Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 2
Act 6
Chihiro couldn't help but flush as all of her classmates stared at her; some with concern and relief, but others with anger and distain. Byakuya in particular looked as though he was about to march over and rip her head from her shoulders. She'd never seen him so furious before, what possibly reason could he have to…
"Oh god…he knows!" Chihiro panicked, her face blanching as she resisted the urge to flee. "He knows that I took the laptop and probably thinks I'm a murderer! He probably told everyone and now they all think I'm planning something horrible!"
Even though there was absolutely no reason for such a bold assumption, the incredibly tired mind of Chihiro concluded that her theft of the laptop could be the only thing to upset the Affluent Progeny so. However, until she was accused of anything she decided it was best to try and appeal to their sense of reason. After all, she had been working on her Alter Ego project to try and help them after all!
Shaking a bit, she steadied herself as she asked, "Uh…w-what's wrong—?"
Before she could utter anything more, all of her classmates suddenly charged her. Startled, she yelped and lost her balance, having to grab onto the door handle to keep upright as they surrounded her.
"Oh God, they all know and they're going to kill me for taking the laptop!" she panicked and shivered as they all closed in on her.
Closing her eyes, she waited for something to happen and was surprised when everyone started patting her, as if checking for injuries.
"You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" a concerned Hina asked, looking her over.
"That's everyone present and accounted for! Good work everyone!" Taka congratulated them all, relief flooding his voice.
When Chihiro saw all of her classmates breathing easier now that she was present, she began to think that, just maybe, they didn't know about her laptop theft.
"Just where the hell were you?! We thought you'd been murdered!" Mondo shouted, getting right in her face.
"Okay, maybe they do know!" she reasoned, trying to calm herself as her body trembled.
Suddenly, Mondo was pulled back and away from her by none other than Junko, who glared at him and said, "Don't go screaming at her like that! She's obviously confused enough as it is!"
Jerking free, the biker hesitantly straightened his jacket and replied, "W-Well, what the hell was I suppose to say? She's been missing all morning!"
"Yeah, but screaming at her isn't going to help, now is it?!" the Fashionista refuted, glaring harshly as the biker folded his arms and turned away with a huff.
Hifumi slowly raised his hand and interrupted, "Perhaps we could get back to the matter at hand…like where Miss Fujisaki has been all this time?"
Junko physically flinched as she must have realized that she'd completely forgotten to ask. With a slightly flushed face, she turned to Chihiro and said, "Seriously, you kinda scared us. I rang your doorbell consistently for like a solid minute. Were you…uh…indisposed?"
Although it was kind of sloppy, Chihiro could tell that Junko was at least trying to be sensitive about where she might have been. Although, it didn't really help the situation any regardless.
"I…uh…well…" Chihiro whispered, embarrassment overtaking her. "I couldn't really sleep last night…and I didn't really get to sleep until…early this morning. So, uh, I guess I overslept…?"
A momentary silence engulfed them and no one was quite sure what to say. Chihiro felt bad for not telling the whole truth but the tension in the air convinced her that it was best to keep the real reason for her sleepless night to herself. Just as she was about to apologize, someone unexpected spoke up.
"For serious? You were just sleeping?" Hiro abruptly shattered the quiet, an idiotic smile stretching on his face. "Well, I guess that makes sense! We all have our days!"
His irritatingly jolly laughter was enough to make even Makoto shake his head. However, everyone seemed to calm down a bit and accept what she had told them. Even Byakuya appeared to believe her, since he had neglected to voice his opinion, though he still seemed to be rather perturbed. At the same time, Chihiro felt very uncomfortable due to causing everyone so much trouble, but also relieved as well.
"At least they don't suspect that I stole the laptop…"
Despite feeling that she wasn't under suspicion any more, she still felt it was best to clarify the situation, so she decided to ask, "So, uh, would anyone mind telling me what happened this morning? I mean…did something happen?"
Her question triggered a wave of embarrassment that washed over all her classmates, as they realized exactly what they had been doing all morning. And it seemed that none of them were ready to even talk about it…at least until Kyoko spoke up.
"Allow me to explain," she said as calmly as ever, making her way over to Chihiro to fill her in.
Kyoko's explanation was short and swift, leaving Chihiro even more embarrassed. She desperately wanted to tell her friends the reason for her sleeping in but just couldn't…not yet.
-Earlier That Morning-
"Master…Master…wake up. Master, please wake up."
A strangely familiar voice stirred Chihiro from her peaceful slumber. Groaning softly as she lifted her head off her desk…wait, desk? Why did she? Oh, right. She'd fallen asleep while trying to figure out the bug in her programming.
Yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she lifted her head and was surprised to find a mirror in front of her. It was weird though, judging by her reflection, she didn't look as though she'd pulled one of her usual all-nighters. And even stranger was that her reflection was…smiling? She hadn't even realized she was smiling, such an unusual way to wake up—
"Greetings, Master! Good morning!"
A bit of drool trailed down Chihiro's chin as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Had her reflection just…talked to her?! Was she still asleep and dreaming? Or was this another of Monokuma's tricks perhaps?
"It's nice to finally meet you, Master. Did you sleep well?" the mirror with her face asked.
Squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing them furiously, Chihiro blinked a few times to clear her vision and when it did, she gasped. That was no mirror, it was the laptop screen! And that meant the image of her own head floating before her could only be—!
"A-Alter Ego?!"
A pause occurred as the laptop made a mechanical sound, as if processing something.
"…Is that the name you've designated for me, Master? If so, I shall save it in my memory banks. Would you like me to save that—whoa!"
Chihiro couldn't stop herself from abruptly lifting the laptop up into her arms and spinning around with it, giggling joyfully all the while.
"Yes! It worked! I never thought I'd get it in just one night but it worked! Yeah!" the programmer shouted, so happy that her creation had come to life.
"Master…spinning like this…is not…" the AI program tried to say but was drowned out by its Master's cheering.
Everything was looking better now. Chihiro had done something that may be able to help them all escape the school, since her creation could analyze the files on that laptop for sensitive information. Not only that, she'd programmed her creation to learn and adapt, even when left alone, meaning that she didn't need to watch over it all the time to ensure it would complete its function.
Also, it seemed that the pre-install microphone built into the laptop was functioning adequately enough. She'd been concerned, considering that the laptop was an older model and the microphone wiring was a bit loose and worn out, but it seemed that her creation could hear her just fine!
And, although it was a bit narcissistic, she just couldn't get over the fact that her own image was the default for the program. Hearing her own voice was a bit strange but it felt the most comfortable. Plus, she could tell it about all her other friends and eventually, it might be able to imitate them too!
Chihiro was so enthralled with what she'd accomplished that she almost didn't notice something important. As she spun around, her eyes caught a glimpse of the wall clock and she instantly stopped, her face blanching. It was hours past their usual meeting time and no doubt everyone was worried…or suspicious.
Realizing time was short, Chihiro instantly set the laptop back down before looking directly at her creation. "Okay, sorry but I need to go! We'll talk about everything later so for now, just stay here and look over the files on this laptop. Can you do that for me?"
The mechanical processing noise sounded momentarily before the AI program smiled back and answered, "Of course, Master! Leave it to me!"
"Perfect! I'll be back soon!" Chihiro shouted with a mixture of pride and haste, as she straightened her hair and uniform before racing for the door. Just before she reached the handle though, her own voice called out to stop her.
"W-Wait a moment, Master!"
Grinding to a halt, Chihiro turned her head around to see her creation staring directly at her. It was surprising enough that the AI had called out for her to stop but what was even more surprising was the fact that it had an almost…nervous look on its pixilated face.
"I'm sorry but I really need to go," Chihiro insisted, only now realizing she was negotiating with an AI program, which was a odd but welcome notion. "We'll talk later—".
"B-But…!" the AI program insisted, as if trying to find the courage to speak. "Master, you never approved of my name! I don't know what I am to be called…"
Shock overtook Chihiro as she registered what her AI was asking. Not only that, it was clear that it was imitating part of her personality as well, which was and yet wasn't surprising. She'd used her own personal data as the base for the program, so it would certainly know how to imitate her but…it seemed more genuine than she could have predicted. Her program was learning at a rate that far exceeded anything she'd ever imagined.
She wanted to stay and examine it more, learn more from what she'd accomplished in so short a time but she just couldn't. Instead, she smiled back at her creation and said, "Alter Ego…your name is Alter Ego."
Upon confirming its name, Alter Ego practically beamed as it replied, "Thank you, Master! I'll get to work on those files right away!"
A swell of pride immediately filled Chihiro as she watched the laptop go to work. Perhaps this is what it felt like for a parent to be proud of a child they had raised. It was an odd sensation, but it was the only way she could think to describe the feeling.
"She's growing up right in front of me…" Chihiro whispered to herself with a light giggle.
Nevertheless, she didn't have the luxury of time and decided to depart.
"Hopefully they won't be too angry with me…" she pondered as she locked her door from the outside and headed for the cafeteria.
Upon hearing all that had transpired before she'd arrived, Chihiro wiped away the hint of forming tears and bowed deeply to her classmates.
"I'm sorry! I never meant to do that to all of you!" Chihiro practically shouted, ashamed that her oversleeping had caused such a panic. It felt like all she could do was apologize, since she was still worried about how they'd react to Alter Ego.
She might not have been, if it wasn't for the vicious glare that Byakuya kept sending her. The way he was acting made her nervous to bring up her creation, since he would undoubtedly demand to see Alter Ego and possibly demand use of 'her'. And she couldn't allow that to happen. She had to protect her creation….until the time to show 'her' to the others was right.
She was about to apologize again when a manicured hand landed on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw that Junko was standing over her.
"Don't worry about it," the Fashionista insisted, giving her a big smile. "It could have happened to any of us. So don't blame yourself."
"B-But!" she tried to protest but was stopped when Makoto interjected.
"Really Chihiro, it's okay," the lucky student assured her. "As long as you're okay, then it's not that big of a deal."
"I'm afraid I can't agree with that," the harsh voice of Byakuya caught them all off guard, Chihiro especially. With a menacing frown, the Affluent Progeny walked directly up to her and sneered, "In the future, if your plan on disappearing, could you at least have the courtesy to actually be dead? That way, we don't have to waste the entire morning searching for nothing."
The entire room froze as Byakuya's cruel words invaded their ears. Chihiro in particular felt all the color drain from her face. As she stared up at the Affluent Progeny, almost unable to comprehend how despicable his action were, someone called out to her.
"Ch-Chihiro! You're…"
The programmer turned to see Hina, who had appeared by her side, gesturing toward her face. It wasn't until that moment that Chihiro realized that moisture was pouring down her cheeks. Not only that, she suddenly became aware that, despite not intending to, her reddened eyes continued to secrete a waterfall of tears.
This realization made her knees buckle and her hands shot to her face, desperately trying to wipe away the oncoming tears she knew wouldn't cease any time soon. Uncontrollable, heaving sobs racked her body and she felt her insides twist as confusion wrapped itself around her frazzled mind, unable to comprehend why Byakuya had been so cold to her.
Just before she felt she would be swallowed by that horrific feeling, a strong masculine voice shouted.
"You son of a BITCH! How DARE you make a girl cry like that?!" Mondo shouted, making Chihiro's head snap up.
"Hmph," Byakuya huffed as he folded his arms, barely even acknowledging the biker. "It's no concern of mine if she can't handle the truth. Or are you saying that wasting the entire morning searching for that pitiful excuse for a weakling was an appropriate way to spend my precious time?"
Everyone could see that Byakuya was clearly baiting Mondo, and when they saw the vein in his head pop, they knew it was too late.
"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
The biker charged but didn't get more than few feet before two pairs of hands grabbed him. From the front, Taka had leapt before him and grappled his arms in an attempt to slow him down. From behind, Leon tried to get under Mondo's arms and hold him back. If it had just been one of them, the biker probably could have shaken them off, but together, they barely managed to hold him back.
"Bro! You need to calm yourself!" Taka insisted, desperately trying to pacify his new friend.
"Seriously, man! Get a hold of yourself!" Leon shouted, obviously still exhausted but trying to do his best to keep his friend from going nuclear.
"GET OFF ME! I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL FUCKING KILL HIM!" Mondo protested as he was unable to break free. At the same time, Byakuya smirked at the sight and unfortunately, the biker caught a glimpse of it. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SMILING ABOUT, YOU PRICK?!"
Despite the opportunity, it seemed that Byakuya was entertained enough by remaining silent, as he merely watched as Taka and Leon continued to struggle with holding Mondo back. Just when it seemed that the Affluent Progeny had won, something unexpected happened.
SLAP!
The resounding noise startled everyone, as did the audible groan that followed. Everyone's eyes shot over to see Byakuya, his head jerked to the side and glasses clattering on to the floor. Even more surprising was the person that stood in front of him.
Sayaka Maizono retracted her hand and glared menacingly up at him. Her legs were shaky and she was breathing heavily, due to her current state of health, but nevertheless, she furiously confronted the Affluent Progeny.
"Y-You! How dare y-y-you strike M-M-Mister Byakuya like that?!" Toko abruptly shouted but no one seemed to pay attention to her.
Sayaka in particular didn't even seem to notice she'd spoken, focusing entirely on glaring menacingly at the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. And after what seemed like ages, she finally spoke.
"You should be ashamed of yourself…" she seethed, refusing to turn away from him, her blue eyes radiating with anger and determination.
The entire class held their breath as Byakuya turned back to face her. To their shock, he held no surprise or even anger on his face. He simply stared down at her with his usual condescending gaze. They glared at each other for nearly an entire minute before the Togami Heir abruptly turned and bent over to pick up his, amazingly, undamaged glasses.
Reapplying them to his face, he finally scoffed, walked a few steps away from her and said, "I don't have any need to feel ashamed."
He sent a glare back at Sayaka, who huffed and went back to her seat, looking utterly exhausted.
A confident smirk retook Byakuya's features as he continued, "After all, it's not as if any of us are friends. On the contrary, we are enemies in competition with each other—".
"That's not true!" Makoto immediately interjected, causing Byakuya to glare at him. "We may not all get along but…if we work together, then I'm sure that we can—".
"You're such a fool…" Byakuya interrupted, his tone turning more menacing than any of them had heard before. "Pretending to be friends with everyone? How long do you think that's going to help you survive here?"
"Fuck you!" Mondo shouted, still being held back..
Byakuya's smirk reappeared and he glanced at the biker as he replied, "If you can't see the wisdom I offer, then it's too late for you. Well, actually, it was already too late for you to begin with."
Again, Mondo's rage began to consume him and Taka and Leon had to double their efforts to keep him from rampaging.
"Bro! Calm down!" Taka implored, barely able to hold his grip.
"I AM CALM!"
"No, dude! You're seriously not!" Leon insisted, unsure of how long he could hold the biker back. It was at that moment that a pain-fill voice erupted and startled everyone.
"Please…! Everyone just stop fighting!" the sorrowful voice of Chihiro echoed in the room, gaining everyone's attention. As one, all of the students turned to her and saw her furiously wiping away her tears as she tried to speak. "T-This is…all my fault! I didn't…mean to…I'm so …weak…"
The sounds of Chihiro's sobs pierced everyone's ears, but one person in particular felt ashamed just hearing it. Mondo felt all the fight he'd been giving Leon and Taka fade and he seemed to sober up completely. Completely forgetting his rage toward Byakuya, he shrugged his friends off, walked up to Chihiro and said, "H-Hey! It's not a big deal! Besides, it' not your fault that you're weak! That's just how girls are!"
Unbeknownst to him, every single female in that room sent him a glare. Junko in particular stared menacingly at him but he was entirely too focused on 'helping' Chihiro to really take note of them.
"So stop crying already! I can't stand it when girls cry…'specially because of me," he continued, doing his best to comfort her. However, despite the fact that he'd tried to sound as nice as possible but he didn't factor in that his tone was still very angry. Because of this, and his insensitive comments about women in general, and despite his good intentions, Chihiro just seemed to weep harder.
"Mondo! Don't yell at her like that! And be a bit more sensitive about it too!" Hina shouted, going to Chihiro's side and rubbing her back.
"I…I…I thought I was!" Mondo retorted, feeling more ashamed than ever, which only made him even more desperate to stop the programmer's crying. Just then, he remembered something and a bright smile suddenly overtook his face. "I got it! I'll make you a promise…as a man!"
Hearing that, Chihiro was finally able to momentarily cease her weeping and look up at him. "P-Promise…as a man?"
Seeing he may have finally done the right thing, Mondo smiled wider and gave her a thumbs up. "That's right! And a man never breaks his promises! I may have mentioned it before but, my brother always drilled into me that, no matter what, a real man always keeps his promises! That's what he…left me."
Staring up at him, Chihiro barely managed to say, "L-Left you…?"
Hanging his head, Mondo quietly answered, "Yeah…he's dead."
A heavy silence struck the group and for a few moments, no one spoke a word as they absorbed this new information. Even Byakuya kept his mouth shut as the biker willed away his personal demons and finally lifted his head.
"A-Anyway, that means you can trust me when I make a promise! So, yeah…you don't have to cry anymore…okay?"
It took a second, but after a few more moments, Chihiro finally replied, "O-Okay…" Wiping away the remnants of her tears, the programmer was able to lift her head up and smile. "…Thank you, Mondo."
Whether he wanted to or not, crimson stained Mondo's cheeks as he took in that adorable smile. Clearing his throat and turning his head away, he quietly answered, "…S-Sure…no problem."
Hearing that, almost everyone in the group let out a sigh of relief. Even Mondo, in his embarrassment, felt a bit better about the situation.
A few moments later, Chihiro pulled herself up to her feet and said, "But…I still don't like that I'm the reason you all were fighting." Her confession made everyone's mood drop a bit, knowing that their situation hadn't actually improved in the slightest. However, that didn't stop Chihiro from continuing, "I…I need to get stronger. I'm so weak that…anybody can make me cry…"
Hearing that, Mondo felt his shame slightly resurface as he finally took note of the menacing glares that all of the other girls had been giving him. At the same time, with a heavy sigh, Junko began walking over to where Chihiro was.
"Hey, don't stress out over it too much, okay? It's not your fault Chihiro," the Fashionista said, circling around to the other side of Chihiro and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "And not standing up to a prick like Byakuya does not make you weak," she insisted, sending one last glare toward a confused Mondo.
"What was that?" the Togami heir seethed, narrowing his gaze at the Fashionista as he registered her insult.
"If you hadn't provoked her, then we could have avoided this argument," Kyoko chimed in, supporting Junko's assessment. "That fact is undeniable."
Shooting his gaze over to her, Byakuya was just about to retort when someone else join in.
"Even I must agree," Celeste cut in, smiling daintily at the infuriated Byakuya. "What you said may not exactly be incorrect, but it went a tad bit far. Wouldn't you agree?"
Even though he appeared to be calm on the outside, it was obvious that all of their comments were getting under the Togami heir's skin. He certainly wasn't pleased that he conversation had turned on him and made him out to be the villain here. Folding his arms, his fingers tightened around the material of his suit, as if holding in his anger. And just when it seemed he had found the right quip to retort, a new voice echoed in the cafeteria.
"…Personally, I think he's got the right idea!" a horrifyingly familiar voice shouted.
The entire room tensed as they turned to see their captor, Monokuma, sitting at a nearby table watching the festivities. However, the bear's appearance startled all of them.
A large red puff wig sat atop the half and half bear's head, huge amounts of eye-shadow decorated its eyes, enhancing the terrifying red robotic camera/eye. Glitter was slathered across the bear's face and its lips were adorned with massive amounts of bright red lipstick. Completing the outfit was a rainbow colored dress that hung down to just below where the bear would have had knees.
Monokuma had become the very epitome of a terrifying drag queen. And it drew disgusted looks from everyone…except for one. Chihiro couldn't stop herself from trembling as she took in the demented bear's new appearance. Even worse, she felt as though the bear was staring directly at her.
"Why…why is he…?" she mentally questioned, her mind already giving way to doubt and fear.
Before she could try to understand the bear's action, Monokuma turned to everyone and announced, "You shouldn't pick on Mister Togami so much," the bear said with an offensively fake feminine tone. "He's got a right to his opinion! Just like I have a right to denying all of yours! Upupupupupu!"
Everyone cringed at how creepy the bear was presenting itself and it didn't take long for one of them to protest.
"W-What the hell with that get-up?" Hina blurted out, obviously shocked.
A look of false confusion spread over the bear's features at it looked down to examine itself. "Oh, you mean this old thing? Why, I don't know what you could mean. Is it my dress? Is it too…revealing…?"
That last word was directed entirely toward Chihiro, this time was sure of it. She broke out into a cold sweat and cautiously looked around. It didn't seem that any of her classmates could tell the bear was targeting her, or at least, she hope they couldn't. But even more frightening was the implication Monokuma had made…
"...They know…must have always known…but why now…?" the programmer tried to figure out, only to startled by a loud shout.
"Uhg! That's so creepy!" Hina continued, still visibly startled by Monokuma's appearance. "Why the hell would you dress like that?! It's disgusting!"
…disgusting…
…disgusting…
…disgusting…
That word rang in Chihiro's ears and for a moment, time seemed to stand still as her word began to crumble. Her hands unconsciously drifted down to her nether region, as if trying to hide something disgraceful. Fresh tears poured out of her eyes and whether she wanted to or not, she began openly sobbing once more.
At that moment, a hand rested on her shoulder and before she could look up to see who it was, Chihiro found herself pushed behind Mondo as he stepped in front of her. Only then did the biker remove his hand from her shoulder, fury seething in his eyes.
"What the hell is wrong with you, ya freaky ass bear?! Your weird get-up's making Chihiro cry!" Mondo shouted, pointing furiously at the bear. "Now, take that shit off before I have to beat some sense into you!"
Although Chihiro should have felt grateful for Mondo's willingness to protect her, she couldn't deny that his words hurt her too. Looking around, she saw all of her classmates glaring at Monokuma with nothing short of disgust and displeasure on their faces. The way they looked at Monokuma right now…would they all look at her the same way if she revealed her biological sex to them? Would they all turn on her for lying to them? For making use of the laptop without telling them?
She honestly couldn't even fathom what might happen if they all found out…and it wasn't like she was strong enough to endure their disgusted gazes if that did happen. After all, she wasn't even strong enough to tell them about the AI program she'd spent all night developing…all for the sake of helping them all escape. Not that it would do them any good right now…
"I'm…so weak. I can't even…stand up for myself…" Chihiro realized as Mondo continued to shield her from Monokuma's offensive appearance.
"Oh well, whatever. At least I got to feel pretty for a little while," Monokuma abruptly said, hopping off its chair and heading for the door. "I just want to personally invite all of you to the gymnasium. I've got a special surprise for you all."
"What kind of surprise?" Junko instantly asked, angrily narrowing her gaze at the bear.
"Upupupu…you'll just have to come and see for yourselves! On the double!" the bear shouted before waddling out the door and into the hallway, presumably heading for the gym.
Silence greeted them all for a moment before a stoic voice broke through.
"We'd best get going before Monokuma loses its temper," Kyoko suggested, already heading for the door without another word.
"Y-Yeah, you're right!" Makoto agreed, following suit.
As if sanctioned, everyone began heading for the door, knowing that whatever awaited them was going to be unpleasant. They only one of them that struggled was, of course, Sayaka, who had trouble standing on her own. However, Junko quickly went over and offered her shoulder, helping the idol up and out the door.
Meanwhile, Chihiro remained rooted in place, her legs still shaky. Just as she felt her strength was going to give out, that hand plopped down on her shoulder again. Startled, she looked up to see Mondo staring down at her, somewhat confused.
"Yo, uh, you alright?" he said, trying to be concerned. "Need me to carry you or something?"
Although it would have felt chivalrous at almost any other time, right now, Mondo's gestures were like a knife being slowly turned in Chihiro's gut. Every kind gesture was appreciated, but also made the programmer feel even more powerless and weak. However, she couldn't let that show…not right now anyway.
"Y-Yeah…I'm fine," Chihiro outright lied but knew it was the only thing she could do. Lying seemed to be the only thing she could do right now…
Just before they were about to leave, a loud bang caught their attention as they turned to see Leon stumble into a table, grasping it for support.
"What's wrong with him?" Mondo questioned, completely oblivious to how utterly exhausted the ballplayer must have been at that moment. Either way, the biker ran over and grabbed on to his friend and said, "This isn't the time to be sleeping! We gotta head for the gym!"
"Kill me now…" the exhausted Leon whispered as Mondo helped get him to his feet and marched him toward the gym.
Chihiro trailed behind them, her thoughts as heavy as the bags under Leon's tired eyes.
Strangely enough, by the time everyone arrived at the gym, Monokuma was nowhere to be found. They had expected the half and half bear to be awaiting their arrival, or at least to reveal himself when they'd all gathered. It was certainly unsettling for them, but it concerned Mukuro most of all.
"Why the hell would Junko call us only to make us wait? She's never been keen on waiting or postponing her plans. That must mean…she's up to something," the disguised solider pondered as she surveyed her surroundings.
Taka was complaining about Monokuma's tardiness to Mondo, who was only half listening as he was trying to keep Leon from passing out by repeatedly smacking him on the back of the head whenever the ballplayer closed his eyes. Chihiro stood close to them, but not right next to them, as if keeping her distance on purpose. Hina and Sakura stood together, as always, relying on each other's support during this difficult time. Celeste stood off to the side, waiting patiently, with Hifumi only a few feet from her. Sayaka sat on the bleachers where Mukuro had left her, too tired to continue standing. Hiro paced near the back room, silently muttering a prayer of some kind, or at least that's what Mukuro suspected his murmuring to be.
Byakuya was being his usual self, scowling as he stood far removed from the group. Occasionally though, he would send a glare behind him, a silent warning for Toko, who stared at his back from a distance. Mukuro though it odd for the Togami heir to pay any such attention to his stalker of a classmate but perhaps her persistence was finally beginning to wear down his patience.
Meanwhile, Makoto took his place in the center of the room, clearly looking around in case anything suspicious may happen. And, interestingly enough, instead of keeping her distance as per usual, Kyoko stood amongst her classmates, and only a few feet away from Makoto at that! Mukuro wondered about her sudden change in attitude but didn't have time before the festivities began.
"Thank you all for waiting!"
Everyone's attention instantly turned toward the podium at the front of the gym and none of them even flinched as Monokuma shot out from underneath, his appearance returned to normal.
Mukuro could only guess but she was fairly certain that the drag queen get-up had only been there to disturb Chihiro personally, freaking out the rest of them was just an added bonus. But, did that mean that Junko was specifically targeting her? Why would she do that? It's not as though the programmer was any kind of threat…demeaning as that might seem.
Still, was there something Chihiro had done to upset her sister?
Glancing over her shoulder, making sure not to make eye contact, Mukuro observed that the programmer was acting even more skittish than usual. But then again, that could have been because of the cross-dressing bear's insinuations. At that moment, Chihiro momentarily turned her gaze toward the soldier, who immediately shifted her head to appear that she was yawning.
"Now isn't the time to be focusing on that," Mukuro reminded herself, finally turning her sky-blue eyes to face Monokuma. In truth, she had barely noticed that the bear had been giving a speech about…their deepest secrets?!
Her head snapped back to stare at the bear, eyes bulging as she saw it holding no less than fifteen small envelopes. As if gauging the soldier's reaction, Monokuma trembled with anticipation as it drank in her and her classmates' expressions.
"You see, I've been growing bored of this ho-hum, no death, peaceful, hopeful, utterly infuriating slog that your school live has been up 'til now," the bear explained, fanning itself with their secrets. "My life just isn't complete without a Blackened to spread civil unrest and general discomfort."
At the mention of the Blackened, both Sayaka and Leon flinched. It didn't help that Monokuma blatantly glared at both of them as it accentuated the word. The ballplayer, though completely exhausted, suddenly found himself alert and active, his breath hitching. Meanwhile, the pop idol pressed her back firmly against the bleachers behind her, wishing she could disappear into the darkness underneath her seat.
Only when Monokuma turned his gaze away from them did they get a momentary bit of peace, which was quickly shattered.
"That's why I prepared these little beauties for each of you!" Monokuma shouted, holding out the envelopes as if they were playing cards. "Your deepest secrets and most embarrassing memories! Right before your very eyes! Perhaps with this, you'll finally find the will to kill!"
A sense of dread overtook the room but this time, it wasn't silence that occurred, it was anger.
"I don't know what you have planned, but no one's going to be killing anyone!" Taka shouted in protest, pointing a determined finger at the bear. "I swear that we won't kill each other, no matter what you have in store for us!"
"Yeah! We beat your first motive! What makes you think this one'll be any different?!" Hina insisted, her temper flaring.
"That's right! We'll never give in to you!" Makoto shouted, supporting both of them. "We've all survived this long without losing to you, and we won't be beaten now! We won't ever lose Hope!"
His passionate words sent out a flicker of hope that began to build up within the students as he spoke out. As if revitalized by those words, the sense of dread began to dissipate and the other students slowly hardened their features as they joined their classmates to determinedly glare at Monokuma…all except one of them.
Mukuro could only feel apprehension seeping into her soul, her face blanching as Makoto finished his little speech. Her gaze focused on the half and half bear, the soldier felt a bit of her strength leave her legs as Monokuma's red eye camera twitched.
"Makoto…you shouldn't have done that…" she mentally grimaced, knowing the chaos that could be unleashed because of that single word…the word her sister despised more than any other.
…Hope…
Makoto had unknowingly pushed her sister's "Hope" button…a feat that usually resulted in a slow and painful death. And from the looks of the bear's features, her sister was about to drop a bomb on them.
"…Upupupu…Eyahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Everyone froze as Monokuma erupted into hysterical laughter; even Makoto's enthusiasm was stunted at the menacing tone that echoed all around them. And it was as mocking as it was frightening.
"You really think you beat the first motive! That's rich!" the bear shouted between fits of hysteria. "If that's true, why did we have the first class trial? Or have you forgotten how all of you were manipulated by one of your own?!"
With a collective flinch, everyone's attention shifted over to Sayaka, who hung her head and squeezed her eyes shut. A few students, such as Byakuya and Celeste, stole a glance at Leon as well, who gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in self loathing. Makoto tried to counter the bear's words but found himself unable to speak, the bitter truth destroying his resolve.
With a triumphant cackle, Monokuma pointed the envelopes at the students and seethed, "Face it! You didn't beat the first motive! It beat you!"
Hearing those words from the hated bear cemented their defeat, as none of them, even Makoto, dared to speak out against those allegations. Mukuro, most of all, felt herself beginning to lost heart. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but one that they, reluctantly, couldn't deny. Even though she'd managed to save her classmates from certain death, Monokuma…or Junko rather, and her motive had won the first round. The Mastermind had proven that any of them could snap at any moment, and this morning's argument between everyone served as evidence for that point.
"With that said…" Monokuma said before clearing it's throat. "Let me give you all another bit of motivation!"
With a flick of its wrist, the bear tossed the handful of envelopes at their feet. Without a second's hesitation, everyone scrambled to find the one that bore their name. With little effort, Mukuro managed to retrieve the envelope that bore the name 'Junko'.
That was when she noticed that Sayaka had remained seated, not making a single move to retrieve her envelope. Then again, it kind of made sense. No matter what her secret was, it couldn't have been worse than manipulating Makoto and nearly getting everyone killed.
Conflict arose in Mukuro's mind, unsure of what was the right course of action. If Sayaka didn't want to see her own secret, then it was her business, but at the same time, it could be a dangerous tool of manipulation if someone such as Byakuya got a hold of it. At the same time, there was no guarantee that anyone would bother, considering the state Sayaka was in. Even so, Mukuro thought that she at least deserved her privacy and turned around to scan the floor. Upon seeing the only envelope not to be retrieved, the soldier quickly scooped it up, and made sure it bore the idol's name before slowly walking over to where Sayaka was sitting.
However, Sayaka didn't react at all to her presence…almost as if she truly didn't care if the other's discovered her secret. It actually hurt to see the idol this tortured and broken but in their current situation, that was to be expected. Regardless, Mukuro didn't want her suffering anymore than she already was, and gently set Sayaka's envelope next to her, patting it for emphasis.
"…So that no one else can look at it," she said quietly before moving away, glancing over her shoulder.
Slowly, Sayaka reached out and picked up the envelope, neglecting to open it and merely clutching it close to her chest, much to Mukuro's relief. In the back of her mind, Mukuro greatly feared for Sayaka's mental health. Being reminded of her own crime seemed to have partially undone all the good the soldier had been trying to do for her lately. This meant that, unfortunately, the soldier would have to keep a close eye on the idol for the next few days, just in case.
Her conscience appeased for the moment, Mukuro turned her attention back to her own envelope, not even pondering what cryptic message it contained. After all, she was living her secret in front of all of her classmates already, so there was little to speculate. Her fellow students on the other hand, were a very different story.
Junko had told her about some of the other motives she'd planned but never went into detail on any of them. So, while she was aware of the "Secrets Revealed" motive, she didn't actually know the contents of all of her classmate's envelopes. And while some were obvious, such as Toko's Genocide Jack personality and Celeste's true name, others were a complete mystery.
"Hmm, I wonder what Makoto's could be? I mean, what could he have possibly done that would be so horrible?" she pondered, stealing a glance at the lucky student as he gasped upon reading his own secret. His face flushed but otherwise he showed no change from his usual persona. The sight triggered the tiniest of chuckles from Mukuro.
Feeling a might bit relieved, Mukuro slowly opened her own envelope, pulled it the paper and unfolded it. She knew she'd need to react to the message despite knowing its contents, and had prepared herself to react accordingly. However, the words that greeted her were not what she'd expected at all.
"Junko" has a huge crush on Makoto Naegi
An audible and unexpected gasp sounded from Mukuro as she read the single line of her message a second and then third time.
"What…what the hell is this?!" Mukuro mentally screeched, her brain unable to comprehend the information.
The message was so unnerving because it was so straightforward. It tackled the deepest secret that Mukuro actually had, not the one she had been keeping from her classmates. It was the only secret that Junko alone knew, one that had been revealed in a moment of weakness that Mukuro regretted to this very day. Sure, Junko may have precipitated that weakened moment but it was still her fault for revealing it!
The only bit of relief, if it could be called that, was that her sister had been lenient enough not to put her own name on the page. The "Junko" in question was no doubt a substitute for her real identity, just in case the others saw it. However, the way those quotation marks were placed would make the more astute of her classmates suspicious…particularly Kyoko or even Byakuya.
Mukuro made a mental note to burn that message as soon as possible…and prayed that Monokuma wouldn't forbid the destroying of the messages. Then again, her sister wouldn't need to go that far. After all, if she remembered correctly, the true horror of the "Secrets Revealed" motive that their embarrassing memories and secrets would be announced to everyone within 24 hours.
Even so, to have everyone…especially Makoto, know about her crush would be the height of embarrassment! Not only that, in a small way, it would put her position at risk because, as terrifying as it was to admit, it was even harder to explain. Really, what was everyone going to think when they find out that "Junko Enoshima" – the Ultimate Fashionista, had a crush on the skimpy, talentless, kind…compassionate…hopeful…Makoto…
Mukuro felt her face burn crimson and she slapped herself on the cheek.
"Now is not the time to be thinking about stuff like that!"
Fortunately, everyone else was as preoccupied with their own secret as she was, so none of them noticed how panicked her features had become. Remembering her place, Mukuro stuffed the envelope into her blouse, the shock of its contents still evident on her face, as would be normal if she was the real deal.
Despite not wanting to expose herself, Mukuro couldn't stop herself from shifting her gaze over to Monokuma, grimacing as she saw the bear staring right at her, obviously pleased with her reaction. It was at that moment that Mukuro understood that this secret was actually meant to reveal anything that would unmask her. No, it was just an example of the personal grudge that her sister undoubtedly held for her. And that's what infuriated the soldier even more.
However, she kept her anger in check, knowing that it might give her away. Instead, she made a personal vow.
"I don't care how long it takes…I will make you pay for this, Junko!"
Toko's split personality is Genocide Jack
The Ultimate Writing Prodigy squirmed as she read her message. Her breath was shaky and shallow, and she had nothing to draw strength from…except for one.
Turning her head, she glanced over at her Master, Byakuya Togami, as he slowly began to open his own letter. However, just before he pulled it out, he lifted his head and abruptly shifted his fierce gaze toward her. She gasped as their eyes met and for a moment, all was right in Toko's world. And although he remained silent, she could tell what his gaze meant…
0_0
**ATTENTION: Toko's Fantasy**
Toko: "Will he…keep his promise?"
(She chances a gaze at her Master. She gasps. His white hot gaze pierces her soul.)
Toko: (Loud moans) "Master Byakuya…"
(Byakuya maintains his façade, not showing his true feelings. He nods. Her secret safe with him)
Byakuya: (Mouths) "I will protect you…always."
(His feelings reach her. Toko floods…with relief.)
Toko: (Gasping and moaning louder) "Oh…my…Master!"
(An explosion of white covers all that can be seen…)
**EXITING: Toko's Fantasy**
0_0
Toko's arms wrap around herself and she shudders, lost in momentary throes of passion.
"My secret…is safe…with Master…"
Celeste struggled to keep her rage from consuming her. Her hands gripped the paper so tightly that if she made even the slightest movement, she'd tear it to shred. But then again, considering the gravity of her secret, she could barely stop herself from flying into rampage. For all that her message contained was two single words:
Taeko Yasuhiro
It contained nothing else…just the name that she despised more than anything on this planet. The name she'd spent years forcing others to forget. The name she'd buried so deep that she had though it impossible to discover. The name that was, for her, the very definition of her disgust. The name that she would no longer be legal bound to once she was old enough to change it. The name that her filthy, pathetic, loser parents had given her!
Taking deep cleansing breaths, she managed to fold her message back up and neatly replace it back in the sleeve of her envelope, already plotting it's destruction. Sparing a glance up at Monokuma, who didn't seem to interested in her, she let a momentary glare of rage surface as she made a vow.
"No one must know…no one must EVER know! I will kill anyone who knows the truth! Whoever you are, Mastermind…you as so fucking dead!"
Kyoko Kirigiri has lost her Memories
"As I though...Monokuma is aware of my condition. Whether or not they are responsible for it is still unclear however…" the amnesiac girl thought to herself as she read her notice.
At least it confirmed her suspicion about the bear and how much it knew of her. She had surmised this long ago but it was reassuring to finally have some proof. Then again, that also didn't answer any of her lingering questions.
Why did only she have memory loss? Was she somehow a threat with memories? Did they hold the key to escaping this place?
A piercing ache stung her head as she tried to force the memories to resurface. However, the pain grew too great and she was forced to grunt and take a breath. She knew it wouldn't be easy to regain her lost memories, but the situation was growing more grim by the moment. She had hoped to find information on that laptop that Chihiro had examined but it seemed that she would have to rely on her wits after all.
Her only form of relief came from an unexpected source. Her lavender eyes shifted over to her companion, the only classmate she truly felt she could rely on, Makoto Naegi.
After the first trial, they'd spoken a number of times and each time, she felt more and more assured that he could be counted on if need be. Not that it was easy for her to admit that. She much rather preferred to be on her own, but given the situation, his unexpected talents were useful to her. Perhaps with his assistance…she might be able to solve the mystery of the school and why they were there.
Without even realizing it, she had found herself staring at him, only to be brought back to reality when he felt her eyes on him, making him turn toward her. However, she averted her gaze long before he could have caught her staring and simply shrugged as he went back to his message.
"He's growing more and more astute," Kyoko observed, rather impressed at the same time. A tiny smile spread over her lips as she snuck one last glance at him. "I really am counting on you…Makoto."
Sayaka didn't have to open her envelope to know what it contained…it was a secret that she had sworn to take with her to the grave but it felt so pointless now. After what she'd almost done to everyone, it wouldn't be that surprising. After all, the idol agency was a dark and horrifying place…normal people would hate all idols if they knew the things they had to do to stay on top.
Even so, Sayaka still didn't want her secret to get out. She thought she was fine with it at first, opting not even to bother getting up to retrieve it. However, after Junko selflessly brought it over to her, completely unopened, she realized that there were some people she still wanted to keep her secret safe from. Namely Junko…and Makoto.
Those two still had pleasant things to say about her, regardless of her actions, but would they remain that way if they knew the horribly atrocity she'd committed in the past?
"No…they'd abandon me too. As they should…" she felt certain, leaving no room in her mind for doubt.
That's why she clutched that envelope so close…it was a final, vain attempt to protect herself. But something told her that wouldn't last long…especially when Monokuma began speaking again.
An eruption of question echoed in the gymnasium, drawing out all rational thought
"H-How did you…?!" Hina shouted, completely shocked.
"How did you find out about this?!" Taka protested, his face turning blue at the very sight of his message.
"No way! I thought I covered that up!" a tired Leon insisted, rubbing his tired eyes over and over as he had trouble reading his message.
Even the great Byakuya Togami couldn't hold his tongue after seeing his message. "This…this is…" he seethed, glaring at the paper so fiercely one might think it would burst into flame.
All at once the cacophony of startled and angry voices grew louder and louder, which appeared to be like music to Monokuma's ears. The bear reveled in that joyous sound for a few moments longer before deciding to move forward with the plot.
"You all have 24 hours!" Monokuma abruptly shouted, silencing everyone and gaining their attention. "If someone doesn't become a blackened by then…all of your deepest, darkest, most embarrassing secrets will be made public, via the internet! And trust me, some of these are pretty freaky! The perfect motivator for the next stage of the game! Eyahahaha!"
A wave of nausea hit each and every one of them as that threat was made clear. Their deepest regrets and secrets…made public using the fastest tool to spread information. It was a truly frightening motive. Nevertheless, some of them didn't despair…
"It's definitely something I'd rather not have people find out," Makoto interrupted the laughter, earning a glare from the bear. Hardening his features, the lucky student pointed a determined finger at their captor and shouted, "But still…we'd never kill over something like that!"
"Wha-What?!" Monokuma choked out in utter disbelief.
A round of awkward silence followed that proclamation and just as it seemed that no one would agree with him, Taka abruptly concurred, "He's absolutely right! Your plan is doomed to fail this time! There is no way any of us would commit murder over so small a thing! Isn't that right, Bro?!"
The overconfident Taka turned toward his newfound brother and stopped cold as he saw Mondo, gripping his message tightly in one hand, his teeth clenched. Apart from being visibly upset by whatever was in his message, it was clear that he hadn't really even been paying attention to the conversation.
"B-Bro?! Are you alright?!" the moral compass called out, startling the biker.
"W-What the hell?! What do you want?!" Mondo protested, confused by why he was being shouted at.
"I-I…uh," A startled Taka took a moment to regained his wits and vigor. "I was saying that Monokuma's motive is sure to fail! No secret we have could possibly warrant murder. To prove it…I'll tell everyone my secret right now! Then we'll all go around and—".
"Stop!" Mondo roared, stunning everyone into silence. However, none of them were more shocked than Taka, who could only stare at his Bro in utter confusion.
"B-But…if we don't do this, then—", the moral compass tired to reason only to be cut off.
"I'm…I'm sorry, Bro. But…I just can't. Not even if my Bro asks me to. Not right now…"
All at once, Taka lost the little bit of enthusiasm he'd had. His words of protest against Monokuma died in his throat as he saw how much the motive had affected his Bro. He lost all words and all he could do was lower his gaze, unsure of what to say. At the same time, Mondo had no idea what was going on or who to punch to make it better. It was then that Monokuma let out a mocking laugh, and the biker realized he who it was he should be punching…but couldn't.
"See! I told you so!" Monokuma suddenly shouted, earning a glare from everyone. "Not everyone is capable of having their true selves revealed to the world, making it a perfect motive! Just because you are tough enough to handle it, doesn't mean everyone else is! So don't try to speak for everyone, glass half-full boy!"
The bear cackled, rearing its head back, the disheartening sound sending chills down everyone's spine, none more so than Taka. He hung his head in utter defeat, shame encroaching in with each reverberation of Monokuma's hysteria. Just as his personal disgust was about to peak, the bear abruptly ceased its laughter.
"Alright then, I'll see you in 24 hours…or maybe I won't! Upupupupupupupu!"
With that last irksome chuckle, Monokuma leapt backward off the podium it stood upon, swan diving into whatever hole it had prepared for its escape.
"A secret so bad that you'd kill to keep it hidden…no one has a secret like that…right?"
Makoto stood in the center of the room, pondering this notion as everyone fell silent. Sure, his secret was something he could live with the others knowing, but he had absolutely no idea about his fellow students. And while he couldn't deny Monokuma's allocations about someone wanting to protect their secret so intensely they'd kill for it, he still wanted to have faith.
Even though the demented half and half bear was correct that the first motive had beaten them, in a way, they had beaten it. After all, if they'd completely fallen victim to it, three of his friends wouldn't be there right now. That tiny bit of reassurance was enough for the faintest glimmer of hope to flicker in his heart…
"Hey, so—", he began but was cut off by an unexpected source.
"That's a load of crap!" Everyone jumped as Junko shouted at the top of her lungs. Placing both hands on her waist and puffing out her chest, she continued, "Sure, we've all got something we're not proud of, but that's doesn't mean we'll kill anyone! Personally, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I agree with Taka! We outta just get it all out now and get it over with, better that than waiting for that two-toned freak of a bear to announce our secrets to—!"
"D-D-Don't…say s-s-something so stupid!"
The entire room shook as the timid but provocative voice of Toko interrupted the Fashionista. Even Junko herself seemed a bit startled by the writing prodigy's sudden outburst. However, now that all of the attention was focused on her, Toko abruptly seemed to shirk before rudely finishing.
"B-Besides…I don't w-w-wanna talk a-about it anyway…" she murmured at first, before sneaking a not so secretive glance at Byakuya. "I don't c-care what anyone says! I-I'm not gonna talk about m-m-mine!"
Although this outburst obviously stunted Junko's enthusiasm, she still seemed ready to argue the point. However, as she opened her mouth to protest, another voice raised an objection.
"And neither will I," Celeste, unsurprisingly, concurred with the writing prodigy. "Not because it is unpleasant. But because it is impossible."
Her enigmatic words brought a deal of confusion for most of them. However, it seemed that her mysterious way of explaining her issue peaked at least one student's interest.
"Inconceivable! It's human nature to want to hear if it is impossible or not!" Hifumi instantly protested, a strange sort of smile on his face. "C'mon! It's better to say than keep it inside!"
A creepy vibe was shared by nearly all of the students at Hifumi's sudden insistence. He'd hardly ever spoken to Celeste before today. And disregarding the fact that he'd been tricked into making her tea, he showed virtually no interest in anything 3D. He'd said so himself! So why now was he so interested in the Goth Lolita's secret?
Before anyone had the chance to voice that shared opinion, Celeste huffed and answered him, "Absolutely not."
Her firm tone and stern attitude made her position resolutely clear. However, like an anime convention participant offered free pizza, Hifumi pursued his goal with reckless abandon. Slowly walking toward Celeste, twiddling his fingers all the while, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator breathed heavily as he continued on his quest.
"It's okay, just a little bit of information will suffice! You know you want to…" Hifumi insisted, inching closer and closer to her with each word that escaped his lips.
"As I said—", Celeste tried to counter but found herself rudely and uncomfortably cut off as he got within a few feet of her.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" the fanfic creator encouraged; now standing directly beside her, his fingers wiggling with anticipation. "What devilish secrets lie beneath that cold exter—?"
Almost everyone could hear a vein in Celeste's head snap as she spun toward him and shouted, "I said, I don't want to talk about it! You human bag of lard!"
Lifting her foot, she promptly kicked him square in the stomach. As her red heeled shoe connected, Hifumi doubled over onto his knees, gasping for breath. With a final huff, Celeste took two huge steps away from Hifumi, who writhed in agony on the floor, no one coming to his aid.
Folding her hands under her chin and smiling as graciously as she could, Celeste concluded, "I'd prefer to keep my business private. If you don't mind."
Almost unsurprisingly, no one asked if Hifumi was alright, preferring not to get involved in the slightest. Not only that, not a single person questioned Celeste's reaction, not even Makoto, who should have found her sudden personality change disturbing. And before any of the more inquisitive students could reach that conclusion, another objection sounded.
"I agree with them. I have no need to discuss my private affairs with the likes of any of you," Byakuya finally voiced. Everyone knew it would be coming sooner or later, his distaste for all of them making his decision evident before he even voiced it.
"Um…sorry but…I don't really want to discuss it right now, either."
Everyone turned in shock to see Chihiro, moisture building up in the corners of her eyes, her head downcast as she gave her opinion. However, almost immediately her head shot up and she looked right at Junko with tearful eyes.
"B-But I also don't want to leave things this way! After I…try my best to become stronger…maybe we can…talk about it later?" she said hopefully, praying that no one laughed at her.
More than anyone else, Chihiro's objection to the decision seemed to be what swayed Junko in the end, because after taking in the programmer's apprehensive comment, the Fashionista lowered her gaze and sighed deeply.
"…Alright, I get it. If none of you want to…then I guess there's nothing we can do about it," Junko replied, sounding completely defeated, hanging her head as she finished.
The very sight of it bothered Makoto, because she'd been working so hard to unite everyone after what had happened to her. Sure, she was still hard to understand and get alone with sometimes, but she proved that her heart was in the right place. She'd become someone they all could count on, and the lucky student didn't like the fact that she seemed to be giving up.
That's why, when she lost the argument, Makoto found himself walking over and tapping her on the shoulder. As she looked to him, noiselessly gasped and averted her gaze, probably because she wasn't expecting anyone to come talk to her or something like that. Smiling brightly, Makoto decided to say what he'd come to say anyway.
"It'll be alright. We'll just all have to be extra careful until tomorrow," he reassured her, trying to be as supportive as she had been for them. "I'm sure we'll all be strong enough to make it through this. We just have to have hope and faith in our friends, right?"
Even though he'd wanted to say that to everyone, it was too late now. Most of them were already preparing to leave and he wasn't sure if anyone but Junko had heard him. Regardless, he still felt it needed to be said, even if only one student heard him.
"God, you say some cheesy crap, don't you?" Her condescending tone startled him, as he wasn't expecting such hostility. Just as he felt he should just leave her be, she turned back toward him and said, "But…I guess you're right. We'll just have to wait and see."
A light smile decorated her lips and Makoto responded in kind. "Yeah! We're all gonna be fine!" he insisted, not letting Monokuma's words bring him down.
"We should still prepare for an unfortunate outcome though," a calm and stoic voice suddenly said from behind them. Abruptly turning, they saw that Kyoko had remained behind, listening to their entire conversation. "But if we remain vigilant, then perhaps we can avoid further incidents."
Junko frowned at Kyoko's sudden appearance but Makoto could only smile and nod enthusiastically. "Right! Let's all do our best! Alright?" he encouraged, looked between both of them.
Junko and Kyoko took a moment to stare at each other, as if each of them were examining the other. At the end of it though, they both sighed and merely nodded, not saying a single word to each other.
"It must be because they don't talk to each other much," Makoto surmised, still pleased that they had come together. "But I'm sure we can do it. We'll beat Monokuma at his own game! All of us…together!"
One by one, all of the students disbursed, many of them needing time for them to wrestle with their own demons. As it was only about an hour past noon, there was a lot of time left in the day to ponder their situation. The only one left after it was all over was Sayaka, who gently slipped her message in her pocket. However, the moment she did, her eyes widened…
"Master…I think you have a malfunction. You're leaking fluid from your face…"
Alter Ego's misguided words of concern didn't stunt the onslaught of tears that poured from Chihiro's eyes. The programmer had fled back to her room as fast as she could, knowing she couldn't stop the flood of moisture that burst forth as soon as she locked her door. Her motive was left upright on her bed, the message further tormenting her:
Chihiro Fujisaki is…A BOY!
Resting her head on her desk, she'd almost completely forgotten that Alter Ego was there until it had spoken up. Lifting her face up, even more tears welled up as she glanced at her creation. After all, this was another secret that she'd been keeping from everyone. However, somewhere deep inside her, she felt that she shouldn't be crying in front of Alter Ego.
"What kind of example am I setting for her?" she questioned herself, forcing herself to sit up and furiously wipe away the tears. "I need to be strong…for her."
Putting on the best smile she could manage, Chihiro said, "Everything's…alright, Alter Ego. I'm just…having a few problems. B-But everything's okay! I'm…going to be okay…"
She felt horrible for lying to her creation but she had to at least try to be strong, despite wanting to break into a million pieces at that very moment. And, unfortunately for her, she'd done too good of a job programming her creation.
"But Master…I know that humans don't usually leak fluid unless they are deeply infected with a virus. Do you need protection software to remove it?"
Again, Alter Ego's concerned words only provoked more unrest in her creator, and Chihiro made a mental note to explain about human physiology to the AI program later. Regardless, knowing that even her creation could see how troubled and…weakened she was, only made the programmer fall deeper into depression.
"I…I'm sorry, Alter Ego. It's just…I feel so weak right now," Chihiro said, choking back sobs as best she could. Standing up and turning away from her creation, so that it would see her crying, she continued, "I don't…know what to do…and at this rate…I won't make it…out of here…alive. Maybe if I was strong…like Mondo…then, maybe I could be—".
"Please pardon me, Master, but…who is this Mondo you speak so fondly of?"
Alter Ego's simple question caused Chihiro's gaze to shoot over to the laptop, surprise evident on her reddened face. Was the AI program…actively questioning something to learn more about the situation? Could it be that…Alter Ego was actually curious about this person her Master spoke about? Or perhaps, was it simply trying to fulfill its function and acquire as much information as possible to further its development? Did Alter Ego actually care for its Master's well-being or was it simply acting according to programming?
In any event, it brought a much needed sense of clarity to Chihiro, who immediately wiped her eyes and returned to her seat at the desk.
"H-He's…Mondo is…someone I look up to…and respect," she said, beaming.
"Oh, do you have romantic feelings for him, Master?" Alter Ego innocently asked, causing Chihiro's jaw to drop, unsure of how her creation learned of such a thing having only been 'alive' for a single day. Nevertheless, the AI program continued on, "Because copulation with him is impossible because you're both of the male sex—".
"No! No! Eww! No! I'm not attracted to him! Or men in general!" Chihiro shouted, waving her arms frantically. "I just meant that he's really cool! Like a big brother or something!"
The mechanical processing noise sounded from Alter Ego once more and the AI program corrected itself, "I see. Master's preferences have been updated. I apologize for upsetting you with my conclusions."
Taking a deep breath, having resolved the misunderstanding, Chihiro took a brief moment to consider what to say next. "Would, uh, would you like to hear more…about Mondo?" she asked apprehensively, as if talking to a real person.
Immediately, Alter Ego's pixilated face lit up and it shouted, "Yes! Please! I'd love to hear about someone who you respect so dearly, Master!"
Alter Ego's excitement was practically infectious and all at once, it stopped the flow of tears that had been plaguing Chihiro. Taking one last moment to wipe away the moisture from her entire face, the Ultimate Programmer situated herself comfortably in her seat and prepared for a very long conversation.
"Hmm…where do I start?" the programmer said with a light giggle, making her creation smile as well.
For the next few hours, Chihiro explained everything there was to know about Mondo to the fascinated AI program.
"Everything seems to be fine here," Taka spoke aloud to himself, as he closed one of the classroom doors on the second floor. He hadn't known what to do with himself after the motive was announced, and so he fell back on his old instincts to calm his nerves.
That was scouring the halls for rule breakers.
As Taka continued to 'patrol' the second floor, he couldn't keep from pondering his own motive, with great distain.
"What will my classmates think of me when my secret is revealed? How can they respect someone with such a foul and disgusting secret? I know that I would lose respect for someone who let a simple thing like—".
Before he could complete that thought, a loud and aggravated shout reached his ears, echoing down the hall that led to the pool.
"I know that rage-filled shout!" Taka realized aloud, speeding toward the pool area. Pushing open the double doors leading to the pool locker rooms, he was correct in assuming that it was Mondo kicking the door furiously.
"Bro! What's wrong?!"
Spinning around with his fists clenched, ready for a fight, Mondo's anger suddenly faded when he saw it was Taka calling out to him. Obviously embarrassed, the biker let out a deep sigh before face-palming and rubbing his tired eyes.
"Shit man, ya scared the crap outta me," he admitted, taking a deep breath.
"I could say the same! You were shouting so loudly I heard you down the hall!" the Moral Compass concurred, relaxing somewhat now that it seemed there wasn't an emergency. "I thought something may have happened…"
Both of them paused, knowing that, for entirely different reasons, they had overreacted. With everything that had happened today, it wasn't unexpected. Everyone was on edge; even Taka felt his normally calm and decisive manner was waning. But that was all the more reason he needed to keep a level head and do what he could to assist his classmate…and friend.
"So, what were you shouting about?" Taka asked, trying to help his obviously frazzled friend.
"Oh, right…" the biker replied, remembering why he'd flown into a rage. Reaching into his pocket, he produced his e-handbook. "I wanted to come up here and work-out for a while…try to get my mind off that damn motive. But for some reason, my handbook won't open the damn door for me!"
Staring at the essential tool for school life, Taka raised an eyebrow and asked, "May I see it for a second?"
Without a word, Mondo tossed it over to him. Catching it, the moral compass decided not to lecture his friend about simply passing items over instead of throwing them, due to how upset the biker was right now. He'd be sure to remind him later.
Pressing the power button on the device, Taka was surprised when it didn't immediately roar to life. Instead it remained dark and useless, instantly helping the Moral Compass to understand why it hadn't allowed Mondo entry.
"It appears to be broken," Taka told Mondo, who had moved to look over his shoulder and see what could be done. "But how could that have happened? Monokuma told us these were practically unbreakable—".
"Oh shit…"
Taka's gaze shot over to his friend and saw a surprised and yet embarrassed scrunching to Mondo's face. Slowly, the biker turned his gaze to Taka and continued:
"The sauna…"
Instantly, Taka understood. He recalled their battle of wills in the sauna yesterday and that his friend Mondo had elected to keep all of his clothes on, more than likely leaving his e-handbook in his pocket as well. The extreme temperature would be enough to destroy any electronic, no matter how impressively constructed it was.
"…Oh, I see."
Taka could muster no other words than that. He knew the implications of not having this device, and unfortunately, the only course of action to replace one was to ask Monokuma for a replacement. And there was no way any of the students would ask for favors from the demented bear.
"God-dammit," Mondo cursed quietly, his fists clenched and his eyes downcast. "Now I can't ever work-out! This day has gone from 'fucked' to 'fuck everything!' Son of a bitch!"
Seeing his friend in so much agony tore Taka apart inside. His first friend, someone he had bonded with over their shared interest in proving their strength, was now unable to enjoy even the simplest of pleasures he could find in this place. This would not do!
"Don't worry, Bro! I got this!"
Without waiting for Mondo to ask what he meant, Taka marched over to the door leading to the boy's pool locker room. Holding up his own e-handbook, he unlocked the door and held it open.
"For now, whenever you need to get in here, just let me know and I'll let you use my handbook!" he proudly declared, smiling triumphantly at his friend.
For an entire second, Mondo seemed entirely surprised, but it quickly faded as he laughed joyfully. "Seriously? That's awesome, Bro! I owe you one!"
Mondo stood up and headed toward now open locker room, and the exercise machines within. Once he was inside, Taka asked, "Perhaps you'd like some company? It has been a while since I worked up a good sweat myself."
The instant he said that, he saw Mondo flinch. He knew that wasn't a good sign and it was confirmed when the biker quietly answered, "No offense, Bro…but I think I need some time to myself right now. Nothing personal…"
As much as it hurt for his offer to be rejected, Taka also understood where his friend was coming from. And he, more than anyone else, knew that alone time was a valuable thing for a young man to have. After all, studying and mental training didn't happen when in a large group, a lesson he'd learned long ago, and thus always prepared for classes in private. This was just Mondo's strange version of alone time and he wanted to respect that.
"I understand. Perhaps tomorrow then?" he offered, perhaps a little too hopeful. However, he was pleased when Mondo turned and held out his fist toward him.
"Sure, man. It's a promise."
With a confident smile, Taka nodded and fist bumped his friend. "Indeed, a promise between men!"
With their business complete, they both nodded at each other before the Moral Compass turned and exited the room, heading back to his own room. He never saw the look of self-loathing that spread over Mondo's face as the door closed.
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! Well, things are certainly shaping up now! Everyone's got their motives and rest assured that, even though all of them weren't revealed, they will be in good time, I assure you! But what's going to happen now that Taka knows that Mondo's e-handbook is broken? How will the rest of this chapter play out? You'll have to read on next time to see!
By the way, as for the motives you saw, what did you think? Most of them were obvious, with Toko and Celeste's being so canon, but once the rest of them are out, I hope you find them interesting. Until then, if you want to take a guess at what each unrevealed motive is, feel free! My beta and I would love to hear your ideas! Also, my beta and I are particularly proud of the secret we've given Taka, and that is all I will say about that!
As always, please leave a review or comment to let me know what you're thinking about the story, or if you have any questions. Until next time, have a great day, my beautiful readers!