The students filed onto the second floor bit by bit. Even those most against the motive videos eventually caved and went up. The entire floor was dedicated to classrooms for language and social studies on the west/left and math and science on the right/east.

"So, what are we even looking for?" Muni asked impatiently, one of the first to reach the second floor. If she couldn't claim bragging rights for receiving the first motive video, she could claim bragging rights for receiving the first—! …whatever it was supposed to be.

"If you bothered to read the morning announcements—!" Maho panted, chasing after Muni, holding out her PheFo. Monochio sent morning announcements via email every day, regardless of whether or not it gave the announcements in person too. That was why Muni hadn't read hers. Not only did she only read Monochio's emails half the time anyway, but since Monochio had been present that day, she felt even less inclined to view anything that wasn't a motive video. Because of that, she didn't notice the part of the email discussing something called an Implememor-E.

It looked just like a flash drive, except the part that could extend or retract the USB connector (a plastic slider that ran the length of the device) could move so far back that not only was the USB connector retracted, but a light would flash on the opposite end of the device. If someone looked into the light, it would instantaneously unlock previously suppressed memories, just like the motive videos.

In fact, the only reason Monochio divided the memories between the videos and Implememor-E devices at all was because the emails were meant to be the freebees that got the students interested in the memories. By contrast, the Implememor-Es were the actual, collectable items that Monochio could physically hide and force the students to search for. To some, the challenge was menial and mundane, like finding a needle in a haystack. To others, it was well worth the effort. A scavenger hunt, though childish and time-consuming, was much preferable to murder, after all.

Of course, the main incentive was the memories themselves. Unsurprising to Peaky, Kyoko was one of the most avid hunters, the first to actually enter any of the classrooms. Just like the hall itself, every room started out dark, but all anyone needed to do was walk in to trigger the lights. The rooms were neat and tidy, but still filled with desks, chairs, school supplies, and storage space, so they would indeed have to work to find something as small as an Implememor-E device. They would all leave with lots of Monodiscs that day.

Shinobu also finally found the chance to sneak away from the rest of Peaky to watch her motive video alone. Perhaps a tiny part of her ego secretly hoped she would see something important, but instead, all she got was something arguably even more mundane and asinine than some of what she'd seen so far already. It was laughably cringeworthy, tame, and sweet, centering around another second-year gamer girl, Chiaki Nanami.

"Oh, but I don't see myself as a master, or better than anyone else, y'know? Ultimate Gamer or not, it should be something that connects us rather than divides." Chiaki said in Shinobu's video. They were playing Mario Kart, and Chiaki was thoroughly defeating Shinobu, all without even looking at the screen. While she waxed poetic about unity and bonding over video games, Shinobu looked seconds away from hurling her controller through the screen. Embarrassing as the video was, Present-Day Shinobu was smirking by the end of it.

All right, I'll tell 'em. The only reason Shinobu hid it from Peaky at all was because, especially with Kyoko's unexplained amnesia, she was willing to bet that this motive was for her. And even if she couldn't protect Kyoko from everything forever, she at least didn't want to be responsible for any potential guilt or blame if she watched her motive video without caution and accidentally triggered something within someone. That was surely what all of the memory nonsense was leading up to.

Either people got jealous and paranoid and started killing each other over the Implememor-Es, or someone saw something they shouldn't have and went crazy. In Shinobu's opinion, the outcome was obvious, but leave it to her to be the voice of reason for the rest of her unit.

Honestly, you think they'd be at least a LITTLE more cautious, the damn idiots! Shinobu thought with a scoff. But with proof that her video, at least, was clean, the only thing standing in her way was whether or not she wanted her unit-mates to see a cutesy, silly clip of her and a soft-spoken sweetheart playing cake-bake games while "Shinoob" got pwned in Mario Kart.

Hiiro was the first to find her Implememor-E. It was hidden inside a language arts classroom, tucked between a quill in an inkwell, and a clipboard, and her name was engraved on the bottom, creating shallow but noticeable indents. "How quaint." She raised an eyebrow and gave a half-smile as she inspected the tiny device. "Mmm… I know what else this looks like!" she said with a naughty smile. It was smaller than what she owned, but there was something in a nightstand back home… She didn't need anything from Monochio to remind her of that!

"Are you really going to try it, though?" Aoi asked, eyes widening slightly as she reached out for the other girl. Even Aoi came into the room just as excited and determined as Hiiro to find something, the moment she saw Hiiro pointing the device at her eye, she had second thoughts.

"Don't worry, Aoi, you and Tsubaki may tie me down if I begin to get a little too handsy." Hiiro winked. "I'm sure the two of you together are more than strong enough to pin me down and hold me in my place, if you must remind me where it is."

"Eh?!" Aoi blinked in confusion, not understanding the joke. Closer to the door of the classroom, but still fully present with them, Tsubaki crossed her arms and scowled at Hiiro, feeling her pale cheeks warm slightly.

I didn't even want to be here anyway! I was never good with technology… Or… anything that wasn't singing… She just would've felt bad if she was the only one of RONDO who didn't come. Like Muni, Hiiro was quick to go to the second floor, and Aoi followed when she was sure she wouldn't be able to convince Tsubaki to leave the first floor with them.

A second later, a light blinked in and out of existence, about the size and intensity of a phone camera flash.

"Did it work?" Aoi and Tsubaki asked the question in unison, both of them leaning forward with eyes slowly widening even more.

"I- I- I remember a girl! A third-year! Ultimate Cosplayer, Tsumugi Shirogane. She and I were the best of friends. I think…"

"You think?" Tsubaki narrowed her eyes. As Hiiro would explain, in that single flash of light, hours of memories came back in a flood. It was even more powerful and all-encompassing than the motive videos, which only felt like tiny reminders in comparison. The Implememor-Es could bring back taste, smell, tactile sensation, and even cloudy remembrance of other thoughts occurring at the time of the memories' occurrences.

In Hiiro's case, this was all the time she and Tsumugi spent being otakus together, designing and sewing costumes for their friends taking inspiration from their favorite anime characters and giggling over who would look sexiest in what. As powerful as the Implememor-Es were, however, they could not answer every question, and that was doubtlessly an intentional design choice on the part of their beloved Headcatster.

For some reason, I cannot help but feel as though Tsumugi and I… ended on ill terms… Why? What happened between us? A pang of uncertainty settled in Hiiro's stomach. I would be wise to keep this to myself. At least for the time being…

On a lighter, sillier note, another student somewhat prominent in Hiiro's memories was a first-year Ultimate Clairvoyant also called Hiro. And Hiiro saw flashes of lewder students like fellow third-year Miu Iruma, Ultimate Inventor, and underclassmen second-year Teruteru Hanamura, Ultimate Cook. She was one of the only ones who could keep up with them, and tease them right back with just as much naughtiness. It never took more than one dirty joke from her to turn the likes of Miu and Teruteru into whimpering, giggling, soaking messages, and it was always delightful!

Her discovery renewed vigor in the others to find their Implememor-Es and Yuka was the next to get it done. "Hell yeah!" she cried, flexing her muscles as she proudly held the little flash drive high in the air. Just like Hiiro's, her name was carved into the bottom.

"Don't break it, ya big meathead!" Shinobu sighed and Yuka smiled embarrassedly, quickly lowering her Implememor-E. To her mortification, there was indeed a tiny dent around the middle now. Yuka activated the device at once after that, wanting to see her memories before she destroyed them. Shinobu only rolled her eyes. She knows the brain is a muscle, right? She could definitely exercise it more often! More brain cells, less abs, thanks!

What Yuka came back with was similar to Ibuki, half of her memoires about the jocks and athletes of Hope's Peak and Pinnacle, but the other half was all about fellow second-year Ultimate Photographer, Mahiru Koizumi. She and Yuka were not in the same class, but they spent a great deal of time together, along with a large, rotating circle of friends both Ultimate and non, but Mahiru was the one Yuka remembered best.

Or was it Moeka? I remember the name "Moeka Koizumi". But I don't think it was referring to Mahiru. I guess it could be a sibling, or something like that, but I don't remember Mahiru ever talking about family. But why else would I remember the name "Moeka Koizumi"?

Miyu found her Implememor-E as well, or rather, Kurumi found it. "Here, Miyu, here! Here!" she said, jumping up and down as she shoved the flash drive at Miyu. Please, Miyu, you gotta watch it! You know I would've gladly watched the motive videos for you guys, but I can't watch this!

Monochio's announcement even warned the students against trying to view Implememor-Es that were not theirs. It wasn't a disciplinary thing; it was just impossible to use an Implememor-E that was not one's own.

As Kurumi discovered with every Implememor-E she found, the light would flash, but if it was not hers, no memories would be transmitted.

Of COURSE I find everyone's but mine! she thought bitterly. She hadn't found everyone's, but Miyu was the fifth non-Kurumi Implememor-E so far.

"Interesting!" Esora remarked, nearby when Kurumi went racing by only to screech to a halt in front of Miyu, panting as she held out the flash drive.

"What's interesting?" Miyu asked her.

"My family owns a tech company, but they were never willing to work with memory-altering devices such as this because it's too… volatile, morally and economically. But we've still heard through the grapevine, or "grapewire", that some companies are working with this technology and they each have a slightly different goal. Whoever's making these things is clearly interested specifically in being able to extract and return memories, but not necessarily falsify them."

Shimizu Corp may have focused solely on robotics, but Esora and her family still had a basic understanding of how Implememor-E devices worked, and they could confirm that the memories they showed were real. Maybe they weren't always the full or whole picture, and that was where the deception could creep in, but it wasn't as if the memories were fake or photoshopped. Strangely, though, the Implememor-Es had no logos or trademarks anywhere, just the names of every owner carved onto the bottom.

And as much as Esora knew, she did not know which tech corporation, off the top of her head, might've been responsible for the Implememor-Es, or anything else in Hope's Pinnacle, including Monochio itself. Other companies, she knew, had devices capable of triggering memories with flashes of light, but it wasn't quite the same as an Implememor-E. For one, those "flashback lights" were like large and clunky cameras instead of little flash drives. For another, anyone in the vicinity was impacted by the flash, unlike Implememor-Es, which only impacted their owners. Then there was what Esora said before about faking memories.

"You what?!" Haruna interrupted, hands on her hips when she heard Kurumi admitting to trying every Implememor-E she found. The Ultimate Chairman hadn't even wanted to go to the second floor, goaded along only when almost everyone else had already gone upstairs. People would argue that it was safer to be in a crowd during a Killing Game than to be alone, and although Haruna could understand the logic to some degree, in her opinion, that way of thinking didn't always work. There was danger in keeping too many people too close together, especially under such tense parameters. In short, too much could be just as deadly as too little. Kurumi, however, was sick of it.

"You can't boss us around forever! And what about Miyu?! You don't even let her breathe without your supervision anymore! I know she doesn't say anything because she's too nice to, but—"

"Now, now, Kurumi!" Miyu tried to interject politely, chuckling nervously as she stepped between her arguing unit-mates. "Haruna is just trying—"

"No, Miyu, enough!" Kurumi shoved Miyu.

"KURUMI!" Haruna looked ready to shove Kurumi, but Kurumi was done playing games.

"Haruna. I know you're scared, but you can't keep us like this just because of your fear! I want to know if there are any memories of Miiko!" The Ultimate Prankster turned back to Miyu, still holding out the Implememor-E, tan eyes teary and desperate.

"I… I… I…"

"Now, Kurumi!" Haruna raised a finger again, other hand on her hip. These were the words Miyu needed to finally find her voice.

"No, Haruna," she said sternly, surprising both Kurumi and Haruna. "Please…" Her pink eyes softened. "I understand your concern, and I appreciate your protectiveness, but I think… I need to do this too… Kurumi wasn't Miiko's only friend, after all." And… Haruna… You aren't the only one who feels like you failed Lyrilily by failing to protect one of its members. I'm sure Kurumi feels that way. I know I do.

Miyu's words were a painful reminder to both Kurumi and Haruna, and neither of them said a word or moved an inch as Miyu raised the back of her Implememor-E to her eye. One flash later, she lowered the Implememor-E with a shaking hand. Kurumi and Haruna said nothing, but leaned even closer to her, eyes growing even wider still. Miyu's gut wrenched and she wanted to cry all over again.

"I- I- I'm sorry… There was still no Miiko…" It was just her and some of the other Ultimates with luck-related Talent: Makoto Naegi and Celestia Ludenberg from her year, and Nagito Komeda from one year above. It was a lovely memory, and Miyu longed to share it, but because it wasn't what Kurumi and Haruna had been hoping for, she felt awkward trying to recount something so cheerful when they looked so devastated.

Even Haruna… Oh no… Now I feel guilty again! Tears sparkled in pink eyes. And… I'm sad too… Why wasn't Miiko in any of my memories?!

"Then, I guess we just keep looking," Kurumi said, and Miyu and Haruna looked at her with pity and fear when they realized that they could not read her face or voice. She was completely empty, emotions entirely hidden. She turned tail abruptly and walked away at once without another look back. Haruna and Miyu met one another's eyes.

What should we do?

What else CAN we do?

It was a short, unsatisfying conversation that left Miyu sighing in frustration and sorrow, but she stuck out her hand, nonetheless. Haruna's eyebrows raised in surprise, but when Miyu only continued to hold out her hand, Haruna finally managed a small smile in spite of everything and she was more than happy to intertwine her fingers with the other girl's. As long as there was still Implememor-Es to find, there was still Hope.