Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 2
Act 8
The instant that Chihiro left the bathhouse locker room, Mondo felt like exploding. And yet, all he could do was stand there with a confused visage, overcome with feelings he'd never imagined he had. His face burned and he knew he had to be blushing despite how much he tried to will it away. And then, like levies breaking on a dam, it all came rushing out.
"W-WHAT THE HELL?!"
Spinning around, the biker slammed his fist into the wooden wall of the bathhouse, a small crack forming in the plank he struck. There he stood, breathing heavily with his knuckles pressed to the wood, his simple mind desperately trying to contemplate everything that was happening.
"H-How…how the hell did that happen?!" he questioned aloud, letting his fist drop to his side. "I…was just trying to forget about that damn motive…why the hell did…Chihiro…?"
The programmer's request hung heavy in his mind and he just couldn't fathom what she'd want to talk about! In fact, he didn't really feel like talking to anyone right now anyway! The motive Monokuma had given him, reminding him of his sins, had plagued him the entire day. So much so that he'd gone out of his way to be alone. He'd even been avoiding Taka, and though it did bother him that he was alienating his newest friend, he wasn't ready to come forward with his secret.
But then, Chihiro had to go and see him in only a towel and ask him to come to a secret meeting! He'd tried to say 'no', to tell the programmer that now was definitely not the time for him to be doing shit like that…but…but…
Again, he felt heat rush to his face as he imagined the petite programmer smiling up at him. It just wasn't fair…who could say 'no' to that adorable face?! He'd tried to but the words just didn't come out! And now, he only had an hour to prepare for…whatever Chihiro wanted from him!
Wait…what exactly did Chihiro want from him?
Finally lifting his head, Mondo couldn't help but ponder the idea aloud. "Maybe…she needs me to break something for her? She is pretty scrawny…"
The instant those words left his mouth, he felt stupidity seep in. Why would Chihiro come to him if she wanted something destroyed? She could just ask Sakura, a woman who he admired if only for her ability to surpass his destructive tendencies. But then, if Chihiro didn't need him to break something, what possible need would she have for him?
As Mondo tossed his towel aside and began dressing, an out of place thought crossed his mind. "…Is she…trying to lure me out…to try and kill me?" He pondered the thought for all of 0.2 seconds before scoffing. "No way! There's no way little Chihiro could pull off something like that!"
A part of him wanted to be wary of his own optimism, but something told him that Chihiro wasn't the type to try stuff like that. It had been different with Sayaka; because at least he considered her capable of attacking someone…like she had only a few days ago. But trying to put Chihiro in that same category was not only impossible, it was laughable.
A scoffing laugh escaped him as he imagined the petite programmer charging at him with a butter knife in hand. She'd poke at him and hit him with the flat side before he'd take it away and tell her to calm down…yeah, if it were possible for Chihiro to consider such a thing, he was sure that's how it'd go down.
Then again, it was clearly something that wouldn't happen, so…
"Guess she's not looking for victim," he surmised as he pulled his shirt over his head and fastened his belt buckle. "But if it's not that then…there's no way it could be that she…she…she's got a confession to make!"
With that revelation, Mondo could only wonder what kind of confession she would need to make. Obviously, the first idea that formed concerned the motive Monokuma had given them. And with it, his own crimes flooded back into his mind, momentarily forgotten due to Chihiro's interference. And no matter how much he tried, he was unable to stave off the images that flashed through his mind.
…
"You ain't just handin' the gang over to me! Daiya, I challenge you for control of the gang!" Mondo had shouted…with an amused huff, Daiya stood and said…
…
Shaking his head and forcing away the memory, if only temporarily, Mondo furiously tugged his coat from the locker he'd stashed it in.
"Okay, so…Chihiro might want to talk about her…secret. But…what kind of secret could that tiny chick have?" Flinging his coat over his shoulders, arms sliding through the sleeves, he said aloud, "Whatever it is…it can't be that horrible. Maybe she killed a spider or something and felt bad about it?"
It did seem like something that would plague Chihiro, considering her soft-hearted and gentle nature. Mondo had seen her talking to Makoto in the hall once and, unbelievably, he overheard that the programmer was actually letting a mosquito bite her! If he remembered correctly, she'd said she would have felt guilty for killing it, because it was only trying to survive. And if she couldn't bring herself to kill such a tiny bug, there was no way that she'd ever give in to the motive and resort to murder.
"That means that…whatever her secret is…it can't be that bad," Mondo surmised as hepulled on his shoes. "Not like…mine…"
Again, almost against his will, the memories of his sins came back to haunt him.
…
"I refuse to lose! Not now! Not ever!" Mondo shouted to himself over the roar of motorcycle engine… squeezing the throttle and making a dangerous pass around the outside of his brother's bike…he didn't even see the semi coming up over the hill...
…
Slapping his face and smashing his head against one of the locker doors, Mondo squeezed his eyes shut as he willed away the intense agony that memory brought. For a few moments, he just stood there, his forehead indented into the wooden locker doors and his pompadour bent upwards against the wood..
When he slowly opened his eyes, he saw that one of the locker doors was slightly ajar, and a strange noise was coming from it. It sounded like a tiny whirling of wind…like a computer fan or something. His curiosity piqued, the biker cautiously grabbed the small door and pulled it open, bending down to peek inside the small locker.
Resting inside, still running but its screen black, was a laptop.
"W-Wha…?" he said, almost unable to comprehend what he'd found. "Who the hell would leave a laptop in the—".
At once, an epiphany so huge that Mondo could only call it a stroke of genius struck him. That laptop had to belong to Chihiro! She must have been hiding it there when he'd come in! But…why would the programmer need to hide—?
"I got it!"
It all made sense now! Chihiro's secret…was that she now had a working laptop and could probably play games and shit on it! If any of her classmates found out, they'd want to play it too but since it was the only thing computer wise she could play with, she wanted to keep it for herself! Not that Mondo could blame her. If Hifumi found out about it he might kill her just to get at it…and do…otaku…stuff…on it…
A bit of bile rose up in Mondo's throat as he briefly speculated what Hifumi might try and use it for, but he quickly swallowed it back down. Deciding that it was better for the Ultimate Fanfic Creator to never find such a thing, Mondo quickly closed the locker door.
As he did, he failed to notice the screen abruptly turning on…a familiar image appearing in the center.
Taking a deep breath after closing the locker door, Mondo smirked as he realized, "So…that must be what she wants to tell me…I think…?"
It did make the most sense, at least to him. Considering that she'd gone to great lengths to hide the laptop in a place where no one would find it, that just had to be her secret motive. Besides, there was no other reason for wanting to meet him in secret…right? In fact, the only reason she may have invited to meet with him was because he walked in on her hiding it.
"That makes sense…" the biker said, trying to be sure that it actually did.
Then again, he hadn't actually seen her hide it…at all actually. He'd been too focused on the fact that he'd been half naked in front of a cute chick to worry about crap like that! Plus, Chihiro was smart; she probably knew he didn't know about it. Then, if she didn't invite him to meet her because of the laptop, and since that was her secret, as far as Mondo could tell, then that meant… he was back to square one!
He still had absolutely no idea why the petite programmer wanted to meet him in private, and he was running out of time! Glancing up at the clock on the wall, he discovered that, in his ramblings to himself, he'd already wasted almost twenty minutes! He knew he wasn't that good at figuring stuff like this out, but he thought that twenty minutes would have been plenty of time to uncover why Chihiro wanted to meet him! And yet, here he was, standing alone in the changing room, completely dumbfounded.
Mondo's brain pounded as he continued to ponder exactly why Chihiro wanted to meet with him.
"If it ain't to confess her secret…what kind of confession could she…?" He stopped midsentence, his whole body grinding to a halt as his mind processed this new revelation. "D-Don't tell me…she's planning to confess her feelings for…someone?!"
Although he couldn't say it aloud, it was obvious that he would be the target of her affection. No… there was no way that…that…actually that made the most sense! It explained why she seemed so happy to see him, and half naked no less, and invited him to meet her in private! She was probably too nervous to tell him about her feelings when she saw him, lost her nerve and shit like that or something.
But the question still remained…why him?
His bravado suddenly came back in full swing as he proudly declared, "Well…she probably has a thing for biker guys!"
Yeah…yeah! That made the most sense! That had to be it—!
"Wait," he abruptly interrupted his own thoughts, as he remembered something vital. "If that's how it is then…why did she say that she…she needed to…p-prepare…"
All of a sudden, Mondo suddenly felt hotter than he had in the sauna, and he pulled at his collar to release the heat that was bubbling up from within him. And all of a sudden, Mondo couldn't stop his imagination from imagining what Chihiro had under her skirt—
"No! Stop that!" the biker abruptly shouted at himself, shaking his head several times. "You're a man! Real men don't think those kind of thoughts! Those are for otaku nerds and…uh…fortune tellers!"
Despite his claims, the overactive and adolescent mind of Mondo wandered back to pondering how the petite programmer would look like under that ridiculously large dress she always wore. The image of her smiling up at him…and him looking down to see her…completely…completely…
Clenching his fist, Mondo did what needed to be done…and punched himself across the face. Grunting angrily, the biker didn't relent as he let his fist find his face once more; smacking some much needed sense into him. The realization of pain was enough to bring his mind back to reality.
Panting heavily with sweat pouring down his face, Mondo finally let his hand fall to his side. He plopped down the bench beside him and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. He stared at the ceiling fan above him, letting himself be distracted by the rotation as his nerves calmed themselves. And somehow, in the rotation of those plastic ceiling fan blades, Mondo was able to make sense of all this.
"Ha-ha…this is crazy…" he said with a short laugh. "I've got no idea why Chihiro wants to see me…for all I know, she could just want advice on being a biker or something…"
As unlikely as that was, thinking that notion is what finally allowed Mondo to settle down and breath.
"Besides…me and her just…wouldn't work. I mean, even if that's what she wanted…and we…um…tried it…I think I'd break her…like in half! I don't want that to happen!" Mondo reasoned with himself. "Yeah…yeah! It's no big deal at all! I'll just have to let her down easy…that's all! Yeah, that's all there is to it!"
Finally feeling ready to face Chihiro and whatever issue she wanted to discuss with him, Mondo stood up and strode toward the bathhouse doors. Along the way, he couldn't stop from reassuring himself aloud, "Plus, if chicks want to get you, they gotta ride on your bike with you first! At least that's what Big Bro always…said…"
Without even realizing it, Mondo came to a halt just in front of the exit to the bathhouse, his body stiffening uncontrollably. "That's what…that's what…Daiya…always…"
Inadvertently, Mondo had brought himself back to the same conflict he'd tried so hard to forget. And just like before, his memories flashed before his eyes:
…
A sudden jolt struck Mondo's bike…sending him out of the way of the semi's unrelenting advance…Mondo's whole body trembled as he watched his brother's body…rebound off the side of the eighteen wheeler…in his place…
…
Mondo's fists clenched and he felt like punching himself again. However, unlike before, he kept himself restrained. He just wanted to forget, but all of these distractions eventually led him back to thinking about his past. Not to mention that he really didn't have the time to…oh, shit the time—!
Snapping his gaze up at the clock, Mondo discovered that he had wasted another fifteen minutes with his little freak-out! He had wanted to arrive early and get this whole affair behind him as quickly as possible but he'd even managed to screw that up! Why did things always end up like this?! Why couldn't everyone just leave him alone?! Why did his brother have to—?!
He cringed as his memories started to—
"No! Dammit…I don't have time for this shit!" Mondo seethed through grit teeth, forcing away the memory before it could form. Pushing the curtain in front of the bathhouse aside, the biker strode into the open area across from the cafeteria, intending to get his meeting with Chihiro over with as quickly as possible.
Before he got very far, however, the familiar voice of Leon called out to him, "Yo, Mondo! Where ya going?"
Those few words made something within Mondo twist cruelly and he turned to face Leon with all the fury he'd been holding in for the past few hours…
"He'll be here soon…" Chihiro whispered to herself as she waited outside the pool locker rooms, her e-handbook clutched in her right hand. Over her shoulder hung the duffle bag, with her blue tracksuit completely tucked away inside. She tapped her foot as she waited, growing more and more anxious as the time ticked away.
"It's not even time yet…I'm super early anyway," she reasoned, trying to calm her nerves. She'd been waiting there since she'd gotten the duffle bag and tracksuit. That meant that, she'd gotten there almost forty minutes early and now had to wait in agonizing silence for Mondo to arrive. All the while, her mind slowly began to plan how she'd tell him the truth. But so far, nothing seemed right.
She thought about just coming out and saying she was biologically a boy but worried that she'd blurt it out the instant he arrived. Realizing that could potentially cause more problems than solve them, Chihiro also though about trying to tell it as a joke:
Knock, Knock
Who's there?
Me…I'm physically a boy but my gender is female so please don't hate me and please accept me for who I am and everything okay thanks bye!
…Okay, so maybe a joke wasn't the best way to go about this. But she was seriously running out of options! She couldn't just shout at him "I have a PENIS" or anything like that! That would be even worse, and probably the most embarrassing thing she could imagine! Not to mention that…he may not respond kindly to her revelation.
Her tiny hands gripped her belongings as she trembled, imagining what Mondo might say or do if he didn't accept her…
You're a dude?!
Why don't you act more like man then?!
You wanna be a girl? The fuck would you want to be that weak for?!
You're such a pussy, and you don't even got one!
Man up, you prissy bitch!
Chihiro could hardly breath as she imagined his voice in her head…denouncing her for even bothering to reveal such a thing. If that did happen she knew she'd curl up into a ball and hide for the rest of her life…but she also knew that wouldn't change anything. Insults like the ones she'd imagined had been hurled at her before…long ago when she was young. It was the reason she'd first decided to dress and act like a girl…because it suited her more. Plus, when everyone thought she was a girl, no one tried to pick on her anymore. People even started defending her! Despite not even knowing who she was!
And then, before she even realized it, she found herself identifying more and more as a girl.
Her like of dresses and cute stuffed animals didn't seem so strange once she started thinking of herself as a female instead of a male. And while it wasn't exactly uncommon for a boy to like cute things, her connection to the female gender felt much stronger than it ever had while she was perceived as a boy. Perhaps she was supposed to be born a girl, but ended up as a boy instead.
But that was neither here nor there…she needed to focus on what to do about telling Mondo the truth, she could decide what to do once she saw his initial reaction…
Even so, she still didn't know the best way to tell him…though screaming it at him once he arrived still felt like the most favorable option, unfortunately. Then again, it was beginning to feel like that might be the only way to convey the truth to Mondo, considering he'd respond best to being straight-forward rather than roundabout.
Just then, her right hand loosened and she almost dropped her e-handbook. Tightening her grip on the small electronic wonder, the programmer let her eyes glance down at it for a moment, briefly wondering what kind of technology was capable of building such a device—
"Wait…that's it!"
She couldjust show Mondo the truth without having to say a single word! That way, he could take time to process what she was trying to tell him and, hopefully, he wouldn't freak out and shout at her…for any reason. To that end, Chihiro knew that the instant Mondo arrived; she'd just need to show him her profile on her e-handbook and let him see for himself what her biological sex was.
However, the instant she decided that, her mind began to imagine what he might say…
What the hell am I supposed to be looking at?!
It says you're a dude…WHAT THE HELL?!
Dude…that's gross! Why are you dressing like a chick?!
You want me to make you stronger? Grow a pair first, then we'll talk!
Before she even realized it, tears began forming in the corners of her eyes as the imaginary voice of Mondo invaded her mind. However, she instantly wiped away the tears and cast that negative voice out of her mind, despite how her legs trembled as she waited for the real Mondo to arrive.
If he even showed up, that is…
Glancing up at the clock on the wall, she noticed that it was time for their meeting to take place and she was still the only one there. A part of her wanted to be relieved if he didn't show up but, a larger part of her would feel abandoned by someone that she, for reasons she couldn't fathom, was confident would come to see her.
She wasn't even quite sure where that confidence came from, it wasn't like she'd really hung out with the biker since they'd been trapped in the school. Even so, more than anyone else, Chihiro felt that she could trust Mondo…trust him to come when she needed him…and trust him to accept her for who she was…
"…It's going to be fine…Mondo…he'll be here…and he'll listen…and he won't judge…he'll…he'll…"
"Damn, Leon…making me think about this crap again!" Mondo groaned as he rounded the last corner of the staircase leading to the second floor. "Thanks to him, I'm not gonna make it on time!"
Why the hell did Leon have to be there anyway?! Sure, Mondo was grateful that he was there to talk him down when he really needed it, but did he have to make innuendos as the biker took off to meet Chihiro? Because of that, Mondo's mind was racing as he still didn't have a clear idea as to why the petite programmer wanted to meet him in secret.
Well…it used to be secret, before Mondo blurted out to Leon exactly who he was meeting. Then again, it wasn't as though he had anything to hide. Yeah, it was kind of embarrassing to be meeting a pretty girl after hours but it wasn't like anything was going to happen. Regardless of what Chihiro needed to tell him, he was sure it would all turn out fine…if only because Leon had helped him to get back into a good state of mind. He'd have to remember to thank the baseball star later…probably tomorrow but before their secrets got revealed…if it came to that.
After all, if someone gave in and murdered—
"Gah…no, don't think like that," Mondo told himself as he got to the top of the stairs. "Everything's gonna be cool…everything's gonna be cool…"
As he made his way down the hall and toward the pool, his mind was still bogged down by what Chihiro could possibly have to tell him. He'd come up with three possible ideas…
First was that Chihiro was luring him in to kill him—Impossible.
Second was that Chihiro was going to confess her…love to him—Mondo was prepared to let her down as easily as he could if that was the case.
Third, finally, and the one that Mondo personally thought was reasonable—Chihiro wanted to learn how to be a biker and chose the only biker present to help her.
…Okay, so the last one was a bit out there but no more than the thought of Chihiro trying to murder someone! Plus, every time Mondo envisioned the petite programmer decked out in a Crazy Diamond's duster, riding atop a huge motorcycle with pitch black shades hiding her adorable eyes…Mondo couldn't help but laugh. And he really needed that right now…more than he could have ever known.
Rounding the last corner and seeing the pool area door, Mondo felt his pace quicken. And as he neared the double doors leading to the pool area, he felt all the tension he'd previously lost since speaking to Leon return, which was ironically the baseball star's fault for jumping to conclusions! Leon's provocative words rang in his ears and he couldn't help but feel nervous as he approached.
"Got a little late night rendezvous going on, huh? Never figured she'd be your type."
"She's not…my type," Mondo reassured himself, despite how undeniably cute Chihiro was when she smiled at him. "She's just adorable, that's all. Just because I find a girl adorable doesn't mean I got any kinda feelings for her."
Even so, he couldn't deny that having her ask him to meet like this wasn't unsettling. However, he was already there and besides…he'd promised her. He'd given her his word as a man that he would be there for her, because that's what a man does when he makes a promise to a girl! And right now, for reasons he couldn't understand, Chihiro obviously needed him, so he'd be there for her!
With that resolution, he pushed open the doors to the pool area and strode inside, ready for anything that came his way! Nothing else mattered at the moment, and he was ready to face this challenge head on like a man—!
"You came! I'm so glad!"
All at once, Mondo completely froze as Chihiro smiled up at him, that adorable smile that could convince even the world's most heartless man…Byakuya…to give her whatever she wanted. Mondo's face burned red as he looked at her and he instantly averted his gaze, realizing the depths of the challenge before him.
"Oh God, I'm not ready to take on this challenge! I need to run! Get far away from here!"
Mondo screamed in his own head, feeling completely vulnerable for the first time in all his life. Slowly turning his head back to her, he saw Chihiro's smile fade, as if something had taken the beautiful smile away from her. And when that happened, Mondo knew there was no turning back!
"No! Chihiro needs me! I don't know what for but she needs me, now!"
"You came! I'm so glad!"
Chihiro had settled with a happy greeting the instant Mondo came through the doors, instead of thrusting her e-handbook in his face, like she'd originally planned.
She at least wanted to try and tell him the truth herself, because just showing her biological sex in her profile would certainly cause friction between them. Sure, it was her trump card, just in case she couldn't find the words but she knew that if she going to get stronger…she needed to put in the effort herself.
However, as she glanced up at him, Mondo surprisingly turned away from her, as if he couldn't stand to look her way. Not only that, he seemed rather perturbed by something, and his face was kind of red…like he was already angry. And when he turned back to her, he seemed shocked…as if he disapproved of her already!
Her smile instantly vanished, as if it would never return, and her eyes slightly glistened with tears.
Was it because she'd called him out so close to nighttime? She hadn't meant to inconvenience him but…she really did need his help. He was the only person she felt comfortable enough with entrusting her secret, and he could help her to grow physically stronger too. Even so, it was hard to even speak when he had such a scary visage pointed at her. However, she knew that this wasn't the time to be afraid, even if she was terrified of him…and his possible reaction to her secret.
"T-Thanks for coming…" she said quietly, bowing her head. "I…uh…I really appreciate…you coming up here…and—".
"What's that?! I can't hear ya!" Mondo abruptly cut her off, shouting as he stood over her.
Startled, Chihiro's head shot up, meeting his intense gaze head on. As best she could, she elevated her voice as she tried to continue, "I-I'm sorry! I was…um…I was trying to…to tell you that…that…"
Her words were quickly dying in her throat as Mondo's fierce gaze focused directly on her, judging her for everything she was saying and doing. Abruptly, she turned from him, tears stinging her eyes as she felt the pain of failure…
"I can't…I can't...I can't…even though I'm trying so hard…I can't say anything! He just keeps staring at me and I don't know how to put it into words! I'm so weak…why am I so weak…?!"
It was then that she decided it was time to use her trump card. Gripping her e-handbook for support, she turned it on and began swiping her finger across screen, skimming through passing various pages, her hands shaking all the while. It took much longer than it usually would have, because her eyes were blurry from unshed tears but finally, she was able to get it to her profile page. Just as she was about to flip it around and show him the truth about herself, the biker's voice shook the area.
"Just spit it out, would ya?!" an impatient Mondo said after enduring the silence for nearly an entire minute.
The sound of his shouts, startled the already terrified Chihiro, and she lost her grip on her e-handbook. It clattered to the floor, sliding close to the boy's locker room door. Her eyes widened and she instantly sped off to grab her portable device. Sinking down to her knees, she carefully picked up her e-handbook and dusted it off, relieved that it was unharmed. Flipping it over, she saw her profile on display…and with it, the horrible male symbol that had decided her gender at birth.
Chihiro found herself quickly losing all of the resolve she'd spent so long building up. She couldn't turn back and face Mondo now…not with how angry he appeared to be with her. And she couldn't exactly get past him, since he was blocking the door; meaning she had no exit from this disaster of a confession.
"I…I'm so weak…I don't know…what I should…" she cried inside her head, lifting her gaze up at the same time. Just then, she saw something on the wall. The card reader for the boy's locker room was only a few feet away from her. And just like that, she knew what needed to be done.
Yes…there was still a way…a way to show him without even have to face him.
This was not going at all how Mondo had wanted it to!
When Chihiro had first started talking to him, her head bowed and her voice directed at the floor, he'd struggled to understand what she was saying. He didn't want to be rude but it was annoying that he could only hear a word or two of what she was saying. Plus…her voice was so quiet, more so than usual…like she was crying or something.
Wait…was her head lowered because she was crying?! He couldn't tell, he could see her face! And he couldn't even see her properly either! Why couldn't she just lift her face so he could see if she was okay? Couldn't she speak any louder either?!
"What's that?! I can't hear ya!" Mondo abruptly shouted at her, instantly feeling guilty that he'd said that. However, it had the desired effect, as Chihiro lifted her head up…only for him to see tears glistening in the corner of her eyes!
"Shit! She was crying! Crap…did I do that? I didn't mean to! Dammit…I should just be quiet and let her say whatever she needs to…" Mondo thought to himself as he patiently waited for her to continue.
When she did, he was glad that he could actually hear her…but she kept stuttering and apologizing, when she hadn't done anything wrong! And then she fell completely silent, fiddling with the e-handbook in her hand…like she was too nervous to even talk to him!
"Oh God…she really did want to confess her feelings and shit!" Mondo surmised, seeing her trying to get the words out, her hands trembling as she apparently couldn't find the courage to even look up at him. She seemed intensely focused on her e-handbook but that was probably a coping thing for when she was upset…like how he would work on his bike when he used to get pissed about something, especially when there was nothing around he could destroy.
However, after an entire minute of waiting for her to say something, Mondo was losing his patience. He wanted to just wait for her but every second that ticked by made his mind wander further and further from his current situation, until finally…his mind drifted back to the motive…and his brother…until he just couldn't control himself anymore.
"Just spit it out, would ya?!" the impatient Mondo called out, unable to keep calm.
Unfortunately, the biker was instantly aware of how much he'd screwed up as his voice startled the already terrified Chihiro, making her jump and causing her e-handbook to slip from her grasp and clatter to the floor. Mondo's eyes widened as the programmer's face whitened and she practically dashed toward the fallen device. Watching as she sank to her knees in front of it, carefully picking it up and seemingly caressing it, a great deal of shame fell upon Mondo as he realized he was only making matters worse. And to top it all off, he swore he could hear her sniffling as she was undoubtedly crying.
"Fuuuuck! Now what I am supposed to do?! I didn't meant to make her cry…again!" Mondo slapped his hand to his head and rubbed his eyes, not knowing what to do. "Come on, think! What would…what would…what would Daiya do if…if he were…"
He couldn't even finish that thought as memories of that fateful night were unintentionally revisited upon him…
…
"This can't be real"…that was all Mondo could think as he watched his brother's bike smash into the pavement…Daiya himself slamming into the concrete with a sickening crunch…
…
"Dammit…why do I have to be thinking about that right now?!" Mondo couldn't help but ponder as he fell into further confusion. Even so, the biker decided it was best to put that out of his mind and focus on what he could do to fix his current situation.
Glancing back over to Chihiro, he found a strange sight. Sitting up while on the floor, she was staring directly at the boy's locker room, which baffled him even more. In his frantic concern, he didn't know how else to react other than shouting at her.
"H-Hey! Are you…uh…wait, what do you think you're—?!"
Mondo tried to ask if she was alright but was stunned into silence as she stood up and faced the boy's locker room. His mind went blank when Chihiro ran toward the door, her e-handbook outstretched toward the card reader by the door. Mondo's mind went blank as he struggled to understand what she was trying to do.
He got his answer when she bravely pressed her e-handbook to the electronic reader on the wall next to the boy's door. Mondo's eyes widened and all color drained from his face, his gaze shooting up to the Gatling gun above her head, knowing that the instant the door read her as female, it would open fire on the petite programmer. An audible gasp escaped him and he knew he didn't have time to reach her before she went through with her apparent suicide attempt.
All he could do was reach his hand out and shout, "Stop! That gun'll turn you into Swiss-Chihiro!" As the card reader finished scanning her e-handbook, Mondo let loose a rabid scream from his throat…
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
And then…there was silence. Time seemed to slow as Mondo waited for the hail of bullets that would tear little Chihiro to pieces in a matter of seconds. However, as that silence invaded his ears, a dull ringing echoing all around him…he was shocked when, instead of gunfire…the boy's locker room door opened.
At once, a flood of relief hit him and for a moment, he allowed himself to breathe a joyful sigh. However, that relief was quickly shattered as his mind slowly caught up with everything that was happening…because something wasn't right here…
…
…
It didn't make any sense…
Chihiro was a girl…
She shouldn't be able to open the boy's locker room…
Unless she was actually a boy…
…
…
Something in Mondo's brain cracked as it finally registered the truth.
"I did it…I finally showed him the truth!" Chihiro congratulated herself before turning around and freezing.
Before her, Mondo stood with wide eyes and a slack jaw, his arms hanging down by his side unceremoniously. He was staring directly at her, as if trying to comprehend exactly what she was. And while it made her feel uncomfortable, to say the least, she could understand why he was in a state of complete shock.
"…Surprised?" she carefully asked, to which she only got a strange kind of gargle sound from Mondo. "…I'll take that as a 'yes'..."
Abruptly, Mondo shook his head and slapped his face with both hands, startling Chihiro slightly as she waited for him to say something. After what seemed like an eternity, the biker grunted and seemed capable enough to speak with her.
"So…you're actually…a dude?" he finally said, obviously trying to be respectful…or at least she hoped that's what it was.
Instead of answering him right there, Chihiro urged him toward the open door to the boy's locker room and said, "Uh, can we…please…talk about this…in private?"
"Y-Yeah…" an obviously still surprised Mondo answered, slowly following after her as she headed into the boy's locker room.
Sipping from an emptying noodle cup, the real Junko flipped through a fashion magazine that she was featured in.
"Oh god…I look so amazing in this one! I'm glad I had the sense to get an extra copy of all my fashion debuts before I ended the world." A malicious smile broke out on her lips as she continued, "After all, it wouldn't have done to let the whole world forget that someone everyone thought was a slutty bimbo was the one who actually destroyed their precious lives. The despair from that one's still going strong!"
As she giggled darkly to herself a buzzer suddenly sounded, accompanied by a flashing red light. Tossing away her magazine and empty noodle cup, Junko's eyes shot over to the monitor that was blaring at her. On it, she saw Chihiro holding the door to the boy's locker room open for Mondo.
However, rather than be immediately excited, a puzzled look came over Junko.
"Hold on…why is the alarm for a girl entering the boy's locker room going off? Oh shit, that's right! Chihiro was the one who originally programmed that sensor and she insisted on being allowed to use the girl's locker room and listed herself as a girl in the system! I just changed her e-handbook settings, not the system's. Well…I guess it all works out. Either way…what is this going to lead to?!"
A now thoroughly enticed Junko snuggled up close to the monitor, watching as the pair entered the boy's locker room.
The entire way, Chihiro could feel Mondo's eyes on her, probably scanning her body for any giveaway that she was physically male. Unfortunately for him, she had years of practice in concealing her natural born sex. She was well versed in waxing and hair plucking, though considering her father didn't have facial hair, she didn't have much to worry about hair on that front.
Even so, to have Mondo eying her like this was beyond unsettling. She had hoped that he'd accept her, not ogle her for anything she was doing that could be considered masculine. Then again, he was certainly in shock. Anyone would be, considering how well she hid her physical sex from the entire world. She'd even managed to convince the Internet that she was female…a monumental feat in and of itself!
"I'm lucky I never did live blogs or anything…" she quietly said to herself, as she placed her duffle bag on one of the benches before turning back to Mondo.
Fortunately, it seemed that, at least in her eyes, he'd mostly recovered from the shock. She could have done without the frustrated glare that he was giving her, but at the very least, he wasn't denouncing or poking fun at her…at least not yet.
"So…I suppose I should explain everything?" she offered, trying not to sound as nervous as she was.
"That would help…" a thoroughly conflicted Mondo replied, folding his arms but keeping his terrifying glare in place. Chihiro kind of flinched under his scrutinous gaze but decided it was best just to get it over with and see how Mondo would react.
"Well, while I was born as a boy…I actually feel more like a girl…but I guess that's obvious…" she said with a forced laugh, to which the biker didn't respond in the least, prompting her to continue. "It started when I was little. Other boys would make fun of me and call me girly…so I decided to act like a girl to get them to leave me alone. But then…I kinda liked being a girl so, I thought maybe I'd just stay as a girl…at least until this whole thing with Monokuma happened…"
At the mention of Monokuma and his motive, Mondo finally flinched, lowering his head and closing his eyes. At this point, Chihiro wasn't sure if she had upset him or not but she knew that she needed to keep going.
"I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner…and I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable because of it…but even though I think of myself as a girl, it won't matter to everyone else. Oh, and I-I'm still attracted to girls…even though I identify as one—".
In midsentence, Mondo's eyes snapped open and he shouted, "I don't care about any of that! I can't make sense of all this with you blabbering on like this! Just shut up for a second, would ya?!"
An audible gasp erupted from Chihiro and, almost against her will, she started tearing up. It was becoming a natural reaction but she felt completely justified for it this time. The dreaded moment was finally upon her, she was going to hear Mondo's opinion about everything. And judging by his tone, he had some choice words to grill into her.
Doing her best to harden her heart, and failing miserably, Chihiro closed her eyes and waited for him to continue.
"Here it comes…"
In truth, Mondo hadn't had any idea what to expect after Chihiro revealed that she…he…that they were born a boy! He was shocked sure…but mostly because there was still a part of his mind that could only see Chihiro as an adorable, pretty, petite little girl. And because of that, it was hard to really look at…her/him. Plus, it made all of his imagining of Chihiro naked earlier seem much…much creepier than he had ever intended! He kind of wanted to punch himself in the face again, this time for a very different reason!
Despite that though, the thing that he couldn't stand, the thing that really upset him about all of this wasn't the fact that she/he was a boy or that she/he had kept it from him…it was the fact that she/he seemed to be apologizing to him for it! All her/his talk about freaking him out with this seemed like bullshit to him!
That's why, when Chihiro actually did apologize for deceiving him and making him uncomfortable…he kind of lost it.
"I don't care about any of that!" he found himself shouting, just to get Chihiro to quiet down for a moment so he could think. "I can't make sense of all this with you blabbering on like this! Just shut up for a second, would ya?!"
The instant those words left his mouth, regret poured in. He watched as Chihiro tried his/her best to remain composed but the moisture building in the corners of his/her eyes showed what the petite programmer was really feeling. And once again, Mondo felt like shit for making Chihiro cry. It didn't matter that Chihiro was physically a boy, making him/her cry because he couldn't figure this out wasn't Chihiro's fault!
And when Chihiro closed his/her eyes, as if preparing for him to assault her/him, something snapped inside Mondo…and he knew he had to make it right!
"Argh. Look, I don't care about you wanting to be a girl or anything like that! And if you want me to keep it a secret, that's fine too! I won't tell nobody until you're ready if you want! That's not what I'm upset about!" he ended up shouting, although he hadn't intended to.
But then again, he didn't really know any other way to get his point across. He really didn't care if Chihiro wanted to be a girl or not. Yeah, it was embarrassing for him because of how he'd obsessed over it earlier but in the end, that wasn't that big of a deal! In the end, nothing had really changed between them…Chihiro still needed his help and he had to fulfill his promise.
Just as he was about to tell Chihiro that, he heard a slight sniffling and looked down to see Chihiro looking up at him with tears streaming down her/his cheeks.
"S-So…" Chihiro asked weakly, slowly opening…her eyes. "…you don't hate me? You don't think I'm…disgusting?"
Kind of offended that she thought so little of him, Mondo scoffed and answered, "Hell no! Why would I? Just because you like dresses and crap and want to be a girl…that's all your call! It shouldn't matter what anyone, especially someone like me, says about it! If you wanna be a girl, then it's your god-damn business and no one else's!"
Mondo hoped that she got the message that he wasn't trying to be a bastard to her…and he got his answer a moment later…
"If you wanna be a girl, then it's your god-damn business and no one else's!"
Those words echoed in Chihiro's mind over and over and over and over again. She could hardly believe her ears…and yet, at the same time, somehow she could. Mondo had been understanding, he had been kind…sort of, and he had been able to accept her…for who she really was.
A feeling of unparalleled joy surged forth from deep within her and for the first time in her entire life, she cried tears of pure happiness and acceptance.
However, Mondo only saw a crying girl and was instantly taken aback by the sudden flow of new tears. "W-Whoa! What the hell?! Why are you crying?! I thought I was being nice and shit?!"
An abrupt giggle erupted from Chihiro and despite her tears, she smiled warmly at him. "S-Sorry! I guess…I'm just happy!"
"O-Oh…uh…okay?" the biker said, obviously trying to understand why anyone could cry tears of joy. However, none of that mattered to Chihiro in the least.
She had been right to trust Mondo. She hadn't known why or how, but something deep inside her had told her that he was the one she confessed to, he'd accept her. She had placed all of her bets on that and, despite the overwhelming odds and his stereotypical biker attitude, Mondo seemed to at least understand that she needed his help. And for that, she was eternally grateful…
Taking a moment to wipe away the tears from her reddened face, she smiled brightly for the first time in a long while as she said, "T-Thank you, Mondo…"
Despite the new knowledge that his 'girl' friend Chihiro was physically a boy, Mondo couldn't help but blush as she thanked him. Quickly, averting his gaze, the biker gritted his teeth when he realized that he'd need to get used to feeling a bit uncomfortable when she smiled at him.
"It's not fair…she's too fucking adorable not to think of her as a girl! But at the same time…I can't think of her as a 'girl-girl'…at least not yet," he unfortunately surmised, sighing as he cleared his throat to get her attention.
"T-There's no need to thank me for anything. I'm just keeping my promise…that's all."
Even he knew he was acting tough, but at the moment, he didn't have any other course of action open to him. And Chihiro must have understood that because she somehow lessened her smile and nodded to him.
"…Right," was all she said in response, earning another flush from the biker, which he did his best to convince himself was only the room being humid from the pool.
"Now that we got that out of the way," Mondo said, his tone turning serious, earning a confused look from Chihiro. "There's…uh…something that I gotta know."
"Y-Yes…?" Chihiro nervously replied, obviously surprised by his tone and attitude.
Not wanting to upset her any further, Mondo decided to just come out and ask, "Why the hell did you want to meet with me? I mean, of all people, why in the hell did you think I'd be the best person to tell your secret too? There are a shit ton of other people that would probably be more…understanding than I would be, right? Junko, Makoto…hell even Hina would have been a better choice than me! So why the hell did you need it to be me?"
As he asked, he noticed Chihiro slightly avert her gaze, as if she might be guilty about something…that couldn't be a good sign.
"I was really hoping he wouldn't ask that…but then again, I'd be curious too," Chihiro mused before nervously lacing her fingers together. Definitely sure that telling him that she wasn't quite sure would be a huge mistake, the petite programmer took an extra moment to decide on the right answer.
"Well, if I had to say why…it's because I really admire you, Mondo."
"What?!" a perplexed Mondo retorted, looking completely and utterly put off by her answer. "B-But…you've been keeping your secret all this time…and you had no idea how I'd react and shit, right?"
Knowing she needed to elaborate, Chihiro continued, "…Y-You're right, but…" she hesitated for only a moment before looking him square in the eyes. "I want to change! I wrapped myself in lies because I'm weak…and…and…I don't want to be like that anymore!"
If Mondo wasn't visibly taken aback before, he was now. Shock exuded from him and it was as if he couldn't really comprehend what she was trying to say. To that end, Chihiro felt that she needed to be even clearer with him, so that he could understand how much she needed him.
"I want to start working out, get myself physically stronger so that I can learn what it is to really be strong! But to do that…I need your help, Mondo! I need you to teach me how to work out so I can become a stronger person…just like you!" she exclaimed, hoping that her explanation would be enough for him to understand.
And unfortunately…it was.
Mondo wasn't quite sure when it happened but somewhere during Chihiro's speech, her words of praise…began to feel more like insults.
"Strong?...She's calling me of all people…strong?! The guy who got his own brother killed…the guy who lied to his entire gang just to keep them together?! How the hell can I be considered strong?!"
As those dark thoughts invaded his mind, Mondo only partially wanted to dismiss them. Saying them, even if only to himself in his own head, made the pressure building up within him begin to lessen. And just when he thought that he was going to be okay, just when he figured that he could control his temper…Chihiro continued her speech.
"You're…you're really strong, Mondo! Whatever secret Monokuma has over you…you're strong enough to face it, right?" an eager Chihiro told him, smiling affectionately toward him. "I to want get stronger too! So that I can be as strong as—!"
Mondo couldn't breathe…he could barely keep himself standing…as Chihiro threw those words in his face. He wasn't quite sure when it had happened, but before he even realized it, Mondo found his hands clenched into fists and he couldn't stop himself from lowering his gaze and saying, "You piece of shit…"
All at once, the air in the room seemed to thicken and Mondo heard Chihiro gasp as he cut her off. She'd obviously heard him…and the horrible thing was...he wanted her to.
"So what…you're saying I should just come right out and say it?" he questioned, his voice deepening menacingly. Snapping his head up, he roared, "You're saying that if I really am strong, then I should be able to tell everyone my secret?! Like you just did?!"
"H-Huh?" Chihiro squeaked, the terror brought about by Mondo's change physically affecting her.
But honestly, that didn't matter in the least to Mondo…not right now.
How could that little pipsqueak stand there and accuse herself of being weak and insist that Mondo was the strong one?! Chihiro had the courage to face her own weakness, confronting it as best she could! Even now, as terrified as she appeared to be, she was still acting far stronger than Mondo could ever hope to!
And why?! Because she had the balls to ask for help when she really needed it! She didn't avoid people and cower in fear like he had! No, she faced her problems head on…like he should have but was too afraid to! Hell, even though she wanted to be a girl, Chihiro was more of a man than he was!
In fact, Mondo remembered his brother Daiya once told him that, 'True men ask for help when they need it. Cowards run off to be alone'. Is this what he meant? Was Mondo being weak by trying to solve his problems on his own?! And why did Chihiro of all people have to be the one to question his strength?! Was tiny, weak, pathetic little Chihiro actually stronger than he was—?
"I…I get it…I finally get it…" the frustrated biker thought as he stepped around Chihiro and headed toward a stack of dumbbells on a rack that pressed against the nearby wall.
It all made sense…it finally all made sense to him! Chihiro, despite the supposed weakness she claimed to have, was actually stronger than he was! And it was because of that…because Chihiro was strong…just like Daiya had been…that Mondo felt his entire being becoming consumed with rage.
And just like that, Mondo could feel something creak inside his head…until something important snapped.
A bleak sense of horror had fallen over Chihiro as she watched Mondo's behavior drastically change. She couldn't fathom why he was being so aggressive now…why he was being so…mean to her.
"I…I don't understand…Mondo…he accepted me…right? Why is he being so…"
Chihiro didn't have time to ponder further before Mondo abruptly shouted at her again, "Are you making fun of me?! You think I'm strong! Are you fucking with me right now?!"
Caught off-guard by his insinuations, Chihiro's fragile mind began to collapse as she answered, "I-I'm not making fun of you, really! I-It's just…you really are strong, Mondo—".
Suddenly, Mondo let out a furious shout more fearsome than Chihiro had ever heard before. Her ears rang loudly but despite that, she could hear the sound of Mondo…shouting at himself!
"What the hell did he want me to do?! What the fuck was I supposed to do?! Am I expected to just sit back and let my secret get exposed to the entire world?! And let it ruin everything I've done?!"
Chihiro had a hard time watching as the man she admired and respected more than any other berated and accused himself of such horrific things. His eyes dilated and he was frantically sucking air into his lungs, shouting each sentence as if it were his last. To others, they would have seen a mad man…but to Chihiro, he was a valuable friend that needed her help!
"T-This isn't the time to be scared!" she assured herself as she inched toward her anger stricken friend. "It's Mondo…he'd never actually hurt me…I know he wouldn't!"
With that reassurance in mind, Chihiro bravely called out, "W-What's wrong, Mondo?!"
The instant her words reached him, the Ultimate Bike Gang Leader immediately set his gaze upon her. Grabbing something from behind his back, Mondo strode over and towered above her, glaring down at her as if she'd committed some vile betrayal against him.
"You! Why did you have to tell me that I was strong?! Are you trying to rub my failure in my face?! Huh?!" he shouted down at her, his spit splattering against her face.
Despite the overwhelming fear and terror forced upon her, Chihiro managed to hold her ground. Her legs shook and her hands trembled but she didn't relent. With tears beginning to fall from her eyes, she met his ferocious gaze.
"N-No…I just…really admire you," she told him in the hope of getting him to calm down. Unfortunately, she then uttered the last thing she should have said, "I admire…your strength…"
Chihiro had no idea that those words…sealed her fate.
"I admire…your strength…"
Those words were like a dull knife twisting in Mondo's chest…and he couldn't let her get away with saying something so infuriating…and so…he pulled the dumbbell from behind his back…
"…That's right… I am strong…" he seethed, feeling the weight of the dumbbell getting lighter as he lifted it up. "Strong…I'm strong!"
I'm strong…I'm strong…I'm strong…I'm strong…I'm strong…I'm strong…I'm strong…I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm strong I'm strong I'm strong I'm strong I'm strong I'm strong I'm strong I'm strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong strong…!
Mondo could see the terrified visage on Chihiro's face but it didn't matter at all to him, not now…not after all she'd done to him! She needed to be taught a lesson! She needed to know that he truly was stronger than her!
"I'm stronger than you! And I'm stronger than DAIIIIIYAAAAA!"
The moment Chihiro saw Mondo raise the heavy dumbbell over his head…she knew she'd done something horribly wrong. Even so…she didn't blame him…not in the least…
"It's my fault…all my fault…if only I was stronger…if only I hadn't upset Mondo…it's because…I'm weak…weak…weak…weak…weak…weak…"
That was the very last though that Chihiro had…before the dumbbell came crashing down on her head.
High up in the surveillance room on the fourth floor, a despair enthralled Junko squealed with joy as she watched the proceedings. Saliva trailed down her chin and dripped onto the floor, a euphoric visage plastered over her entire face.
"Yes! Yes! THIS…This is what I wanted…" a lustful moan escaped her lips as her eyes remained glued to the scene…until she saw something that completely broke her euphoria.
"…No…fucking…way…"
Honestly, Mondo wasn't quite sure what was happening to him. It was like he was a spectator in his own body, watching as he flew into a rage and grabbed the nearby dumbbell. He felt his muscles strain as he raised it high above his head and prepared to bring it crashing down on…on…Chihiro's…head…!
Just as that thought occurred to him, the biker swore he heard the voice of a friend shouting in his ear…
"I just don't want you flying off the handle and killing someone! I don't want you or anyone else to end up like I did! So calm the fuck down!"
Mondo recognized that voice…it was Leon's voice! That's right! It was the warning that the baseball star had given him just before coming up to see…Chihiro!
"Oh God! No! Chihiro! Noooooo!" the biker screamed in his mind as reality came crashing down on him.
All at once, Mondo became super conscious of everything that he was doing. The dumbbell in his hand was being swung down toward a terrified Chihiro's head and time itself seemed to have slowed as the biker watched the heavy weight descending toward its target. Nothing could stop the dumbbell from falling, that was obvious, but there was still time to divert it!
With all of the strength Mondo could summon, he flung his other arm directly into the dumbbell with crippling force. The biker prayed that it would be enough to move the heavy weight far enough away from its intended target…but was horrified when a sickening sound abruptly reached his ears.
*Crack*
Chihiro's head bobbed from the force of the attack and an instant later, her entire body went limp, crumbling to the floor with a deafening thud.
At this time, Mondo's follow through with the dumbbell came to a halt. As the heavy weight slipped from his fingers, a mortified visage overtook the biker's face. Tears poured out of his eyes as his mind tried to catch up with exactly what he'd done to the poor petite programmer. And as soon as he could draw breath into his lungs…Mondo let out a despair filled wail.
"CHIHIIIIIROOOOOOO!"
Far away, in the belly of the library, Byakuya continued to take notes on Genocide Jack's weakness. That is, until that sickening wail reached his perfectly groomed ears.
"CHIHIIIIIROOOOOOO!"
At once, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny was at attention, leaping up from his seat and assuming a defensive position. When he determined that nothing within his general vicinity was a threat to him, he immediately began to broaden his perspective. That despairing wail, despite being wrapped in agony, obviously belonged to the violence prone biker…but why was he calling out the petite programmer's name?
Almost unbeknownst to himself, Byakuya let a dastardly smile decorate his lips as he said, "It seems that the game is afoot once again…"
This was just the sort of activity he needed to get his mind off of that Genocide Jack nonsense, and he certainly wouldn't let a good hunt go to waste. Feeling a rush of excitement, the Togami Heir was about to take off when he decided to spend an extra moment thinking the situation out.
"In this case, either Chihiro attacked Mondo, Mondo attacked Chihiro…or someone else attacked them together," he said aloud to himself, knowing he was all alone due to the absence of the putrid smell Toko harbored wherever she went. "In the first case, subduing Chihiro would be a simple feat. The other two cases will prove more of a challenge…"
Glancing over at the desk lamp and extension cord, Byakuya let a grin overtake his lips. Reaching out and grasping the lamp, he lifted it up enough to grab the head of the extension cord. Unplugging it from the lamp, and giving the other end a quick tug to dislodge it from the wall socket, the Togami Heir loosed the long cord before wrapping it around his arm.
Smirking to himself, Byakuya was pleased that, just in case he encountered a foe that needed to be subdued, he could accomplish that with the extension cord alone.
"No need to destroy a perfectly good lamp when I could just as easily wrap this around the culprit's neck," he mused aloud as he turned to face the door. "Alright then…this should be interesting!"
Without another word, he sped out of the library and headed down the hall toward where the scream had originated from.
"Oh fuck! Oh God! What the hell have I…?" Mondo rambled as he fell to his knees beside Chihiro's body. And just as before, his mind was consumed with memories of his past sins…
…
"Oh shit! Oh SHIT! Bro! Come on, Bro! Wake up!" Mondo screamed, shaking his brother's bloody body…slow grunts escaped Daiya's throat as his eyes fluttered open…possibly for the last time…
…
Tears flowed down Mondo's cheeks as he added another sin to his memoir…
Chihiro lay there, completely still, devoid of all life whatsoever. Her adorable eyes shut tight…never to open and grace this world with their beauty every again. Her slender arms lay at her sides, her palms up and fingers slightly curled. Her mouth slightly agape as her last breath had undoubtedly passed through her lips.
With dilated eyes, Mondo stared down at her unsettling visage…before his gaze drifted over to the dumbbell, that had the slightly stain of blood on the edge…where it must have crushed Chihiro's…fragile skull. His vision shot up to where he'd struck her…the tiniest trickle of blood sticking to her hair. Words failed him as he held his hands in front of his face…the hands that would forever be stained with the innocent Chihiro's blood—
"…erh…"
Mondo gasped louder than he thought possible as that tiny squeak came from Chihiro's supposed corpse. For a moment, he wasn't sure if he'd really heard it, or if it was just his mind finally collapsing under the weight of his crime. But then, the biker's mind flashed back to when he'd seen Sayaka, covered in blood and supposedly dead in Makoto's shower, remembering that the pop idol had had much more blood on her than Chihiro did right now! So…it was possible that—!
"A-A pulse! I need to see if she still has one!"
Sliding over and positioning himself right next to Chihiro, Mondo tried to remember how you check for a pulse. He pressed his fingers to the programmer's neck but was afraid of pressing to hard and hurting her…in case she was just unconscious. Growing more and more frantic, and not knowing the proper way to check pulses, the biker eventually slammed his fist into the floor.
No! Not again! He couldn't let it happen again! His stupidity and pride had already cost him the life of his brother! He couldn't let it happen again! He wouldn't let it happen again!
"Dammit! How the hell does this work?! I don't know anything about medical stuff—!"Gasping midsentence, Mondo realized that, while he didn't know anything about CPR or medical practices, he knew someone who did! "Junko! I-I need to get Junko!"
Knowing there was no time to waste, the biker leapt to his feet but before he even took a step, a problem arose.
"Fuck…I don't know what room is hers!" he exclaimed, his palm slapping his forehead due to his own stupidity.
However, a second later, Mondo remembered that his e-handbook had a map of the school, with each student's room listed there as well! Pulling his e-handbook out of his coat pocket, he pushed the button on the side…and was greeted with silence. The usual tone of the device powering on didn't trigger and the silence dug into the biker as he began to furiously press that power button with more and more ferocity.
It was then that Mondo remembered that his own e-handbook was still broken…and completely useless in assisting to get help for…Chihiro…
"Shit…shit…SHIT, SHIT, SHIIIIIIIIT!" Mondo screamed, his voice beginning to give out from the strain he'd put on it. But he couldn't care about any of that, not when he still had no idea what to do to help Chihiro!
His frantic mind ran in circles, trying to find a way to get help. He could go banging around on everyone's door until he found Junko's door…but that could take too long and by that time Chihiro could…! Shaking his head and forcing away that terrifying outcome, Mondo continued to wrack his brain for a solution…but even he knew that thinking wasn't his strong suit.
"God-dammit! Why now?! Why can't I even think of anything when Chihiro needs me the most?! If only Taka were here, he'd know what to—oh fuck, why didn't I think of that sooner?!"
Of course Taka would know what to do! He probably even knew where Junko's room was too! He was smart like that…plus his e-handbook was still working so even if the moral compass didn't know, he would just look it up! This would work…with this…he just might be able to save Chihiro!
Knowing that Chihiro probably had little time, Mondo prepared to speed from the room when a crippling thought occurred to him.
"E-Everyone's gonna wonder…why the hell Chihiro's in the guy's locker room!" Mondo blurted aloud, turning to glance at his, hopefully just unconscious, friend.
Mondo was familiar enough with the locker room rules to know that each person had to scan their e-handbook to get in. He'd only been able to get in before because Chihiro had held the door for him, and the camera could see that they were both male. He was certain that the others…Byakuya or Kyoko in particular, would question that. And while it shouldn't have outweighed the biker's decision to leave immediately…he couldn't forget the promise he'd made.
"I…I promised…to keep your secret…until you were ready…" he whispered to himself, battling with his own conscience over what he should do. "If I get them…they'll find out…you're…physically…a boy…but if I don't…then you might…"
He couldn't finish his sentence, the reality of it still too fresh for him to revisit. However, just as he was about to give up and have to break his promise…he was struck by inspiration.
"If…they found you in the girl's locker room…they'd never know!" he shouted, feeling a plan come together.
With that infallible logic motivating him, Mondo prepared to transport Chihiro over to the girl's locker room when another roadblock appeared…or rather he recalled it.
"…I can't get into the girl's locker room! Fuck!"
Turning around and cursing, he smashed his fist into the door leading into the pool, the metal door flying open as he struck it. The humidity of the pool hit him instantly and he took deep breaths to try and calm himself…and then another idea came to him.
Stepping out into the pool area, he looked over at the door that led back into the girl's locker room from the poolside. Dashing toward it, he prayed he might be right and grabbed the handle of the door, twisting and giving it a tug…but it remained steadfast.
"Fucking fuck!" Mondo cursed again, abruptly kicking the door that prevented him from keeping Chihiro's gender a secret.
Spinning around, Mondo was about to resign himself to having to just go and get Taka, having to explain everything to everyone in the process, when he noticed something sitting on one of the bleachers by the pool. Slowly approaching, the biker's eyes widened when realized that it was exactly what he thought it was.
"An e-handbook?" he said, picking it up and turning it on. Again, he felt a surge of hope as he waited for the name to appear on it. And he wasn't disappointed…
Sayaka Maizono
A relieved expression broke out on Mondo's face as he realized his luck! He wasn't sure how or why Sayaka had left her e-handbook in the pool room but he wasn't complaining! With this, he could still keep his promise to Chihiro!
Dashing over to the door on the girl's side from the pool area, he found another card reader on the wall and pressed it there, hope that even if it didn't work, since there was no turret on this side, he'd be safe. And just as he suspected, an audible click reached his ears and he was finally able to turn the handle and gain access to the girl's locker room.
Taking a quick peek inside, he saw that the girl's locker room was essentially the same as the boy's only with a pinkish hue on the floors and walls instead of the bluish one the boy's had. Seeing that it was virtually identical to the boy's locker room, a plan began to form in his mind.
Running back into the boy's locker room, he took another glance at Chihiro…feeling guilty that he was taking so long to go and get help. Fortunately, even though there was a bit of blood in her hair, it didn't seem to have dripped onto the carpet beneath her body, so he wouldn't need to change that around or anything!
However, there was the matter of the dumbbell and Chihiro's duffle bag. Both needed to be moved and he figured it was best to do that now, before moving Chihiro herself. Grabbing the duffle bag was simple enough, but as he bent over to grasp the dumbbell, he froze. He could still see it, the images of him clocking Chihiro beside the head…her falling like a ragdoll to the floor…it was all his fault…!
Making a fist, Mondo punched himself across the face, as he'd done a few times today, and said, "Now ain't the time for pussin' out! I gotta get this over with fast!"
Steeling his resolve, Mondo forced his hand to grasp the dumbbell and lifted it up, the weight of it feeling heavier than it had before. Pushing that thought aside, Mondo chose to go out to the front of the locker rooms. He'd need to prop the girl's door open for everyone once they got there, and decided that using the duffle bag would be the best way. Using Sayaka's e-handbook, he easily gained access to the girl's locker room again, this time placing the blue duffle bag in the way of the closing door, keeping it open.
As he set the duffle bag down, something slipped fell out of it. Mondo's hand reached out to retrieve whatever it was, only to see that it was actually Chihiro's e-handbook!
"Shit! I almost forgot about this! I can't let them find this!" he said, stuffing the electronic device into his coat pocket, next to his broken one. Considering that her e-handbook could reveal her gender, it was best for Mondo to keep it…and if necessary, he knew how to dispose of it.
With that secure, he stepped into the girl's locker room and headed for the identical spot where Chihiro lay in the boy's locker room. Setting down the heavy dumbbell, Mondo felt a weight lift off him as he set it in place…although the guilt never truly left him. However, he continued to push all those thoughts aside, at least until he got help for Chihiro.
Now, with the both rooms open and prepared, Mondo was free to move Chihiro and put the plan into action. As he headed back into the boy's locker room, he worked out what he'd tell everyone.
If he told them that he happened to find Chihiro in the girl's locker room, which would be open for reasons he would pretend not to know, then no one would question her gender…and he could dodge the blame…for having attacked her.
A sharp pain stung his chest as he thought of lying about the attack…knowing that he should just fess up to it and get it over with. However…if Chihiro didn't survive…then he'd become the school's first real murderer…and he'd need an alibi. And with her being in the girl's locker room, no one would suspect him, a guy, of being able to get in there to do it.
No matter how despicable it made him feel…to even consider this…he couldn't die here. He couldn't let everything he'd worked for…the gang that he and his…brother had built fall apart. He still had to keep that promise…the promise he'd made to Daiya as he'd breathed his last…
…
"My bad…Little Bro. Sorry…I fucked…up" Daiya said to him…his usual confident smile in place. Mondo was stunned into silence…because even now…his brother never blamed him for the accident…
"Mondo…the rest is up to you. No matter what…you gotta keep the gang…together…"
Daiya…died in Mondo's arms a few moment later…and that was when Mondo gave his word, as a man, that he would carry on his brother's legacy…and keep the Crazy Diamonds together…no matter the cost!
…
That promise had been what was keeping Mondo going for many years now. Whenever times got hard, he'd remember the promise he'd made and would find a way to push through it…and this time was no exception…
Standing in front of Chihiro's body…who he wasn't really sure was alive or dead, he bowed his head in apology.
"Chihiro…I…I'm sorry…for everything…but still…I…I won't…I won't let myself die here! I gotta get out…for my boys…but…I also need to keep my promise to you…so…if you can hear me…please forgive me for what I have to do now!"
Bending down and scooping up the seemingly lifeless Chihiro, he carried her bridal style, which he thought would have been the most comfortable had she been awake, and headed out of the boy's locker room from the front and moved toward the girl's locker room. Like before, Sayaka's e-handbook gained him access and once inside, he gently set Chihiro down on the carpet…minding her head as he laid her down.
Standing over her, seeing that everything was in place, Mondo now felt that he could safely go and get Taka. Sparing one last glance down at Chihiro, the biker's hardened visage softened.
"I'll be right back…just hang on a bit longer, Chihiro!"
And with that, he tore from the girl's locker room, leaving the duffle bag holding the door open in place as he spend out the doors and down the hall.
Byakuya was already beginning to become bored of his searching. He'd examined all of the classrooms along his way toward the staircase leading down to the first floor but had yet to find anything.
"The only place left is the pool—"
Just as he said that, he heard furious stomping footsteps heading his way. Ducking behind a nearby pillar, he peered out and waited. As if on cue, the Togami Heir watched as Mondo sped out of the hallway and practically flew down the staircase, heading for the first floor. And although he appeared to be a criminal fleeing the scene of their own crime, Byakuya felt it necessary to investigate before blatantly labeling him a criminal
"Though I doubt that won't be the case…" he muttered to himself as he emerged from his hiding place and jogged down the hall toward the pool area.
Upon entering the area just before the dressing room, Byakuya instantly noticed the door to the girl's locker room ajar. Cautiously, he went to the side of the door, and peered in. At first he saw nothing, indicating that Mondo may be the only perpetrator in this case. Courageously placing his hand on the door, he opened it fully to get a full view of the room.
As soon as he did, his eyes widened as he saw the lifeless form of Chihiro resting on the carpet in front of the exercise equipment. His shock only lasted a moment before he returned to his usual cold nature, taking a step inside and surveying the room.
Obviously he noticed the dumbbell with the tiny blood stain, and the minute amount of blood on Chihiro's head as well, it was clearly visible to him even from across the room. Throwing caution to the wind and walking over to her, Byakuya felt a hint of nostalgia as he looked down at her supposed corpse.
Briefly recalling his past oversight in the first case, he sneered as he said, "I will be sure of it this time."
Without another word he got onto his knees and lowered his head. Pressing his ear against the Chihiro's motionless chest, he listened carefully for the distinct sound of her heartbeat.
…
…
Thump-Thump…Thump-Thump
…
…
As much as it killed the thrill that another class trial would have brought, Byakuya wasn't entirely upset that he could hear her heart still beating. Not only that, there were the faint sounds of her breathing as well, though they seemed few and hard to discern. It was almost as if she was in a coma.
"Well, that settles that, I suppose," the Togami heir said, leaning back onto his knees and glaring at her. "I would have appreciated being able to use this opportunity to—".
Just then, in the middle of his sentence, his brain clicked with a plan that would absolve him of any future problems. He looked around the area and found all that he would need to do exactly what needed to be done to rid himself a of bothersome, putrid smelling pest, once and for all.
"Genocide Jack…it's time you made an appearance," Byakuya said with a snide grin as he hoisted Chihiro's body up and toward the exercise equipment, the extension cord still clutched tightly in his hand.
Like a bat out of hell, Mondo tore down the hallway toward Taka's room, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"BRO! TAKA! WAKE UP, MAN!"
He knew that it wasn't even nighttime yet, but he was certain that the moral compass had probably gone to sleep early, since almost everyone had retired to their room since Monokuma had announced the motive. He sped past the cafeteria, not even registering the two people inside who saw and heard him flying by.
Reaching his friend Taka's door, he furiously pounded on it while simultaneously pressing the doorbell furiously. Almost immediately, the Ultimate Moral Compass' door flew open and the man himself stood there, still completely dressed in his uniform. With a slight hint of shock at seeing Mondo so sweaty and out of breath, he asked, "Mondo! Are you alright? You seem out of breath, did you run here from somewhere?"
Despite knowing that he was essentially deceiving everyone, Mondo couldn't help the momentary feeling of joy that swept through him as Taka showed genuine concern for him. And even though it hurt him to have to lie to his newfound friend, the biker was determined to keep both his promises…regardless of the consequences.
Not only that, but at that moment, Mondo knew the desperation he felt in getting help for Chihiro wasn't an act, and that gave him the courage to finally go through with it. Drawing in a huge breath, he shouted in Taka's face, "IT'S CHIRHIO! SHE GOT ATTACKED!"
Taka's face blanched as he heard this and Mondo took a moment to look down the hall to see both Sayaka and Leon staring down the hallway, looking directly at him. Their faces also seemed to lose color as the news registered with them.
"No turning back now…" Mondo realized as Taka began shouting instructions for Sayaka and Leon to begin gathering everyone.
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! First off, since so many of you have commented about this, I feel that I must clarify something:
I am aware of the typo at the end of both this and last chapter with Mondo shouting Chihiro's name incorrectly, and that was totally intentional…it's not like I just really enjoyed finding it afterward because of you all mentioning it and decided it would be more amusing to just leave it! Nope! Certainly! I totally meant to make him sound flustered and stuff…maybe.
Anyway, oh no! Mondo did the dumb thing…again! Will the other students figure it out? Can Mondo really deceive them all? Is Byakuya going to continue to be a bastard? And, since there is no blackened in this case, will there even be a trial? You'll have to tune in next time to find out!
Side note, I'm curious as to what your ideas are regarding what will happen next. Feel free to leave speculations or ideas in the comments or reviews. Again, I have to say that, even though I am very busy, please know that I wish I could respond to all reviews. However, I do my best and sincerely appreciate every single review that I get, long or short!
With that in mind, thanks to all of you for supporting my idea and leave a review if you have more questions or ideas! I will do my best to respond to as many of them as I can. Thanks again, and be sure to keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!