. That's all."
"If you want to know more than that, you'll have to figure it out for yourselves. Do whatever you need to to uncover the mystery hidden within this school. I won't try to stop you."
"Cuz to be honest, it's entertaining as heck watching you guys search so desperately for an answer!"
"So I guess I want amusement from you, too."
"He's gone... And once again, he left before we could find anything useful." Sayaka's voice echoed in the room.
"Really? I think we learned something *very* useful. He has no intention of standing in the way of our pursuit of the truth. Interesting…"
"Perhaps, but what about the video he mentioned? I'm very curious to see what's on it." ' !'
"Same here! Okay, so...!" 'Oh my fucking god Mondo if you do something dumb I will kill you.'
Mondo started glancing around the dining hall...but when his gaze landed on me, he stopped.
"Hey Makoto! Check this out for us, would ya?"
"Huh? Why me."
"Cuz you're the closest to the door! That's the rule, right?"
"BITCH. What rule?!"
"The rule I just made!", "HEEEEEY!"
"Check it yourself."
"...Okay...I guess I'll get going, then."
"Awesome, thanks! I owe ya one!"
"…"
"Yeah, sure thing. Then we're counting on ya! If anything happens, just yell and we'll come running'!" As soon as Mondo left Sayaka whispered to me.
"I can't decide if Mondo is totally dependable or completely terrible…"
"Yeah, I'd have to say he's kind of both."
'He's not exactly a bad person... But I definitely can't say he's a good person, either. I mean I can't be talking…'
"So then, where's this "specific place" Monokuma mentioned? It must be somewhere you can watch DVDs, but…"
'If it's a place set up to watch DVDs, then…'
"HEY EVERYONE I FOUND IT!" 'That was quick.'
"JUST FOLLOW ME; MONDO OWADA!" Everyone rose from their seats and followed Mondo, including myself of course.
When we made it there were a bunch of 'Machines'.
I saw Sayaka walk up to the box, pick it up, and turn around to face us. "Every DvD has a name on it, pick yours."
Everyone walked up to her, and picked up their DvDs and went to the monitors, and placed their DVDs inside the DvD player next to it.
I watched mine and it showed my 'Mom' and 'Dad' and my Sister: Komaru! All sitting on a couch, in front of mine.
AFTER EVERYONE WATCHED THEIR MOTIVE VIDEOS AND SAYAKA RAN AWAY:
Everyone went their separate ways... But I don't have time to worry about them right now. I have to go find Sayaka!
'Where could she have gone? She can't have gone far. I should check around the school…'
I found her in one corner of an empty classroom. She was sitting in a chair, hands on her knees, staring absently at the floor. She looked like maybe she was upset, or angry. Or, no... She didn't have any expression at all. There was nothing on her face that you could call emotion. It was as if her original mask had been stripped away.
"Sayaka? Are you okay?"
"Yeah...I'm fine. Actually, no...how could I possibly be fine? What did we do to end up like this...? Why are they doing such terrible things to us...?" ,"I want out! Let me out of here right now!".
"Sayaka! Calm down!"
As she thrashed around, I grabbed her by the shoulders.
"...!"
"I understand. I know how you feel right now. When I think about what might have happened to my family... But now more than ever we have to stay calm! This is exactly what they want. They *want* us to lose our composure and stop thinking rationally. Think about it-those videos have to be fake! Because if those things really had happened…", "People out there would be in an uproar. Our families, the police, everyone! Right?" 'That's a lie, sorry Saya!'
"..."
"So let's just calm down, okay? Otherwise, we've already lost."
'I knew I was trying to convince myself just as much as her. I kept repeating those words to myself, to clear away the images that had been burned into my brain. Be calm, okay? Just be calm…'
"As long as we work together, I'm sure we can find some way out of here. And help might even come before that."
"But...what if there *isn't* a way out? What if help *never* comes?"
"If that happens... then we have to work together!l
'When I said that, I paused... I had no idea what had come over me.'
"Sayaka...?"
"Please...help me…"
Her voice was small and shaky.
"Why...? Why is this happening to me? To kill, or be killed... I just can't take this anymore...!"
"Sayaka…"
"..."
Finally, she raised her face up from my chest. She looked at me.
"Thank you, Makoto. Hearing you say that, I feel like I can keep going.", "I can get through this...as long as you're here with me."
"Like you said, I'm your assistant."
The smile I'd come to know so well returned to her face. It felt a little forced, but still... It was a huge improvement over how she was before.
"...It's standing up!"
"Kyah!"
"Makoto! It's standing up!"
"*What's* standing up?"
"Do you even have to ask?", "Your flagpole!" 'What the fuck.' .
"Get the hell out of here! Pervert!"
"No! No! I wanna join in!"
"Dammit! Well at least make yourself useful and, then tell us what the hell is up with those videos!"
"Ahh...it's about to come out... It's gonna come out! My pristine, pure white…", "...stuffing! My honest, innocent stuffing is about to come gushing out!"
"I'm going to strangle you."
"..."
"Finally he left!"
"What the fuck was that just now...?"
"He just wanted to mess with us…" 'Mostly me but you understand.'
"Well, for now...you wanna just head back?"
"Yeah...
Monokuma had come along and swiftly destroyed the good mood we'd just created. Sayaka and I headed back to the dorms.
"You should get some rest, Sayaka. You still look pretty shaken."
"I'm sorry for making you worry about me... You're right. I'm going to lay down for a bit."
With a nod and a small bow, she disappeared into her room.
Now on my own, I headed off to tell everyone that Sayaka was okay. Once that was done, I decided to go back to my room. It was hard to think after watching that deranged video. I needed some rest of my own.
*Ding dong*
'Huh?" When I opened my eyes, they darted immediately to the clock.
"It's almost 10 o'clock. I fell asleep without even realizing it...
Nighttime Is about to start…"
"So how come someone's here?" 'Does someone want to kill me?'
"I'm really sorry to come by so late…"
'Sayaka?'
"Sayaka? What are you doing out so late?".
That's when I noticed... Her body was trembling.
"Is everything okay...?"
"Sorry to bother you, but…'something really weird' just happened."
'Something really weird?'
"Something weird?"
"Just a little while ago, I was laying down in my room... And all of a sudden, my door started rattling and shaking."
Her voice sounded like all the air had been squeezed out of her lungs. Just hearing her talk made me tense up.
"It was like someone was trying to force the door open. My door was locked, so they couldn't get in, of course. But they started shaking the door harder and harder. I was so scared I couldn't even move."
"So what happened?".
"After a while, it just...stopped. I let some time go by, then I got up and opened the door to check outside…", "But there was nobody there."
"Someone tried to force their way into your room? But who would do something like that?"
"It's not that I'm suspicious of anyone here, but still...it makes me nervous. What if something like that happened in the middle of the night? What would I do then...?"
"You don't have to worry about that, right? I mean, we can't go outside during nighttime." 'Well someone is going to break that rule sometime soon.'
"But that's just a promise we made, right? If someone decided to break that promise…"
"Then... Why don't you stay in my room tonight? Would that make you feel a little better?"
"What!?"
"All it said in the school regulations was that we had to sleep in 'The Dorm Rooms' , right? It didn't state specifically *which* room each person had to sleep in. So…"
"B-But...two people sharing one room is...you know…"
"Ah! Oh jeez, I'm sorry! I didn't even think about that! Honestly, that didn't even cross my mind!"
"No, I know, me either. It's not even that I mind the idea, but…"
"...Um, if you don't mind, could we maybe switch rooms? Just for tonight?"
"Switch rooms...? If it'll help put your mind at ease, then it's totally fine with me. But... I don't mind you staying in my room, but...are you sure you're okay with me staying in yours? That doesn't, like...concern you?" 'I mean I'm not a pervert or anything anyways.'
"It's fine. I trust you…"
"In that case, then…"
"Even if I'm sure it's you, I absolutely won't open it. Otherwise, what's the point of even switching?"
"Oh, by the way... Just so you know, my bathroom door tends to get stuck. There's a little trick to opening it... You have to turn the knob, then lift up on the door while you pull it out. Just do that and the door should open no problem."
*Ding dong, bing bong*
"Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 10 p.m. As such, it is officially night time. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then...sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite…".
"Oh man, it's already nighttime…"
"Okay, so it's settled. I'll head to your room right now."
'Oh, if we're gonna trade rooms, we'd better trade keys, too.'
"Ah, that's right. We'll have to trade keys."
"Again?" 'Let's just hope she isn't actually psychic.'
"Like I said, I'm psychic. …"
"Hey, aren't you gonna say you were just kidding?"
"What if I *wasn't* just kidding...?"
Something resembling a smile had made its way to her face. Thank goodness. It looks like she's already started to get back to normal.
"Okay, we'd better trade keys, then."
"Yup, let's do it."
We exchanged keys, and when I looked back up at her again...
...There was another worried expression there.
"Makoto...please be careful. If someone comes to the door, don't open it no matter what."
"I won't. The same goes for you, Sayaka. No matter who it is, don't open your door for anyone."
"Okay, but the showers don't work during nighttime anyway, right?"
"Oh, that's right. I totally forgot."
"But I guess I might use it when I get up in the morning. So thank you."
"Okay, well, I'd better get going. See you tomorrow, Sayaka.".
"Oh, and about what I said before…"
"Hm?"
"When I said I was psychic, it really was a joke. Honestly, I'm just very perceptive."
"Yeah, I know."
"...Good night, then. See you in the morning."
Sayaka gave me one last parting smile, and I headed off to 'my' room.
I looked around as soon as I got out into the hall. Everyone else's doors were closed. There was no sign of life.
"Good. There's nobody here…"
Making sure nobody was around to spot me, I rushed into Sayaka's room.
So this is Sayaka's room... It really doesn't look any different from mine.
"It smells nice, though…"
It's kind of weird to dig through other people's trash, but I couldn't help taking a quick peek...
That's...! There wasn't any doubt about it-it was the DVD with her name on it that we'd found in the A/V room.
"That reminds me... I never did get a chance to find out what was in her video."
But it's probably best if I wait until she brings it up again.
If I remember right, all the girls' private bathrooms have locks on them. I'm a little reluctant to go in...
My room came with a toolkit, but Sayaka has a sewing kit. Just like the note said... And next to it is...the map of the body's vital organs.
"I don't think Sayaka would like me snooping around too much... I should probably go to bed soon."
As I lowered myself onto Sayaka's bed, a pleasant fragrance enveloped me.
Sayaka's...scent... Maybe it'll bring me some sweet dreams.
Feeling a little better than before, I fell asleep…
*Ding dong, bing bong*
"Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"
I sat up, still half asleep, and rubbed my eyes. Slowly I pulled myself out of bed. ...I remembered I was in Sayaka's room.
"I just remembered, I promised to eat breakfast with everyone else. I'd better get going…"
I left Sayaka's room and made my way toward the dining hall.
A few people had already gathered at the dining hall by the time I got there.
"Hello, Makoto, and good morning! Can you believe it? I was the very first one here this morning!"
"Ah that's good for you Taka."
"Ehehe...good morning." , "Good morning."
"Mornin'!" , "Good Morning Hina!"
"I suppose I'm early…" 'Hello Sakura..'
I figured everyone who had arrived on time could be considered model high schoolers. And the ones who showed up a little late...
"Yo." 'Hi Mondo..'
"Sorry I'm late! My make-up just would NOT cooperate this morning!"
"My apologies, ladies and gentlemen. My morning, ah, duty took a little longer than usual…" 'I could only GUESS what that is..'
...were the types with a more relaxed sense of time. Most high schoolers fall into this category. And finally, the ones who kept everyone waiting forever...
"...I suppose I'm late." 'Your forgiven I guess.'
"Good morning, everyone." "Good Morning Celeste!"
"My bad, guys! Slept right through my alarm!" Ah of course 'dream boy'.
"Wh-What? Is it s-so awful to be l-late?"
"I didn't oversleep, just so you know. Nope, got lost! I blame the Bermuda Triangle…"
...don't care about time or other people in general. They're the kind to move at their own pace. But regardless, everyone had arrived.
At least, that's how it was supposed to go...
"Wait, aren't we still missing some people?"
"Yeah, Sayaka and Byakuya aren't here yet."
'I don't know about Byakuya, but...I would definitely put Sayaka in the "model high schooler" category. So for her to be so late…'
"...What's going on? Did something happen?"
"Hey man! Have you seen Sayaka?"
"Why would I have? I just came straight from my room to here.
"Did she forget about our breakfast promise...?"
"I got the sense she always has her stuff together…"
Listening to everyone talk like that, a small, dark speck of unease rose up inside of me.
And that speck started to grow quickly...
"I'll go... I have to check on her!"
The words had barely left my lips before I flew out into the hall.
Where I headed first was...my room, where I'd let Sayaka stay for a single night. Where she was supposed to be safe...But over the course of that one night...
...The room had been completely transformed.
"Wh-What the hell!?"
The replica sword I brought back for self-defense. It's the sheath for the replica sword. The sword itself has been removed...
The bed's been damaged, too...
There are slashes and gouges on the walls and the floor. More importantly, where's Sayaka!?
I'd better check the bathroom.
Let's...take...a...look...in...side... ... …
"Oh…", "I saw this coming," "I should go tell the others!".
I ran down the hallways all the way to the dining hall before going into a full dive panic mode of what had happened.
"HOLY SHIT SHE'S DEAD!" 'Oh shit-' , Everyone turned to look at me with a surprised and a scared face except for Celeste, Kirigiri, and Byakuya.
"SHE'S DEAD IN THE BATHROOM TOO!". Everyone rushed to 'Sayaka's Room' and there she was dead. Then Monokuma came in out of nowhere and said an announcement
"A dead body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time a class trail will shortly begin!"
AFTER THEY ALL RAN INTO THE GYM:
"W-Wait, hold on a second!" ,"You're freaking insane, you know that!?
"Hmm?"
"A class trial? What the hell is that!? I don't want anything to do with it!"
"Why not?"
"Whaddya mean why not!? Why do I have to waste my time trying to figure out who murdered someone!?"
"What!? Are you saying you're not gonna participate in the trial!? Only punishment awaits such blasphemy!"
"What? Punishment?"
"I might...I dunno, throw you in a deep, dark, scary prison or something!"
"Shut the hell up! Say whatever you want, I'm not gonna be part of this!"
"Don't be so selfish!"
"You're the one being selfish! Kill whoever you want, it's got nothing to do with me!"
"The evil standing here before me... I'm trembling with fear...!"
"But I won't give in to such evil! It's my style to stick it out and resist till the very end...! If you really wanna get out of here…", "You'll have to go through me first!"
As he said that, he came charging at us. Although is was more of a waddle... But then...
*Smash*
"Gyumeh!"
"Are you enjoying yourself now?"
"Are you?"
"Huh?"
"Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is not allowed. You've violated a school regulation... I invoke the mighty summon spell! Help! To me, godly spear Gungnir!"
"...Wh...? H-Huh?" ,"This wasn't...supposed to…"; "Why...me...?"
Suddenly, right at the end, her eyes shot wide open.
And just like that...she never moved again.
"Wh-What the…"
"I don't…"
"Th-This can't be real."
"NO WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!"
"Now I am painfully aware of the great power and meaning of a promise... I really wanted to keep a corpse from popping up for no good reason, ya know?"
"But I guess you all needed to be taught a lesson, after all. Ahh, what an amazing promise! But now you guys understand, right?".
"Now you see just how serious I am... Defy me and you get shot full of holes, exploded, buried alive, disintegrated...et cetera. So if you don't want that to happen to you, you'd best obey those school regulations!"
Junko's body had been impaled with a bunch of spears... An unbelievable amount of blood started pouring out of her body. It was the first time I'd ever seen...the moment someone's life came to an end like that before. Nobody there could deny what they'd seen. Junko, who until just a second ago had been our friend...was dead. She'd died. She'd been murdered. In simple terms...it was the death of a human being.
"It's really not all that shocking. She just died, that's all. Just went and died. It's no more remarkable than the inevitable demise of the entire human race. It's just as natural as the eventual end of the world itself."
"This isn't some superhero comic. So it's not like when you die, you didn't *really* die."
"This is reality!"
"...Why did you have to kill her? Didn't you say you would put her in prison or something?" Kirigiri spoke up.
"I changed my mind."
"No, you've been wanting to kill this entire time."
"Kill this entire time...? Don't be silly, you can't kill time! Or are you being metaphorical? Are you saying I wanted to waste time this whole time?"
"Come on, what do you take me for? I'm Monokuma!"
"Anyways, none of that matters right now. I have something I'd like to give you to help you in your search for the blackened!"
"This little file has all the information I've gathered about the death in question. I like to call it... The Monokuma File! I mean, naturally you guys aren't experts at this kind of thing, so you can only do so much with a corpse. So instead, I've gathered up everything I know about the circumstances and cause of death."
"What's that? How do I know the cause of death, you ask?"
"Cuz the surveillance cameras picked up the whole thing! I got to see it all go down!"
"Wait, so then...you know who killed Sayaka?"
"Of course I do! If I didn't, I couldn't possibly pass a fair and accurate judgment during the trial, now could I?"
"That's a good point. The judge has to be able to make the proper decision. That's...somehow comforting."
"Now then, please put your full effort behind your investigation! After all, you don't have any choice but to give it your best shot! Seriously, you don't have a choice! Okay, so we'll meet up for the class trial...in a little while!".
And with that, Monokuma disappeared once again. He left us stunned and confused... He left us at a total loss. He left us with Junko's dead body growing colder right in front of us.
For who knows how long...nobody said a word. The fact that Sayaka and Junko were dead was a huge shock, of course. But there was more to it than that. It was also the idea that one of us had actually murdered someone...and that if we didn't find out who it was, we would all die here.
We'd found ourselves in a situation where we couldn't help but look at each other with open suspicion. It was the worst situation imaginable. And yet, even in such a perversely terrible situation...she didn't show the slightest hint that it had gotten to her.
"Now's no time to wallow in your depression. The worst thing we can do right now is lose all faith in each other. That would lead to the same disastrous result as having *total* faith in everyone else."
"Huh...?"
"Cooperation is absolutely key at this point. Who you decide to trust or not trust is, of course, up to you."
"Continuing to think about and talk about the deceased certainly isn't going to help anything."
"S-Saying stuff like that is just-!"
"How many times have I told you? Anyone who can't adapt...will die. Death is the only thing awaiting those who are unable or unwilling to adapt." ,"If that happens, you only have yourself to blame."
"What an awful thing to say! Especially after what's happened!"
"Right now, exposing the killer is the most important thing. Because if we don't, we're all going to die here."
"...She's right. We need to begin our search right away."
"Either way, we can't run away from the situation, so we have no choice but to move forward."
"We just hafta do it, I guess. What other choice do we have?"
"No way in hell am I letting someone kill me...! Alright, dammit! Let's do this!"
We just have to do it... Everyone kept repeating that sentiment. They were using it like a mantra to give themselves strength. But they're right. We just have to do this. No matter how much we don't want to, we have no choice. If that's what it takes to survive, then that's what we have to do!
On top of that, there was something I needed to find out... I had to know why Sayaka had to die. Why did she had to be the one... I'm terrified to find out, but still...I have to know. Otherwise, I knew I'd never be able to accept her death. Which is why...I don't have any choice! I have to do this!
I gently placed my hand on Junko's lifeless body... I touched her wrists to check for a pulse, like they do in movies and stuff, but...
"...She...really is dead." 'It may not look like it but I saw Junko as an elder sister who teases her younger siblings, Komaru would've loved her..'
There wasn't anything else to say. She was gone...
"I don't know why you even bothered to check. After those injuries, and losing that much blood... Frankly, I'd be shocked if she *did* survive something like that."
"H-Huh...? H-Hold on…"
"H-H-H-Hold o-on! J-J-Just w-wait a second! Sh-She's...dead!? Then that means...!"
"That means everything that's happened so far is real!? It's not a joke or whatever!? It's really real!?"
"Hell no! S-Someone save me! Let me outta here! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" 'Your really starting to get on my nerves.'.
"You're j-just now accepting that...?"
"Before we start searching for Sayaka's killer, we need to decide what to do about securing the crime scene."
"What do you mean?" ,"You're thinking of putting someone on guard duty so nobody can disturb the area, aren't you? After all, if the culprit decides to destroy the evidence, we're pretty much screwed."
"In that case, I don't mind doing it. I don't like havin' to think, anyway. I'll let you guys figure out who killed that chick."
"Okay, then we can let Mondo look after the scene."
"Well, no...we can't just leave him there alone."
"What? Why the hell not!?"
"Isn't it obvious? If you were the culprit, what's the first thing you would do? By volunteering for guard duty, you're in a position to destroy all the evidence you want.".
"Wh-!? Fuck you!"
"Fine, then I'll stay there on guard duty as well. That way there's no problem."
"2-player co-op base defense with the two of them... With their stats, they're totally OP!"
"Since we won't be able to help investigate, we're putting our faith in the rest of you."
"I'm still pretty freaked out, but...I'll try."
"Hmm?", "Heh heh...so you finally noticed."
"Huh? Noticed what?"
"I was looking through the Monokuma File we received. And I noticed something very obvious, and very unusual."
"Huh? What are you talking about...?"
"Go ahead, take a look. Notice anything interesting about where Sayaka died? She died in Makoto's dorm."
"Wh-? She's right!"
"Then, could it be...!?"
All at once, everyone's gaze turned to me.
"What are you sayingI did it? I traded rooms with her. I did it because...she was afraid. Knowing what she did a while back she probably lied to me."
"Y-You expect us to b-believe that? Just tell us the t-truth!"
The look in everyone's eyes had done a complete 180 from just a few minutes earlier. The feeling of suspicion and fear had returned. In other words... You think *I* did it!?
"Are we all done talking? We need to begin our investigation soon. At this point, we should split up. We need to get to the bottom of this and find out who killed Sayaka. We'll have to collect clues to form a foundation, then construct an argument to come to a final decision. If we get this wrong…",
"Well, do I really have to say any more?"
"I'd rather you didn't, no…"
"Everyone pray for good luck."
With that, Kyoko hurried out of the gym.
"I'll be going, too."
And just like Kyoko, he was gone before we realized it...
"Oh yeah, I'm on guard duty, huh? I'd better head to the scene of the crime!"
"Ah, that's right."
"...Lemme just say this right now! If whatever son of a bitch did this is here right now, and they're thinking of destroying that evidence…"
"They'd better not let me find 'em! I'll skip the trial and cave their goddamn skull in myself! I'm serious! I will fuck them up!"
Letting his deadly words hang in the air, he and Sakura ran off.
" But...I mean, we're not detectives or anything y'know? And we're gonna investigate a murder? How do we even do something like that?"
"We don't r-really have to do anything in p-particular. W-We already know who k-killed Sayaka…"
"Are you really that stupid?"
"It was y-you."
"I'm telling you, it wasn't me."
"D-Don't come any c-closer! Are you g-gonna kill me next!?"
"W-Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. It's not for sure Makoto's guilty yet."
"That's true. We may as well at least check just to check."
"Even if I w-wanted to, I c-couldn't help inv-vestigate…"
"Wait, why not?
"I'm not g-good with...b-b-blood. All it takes is o-one glimpse and I b-black out."
"Well, whatever. I don't think anyone was expecting much from you, anyway. Alright, I guess I better get going."
SKIPTHE CLASS TRIAL THING BECAUSE I'M TOO LAZY AND TIRED TO WRITE:
'Oh I already knew it was him, it was a smart move to do all that.'
A/N: I HAVE ANOTHER BOOK SERIES COMING OUT FOR THIS IT WILL FOCUS ON MAINLY PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES WITH AT LEAST 1 SEQUEL
22 FUCKING WORTH OF WORDS PAGES ON GOOGLE DOCS- DW THIS SYORY ISN'T DISCOUNTENED BY THE WAY-