Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 3
Act 5
"Where is she? I told her not to delay but it seems that she's insisted upon being tardy," Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru said aloud to himself, already writing up a pink slip to give to Celeste once she arrived. However, even he realized that these lightly colored pages wouldn't be enough to keep everyone in order for very long.
"I will need to devise some form of detention for repeat offenders. A stern talking-to might suffice but I'm afraid it wouldn't be effective on everyone. Besides, enforcing detention would be a challenge, not that I am not more than capable enough to—".
Just then, Taka heard the distinct sound of heels clicking against linoleum and he lifted his head to see Celeste finally ascend to the third floor. At first, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, until he saw that her make-up had been reapplied, and he could only tell that because he'd seen her only a few minutes ago. It instantly dawned on Taka that, perhaps, the reason for her initial tardiness was due to wishing to reapply foundation, though that didn't excuse her offense.
"Thank you for joining us, Miss Ludenberg. With your added assistance, we should be finished exploring this floor within the hour!" he said politely, to which she only stared at him.
Her eyes were rather vacant, he noticed, but something else glinted behind her crimson irises as he spoke to her. Being of a positive mindset, Taka chose to believe that glint was one of shame and embarrassment, since she was clearly being silent due to having humiliated herself not long ago. Deciding that it was best to reassure her, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman cleared his throat audibly before addressing her.
"I am glad to see that you have found the error of your ways and decided not to disgrace yourself further," he said with a hearty laugh, assuring her that she had made the right choice. In response, Celeste closed her eyes and took a deep breath, obviously still embarrassed, and possibly frustrated with herself, due to the fact that Taka noticed her fingernails were currently digging into her palms.
"Indeed…I will not disgrace myself further," she repeated slowly, her usual tone slightly muffled, likely due to her embarrassment. That's why, an instant later, she finally seemed to collect herself and regain some of the regality she usually showed. Lacing her fingers together and resting her chin atop her knuckles, she smiled widely and finished, "I shall do all I can to ensure escape from this place."
Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru swelled with pride as he heard those words. It was obvious that his interaction with her a few minutes ago had already planted deep seeds of inspiration, ones which he knew would eventually lead her to becoming the person she was meant to be.
"If only I could as easily reach the others as I have her…perhaps a stern talking-to would be better than detention after all! If I can sort out someone as antagonistic as Miss Ludenberg, then surely I can do the same for everyone else! My course is clear!"
Inspired by his new ideal, Taka decided that encouragement was the best motivator and said, "I am glad to hear that! Let us find a way out together! Go ahead and search wherever you'd like, I shall remain here to guard the stairway so that no one may leave until the investigation is finished!"
Hearing that, Celeste's smile faltered for a moment, stealing a quick glance behind her at the stairs. However, she recovered almost immediately and said, "I see. Then I shall start with this room for now."
Without waiting for his leave, she walked over to the Rec Room door and pulled it open, stepping inside and closing the door quietly behind her. Once she was gone, Taka couldn't help but nod to himself. Only when he began putting away his pink slip pad did he notice that he had failed to present the one he'd already written to her a moment ago.
However, unlike usual, he couldn't just rush off after her and dispatch justice. After all, if he left his post and someone slipped by him, who knows what travesties they might commit!
"I'm sure she will finish examining the room shortly and I can present it then. If I were not the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, I may have been willing to forgo the slip, due to her pleasant attitude. However, I must be unbiased and fulfill my duty, regardless of how much her transformation into a model student has impressed me!" he said aloud to himself, a confident smile on his lips "Everything is proceeding smoothly I have no doubt that under my supervision, no more betrayals shall befall—".
Suddenly, there was a loud shuffling from the opposite end of the hall, instantly drawing Taka's attention. Listening closely, he could tell that it wasn't quite running but it certainly didn't seem to be walking either! His gaze shot over and he glanced down the hallway just in time to see Leon and Sayaka hastily make their way around the corner. Tearing off the pink slip meant for Celeste and slipping it into his shirt pocket, he immediately set to writing another on his pink slip pad.
He noticed that Leon and Sayaka both visibly tensed when they saw him, but he figured it was due to guilt from their previous deplorable actions being exposed. And once they saw that he had seen them, they obviously knew that they needed to present themselves in front of him to be administered discipline. Slowly, at the pace that they should have been going all along, they made their way over to him.
"Hey, Taka! We think we found something important!" Leon shouted as they neared him, apparently refusing to call the Moral Compass by his title as the Disciplinary Committee Chairman.
Once they were within respectable distance, Taka wasted no time in reprimanding them.
"Sayaka! Leon! Rushing through the halls is not acceptable in a school environment! You could hurt yourselves or others! Not to mention that shouting at someone is generally rude! What do you have to say…for…yourselves?"
Instead of responding, they held up a small picture, the very sight caused Taka's eyes to widen. In that frame stood his former friend…Mondo, with Leon and Chihiro in it as well. All of them were smiling…with nothing less than cheerful expressions on their faces. As he continued to stare at it, Taka's red irises focused intently on the image of his former friend…an unexplainable discomfort welling up inside.
Taka reached his hand out, silently demanding to hold the photo, until Leon handed it over to him. Once it was in his hands, the Moral Compass stared at it with great scrutiny, a pained look crossing his face as he was forced to acknowledge the picture's contents.
"We're not quite sure what it could mean," Sayaka said to him, trying to explain. "Leon doesn't remember this ever happening but we think that we should show this to—".
"Where…did you get this?" Taka interrupted, unable to tear his eyes away from the photo.
Leon and Sayaka shared a look before the ballplayer answered, "Uh, in the art storage room? What does that have to do with anything?"
Leon's question hung in the air as Taka continued to blindly stare at the picture.
He couldn't look away from Mondo's happy expression. He seemed as though he was having the time of his life…like he didn't care about anything…especially not someone else's feeling regarding the utter betrayal he'd committed! How dare he look so pleased with himself! Did he not care that his actions would have irreversible consequences?! How could he hang off of Leon and Chihiro, pretending that everything was alright…especially after what he'd done?!
Unbeknownst to him, Taka's hands began shaking as he gripped the photo. His teeth gritted tightly and his white aura abruptly flared, the flames in his eyes raging as he stared at the offensive picture.
"Yo, Taka? You alright—?" Leon tried to ask before he was cut off by a horrific tearing sound.
Sayaka gasped as she and Leon were forced to watch as Taka abruptly tore the picture in half. And he didn't stop there, tearing each half into fourths and those fourths into eighths, continuing to rip the photo into smaller and smaller pieces right before their eyes.
"What are you doing?! Stop!" the pop idol shrieked, lurching forward to try and stop him from destroying their first valuable clue.
However, she lost her footing and only managed to fall forward. Luckily, Leon's reflexes saved her from toppling to the floor, and she had to latch onto him just to keep herself upright. It took both of them a moment to get her back upright and by then, it was too late. That little bit of time had been enough for Taka to finish tearing the photo into tiny pieces.
Both of their expressions shifted to anger as the Moral Compass clutched the pieces tightly in his hands, some of them littering the floor beneath were he stood.
"What the fuck, man?!" Leon shouted, the only thing keeping him from throttling Taka being the fact that he had to hold up Sayaka. "Why'd you do that?! We could have used it to—?!"
"Language!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru shouted back at him, silencing the ballplayer instantly. "Regardless of the situation, offensive language is not permitted! I will write up a citation for you later!"
Without waiting for them to respond, Taka stepped around them and pushed open the Rec Room door. Stepping inside, with Leon and Sayaka desperately trying to keep up with his pace, the Moral Compass marched over to the nearby trash bin before turning and facing them.
"As for the…photograph!" he said, holding the pieces over the trash bin for a moment before aggressively slamming them into the bottom of the bin. "It is obviously a fake and therefore needs to be disposed of!"
"You don't get to decide that!" Sayaka screamed at him, tears stinging the corner of her eyes as she stared at the trash bin. "We finally found a real clue that could have helped us find out what's going on here! How could you just—?!"
"Don't presume to contradict me! I am the one in charge of everyone's safety!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru shouted at her, his aura flaring as he continued. "Since Leon has no recollection of it, then it obviously is a fake and therefore will not assist us in getting out of the school! It was obviously planted by Monokuma to try and confuse us, which it obviously did! And so, to reduce the chances of our being swayed from finding the truth, it needed to be destroyed! It is as simple as that!"
Throughout his entire lecture, Sayaka and Leon grew more and more agitated. Their gazes narrowed and it almost looked as if they were ready to strangle him. Just before it seemed that they were going to explode, a familiar voice called out from behind them.
"And who the fuck died and made you king, asshole?!"
All of them turned to see none other than Junko standing in the doorway, glaring ferociously at Taka. She immediately marched up to him, stomping her heeled boots with each powerful step, until she stood between him and Sayaka and Leon. Before she even had a chance to speak, Taka held up a two pink slips, due to her crass language, which she snatched out of his hand and stuffed into her blouse pocket.
Glaring at him menacingly, she seethed, "Just because Monokuma isn't around, doesn't mean you can act like you own the place. You're out of control, Taka. And sooner or later, you're going to—".
She immediately ceased talking when the Moral Compass abruptly held up his hand directly in front of her face, gesturing her into silence. Slowly lowering his hand, he stared at her with his burning eyes and said, "All I am doing is enforcing school rules. Nothing more and nothing less."
"Yeah, except that you tore up the only clue we've found in this damn place!" Leon countered, pointing angrily at the trash bin.
A confused look crossed Junko face as she glanced at the bin. "What exactly did he tear up?" she asked Leon directly, not bothering to speak with Taka anymore.
"A photo. It showed Chihiro, Leon and Mondo having fun at school," Sayaka informed her before sending a glare Taka's way. "We wanted to show it to everyone but someone thought it was fake and—".
"Wait, you guys found a picture?! Like, and actual photo?! As in, something we could have used to try and figure out why we're trapped here?!" Junko cut in, surprise overtaking her features. Not only that, there was a hint of desperation in her voice as well. But all of that vanished as it turned to anger when she faced Taka, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "And you tore it up?!"
Even though she was being very hostile, Junko still wasn't violating any regulations, so no matter how disrespectful she was being, Taka knew it was only fair to answer her question.
"Indeed I did," he said, almost too prideful. "As I was explaining to Miss Maizono and Mr. Kuwata, it was obviously planted by Monokuma and therefore a fake. I did what was necessary in order to maintain stability while we remain trapped here."
Hearing this, Junko appeared completely flabbergasted, her mouth hanging open as she tried to process his rationale. Eventually, she shook her head, and groaned audibly before shouting, "And you didn't think that it was unfair to decide that all on your own?! Why would you even think about doing that—?!"
"Excuse me for interrupting, but I must admit that I'm rather curious as well."
All at once, everyone turned to see Celeste, who had been standing near the magazine rack this entire time, slowly approaching them. Taka had forgotten that she was in the Rec Room and the other three hadn't even noticed her, since they'd been preoccupied arguing with the Moral Compass.
"Why did you feel the need to tear the photo apart?" she said plainly, but with a hint of mischief in her voice. "It wouldn't have to do with that fact that a certain former friend of yours was in it, now would it?"
Unintentionally, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru flinched as she asked that very poignant question. However, it was not enough to make him waver from what he knew was his duty. And so, pushing aside all the swirling emotions that threatened to overtake him due to that comment, he simply laughed heartily and replied, "Certainly not! I simply didn't want anyone else to be confused by it, so I chose to do what I felt was necessary as the Disciplinary Committee Chairman!"
Even though Sayaka, Leon, and Junko all stared at him skeptically, he knew that everything he said was true. Yes, he had been a bit frazzled at the exact moment it had happened, but that didn't change the fact that he had done the right thing by destroying misleading evidence!
"I see," Celeste said in response before giving him a sideways glance. "However, that still does not change the fact that you did not allow the rest of us to view the photo. I believe that it should have been presented to everyone when we all met again to discuss our investigation. That is why we have all been brought here, is it not? To use this time to investigate while Monokuma is not here to interfere?"
Again, Taka felt a slight twitch as she voiced her opinion. She was certainly skillful with words and knew the right questions to ask. Perhaps his stern talking-to had not been as effective as he'd first imagined. However, in either case, she was forgetting her place and that needed to be rectified immediately if he was to have any hope of keep everyone in-line.
"That would have been unacceptable! To allow a fake piece of evidence to influence our decisions would have been the height of foolishness!" he insisted, hoping that she would understand her own folly. However, when she merely stood there, as if asking for another reason, Taka was forced to given another answer. "Not to mention that the two who found it were Miss Maizono and Mr. Kuwata, who's actions as of late are not the most reputable!"
At the mentioning of their crimes, Leon and Sayaka cringed as well as sneered, obviously displeased with how they were being viewed. At the same time, Junko appeared to be getting fired up to defend them, her sky blue irises narrowing dangerously. However, much to everyone's surprise, someone else came to their defense.
"I fail to see what that has to do with their discovery," Celeste effortlessly refuted, sparking shock from everyone present. "While they have made poor choices in the past, that does mean we can discredit evidence they find. To do so would be crass and foolish."
A few moments of silence followed Celeste's words, with no one seemingly able to comprehend them. Up until this point, the gambler had never spared a single kind word for either Sayaka or Leon. And yet, here she was, saying that their find was just as credibly as if it had come from her or anyone else in the school. It was actually kind of scary to hear her defending them, considering that she was never one to mince words when it came down to who to blame.
Unfortunately, for her anyway, her reasoning didn't pierce Taka's defiant stance on the subject, as he answered, "Regardless, what is done is done! We can discuss the importance of the photograph at a later time if necessary! In the meantime, I suggest that all of you go back to investigating the remainder of this floor! I'll be outside watching the stairway!"
And with that, Taka stomped past them and headed out the door into the hallway, no longer interested in discussing the matter with them. However, just before it left his field of view, he glanced over at the trash bin one last time.
"I had to get rid of that photo! I did it to protect everyone! This is all for the greater good of everyone trapped here! It has nothing to do with my personal feelings! Nothing!"
With that thought empowering him, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman took his leave.
As Taka shouted his demands and left ahead of them, Sayaka and Leon prepared to rummage through the trash bin. However, before they could, Junko stepped in front of them and whispered, "There's no point going after it right now. If Taka sees us with whatever's left, we'll be in for more than just a pink slip. Let's just get out of here for now and come back for the picture later."
"Okay, but what if he takes part of it with him or something after we leave?" Leon questioned, unable to tear his angry glare away from the door the Moral Compass had departed through.
"We'll just have to take that chance. If we try to get at it now, it'll only make things worse," Junko insisted, quickly stealing a glance at the door to be sure Taka wasn't listening in. "Trust me, I'm pissed too, but there's not much else we can do right now."
Leon shifted his gaze and glared angrily at the trash bin, as if unable to make up his mind. Only when the ballplayer felt someone tug on his collar did he finally tear his eyes away to find Sayaka staring intently at him.
"She's right, Leon. Besides…we never should have gone to Taka with this in the first place."
Leon flinched at the pop idol's words as well, remembering that, in his rush to show someone the photo, he hadn't really thought about who he was handing it over to. A wave of guilt overtook him and he slowly began to calm down.
"You're right…sorry. "
"I should have known better too," Sayaka immediately insisted, seeing the guilt in his eyes.
"And above all, it's not either of your faults that he tore up the photo," Junko told them, sending one last glare toward the doorway. "And we can't change any of that now—".
"'Focus on what we can do', right?" the pop idol said with a knowing smile.
Somehow, even in this hopeless situation, her smile was genuine. Or at the very least, it appeared to be. Regardless, when Sayaka smiled at them, Leon felt his worries vanish and he reciprocated, which in turn gave her strength as well. Without even realizing it, they were becoming each other's pillar, something that was desperately needed during Taka's reign as Champion Hall Monitor or whatever he called himself.
For a moment, it looked as though Junko was going to ask how she knew what she'd planned to say but instead she shook her head and smiled, "Right! Let's go see what else is on this floor!"
"I believe that I will remain here for the time being, if that is alright with everyone," Celeste cut in, making them realize that they had effectively left her out of the conversation. "I had not finished examining this room when the commotion began, so I will follow after you all later."
None of them had been expecting her to continue to be so…pleasant with them, especially after Taka had departed. Sure, they all had a common dissatisfaction for the Moral Compass right now, but it was still strange for her to be acting so casual with them. Junko, in particular, gave her a perplexed stare, unsure if the gambler was actually being honest with them. Sayaka, on the other hand, could only give a skeptical look, feeling that something was definitely off about Celeste today. And Leon was just so confused about the fact that she had spoken to them at all that he didn't really know what to say.
"Uh…sure?" was all Leon could muster, still uncomfortable with how civil she was treating them.
"Alright then, I shall see you all back in the cafeteria later," Celeste finished before turning around and heading back over to the magazine rack, picking up an issue that seemed to have gothic features.
Sayaka and Leon looked to Junko, silently hoping she knew about the gambler's sudden change in attitude. However, all the Fashionista could give them was a confused shrug, and a final concerned glance as they headed toward the doorway.
Slowly and carefully, Sayaka, Leon, and Junko made their way out of the room and headed off toward the opposite end of the hallway, leaving Celeste completely alone in the room. Once she felt that significant time had passed, the gambler put up the magazine she'd been perusing and quietly walked over to the abandoned trash bin.
As she glanced down at the many fragments of the torn picture, a malicious smile decorated her lips.
"Oh…now this is interesting," the real Junko said as she sat at her desk in the surveillance room and viewed the Rec Room monitor, watching the entire scene play out in real-time.
As she watched in silence, her hands worked on folding a paper origami flower, which she finished in only a few seconds before setting it in a pile of nearly twenty or so already made paper flowers. After depositing that flower, she reached for another paper and continued to meticulously fold without even looking at her hands, captivated by the images on the screen. Junko became particularly giddy when she watched Taka tear up the incriminating photo she hadn't known was still in the building.
"I suppose I made the right choice, making him my assistant," Sexy Teacher Junko said to herself, switching due to boredom of her current personality but continuing to fold origami flowers. "If everyone had been allowed to see that photo, it may have undone a part of the memory wipe. And that could have been disastrous."
"Yup-yup! It's great that Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass dealt with it for me! That way, I doesn't have to does it myselves! Yay!" Kawaii Junko spoke up, again switching due to intense boredom and possibly hunger, since her stomach growled.
Patting her belly, the Mastermind set down the now completed origami flower in her hand before reaching into her mini-fridge and pulling out a pudding cup. Tearing it open, she glared at it for a moment and said, "Hello darkness, my old friend…"
With reckless abandon, Junko devoured the contents of the cup, finishing just in time to watch Celeste lean over the trash bin in the Rec Room. Seeing the despairingly evil look on the gambler's face sent waves of pleasure through Junko's body and she trembled as she said, "I think now's the time to set up the next motive…"
Shifting her gaze over to beside her chair, she chuckled as she prepared the bag filled to the brim with money, which would finally be put to use.
"Whoa…what is this?!"
Makoto walked into a room at the end of the third floor hallway, where a large cylindrical machine buzzed loudly. Staring at it with a perplexed expression, the lucky student couldn't possibly guess what its purpose was.
"Maybe it's a time machine?" he jokingly said aloud to himself, shrugging his shoulders.
"Actually, I believe it's an air purifier."
"Eyahhh!" Makoto shrieked as he looked up to see Kyoko standing on a walkway near the top of the device, her lavender irises glancing down at him. "Jeez, Kyoko! You scared the crap outta me!"
"Sorry, that wasn't my intention," she quickly apologized while continuing to look over what she had identified as an air purifier. After a few more moments, she headed to a nearby ladder and climbed down to where Makoto eagerly waited for her. "Anyway, I think I'm finished examining this room. Although, I am a bit concerned…"
As she finished, she stole another glance at the air purifier, prompting Makoto to look at it as well.
"Is there something wrong with it?" he asked, taking a wild guess at what she was thinking. When he turned to look back at her, he was surprised to see her with a slight smile tugging at her lips, as though she was somehow impressed.
"No, or at least I believe it's functioning normally. However," she paused and turned toward it again, that concerned expression returning. "This device seems to be the only thing creating fresh air for us to breathe…which begs the question, why is there a need to create clean air?"
Makoto took a moment to seriously consider that notion before answering, "Maybe because it's air tight in the school or something? Maybe the Mastermind is trying to completely cut us off from the outside and needed the purifier because of that?"
"Perhaps, but then we must ask ourselves; why has the Mastermind cut us off entirely? Is there more to it than simply sealing us within the school?" Kyoko questioned, more for herself than Makoto. At the same time, she frowned as she looked over the purifier one last time. "Not to mention that there isn't a panel to control the air purifier…at least not one that we can reach."
Finally beginning to understand, a frightening thought occurred to the lucky student. "Does that mean that…if the Mastermind wanted to, could they turn off the air and suffocate us?!"
"It's too soon for us to know, but it's certainly a possibility," Kyoko admitted before turning and meeting his worried gaze. As she took in his visage, her expression softened ever so slightly and she said, "I'm sure that, for the time being, we don't have to worry about the purifier malfunctioning. After all, the Mastermind wants us to turn on each other and succumb to despair. If they intended to kill us, they wouldn't keep providing food for us. So, for now at least, there is no cause for concern."
Hearing her reassurance, Makoto couldn't help but exhale a breath he'd been holding and smile. "Yeah…I guess you're right. Guess, I'm panicking for no reason…sorry about that. Anyway, I appreciate you cheering me up! Thanks, Kyoko!"
The lavender haired girl froze for a moment and averted her gaze, eventually turning her back on him. For a second, Makoto thought he may have upset her, that was, until she eventually answered him.
"You're welcome…" she said it very plainly and simply but somehow, Makoto knew it was genuine. An instant later, she cleared her throat and said, "I'm going to check out the back room. I'll see you later."
"Oh, I haven't been in there yet," Makoto told her, stepping up beside her. "Can I come with you?"
Glancing his way for half a second, Kyoko almost smiled as she said, "I won't stop you."
And with that, she headed for the back room, with Makoto eagerly nipping at her heels.
-Later That Day-
"…Does anyone else have anything they'd like to share about what they found on the third floor?" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru asked everyone, his powered-up appearance practically scorched into their irises.
Muffled groans and stern glances followed that question, the exhaustion of the entire class, minus Taka, showing through.
After returning to the cafeteria upon finishing their individual investigations, the students were then subjected to two long hours spent going over their findings on the third floor: Hifumi raved about the art room and the craft supplies, Kyoko and Makoto expressed concern over what their discoveries with the air purifier, though everyone agreed to let sleeping dogs lie for now, and Sakura and Hina lamented that the steel plating over each window was as solid as ever, leaving no means of escape.
Throughout the entire discussion, however, a few key players remained silent. Junko was strangely quiet, almost averting her gaze as Taka droned on and continued to enforce his twisted vision of order. Not only that, Celeste, apart from mentioning that she'd visited the Rec Room, had nothing to add to their conversation, which was odd considering her usual antagonistic attitude. And although it wasn't exactly out of the ordinary, Byakuya stayed out of the discussion completely, letting everyone else explain their findings without interrupting, which was strange for him. Finally, Sayaka and Leon, rather than offering opinions or at least trying to contribute, as they normally did, sat quietly in their seats, heated glares staring at Taka the entire time.
Due to the silence that followed Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru's last question, the Moral Compass decided that everything that needed to be said had been spoken.
"Well then, since there is no more business, I adjourn this meeting until tomorrow morning! And I expect every last one of you to arrive on time or there will be consequences!" Taka shouted to everyone as he walked around their meeting table and headed for the exit. "I will be patrolling the halls for miscreants until further notice. I suggest you all return to your rooms and begin studying, in preparation for our eventual escape and return to normal school life!"
Without waiting for anyone to respond, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman strode out the door and appeared to head out of the dormitory area. Once the sounds of his boots stomping eventually faded in the distance, most of the students began to stand up, presumably to leave. However, before anyone had the chance to get away from their chairs, a stoic voice called out to them.
"Please wait just a moment," Kyoko said sternly but quietly, making everyone turn to face her. Rather than answer right away, however, the stoic girl quickly stood up from her seat and headed for the doors. Stopping just outside the cafeteria's double doors, she glanced down the hallway Taka had departed before turning back to face her classmates. With a stern gaze, she said to them, "I believe that we all need to take some time to discuss our new…situation."
No one needed to ask what she meant by 'situation', not even Hiro or Hifumi. A moment of silence followed that request, but not without every single one of the previously departing students slowly returning to their seats. Once they were all seated, an authoritative voice finally spoke up.
"As reluctant as I am to admit it, I'm afraid I must agree with her," Byakuya said, rising to his feet and marching over to the head of the table where everyone was sitting…it was almost as if he were taking Taka's place. "By now, I think that everyone should agree that we need to do something about the 'Disciplinary Chairman'—".
"Hold up for a minute," Junko abruptly cut in, breaking the silence she'd held. Byakuya gave her a stern glare but let her continue. "You sure it's a good idea to talk behind his back again? That's what started this fucked up mess in the first place—!"
Suddenly, a very loud set of three knocks rang throughout the room. As one, the students turned to see Kyoko, her gloved knuckles resting against one of the doors, glancing at them over her shoulder.
"If I see or hear Taka coming, I'll knock."
Understanding worked its way around the room as they all understood her plan. She would alert them if need be, which would give them the privacy needed to discuss this sensitive matter. For a second, everyone seemed fine with it, until a certain lucky student piped up.
"Wait a sec, Kyoko! If you do that you won't be able to help us discuss what we should do!" Makoto interjected, already standing. "Let me switch with you! I'll watch in case Taka—".
"That's not necessary," Kyoko cut in, turning her gaze out toward the hallway. "I can simply listen for now. Besides, I feel like I am the most qualified to handle this task."
Makoto flinched, as if he'd been stung by something. However, he quickly recovered with a nervous smile as he said, "Right…you do have an extreme attention to detail, don't you?" He almost seemed to be trying to console himself but no one called him out on it. After all, they had more important matters to discuss.
"Well then," Byakuya said before clearing his throat. "With that matter settled, let us discuss something that I believe we have all been pondering…do we have a traitor in our ranks?"
A wave of confusion overtook the cafeteria as the Affluent Progeny made that suggestion. Sakura, in particular, clenched her fists in anger, most likely frustrated by the very notion. Unfortunately, when no one immediately replied, Byakuya couldn't keep himself from giving a deep, disappointed sigh.
"I am really the only one to consider such an option? I would think that it should be obvious," he practically scolded everyone, which only earned him more spite.
"Why the hell would you think there's a traitor in the group?" Junko fired back at him, almost sounding a bit offended.
Glancing her way, the Togami Heir scoffed before answering, "It's standard procedure for these kinds of situations. And I wouldn't put it past the Mastermind to have an agent or two among us, to sow discord in case their plans go awry…"
"H-Hold on a second!" Makoto replied, a concerned expression on his face. "You don't really think that one of us is working for the Mastermind, do you?!"
"Indeed, I do." Byakuya's words were swift and concise, with no hesitation anywhere in his voice. "If you ask me, I'm surprised that it took this long for the Mastermind to show their hand."
A heavy silence suffocated the room, leaving everyone unable to speak as they processed that idea. All the while, Byakuya couldn't help but smirk. They had ignored his warnings up until now, but it seemed that they had finally begun to see that if he chose to share information with them, they should just be silent and appreciate—
"Excuse me, but there's something Leon and I need to tell everyone," Sayaka suddenly interrupted the silence, earning an irritated glare from the Togami Heir. Ignoring him, the pop idol continued, "We may have found a clue to help us figure out why we're trapped here."
The instant she said that, everyone, especially Kyoko, turned to stare at her. Under their scrutinous gazes, Sayaka felt herself shrink until Leon spoke up, "Yeah, we found this weird picture in the art supply room. The crazy thing was, it had me, Mondo, and Chihiro in it! And it looked like we were going to class in a normal school or something! And we were all smiles and stuff, like we were best friends!"
A short pause hung in the air before Hiro scratched his head and asked, "Uh, so…how exactly is that a clue?"
Flabbergasted, Leon almost sputtered, "W-What do you mean 'how is that a clue'? It's a freaking picture of me, Mondo and Chihiro! How is that not a clue?!"
"Well, it's just a picture, man. It doesn't really explain anything or—", Hiro tried to explain before being cut off.
"Do you remember when the picture was taken?" Kyoko abruptly asked, glancing over her shoulder for a moment before resuming her watch, but obviously still listening for his answer.
"No! That's the thing! I didn't know Mondo or Chihiro before we got trapped in here!" Leon finally explained, only now understanding that he left that part out.
"That's the part you should have told us first!" Hina slightly scolded before abruptly perking up. "But yeah, that's weird! How could the three of you be in a picture you don't remember taking?"
"Perhaps Mondo or Chihiro could give better clarification…" Sakura offered solemnly, subtly reminding everyone of their situation.
"Yeah, let's have Mondo tell us about it later!" Hina swiftly agreed, fist pumping excitedly. "Maybe Chihiro will wake up soon and we can ask her about it too!"
"See, I told you we found a clue!" Leon chided at Hiro, to which the clairvoyant shrugged in embarrassment. "With this, we may be able to figure out why it was us the bear wanted to trap here!"
"It may be a bit too soon to celebrate, considering we don't know what that photo could mean," Sayaka forewarned, trying to be realistic without dampening everyone's enthusiasm. "However, at least we now have something to go on."
"Right! And something is better than nothing!" the baseball star insisted, feeling especially proud.
As he finished, Sayaka gave him a confident smile, which he appreciated. But she wasn't the only one, all of the students shared hopeful glances as this revelation was made clear to them, especially a very hopeful friend of theirs.
"That's great, you two! It sounds like we may actually have a chance to figure this out! And it's all thanks to you!" Makoto cheerfully replied, looking at them as eagerly as everyone else.
For a moment, Leon and Sayaka felt a swell of happiness as the lucky student praised them. At the same time, for Sayaka, hearing Makoto's praise also brought feelings of guilt for how she'd treated him. However, just for that moment, she allowed herself to smile, feeling somewhat relieved.
Unfortunately, that relief instantly reverted back to apprehension when the lucky student asked, "So, where is it? Can we see it?"
As he asked that, both Leon and Sayaka's moods dampened, their heads hanging a bit. This immediately disheartened the rest of the students, and they understood the sudden change in attitude when Sayaka begrudgingly chose to answer.
"We…we don't have it anymore…" the pop idol was forced to admit.
"How convenient…" Byakuya's mocking tone resounded, earning glares from almost the entire class. "You claim to have found a clue but then provide nothing, raising everyone's hopes, just to crush them you, perhaps, trying to buy our trust with falsehoods? As you both have done in the past?"
"Y-Yeah! It's just like Master Byakuya said!" Toko abruptly shouted, forcing everyone to acknowledge her presence. "The t-two of you must be trying to trick us a-again! Attempted murderers never change!"
"Like you're one to talk! You're an actual murderer! So, shut the hell up!" Leon immediately shouted, making Toko yelp and shirk away, slightly ashamed. The baseball star then met the Togami Heir's harsh gaze with no hesitation. "We didn't lose the picture on purpose! Taka confiscated it and tore it up!"
"Hmph, a likely excuse," Byakuya seethed before fiendishly smirking. "Though it is believable that, in his current state, Taka might be capable of doing such a thing, it also seems counter-intuitive. He may have lost a great deal of common sense, but I can't imagine that even he would foolishly destroy evidence on a whim. Therefore, it is more likely that all of this is simply a fabrication the two of you have created for your own purposes."
"Oh yeah! Well, I can vouch for them!" Junko abruptly entered the conversation, staring Byakuya down as if he were nothing. "I heard Taka shouting at them from the first floor and when I came to see what was up, I saw that he'd thrown away something that looked like a torn apart picture."
Hearing that, Byakuya paused for a moment before saying, "So…you arrived after the photo had been disposed of? Did you happen to see the photo for yourself?"
A bit startled, the Fashionista hesitatingly replied, "Well…no, but—".
"Then how can you be sure that it was not some sort of elaborate set-up constructed by the Mastermind?" the Affluent Progeny questioned, an overly pleased grin on his lips.
"Just what are you getting at?" Junko seethed, slowly rising from her chair to challenge the Togami Heir.
With a menacing smirk and an accusatorily glare aimed at Sayaka and Leon, Byakuya confidently answered, "I am merely expressing the possibility that we may have a few traitors among us. I believe I mentioned that before, didn't I?"
The venom in his voice practically oozed into everyone's ears, further increasing everyone's dislike of him. Then again, none of the students, especially Sayaka and Leon, were surprised by his abrasive attitude. After all, his disbelief and distrustful attitude were practically becoming an everyday occurrence. Unfortunately, his words also seemed to be affecting some of the other students, considering that Hiro and Hifumi were staring at Sayaka and Leon with nothing less than distrust.
It was then that an unexpected source decided to refute the Togami Heir.
"Actually, I believe that Leon and Sayaka are being honest with us," Celestia Ludenberg graciously commented, earning shocked glances from everyone present, especially Sayaka and Leon. Despite everyone's stunned expressions, the gambler continued, "At the very least, I believe they are telling the truth about Taka destroying the evidence."
As expected, Byakuya was one of the first to shake off his surprise, quickly asking, "And why would you say that?"
Giving him a quick and almost devious smile, Celeste replied, "I happened to be in the Rec Room during my investigation and overhead Sayaka and Leon speaking with Taka. I heard a great deal of shouting and then, a few moments later, I saw Taka storm into the Rec Room and throw away what appeared to be torn pieces of a picture. Then, Junko arrived and everyone else departed. However, Taka remained just outside the room until we all were called back to report our findings for the investigation."
Narrowing his gaze, the Togami Heir scowled deeply as he retorted, "I see. But again, you didn't happen to actually see the photo, did you?" Without giving her time to respond, he jerked his gaze back over to Sayaka and Leon and asked, "For that matter, if Taka merely discarded the photo, why didn't you bother to retrieve it? It should have been a simple matter to wait for him to leave—".
"You don't think we didn't try to do that?!" Junko furiously retorted, finally getting the Togami Heir's attention. "Sayaka, Leon, and I went back to the Rec Room after we saw that Taka wasn't watching the room anymore. But the pieces were already gone! We don't know where—".
"Pardon me, but I believe that I am the cause of this misunderstanding," Celeste suddenly interrupted, her tone surprisingly apologetic. Reaching into the pockets of her dress, she carefully pulled out what appeared to be torn pieces of a photograph. Gently setting them down on the table, and ignoring the gasps and gapes from her classmates, the gambler finished, "I feared that Taka might come back to retrieve them, so I retrieved them myself. For safe keeping, of course."
After setting them down, the gambler did her best to try and rearrange the pieces so that the image side was facing upward, to give them some clue of what the photo had once shown. For a time, all the students could do was stare bewildered at the fragments of the once perfect picture. And while it was hard to make out, some parts of it were very clear: Leon's red spiky hair, Chihiro's soft smile, Mondo's outrageous pompadour…and a classroom with no metal plates over the windows.
Even from her spot at the door, still keeping a lookout for Taka, Kyoko could make out all of those features…and her intrigue about the true meaning of the killing game vastly deepened. However, even with this monumental discovery, there was only one question eating away at all of the students' minds, and only one student was able to voice it.
"But…why would Taka do something like that? Even with the way he is now, it's just not like him!" Makoto questioned aloud, trying to make sense of everything.
As if to answer his question, everyone heard Celeste give a deep, audible sigh and turned her way. Noticing that they were staring at her, she let a sad expression decorate her features as she decided to voice her concern.
"Although it is unpleasant to think about…I fear that, just as Byakuya suggests…we may have a traitor among us. And that traitor…is Kiyotaka Ishimaru."
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! Quite a shocking revelation, isn't it?! How will the students proceed knowing that a traitor may be among them? Will Taka end up taking his duties too far? And what, exactly, does Celeste have planned? You'll have to keep on reading to find out!
EDIT: Just after I posted this chapter, I found out that my audition for a fan reading of Danganronpa: IF was accepted. When it comes out, you will be able to hear me as Byakuya Togami. If any of you don't know, I'm actually an actor for a living and this is very exciting for me! I will get more information on that as it becomes available.
So, I almost wasn't able to get this chapter out because my computer crashed! Luckily, I was able to recover some of my files and this story was a top concern! As you can see, I managed to recover it without losing any of my fanfictions. Had to buy a new computer…which didn't help my poor wallet any but now I'm able to keep my schedule without issues!
On that note, I want to thank everyone whose been leaving reviews/comments and favoriting my story! It's always great to know that you're all still enjoying it so much! I've been posting for over a year now and it's thanks to all of your support that I kept going! The biggest shout out goes to my beta, Dixxy Mouri, who keeps me on track!
As always, reviews are love…reviews are life! So, if you have questions or just want to leave a comment, please do so! I love hearing from you all! Until next time, keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!