Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Sorry for taking longer than usual. Things were going on in my life that I was trying to figure out, so I had put my energy on those things for the time being. Head's clearer now, at least for the time being, so I manage to get back into writing. Hope you enjoy.
P.S. Opened up my Pat account again. For the link, I made a Twitter account and put it there (Placed a link for my Twitter page on my profile here). Will mainly be for my original content (Decided to disregard my Royal Road idea, and post my stories on Pat), but if you want to give monetary support for my fanfics, that would be appreciated. And if you know people that would be interested in what I'm writing (Be it online, personally, etc), then let them know about it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.
Chapter 92: Watching Chapter 5: 100 Miles; Pain of a Junk Food Junkie Part 3
The scene transitioned to Makoto entering his room. "Ah, that's right," he spoke in remembrance, before pulling the knife from his pocket, "I need to put away the knife that I got from Toko…"
After looking around for a moment, he headed towards his desk. "I think the safest place for it will be my desk drawer."
At that, the present luckster received a few disbelieving looks from his friends. "Really? Of all the places to put it, you're keeping it in your drawer?" Mondo deadpanned, "Why not hide the thing?"
"Where could I hide it?" Makoto replied defensively, raising his hands up, "There's practically cameras all around the building, with the sauna and the hidden room at the second floor bathroom being the only places without them. And even if I hid the knife in either place, it would be easy for anyone to search for it. Might as well keep it in my room."
"True enough…" Kyoko nodded in acceptance. As Makoto explained, there weren't that many options to begin with.
Once he put the knife away, Makoto flopped down on his bed. 'But, anyway… is Kyoko really gonna be okay?' He mused in concern, 'She can't get into her room. What's she gonna do…? Isn't there something I can do…? Something I can…'
Celeste shook her head. "As with Sakura, I have doubts that there's much you can do in this situation," she stated, "You would merely have to wait and see it all play out."
"And you shouldn't worry about me too much," Kyoko herself spoke up, "As I've stated before, there's probably a way for me to survive without access to my room. So, the concern of collapsing is minimal."
"Maybe. Still… hard not to worry when you don't even know that for sure," Makoto said, rubbing his head sheepishly, "Doubly so for my future self."
The scene then faded into pitch blackness, no sound made for the duration of that darkness. Then a sound of a doorbell rang through, prompting the screen to light back up, revealing a sleeping Makoto, who slowly woke up from the sound. "...Nng?"
Rubbing his eyes from drowsiness, he turned towards the door. "Did I hear… the doorbell…?" The lucky student headed towards the door, curiosity mixed with his drowsy look. When he opened the door, he was face to face with none other than Kyoko. "K-Kyoko…?"
"I'll be waiting for you in the dressing room…" was what she immediately said, before turning around and walking away, "See you there…"
"H-Hey, wait! Kyoko!" Makoto spoke in protest, now wide awake. But the lavender-haired girl simply disappeared in the hallway, not acknowledging him.
Suffice to say, that got more than a few raised eyebrows from the group. "That was… abrupt," was all Sayaka could say.
"Should we be surprised by this?" Celeste remarked in response.
"Fair enough…"
"At least our unfortunate lucky student seemed to have locked his door this time…" Byakuya snarked. That got giggles and chuckles from his classmates, with the luckster in question blushing and groaning in embarrassment.
A pensive look then entered the luckster's face.'I know we're not supposed to go out during nighttime, but…'
"I can't just not go…"
"Again, there's not much to worry about, considering the circumstances…" Mukuro mused, "Even without the knowledge of the next murder, it's difficult to see any of the survivors planning to kill at this point."
"Still, to go and disregard my order like that…" Byakuya sighed in slight annoyance, "You truly are an overly trusting fool, aren't you?"
"You know, you don't have to include the fool part every time…" Makoto groaned out with a sweatdrop.
"Master~, can't you give that abuse to me! I'm jealo- achoo!" Jill's whining was cut off by a sneeze from her, immediately bringing back Toko. "H-Huh?"
"And she's back!" Junko announced, a tad dramatically, "Who's turn is it to catch her up?"
"I'll do it," Sayaka volunteered, raising a hand.
While the idol explained to Toko what she missed, Hiro spoke up. "Anyways, does anyone have any idea what Kyoko wants to talk about…?" he asked, scratching the side of his head.
Sakura was the one to answer. "It most likely has to do with what she found… and what she revealed…"
That caused several to stiffen up, or straighten up, the air becoming noticeably tense. Mukuro, in particular, looked more rigid than usual once again.
The scene transitioned to Makoto entering the bathhouse, with Kyoko waiting for him. "Sorry for asking you to meet with me so late," the girl apologized.
"It's okay. I'm used to it," Makoto sighed.
"...Indeed," was all Kyoko could say.
Of course, that little interaction got several snorts across the room. "Feeling a bit sheepish there, Kyoko…?" Junko asked wryly, smirking.
"Probably realized how much she pulls Makoto around thoughtlessly…" Celeste giggled, daintily covering her mouth.
And once again, the detective deigned not to give a response to anyone, keeping her eyes away from her classmates.
"Well then, let me get straight to the point."
"It's something you can't talk about in front of the surveillance cameras, right?" Makoto guessed, "So does that mean…? Does this have to do with whatever it is you stole from Monokuma?"
"..."
"Monokuma told us earlier that someone had stolen something from him," the luckster informed her, "Was it you…?"
"..." For a moment, Kyoko continued to be silent. Then… "That's right."
"As I said before, an obvious conclusion."
"One that no one disagreed with, Byakuya dear…" Celeste replied back in response, "And it seems that we'll be finding what exactly she took."
"Unless she decides to be stubborn again…" Mondo remarked with some annoyance.
"Considering that she reached out to Makoto in the first place, I don't see that happening bro," Taka assured his friend.
"So, I was right…" Makoto murmured, somewhat to himself, "But what did you steal?"
"I stole this…" Kyoko then held up a key, an old fashioned looking one with a Monokuma shaped end.
Immediately, everyone took interest in the key in Kyoko's hand. "A… Monokuma key…?" Hina voiced, naming the unique looking key.
"One that's likely to access vital things, considering Monokuma's reaction…" Celeste mused with interest.
"A… key?" Makoto looked at the key with confusion and interest. "Where did you get this…?"
"From the headmaster's room," Kyoko answered.
"What?!" Makoto's eyes widened at this. "You snuck into the headmaster's room?! But… wasn't it locked?"
"The lock was broken."
"What…?" was Makoto's dumbfounded response.
"It was Sakura. She did it for us…" Kyoko explained.
"And yet another prediction coming true…" Hifumi noted the obvious, adjusting his glasses, "Obvious to be sure, but nice to have actual confirmation."
"Heh. No wonder the damn bear was so pissed…" Mondo stated, smirking, "He got completely blindsided by the 'sore loser' he waved off…"
The martial artist in question also smiled in satisfaction, more than content that she went down fighting in ways the mastermind never suspected. It made the sacrifice her future self had had to make all the sweeter.
Junko, on the other hand, found herself pouting. Does she have to be reminded of the humiliation the musclehead brought to her? It filled her with an embarrassment she's both hating and kinda sorta enjoying!
"She did…?"
"Remember what she said in her note?" the mystery Ultimate reminded him, "'I'm not going to just lay down and die. I will fight you…'"
"So… Sakura broke into the headmaster's room for us?" Makoto concluded, slightly astonished.
"That's right," Kyoko affirmed with a nod, "So that we could uncover whatever secrets might lay hidden within…"
"She did it… for us…" Makoto repeated once again, mostly to himself, 'She violated the school regulations to help us. She already decided to die, so her last act was to defy the rules of this place…'
"Sakura…" Hina, meanwhile, found herself with mixed emotions. On one hand, the fact that her friend had to die to stop Monokuma still hurt her at her core, and she wished it wasn't necessary; on the other hand… she was proud that Sakura was able to do this, that she was able to stick it to the mastermind with her final breaths, and go out with a smile.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, the swimmer turned towards Sakura, her friend silently asking if she was alright with a concerned look. In response, Hina gave her a reassuring smile, in silent support of her friend's decision. That wiped away the look of concern, with a small smile replacing it.
"I noticed the room was open after the class trial was over yesterday," Kyoko continued, "But if I'd just strolled into the room, Monokuma would have noticed right away. Which is why… I used you as a decoy."
At the reminder, Sayaka scowled. "I still don't like that she used you as a decoy without your consent…" she grumbled under her breath.
"It's fine, Sayaka. I wasn't in any real danger, so it's not a big issue…" Makoto whispered to her softly.
"If so, she could've just asked you to act as a decoy," Sayaka hissed back, not letting it go, "It wouldn't be too much to just take you to the bathhouse and inform you of her plan there."
"She probably wanted to check before the mastermind had a chance to notice, so she didn't want to waste time trying to bring me up to speed," the luckster explained, having an idea of what the detective's thought process was, "If Monokuma had an inkling that she was planning something, then she may have not been able to get into the headmaster's office. Using me as an unknowing decoy was probably the best choice."
The idol still had a frown across her face, but she couldn't refute the luckster's points.
"So you asked me to meet you at the data center in order to…" Makoto spoke with slight realization.
"Correct," Kyoko nodded to his silent deduction, "I wanted you to draw Monokuma's attention."
"I took that opportunity to sneak into the headmaster's room. And as a result… I found this key."
"Wow…" was the only thing the luckster could say at the moment. Then he recalled something. "Then… what you told me about yesterday - did that come from the headmaster's room, too?"
And once again, the tension rose back up, the topic of the day now being addressed. Those like Hina and Taka held varied worried looks, while those like Byakuya and Celeste merely held their focus.
Mukuro herself was also concerned, though she did not show it. How much did Kyoko actually find out about her? How much of her involvement was revealed from what the detective found?
A flashback of Kyoko's revelation was shown before going back to the present. "Did you find out about this Mukuro Ikusaba while you were there?"
"I did find a file in the headmaster's room that talked about her, yes," the lavender-haired girl confirmed, "I don't know all the details yet, but… one thing I do know, is that Mukuro Ikusaba is dangerous."
Leon snorted a little at that. "Yeah, I would say that's an understatement," he said with some humor, "Don't need any top secret files to tell me that."
"You don't get to be called the Ultimate Soldier by being cuddly…" Mondo remarked in agreement. The light humor with the two did little to ease the tension in the room.
"D-Dangerous…?"
"She may very well be the mastermind," Kyoko stated bluntly.
"HUH?!" And just like that, half the class was taken by surprise by this declaration.
"Impossible," Byakuya said flatly, cutting down that idea instantly, "With Mukuro's clear death, there's no way that she would be the mastermind."
"Still, to say something like that… what did Kyoko find to warrant such a conclusion?" Celeste questioned with suspicion.
Sakura then decided to speak up. "Perhaps it was files about her time in the mercenary company Fenrir…" she offered, "After all, information such as that could alarm anyone that knew nothing of Mukuro or her existence."
"Perhaps… but I'm not quite certain of that," Celeste said, the explanation clearly not satisfactory, "It feels like there's something more than that."
"Does the Ultimate Soldier herself have anything to offer?" Byakuya called out the girl in question.
"..." However, he was met with silence, with Mukuro not offering him a gaze.
"Byakuya, please…" the lucky student pleaded with the Togami heir.
Byakuya let out a "tsk", but said nothing more, prompting a small sigh of relief from Makoto.
"M-Mastermind?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock, "But didn't Alter Ego say that the headmaster was probably the mastermind?"
"No… the headmaster isn't the mastermind, I'm sure of that," Kyoko refuted.
"What…?"
"I don't have proof yet, but I have no doubt I'm right," the girl insisted.
"...Ok, this is becoming really strange," Sayaka noted, her eyebrows crinkled in confusion, "Kyoko making a statement without proof? And being so confident about it?"
"Yeah, that doesn't sound like the Kyoko we know…" Leon said in agreement, eyes turned slightly towards the detective.
Said detective had a pensive look across her face, acknowledging that her counterpart's statement is not natural. Did… what does her future self know? How much does she know? Does she remember?
'To make such a strong statement without proof… that's not like Kyoko at all,'Makoto thought, surprised by the girl's words.
"Yeah…" Mondo nodded in agreement, "I mean, we all know that the headmaster isn't the mastermind, but they know shit."
"Do you think… could she be remembering her past?" Chihiro asked, looking around for anyone to have an answer.
"Maybe. But I don't think any of us can say that with any amount of certainty," Byakuya responded, eyes narrowed in suspicion, "All we can do is watch and see what more will be revealed."
'But… if it isn't the headmaster… does that mean Mukuro Ikusaba really could be the mastermind?'
"Anyway, this key is the one big opportunity we've been waiting to get our hands on," Kyoko stated, directing back the conversation to the key in her hand, "Now that we've grasped it, we can't let it go, can we?"
"Sure, but I mean… what does this key even unlock?" Makoto asked the obvious question.
"And there's the next question out of several…" Taka said, frowning in thought, "What door does it open? Does it even open any door?"
"...I think this is the main reason why Kyoko came to me," Makoto said, eyes widening in realization, "To figure that out."
"I don't know yet," Kyoko admitted, "Which is why… I need you to draw Monokuma's attention again, while I go and find out."
And now several more students joined in the realization of what she's planning.
"So, she plans on going back into the headmaster's room?" Leon questioned, eyes widening.
"But… that's way too risky, isn't it? Would it even work the second time?" Hina spoke in slight protest, "The mastermind could just ignore Makoto and see what Kyoko's doing!"
"We don't even know if the mastermind is just one person! There could be multiple people watching…" Taka added in.
"Wait, so you're planning on sneaking back in again?" the luckster deduced, eyes widening, "You can't! That's way too dangerous! And you want me to draw his attention, but we don't actually know that there's just one mastermind, right? If there's more than one person watching us…"
"But they didn't catch on last night, right?" Kyoko pointed out.
"That… is true." Sayaka recognized, "That mastermind had absolutely no idea that Kyoko snuck in, from the looks of it."
"You don't think that was just a fluke…?" Junko asked with a raised eyebrow, "Just lucky boy's luck kicking in this time?"
"Maybe. But the other possibility is that the mastermind can't do two things at the same time," Kyoko herself offered, looking to be deep in thought, "It hasn't been tested before, but it could be that they can't monitor us and control Monokuma at the same time. By controlling Monokuma, they take their eyes off the cameras watching us."
"...And your future self wants to test that, figure out if the mastermind is limited in that capacity," Byakuya deduced. Kyoko nodded.
"Exactly."
"Maybe we just got lucky…"
"Or maybe the mastermind can't monitor us and control Monokuma at the same time," Kyoko offered another conclusion.
"...Huh?"
"Like I said, we didn't get caught last night. But as you said, maybe it was just pure luck," Kyoko conceded somewhat, "Which is why we're going to run the experiment one more time. And if we're successful again… then what may have just been a lucky guess will be proven true."
"That… would be a magnificent tool if proven true," Celeste stated with clear interest, "If they need to do anything without the mastermind monitoring them, they can have one or two distract Monokuma while others go and gather what they can out of the mastermind's sight. They would be able to completely blind side them if used properly…"
"But it would have to be used sparingly. The mastermind could easily catch on to that kind of tactic, depending on the number of times it gets used, as well as space in between those times…" Sakura analyzed herself.
"And depending on what exactly that key unlocked… this could be a game-changer!" Sayaka said, her eyes lighting up at this.
"But… this'll all depend on if Kyoko's hypothesis is true or not," Taka noted with a frown, "And would it be worth the risk?"
"If it's true that the mastermind can't watch us and control Monokuma at the same time…" Kyoko continued. "...then there would have to be a period of time where the mastermind is vulnerable. What we need to do is find out for sure if that's actually true, and if we can exploit it."
"Maybe, but…" Makoto spoke up, still looking reluctant, "No matter what the reward, the risk is just too high. When I think about what might happen if we fail…"
"I don't think you need to worry all that much. After all…" a flashback of rule four of the school regulation was then shown, "No restrictions have been placed on our efforts to solve the mystery, am I wrong?"
"That is also true. Even the bear himself made it clear that he'll let us explore around the school…" Byakuya recalled, memories of the first chapter coming to mind, "So long as our travel remains within the boundaries of the school rules."
"But… didn't Kyoko grabbing the key-"
"No. Even when taking the key, Kyoko still held to the rules," Celeste quickly answered the question, "No rooms are prohibited from being entered; merely the act of breaking through locked doors is forbidden."
"And it was I who broke that lock, not Kyoko. And I'm already dead," Sakura continued for the gambler, "So it is true that no rule is actually being broken."
"And the diversion will keep Monokuma from taking the key back, or changing up the rule to suit his needs…" Mukuro added her own musing.
"Even when I took the key, I didn't break any rules as far as I can tell."
"But if the mastermind decides to do something, all the rules in the world won't matter," the lucky student argued back, "He could just kill us all without a second thought!"
"Makoto is correct. What is to stop the mastermind from disregarding their own rules and killing everyone on the spot?" Taka spoke in agreement with the future luckster, "It's already clear as day that the one behind this gives no value to human life, nor do they have any sort of honor."
"Yeah. If things get too sweaty for them, even with the boundaries of those rules, they can just go 'fuck it' and slaughter the survivors…" Mondo grunted, "Nothing can stop them from doing that."
"It really feels like playing with fire here…" Hiro sighed nervously, scratching the side of his head.
"I see…" Kyoko seemed to take that into consideration, "In that case, even if the plan fails, we'll still be able to prove or disprove that hypothesis."
"What…?"
"In a moment of crisis, will the mastermind break their own rules, or adhere to them no matter what?" the girl asked rhetorically, "In other words, we gain something whether we succeed or not. Now there's no reason not to do it, right?"
"...Your future self thought about this thoroughly, hasn't she?" Makoto realized, turning towards the detective, "Already weighed the pros and cons. The… risk vs reward benefit, that she mentioned before."
Kyoko nodded. "She most likely has, yes."
"You're really set on poking the bear like that…?" Leon asked incredulously, "You're seriously not worried about losing your life like that?!"
"This feels way too dangerous!" Hina spoke in agreement, biting her lip nervously, "Like a really big gamble! Too big of a gamble!"
"And we already tried such a gamble with Alter Ego, with no fruit gained!" Taka added as his own protest, "While the risk is negligible compared to previously, it's still too prominent not to be disregarded!"
As protest and reluctance of this plan continued to be voiced, and memories of what happened with Alter Ego fresh in students' minds, Byakuya spoke up. "Then tell me… what other choices do we have currently?" he asked the group, his tone severe, "All floors have been opened, and all avenues of escape blocked. The few rooms that are left unexplored are barred from us, with only one now available thanks to Sakura."
"Tell me, are there any options that don't involve confronting the mastermind at some level?"
The whole class went silent at the Togami heir's poignant question. Silently, many of them were seeing the point Byakuya was making. There was no safe way to get out of the school or find out more about it. No more secret passages for escape, no rooms opened with the information they need, nothing that they can get use from without any risk.
They were seeing that, in order for the survivors to escape or figure more things out, they needed to make some incredibly risky moves.
"B-But-!"
"If you spend all your time trying to avoid danger, you'll never move forward." Makoto was struck silent by Kyoko's statement. "We know the danger. But if that risk means solving the mystery, we have no choice." A smile then graced the girl's lips. "Am I wrong?"
"..."
"..."
"It's scary, I know, to confront someone with all the cards and power against you, to have to face such clear danger," Kyoko spoke up amidst the silence, "But it has to be done. The hope of escape will never be realized otherwise."
Several of the students took in Kyoko's words, both the future and their present version; with none able to refute what either were saying.
Makoto remained silent, staring at Kyoko in shock. "At that moment, I finally realized… I had never seen the slightest hint of fear or despair in Kyoko's eyes," Narrator Makoto spoke, "Her gaze was firmly fixed on the mystery ahead, the enemy standing before us. And with that in view… she just smiled."
"...You really are amazing, you know that Kyoko?" the lucky student couldn't help but say honestly. It got the attention of his classmates, but he continued. "Many of our friends have died, so little info was found, all the odds are stacked against us… yet you still focus on what's ahead. With no fear or doubt."
Makoto then graced Kyoko with a smile full of admiration. "That really is amazing."
The detective found herself flushing slightly, with her turning away from the luckster beside her. Honestly, if she had any less control of her emotions, she would've become an embarrassed mess at the words and smiles of admiration sent her way, more so because of how sincere it felt.
'Sometimes I wish he wasn't so foolishly open…' Kyoko thought to herself, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.
"...Have to agree with Makoto there. Pretty damn impressive that you aren't the least bit scared," Mondo then spoke up. A small, jealous frown entered his face. "Doubt I would've been able to muster up that kinda courage…"
"Your spine got some metal laced into it, Kyoko," Leon remarked with a small whistle, "That's all I can say…"
"It's clear how you were able to gain the title of the Ultimate Detective…" Sakura said, nodding towards the detective in respect, "Your pursuit towards mysteries is unyielding…"
While not having the same effect as her favorite luckster, Kyoko took the compliments with an appreciative nod, regaining her composed look once more.
Meanwhile, Sayaka, Mukuro, Celeste, and Hina all held heavy pouts or jealous frowns across their faces, none of them liking the clear admiration their crush spoke for Kyoko. While they do get it on some level, it doesn't mean any of them had to like it.
"I can't change how I feel, and wouldn't if I could," the lavender-haired girl admitted. She then dug through her pocket before pulling out an envelope and handing it to Makoto.
"Huh?" Makoto looked at the envelope with confusion, "What's this?"
"Consider it a symbol of my determination," Kyoko answered vaguely, "Don't open it yet. Only open it… if something ever happens to me."
"I-If something happens?!"
"What?!" Kyoko's words caused Hina to drop her pout, replaced with widened eyes. "No, no, no! Don't drop those kinds of death flags Kyoko!"
"Yes! That almost always means that you'll end up dying at some point or another!" Hifumi squealed.
"A-At the very l-least, you're doing something that'll likely k-kill you…" Toko added, biting a nail nervously.
"Kyoko…" Now the luckster's gaze turned into one of concern.
Before the panic could have a chance to spread, Kyoko spoke up. "Relax. I doubt my future self is gonna do anything too dangerous," she reassured the group, "This is just a precaution, as there's always a chance of dying."
"I'm not planning on dying. But there's always a chance of it, and a death without meaning is… unappealing." Kyoko explained, "Please, I want you to hold on to it for me."
"Fine. I'll hold on to it, just because you asked me to," Makoto complied with her request, a tad reluctantly. Then he held a look of determination. "But I'm gonna give it back at some point, you can be sure of that!"
The words from the future Makoto brought fond sighs and chuckles from the students. "Ever the optimist, huh dude?" Leon said, grinning at his friend.
"Do you expect anything else at this point…?" Makoto replied back, chuckling sheepishly.
"Nope…!" Sayaka answered with a pop, smiling sweetly at him, "No, we don't."
"A Makoto without optimism means armageddon…" Hiro added in, laughing.
'That just means I have to work twice as hard to break him…!' Junko thought firmly, mentally shaking a fist in comedic determination.
"Yes… of course," Kyoko merely nodded to his statement, "Oh, and one more thing." She then held a slightly more stern look. "You can't tell anyone else what I've discovered."
"Sure, because then there's a chance the mastermind might find out, right?" Makoto agreed easily.
"Well… there's that, too," was what Kyoko said, her eyes diverting.
"...What do you mean, 'there's that, too'?" Byakuya asked with suspicion, eyes narrowed.
"W-What other r-reason is there not to tell us?" Toko spoke her own suspicious question.
Hina and Hiro, meanwhile, held confused looks, also wondering why else Kyoko wouldn't want them to know.
"Huh…?" Now a look of confusion and concern entered the luckster's face. "You mean… is there something else?"
"It's nothing. Forget I said anything," Kyoko waved his question off.
"No, no, no! You can't just say something like that and expect us to forget!" Hina protested, waving her arms around. She then let out a fry of frustration. "Kyoko's mystery act can be really frustrating sometimes!"
"No kidding…" Sayaka, Leon, Mondo, and Byakuya all mumbled.
"Any idea what future you is hiding there, Kyoko?" Junko asked, raising an eyebrow.
"...I can't say for certain at the moment what else my counterpart is thinking," was all the detective said, eyes diverting like her future self's. But she had a few ideas.
So did Makoto, judging by the small sigh he let out.
'I-I can't just forget that easily…'Makoto thought with some worry.
"Okay then, shall we begin?" Kyoko asked, directing the subject back to their goal, "I'm counting on you, Makoto."
"I just have to get Monokuma's attention, right? I'll give it my best shot…" Makoto told her determinedly.
"The two of you really have formed a strong partnership…" Taka observed in approval, "As Junko mentioned before, the two of you really have something of a special bond with one another."
"And now the two of you are working together, properly…" Chihiro spoke up, smiling, "I'm glad that you're working like an actual team."
"So am I, Chihiro…" Makoto told the programmer, a proud smile entering his lips. He's really happy that Kyoko's future self was relying on his future self, that she's trusting him to watch her back.
"Indeed…" Kyoko, likewise, was also satisfied with her counterpart placing her trust in Makoto. No manipulation, no bossing him around, none of the unpleasant traits that she's seen about herself.
And of course, Hina, Mukuro, Sayaka, and Celeste all found themselves jealous of the close bond Kyoko shares with Makoto. Not only jealous, but also… insecure, about their own bonds with their lucky student. Insecurities that stemmed from the actions their future selves had taken.
Sayaka clenched her fists together, recalling the reveal of her attempting to kill Leon and pin the crime on Makoto; Mukuro looked down morosely as her torn loyalty pressed against her mind; Celeste clenched her hands around her skirt, remembering her own attempt to escape, regardless of who she had to sacrifice; and Hina shook slightly as memories of her attempt to kill everyone, kill herself, kill Makoto, play fresh in her mind.
However, they quickly shook off the negative thoughts, knowing they can't stew on them. However, they still can't help but feel a bit jealous and just a tad bit insecure.
"I'm going on ahead. The rest is up to you…" With her curt goodbye, she left the room at her usual pace.
A worried look entered Makoto's face as he watched her go, a knot entering his stomach. But he quickly shook off that feeling. "No… everything's gonna be fine, I know it…!" he told himself. "Because it's Kyoko…"
"Always worried about her, always defending her…" Leon remarked teasingly, "You really do have it bad for her, huh dude?"
And, of course, that got the luckster beet red. "I-It's not like that…!" Makoto protested loudly, "I'm just worrying about her like I would any friend!"
"I don't know. This doesn't seem like the concern you would have for just anybody…" Byakuya remarked with a smirk, "It seems… different between you and Kyoko."
"It's not…!" Makoto whined, burying his embarrassed face into his hands. Kyoko, as usual, acted nonplussed about all the teasing, and of course, Sayaka, Mukuro, Celeste, and Hina all felt pouty or emanated dark auras.
The scene then showed Makoto walking out of the bathhouse and into the hallway.'Okay…! Let's do this!'
"Let's hope this works…" Hina muttered nervously, dropping her pout once again, and clasping her hands together. Several other students nodded in agreement, showing varied levels of nervousness.
"Hey, Monokuma! You can see me, right?!" Makoto shouted at the ceiling, "Get out here! I've got a bone to pick with you!"
It was quiet for a few seconds. Then… "Well, well, this is a surprise! You being the one to call me out…" Monokuma appeared in front of Makoto. "Hey, by the way!"
"H-Huh?"
"What were you and Kyoko up to? Going to the bathhouse? Just the two of you? In the middle of the night?" the bear questioned, looking all hot and bothered, "Definitely a hot and steamy moment, wouldn't you say?! So warm and wet, so wet and warm… I bet you guys-"
The things Monokuma said… it brought about flushed faces in many of the students. Hina, Chihiro, and Sayaka were some of the worst off, all three of them cherry red and covering their faces. Leon and Mondo weren't too far off, whereas those like Byakuya and Celeste merely held blank looks.
And Makoto… his head was literally steaming as the bear described, in detail, what he thought went on in there. Or what he imagined happened.
"-all over her, didn't you?!"
"...Wh-Wha… I just… huh… uh…" Hina felt her head sway dizzily as she attempted to make any sort of response to things said.
"And he calls himself a headmaster?!" Taka shouted in outrage, face as red as the others and one arm chopping rapidly, "No headmaster would say even a fraction of the things Monokuma described!"
"And I thought Toko had an imagination…" Leon shuddered, keeping his eyes away from Kyoko and Makoto.
"Indeed, Mr. Kuwata…" Hifumi, on the other hand, seemed to have enjoyed the vivid description given, judging by the drool across his lips.
"Muuu…" was the only sounds Sayaka could make, thoughts of Makoto doing those things to her unwillingly being played in her mind.
"..." Makoto could only continue to cover his face as he attempted to battle against his imagination. Trying extremely hard not to think of any of the things the mastermind claimed he and Kyoko were doing.
"..." Kyoko, on the other hand, kept her emotions in check and no embarrassment showed across her face. However, she kept her eyes away from Makoto, aware that any of the descriptions could cross her mind at any time if she looked at the lucky student.
"..." For once, Makoto refused to give the bear any sort of response.
"Not gonna talk, huh? Sure, I get it…" Monakuma sighed morosely, "Well, whatever. Unlike you, I have absolutely no interest in late-night bath scenes. Because I like to maintain a healthy life of observation, far away from X-rated X-ploits!"
"LIES!"
"BULLSHIT!"
"After laying out your fantasies like that?!"
"Like hell we would believe you!"
As the students cry out in indignation and disbelief, Junko mentally pouted. 'I don't, really!' She denied it in her head, 'I just like messing with you all, that's all!'
"Oh, is that why there's no surveillance cameras in the bathhouse?" Makoto asked, arms crossed.
"Bull's-eye!" Monokuma confirmed.
"Or is it maybe cuz the lens gets all fogged up, and you can't see anything anyway?"
"..." That got the bear completely silent, no retort or denial coming out.
"Sounds like that's the bull's-eye to me…" the luckster deadpanned.
For a moment, the group was taken aback by that interaction between Makoto and the bear. But after that moment passed, the group dissolved into laughter.
"Oh man, that was a good one dude!" Leon laughed, wiping away a tear, "Think that's the first time the bear got struck silent!"
"That burn was fucking good!" Mondo praised, leaning forward as he laughed himself.
"If the mastermind was capable of putting cameras there, it would be more than likely that they would've…" Celeste stated, giggling, "For practical reasons, if nothing else."
"No kidding…" Hina giggled out herself, "Too bad for him. No chance for pervy cameras!"
As the group took amusement from the bear's reaction, quickly getting past the embarrassment Monokuma had put them through, Junko actually started pouting. 'Make fun of me all you want! I'll get the last laugh in the end…!' She swore to herself.
"Anyway!" Monokuma growled, quickly changing the subject, "You went to all that trouble to get me out here, now whaddya want?!"
"Oh, well… umm…" Makoto stammered, "There's just something I wanted to confirm with you."
"Whether I'm a mademoiselle or a dudefella?" the bear guessed, "But in the bear kingdom, there IS no male or female!"
"Um… actually, there is…" the luckster deadpanned.
"Seriously?!" Monokuma gasped in mock shock, "Th-Then… what am I? My entire existence…"
"A monster?"
"An abomination?"
"A horror?"
"Psychopath?"
"Abnormality?"
Several listed off different insults of what Monokuma is. None of them held back in tearing apart the mascot used to torment them in the future.
"It's a good thing Monokuam loves to talk a lot…" Kyoko mused amidst the flinging of insults at the TV, "It makes it easier to keep him distracted."
"Yeah…" Makoto nodded in agreement, the blush across his face starting to fade now.
"That's enough! I'll get stuck if I think about it too much. So, what did you really wanna ask me?"
"Oh, well… you told us earlier that your precious had been stolen," Makoto recalled to him, "What's this 'precious' of yours?"
"..." Monokuma went silent at this, seeming almost in disbelief at what's being asked.
And just like the bear, the class was silent. And then slowly, they all turned towards the present lucky student, blank and disbelieving looks being leveled at him. Said luckster found himself shrinking under the stars, the blush that was fading slowly coming back in full force.
"...Are you serious?" Junko asked blankly, ''You're asked to distract the mastermind, buy time for Kyoko to do her search… and that's your best option?"
"...I was put on the spot?" The argument sounded weak to even Makoto himself.
As a result, laughter started bubbling up from the group, from subdued chuckles to full on laughing. The disbelief had quickly turned into amusement of Makoto's attempt at distraction.
"Listen… I'm sure this is a silly question, no way it's possible and all, but… is that seriously what you dragged me out here to ask me?"
"..." Now Makoto was silent, his posture now stiff and awkward.
"Even the fucking bear is in disbelief…" Mondo cackled, holding onto his stomach.
"When you annoy the guy who's the annoying one of the group, that's when you know you goofed…" Leon remarked, grinning.
"At least he's doing the job given to him…" Celeste sighed, disappointed at her luckster's acting.
The lucky student wished he could curl up in embarrassment, desiring the floor below him to swallow him whole. Sayaka's giggle from one side, as well as Kyoko's amused smirk from the other, did not help his embarrassment in the least.
Junko, on the other hand, had to keep herself from visibly fuming. 'Seriously?! Out of all things he could've said to distract me, to keep my attention, that's ALL he had?! Couldn't he think of anything even remotely clever?! Something with more meat in it?!'
She honestly feels insulted. More so because there's a likely a chance that it will work. She's an analyst, not a seer; she can't predict squat if there's nothing there TO predict.
"You got be kiddin' me! You gotta be 100-megaton freakin' KIDDING me!" Monokuma growled in pure irritation, "You're not gonna ask something useful, like how to get the best honey, or ursine breeding tips?"
"..."
"This is just crazy… are all pubescent teen boys as nutty as you?!" the bear exclaimed, "God, you're so annoying! Fine, I'll tell you! It was a key and ******! That's it!"
"...Uh, wha-...?"
"What did he…?"
"Did anyone…?"
"That second part…?"
"Huh?"
Makoto blinked. "What was that second thing…?"
"It's a blank, stupid! A secret! Fill it in yourself!" Monokuma retorted, "Making me trudge all the way out here for that… I'd like to see what's going on in that brain of yours! And the next time you summon me for something so stupid, I'll open up your skull and find out!" And, letting out more than a few swear words, Monokuma stormed off.
"...Well, he's pissed off," was all Leon could say, deciding to move past that supposedly blank second thing.
"After all the times he gets us annoyed or angered, I only consider it karma…" Sayaka huffed, not sympathizing at all with the monochrome bear.
"Damn straight," Mondo snorted, "About time someone gets under his skin."
"Hear, hear…!" Hina cheered, pumping a fist, "Three cheers for Makoto for annoying him enough…!"
"Guys, come on…!" Makoto whined pitifully, burying his face into his knees.
That earned another bout of chuckles and giggles. "Okay, okay, we'll stop…" Sayaka giggled out, ruffling her crush's hair affectionately.
"Whew…" Makoto let out a breath of relief, 'I hope I kept him distracted long enough…'
'Now all I can do is wait and hope Kyoko makes it out okay.' A look of worry entered his face, before he shook it off. 'No, she'll be fine. It's Kyoko, after all. I'm sure she's fine… right?'
For a moment, more than a few students found some teasing words at the top of their tongues. However, they all refrained, feeling that the luckster had enough to deal with for right now, and the one who wouldn't care about Makoto's embarrassed state was too busy mentally raging over the lame distraction.
"So, is anyone feeling confident that this plan of Kyoko's is gonna work?" Mondo asked, looking around the room for confirmation.
"There are better odds than the previous one with Alter Ego, at least," Byakuya answered, "And even with the worst case scenario, there's something to be gained."
"But the worst case scenario is the death of the remaining survivors…" Hifumi moaned.
"As Kyoko said, we can't move forward by fearing the risks!" Taka lectured the fanfic creator, "They must press on for any hope of victory against the mastermind!"
"Besides that, we're likely overthinking this," Celeste spoke up, "Do remember that another death will happen, three days after the fourth trial. At the very least, none of the worst case scenarios will happen in the midst of those three days."
"...Oh. Right. Forgot about that." Hiro said sheepishly. And, judging by the others' sheepish or embarrassed looks, they saw just how caught up they were in that whole section.
"Speaking of which… the first day has passed," Sakura stated, now noticing that little fact, "And we'll soon be on the second day."
That announcement got everyone tense, their attentions now back on the screen. At this point, almost none of them can predict what's to come. With the reveal at the beginning of this chapter, as well as Kyoko's plan laid out to them, many felt that anything could happen.
None would have predicted the things that would leave them horrified, angered… and guilt-ridden.
And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Getting closer to the good stuff. Will probably just need to power through one or two more chapters (Maybe even skipping the FTEs if need be) to get there.
Again, if you want to give support monetary wise, or check out what I'm writing on the original side of things, check out my Pat account. Need a link, it's on my twitter page (And the link for that is on my profile). Might also give updates of my progress on the things I'm writing there. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.