Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 3
Act 6
Celestia Ludenberg couldn't keep from pleasantly humming to herself as she sat alone in the cafeteria, waiting for Hifumi to return from the kitchen and deliver her tea. Everyone else had departed, either heading back to their rooms for the night or, in Junko's case, delivering food to a hungry Mondo. In any case, nothing could spoil the gambler's mood right now.
"That went even more smoothly than I had planned," she mused as she twirled her hair on her finger. "Now that everyone is suspicious of Taka, it won't take much to drive someone to backstab him…literally."
Her plan was simple but effective. By insinuating that he was working with the Mastermind, she could manipulate her classmates into distrusting him. And once the Moral Compass became drunk with power, as she knew he eventually would, she could easily persuade one of the more small-minded students to take matters into their own hands and end Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru's reign of terror…permanently.
"Sure, if I let someone else kill him for me, I won't have a way to escape this hell hole, but it will be worth it to be free of that infuriating little bitch once and for all!"
Almost without noticing it, a malicious grin crept over her lips. However, when she realized how she must have looked, she replaced her grin with an eloquent smile to avoid suspicion, just in case a certain fanfic creator happened to come out of the kitchen.
"All I need to do is stay on everyone's good side for a few days and let their suspicions and assumptions for his actions make them reckless. One of these idiots will break sooner or later and with a little 'persuasion', I can get one of them to off that worthless bastard for me. And the best part is, I won't even have to lift a finger."
Again, she subconsciously let a menacing smirk decorate her features as she pictured all the ways Taka could be murdered. A backstabbing would be easy and he wouldn't see it coming, but then again, she really wanted someone to bludgeon his fat head into the pavement too! Hell, maybe she should just skip the whole 'getting someone else to do it' part and just take matters into her own hands—
"No…" she said aloud, her malicious appearance instantly disappearing. "I can't take that risk…"
If Celeste was nothing else, beyond a genius gambler that is, she was cautious. Nothing good came of rushing, whether in life or her gambling career. After all, she hadn't amassed a large amount of cash by being hasty, and that applied now more than ever.
In all of her gambling forays, she never once bet anything higher than a dollar amount. There had been times, very tempting instances, when someone had attempted to persuade her to gamble with something more…such as her body. When it first happened, it was utterly sickening. She had been thirteen at the time and it was disgusting that a middle-aged balding man had dared to suggest that, since she had been low on chips at that moment, she bet herself in lieu of currency. That same night, she walked away with that man's entire life savings…and didn't resort to his suggestion the entire time. After that, she established a personal rule to never allow herself to fall that low. Money could always be reclaimed, even if she went bankrupt, but her dignity could not be recovered so easily.
And while being trapped in this school had made her slightly less cautious than she usually was, she still had enough sense not to lay her very life on the line…unless her victory was utterly assured, which she doubted was possible.
"Right now, there are too many variables to worry about. Even if I constructed a fool-proof plan, one mistake could cost me…everything. Besides, there's always the small chance that eventually a way out can be found that doesn't involve bludgeoning someone into the pavement. Even so…"
Her blood boiled as she recalled the way Taka had spoken to her about her talent…daring to insinuate that she was talentless. No one had ever said such a thing to her and even though deep down she knew that she should be cautious and just forget about it…she also knew that she couldn't forgive him for essentially calling her useless!
It was the first time that Celeste had ever wished for the death of another human being. No one had ever insulted her…ridiculed her…made her question herself as much as that bastard had! When he had told her she was talentless…it was like telling her she didn't have the right to exist. Her entire being hinged on her talent, she had poured her very soul into becoming Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler…and he, that worthless, good-for-nothing, pink slip writing, rulebook fucking, detention loving, god-damn soulless piece of shit had no right to—
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Hifumi called as he lumbered out of the kitchen, taking great care not to spill the fancy cup of tea he carried over on a tray.
Despite the rage she'd been feeling, Celeste managed to push it all aside and smile pleasantly as he approached. Thankfully, the fanfic creator didn't seem to notice anything was amiss about her, but that was to be expected of him. In Celeste's mind, Hifumi had two purposes; to provide her with tea, regardless of how horrible his brewing talents were, and to provide amusement with his utter stupidity.
Although she would never admit to it aloud, she found a kind of twisted amusement in his constant ramblings. The way he would suddenly quote anime or manga was somewhat entertaining…well, it was mainly watching him be scolded for acting like an overly obsessed fool, but such was the fate of being an otaku. Not to mention that Celeste took great joy in reminding him of how pathetic his failings were, which always seemed to lift her spirits.
In short, Hifumi Yamada was the perfect punching bag for her and she knew that she would have gone insane long ago if he hadn't been around for her to torment. Speaking of which…
"You certainly took your time," she said, resuming the use of her accent as he placed the tea cup and saucer directly in front of her. "I hope that it is at least suitable for ingestion this time."
"Not to fear, Miss Ludenberg!" Hifumi exclaimed, putting his hands triumphantly on his hips. "I have been practicing and I feel that I have cultivated something truly delightful this time! You can tell by the sweet aroma of the—".
"My dear Hifumi…anyone can appreciate the simple aroma," she cut him off sharply before smiling overly sweetly up at him. Delicately wrapping her finger around the cup handle, she gently lifted the cup up and let her nose inhale…a surprisingly pleasant aroma. It almost startled her because…it actually smelled delicious, not that she would ever give him the pleasure of knowing that. Undeterred by this unexpected development, she swiftly continued, "However, it is the taste satisfies the palette…"
Without further ado, Celeste braced herself for the same disgusting taste that she knew would invade her mouth as she lifted the tea cup to her lips. Delicately, she sipped the hot beverage and let its flavor wash over her tongue…stifling a gasp.
"No…fucking…way…"
To her complete and utter shock, the milk tea that she had expected would needed to be forcefully ingested…completely rocked her world! It was a perfect blend of milk brewed with the tea, not too sweet but not bitter in the least! She had to stop herself from practically gulping down the tiny fraction of the heavenly concoction resting on her tongue, instantly wanting more of it in her mouth! He'd only been making her tea for the last few days and she hadn't been exaggerating on how horrible it had been the first time. Had he really come so far in only a few days? And with so few attempts?! It was almost as amazing as the café she used to frequent—no…it was even more delicious than their 'professional' brewing! She needed more of this and she needed it now! However, not only would that burn her tongue, it would also show Hifumi that his creation was appreciated…and she couldn't have that!
"Well…how is it today, Miss Ludenberg?" the fanfic creator asked as if on cue, a hopeful expression daring to spread over his features.
Somehow managing to keep her mask in place throughout that entire experience, she gently set the tea cup down before glancing up to Hifumi with that overly sweet smile.
"It is consumable, but not the most enjoyable brew," she outright lied, feeling a swell of joy as his hopeful visage crumbled into disappointment, hunching his shoulders over with a depressed expression. "For the time being, this is sufficient. If you can, please continue to produce at least this level of quality."
"I…I see," he said slowly, straightening himself up and reaching for the saucer. "Well, if you aren't really enjoying it, I can take it back—".
"No, this is fine," Celeste found herself instantly but calmly refuting, not wanting him to take away her precious cup of delicious tea. However, she also knew that she was contradicting herself with her statement a moment ago and had to think quickly. "While it isn't particularly enjoyable, it is not un-consumable. And I simply refuse to waste freshly brewed tea, as long as it can be properly ingested. Therefore, I shall bear the slightly less enjoyable taste and finish what I have started."
She lifted the tea to her lips again, sipping that heavenly concoction while pretending it wasn't the greatest thing to ever slip past her lips. Fortunately, her act seemed to convince Hifumi and he simply stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do.
"Oh, um, alright then…" he said nervously, before glancing around like a lost puppy.
Celeste instantly took note of his incompetence and let out a deep sigh. She wanted to enjoy her tea in private, mainly so that she could properly appreciate it, but knew that was impossible as long as the fanfic creator was around. Seeing an opportunity, without so much as looking away from her tea, she said to him, "Hifumi, dear, make yourself useful and see to the clean-up. It is getting close to nighttime and I would rather not violate our shared night time rule."
As if energized by her words, Hifumi's vigor suddenly returned and he held up both arms enthusiastically as he exclaimed, "Then I shall see to the clean-up, Miss Ludenberg! If you have need of me, you need only call and I shall hastily return to your side!"
"Very well then, off with you," she said with a dismissive waver of her hand, sipping her lovely tea slowly to fully enjoy it while it lasted.
As per her instructions, Hifumi instantly spun around and headed back into the kitchen. The moment he was out of sight, Celeste couldn't stop herself from taking a large gulp of her tea, a tiny trace of it escaping her mouth and trailing down her chin. With lady-like grace she used a napkin to clean herself up before letting out a very satisfied sigh.
"Why the hell couldn't he have made it like this before?! This shit's better than heroine! And it only took him a few days to get it this perfect! His dedication to a task is almost inspiring…if not for the massive amounts of sweat that drip off his fat head. And I have to admit that it's nice to have someone who's always willing to do exactly what I want…like my own personal servant."
Another sigh, this one of disappointment, resounded as her thoughts continued rolling on.
"If only he wasn't so gargantuan…he would have made an excellent vampire-esque servant for my future castle. Perhaps I could employ him as my official tea brewer? As long as he stayed out of sight…and always served this orgasmic tea, I'd be willing to let him serve me. It's a shame that, once I find a way to win Monokuma's game, he'll be executed along with everyone else. You can't buy that kind of loyalty. I mean, he already does just about anything I…tell…him…to…"
As that thought entered her mind, she let another malicious smirk grace her lips.
"Miss Ludenberg, I am almost finished with the dishes!"
As she heard him call from the kitchen, she instantly refocused her attention back to keeping her mask perfectly in place, a calm demeanor overtaking her features. A moment later, Hifumi reentered the cafeteria just as she finished the last of the heavenly brew he'd created. Setting the tea cup on the saucer, she waited patiently for him to take it from her, like she was a customer at a café.
And, just as she expected, without even being asked, he took her saucer, and tea cup with it, and headed back toward the kitchen.
However, before he made it back, the gambler abruptly called out, "By the way, Hifumi…have you been working on any…projects lately?"
That question stopped the fanfic creator in his tracks and he cautiously turned around to bewilderedly stare at her.
"Well, now that the art supply room is open…um, I suppose I have but…why do you ask, Miss Ludenberg? Excuse me for assuming but…you don't seem the type to be interested in…that kind of thing."
Celeste successfully fought back her urge to smirk, knowing she could read him like an open book. His expression told her that he was utterly surprised that she'd even mention such a thing, but she could also see that he was incredibly excited by the fact that she'd taken even a passing interest in his work.
"This is going to be easier than I thought…" she mused as he eagerly awaited her response.
"I may have a 'project' that I would need your assistance with…if you are interested?" she coyly said to him, knowing that she had already ensnared him.
A few moments passed before Hifumi let a huge smile overtake his features as he said, "Well, I have been working on something that I'm currently calling…Robo Justice!"
"I can't tell if she's trying to manipulate him or seduce him…" the real Junko said as she watched the monitor closely, slipping her newly folded origami flowers onto a string. "I never did figure out if those two were involved or not. Guess it doesn't matter anyway, apocalypse considered. Even so…"
The Mastermind tied off the string of origami flowers and set it aside, picking up another string and threading more paper flowers through it.
"Scanlation would do just about anything for Ms. Talentless, either by manipulation or otherwise. And with how bloodthirsty she is right now, I may not even need the motive right now…" Junko considered, still watching the screen carefully.
Celeste sat there calmly, listening as Hifumi exuberantly told her about his cosplay project. The gambler held her passive mask in place but Junko's expert eye saw through her instantly, noticing the tiniest twinge of annoyance every time the fanfic creator shouted in her face. Seeing that slight hint of frustration made Junko smirk, gears turning in her mind already.
"On second thought…perhaps a little motivation would be enough to push her over the edge. After all, she's been playing it too safe for a gambler…she needs to live up to her talent, after all."
The Mastermind stopped threading origami flowers for a moment before rising from her seat and picking up a duffle bag, one large enough to hide a body in, that was full of money from beside her desk. Slinging it over her shoulder, she headed out of the computer room to initiate the next motive.
The instant she'd left, on one of the corner monitors, a lavender haired detective slipped out of her room, and headed for the second floor staircase.
"Holy shit…all that happened today?!"
Mondo's surprise didn't faze Mukuro…it almost didn't seem real to her either. She had just finished explaining everything that had happened that day to the biker as he finished the evening meal she'd brought him. She had considered keeping some of the information, primarily about Taka's transformation, hidden from him. However, she knew the potential dangers of withholding information from her classmates, a lesson the second motive had forced them all to recognize. So, in the end, when Mondo asked how his Bro was doing, the disguised Mukuro couldn't bring herself to keep him in the dark.
For the first time in probably his whole life, Mondo just stood there and patiently listened as he was told about everything; Taka's transformation and subsequent rise to 'power', the strange photo that Mondo himself was present in, and the idea that there might, in fact, be a traitor amongst them.
"That bitch…" Mondo abruptly cursed, which startled the soldier out of her daze. "She's got a lotta balls calling my Bro a traitor! Even with all this crazy disciplinary shit, there's no way Taka would ever side with the bear!"
Mukuro didn't have to guess who he was talking about. Ever since she'd mentioned Celeste's bold assumption of the Disciplinary Committee Chairman, the biker had grown increasingly more irritated. However, at the same time, it was obvious that he was doing his best to keep his temper under control. Only a few days ago the biker would have flown into a rage and stormed off to find Celeste and give her a piece of his mind…or perhaps a fist in her teeth. But now, after his rage had nearly gotten them all killed, he seemed to be doing his best to take his anger in stride.
Because of that, Mukuro couldn't stop the tiny smile that appeared on her lips. Mondo had made a horrible mistake, but he was also doing his best to try and make up for it. Not only that, despite how much Taka resented him at the moment, the biker wouldn't let go of the friendship they had both cherished. It was refreshing to say the least, considering all of the terrible happenings the morning had brought.
"So where's that picture now?" Mondo suddenly asked, snapping her out of her trance as he held out his now empty food tray.
"Oh, Kyoko's hanging onto the pieces. She said she wants to try and tape it back together or something, which won't be easy since some of the pieces are missing. But she seemed confident enough, so no one objected," the disguised soldier informed him, taking the tray back and preparing to head back to the cafeteria.
"So, uh, where's Taka right now?" Mondo apprehensively asked, almost unsure if he wanted to know the answer.
Taking that into consideration, Mukuro let out a sigh before replying, "Not sure, but wherever he is, he's definitely putting the 'dick' in dictator…"
"Yeah, well, that's the point of being a dictator right? To be a dick with power?" Mondo asked, convinced he was on the right track.
"Yeah…something like that," Mukuro answered, turning to head for the cafeteria. "Anyway, I better this get stuff back to—".
"H-Hey, hold up!" Mondo almost shouted as she turned, making her stop and turn back to face him. For a moment, the biker's eyes were downcast, like he was struggling with something internally. However, an instant later, his gaze shot up and he said, "I…uh, shit…I'm not good at this crap…uh, Junko!"
He was shouting again, his face a tinge of pink from embarrassment, but he somehow found the will to continue.
"I-I…I used to think you were a nothing but a stupid, prissy, bitch!" Mukuro's eye twitched at hearing that but she decided to let him finish. "But…ya know, I was wrong! I mean, yeah, you're still a fashion queen and all that, but…I guess what I'm trying to say is…you're not just some stuck-up hot chick! You're a hot chick who's pretty badass!"
Mukuro almost dropped the tray as those words echoed in her ears. At first, she wasn't sure what to make of that comment. But as her brain processed it, she felt something strange slowly rise up from within. It was similar to the first time Makoto had smiled at her, but at the same time it felt entirely different…she just wasn't sure how!
"Come to think of it…when Leon and Sayaka told me I was…amazing, it felt like this…what the hell is this feeling?!"
Almost against her will, she felt her face flush, but she just couldn't help it! It was the first time anyone had told her she was…attractive. Not even Makoto had ever told her such a thing! Granted, the lucky student was probably too shy to ever do something like that but it was still true! Even though she figured that part of it had to be the fact that she was dressed up like her sister, it still felt amazing to be complimented like that! And while it was obvious that Mondo hadn't meant it romantically or anything like that…hell, he probably told that to a lot of girls…it didn't change the fact that right now…he had told Mukuro that she was…pretty.
The notion completely caught her off guard, something that she had never imagined her classmates being capable of. And at the same time, a warm and pleasant feeling welled up inside her chest…
"It's probably just my pulse racing from being startled," she told herself without hesitation. "My adrenaline is pumping…that's all. It'll work its way out soon…I hope."
It was definitely something the soldier had never imagined encountering while pretending to be her sister! Plus, she hadn't expected Mondo to be so…forward! And the shouting certainly wasn't doing her any favors! If anyone was nearby, such as a certain Disciplinary Chairman, it would certainly escalate and become utterly humiliating!
Her soldier's instinct kicked in and she decided it was best to retreat before her own thoughts led to her defeat!
Lifting her gaze up to meet his, she realized Mondo must have been awkwardly staring at her for a while now, or at least if felt like it had been a while. Falling back on the Fashionista persona she'd cultivated, she barely managed to regain control of her emotions in time to smirk at him.
"Hmm, trying to charm your way into my pants, are ya?" she chided, praying her façade was as perfect as it normally was. Fortunately for her, it seemed that Mondo was too busy being flustered by her comment to notice if anything was different about her.
"W-W-What?! No! That's not what I—dammit, I really suck at this!"
Seeing him flustered made Mukuro feel empowered, a feeling she knew well and could manage…unlike a few moments ago. Finally regaining full control of her emotions, the soldier decided it was best to remove herself from the situation.
"Haha! You're fine! I'm just fucking with you!" she said with a laugh, lightly punching his shoulder at the same time. "Anyway, you good for the night? It's almost night time and I wanna get the dishes back to the kitchen and be back in my room before the announcement plays."
Mondo took a moment to shake off his embarrassment before answering, "Yeah, I should be fine. Thanks for covering while I used the can, too."
"No prob. I can cover for you whenever you need me. And be sure to let us know when Chihiro wakes up," she told him as she turned to head for the cafeteria and dispose of the tray. Just before she left though, she glanced over her shoulder and grinned as she said, "Oh, and try not to dream about me tonight! Later!"
Just before she turned around, she saw him embarrassingly avert his gaze before he slammed the nurse's office door, to which she let out a hearty laugh before hastily making her way down the hall, rounding the corner as nonchalantly as possible.
However, once she made it around that corner, the soldier broke out into a run, speeding through the entrance to the dorms, into the lobby outside the cafeteria, into the mess hall itself, and finally coming to a halt as she slammed down the tray of dishes next to the kitchen sink.
She panted heavily, her breath hot and her face reddened…but not from the run.
Mukuro's mind was still fixated on the fact that someone other than Makoto had complimented her! Yeah, Junko had given her compliments from time to time but it was always a backhanded one; such as telling her she looked good when her face was covered in someone else's blood! But this time…it was an honest to goodness compliment that was meant only for her! And it made her heart soar as she briefly allowed herself to revel in it.
Unfortunately, her reverie didn't last long, as dark thoughts soon began to cloud her mind. No doubt her sister had seen the entire affair and would undoubtedly have some choice words for her once she got back to her room…unless Monokuma, or rather her sister, had been telling the truth about not interfering until a class trial needed to be held.
"Junko hasn't lied to us yet…avoided the truth certainly, but not outright lied. Then again, that doesn't mean that now isn't a good time for her to start…"
In the midst of her thoughts, she suddenly felt someone approach her from behind, almost out of nowhere. Her soldier's instincts took over and she clenched her fist, preparing to defend herself. Once she felt the presence get within striking range, she shifted her stance and prepared to attack. However, just as she began to spin around and swing her fist, an authoritative voice shouted at her.
"Miss Enoshima!"
Mid-swing, Mukuro recognized the voice and immediately shifted her weight in order to halt her attack. Luckily, she was just barely able to stop her fist from colliding into the side of her classmate's face, her knuckles just barely stopping next to their cheek. It was fortunate that Mukuro had such powers of restraint…or else she would have knocked the Disciplinary Committee Chairman on his ass.
Meanwhile, Taka seemed to only be slightly fazed by what had almost happened to him. The white sheen was still present in his hair and his burning red eyes held a hint of surprise, but most likely it was because, as far as he knew, he'd almost been smacked across the face. He had no way of knowing that, if Mukuro had attacked as she'd intended, he might have been nursing a broken jaw for the next month.
Very slowly, Mukuro retracted her fist and stood there, nervously facing him. The air itself stood still as a few quiet moments passed, neither of the two speaking. However, that didn't last long, especially since Taka was on the verge of exploding. His fearsome aura abruptly flared and the fire in his eyes burned brightly.
"Junko Enoshima! I certainly hope that you have a reasonable explanation for what you have done and almost did!" he shouted in her face, bits of spittle splattering against her cheek, making her rear back in disgust for a moment.
Wiping her face with her sleeve, Mukuro instantly furrowed her brows and retorted, "Maybe if you hadn't snuck up on me and screamed in my ear, I wouldn't have tried to smack you, dumbass!"
The instant that last expletive left her mouth, she knew what was coming. Without a single word, Taka whipped out his now signature pink notepad and scribbled away on it. Faster than she thought possible, he wrote out her citation for swearing, ripped it off the pad, and extended it out to her. Narrowing her eyes, the soldier snatched it from his hand, only to be shocked when he instantly went back to the notepad, seemingly writing up another one.
"Whoa, whoa, hey! What's that one for?!" she exclaimed, pointing at the citation he was currently writing.
Without lifting his head, and continuing to write all the while, he replied, "That was for your first offense, I now have to write up the others…"
An entirely confused look overtook the disguised Mukuro's features as she questioned, "O-O-Others?!"
"Indeed!" Taka announced ripping his current pink slip off and handing it to her, which she took from him almost in a daze. "That one is for use of profanity when speaking in the hallway with…Mr. Owada."
Surprise overtook Mukuro as she came to a startling realization. "Wait…so you were listening in on our conversation?" she asked, obviously shocked that he'd overheard them.
"That was not the case!" the Disciplinary Committee Chairman defended himself, already writing up the next citation. "I happened to be finishing my rounds and was heading for the dormitory when I heard the two of you…conversing. During that time, I heard you use profanity and decided to…politely wait for you to finish your conversation before addressing the matter with you!"
Again, Mukuro was shocked, but not because he'd admitted to eavesdropping. Regardless of all his bluster, it seemed that Taka was not ready to even speak with Mondo yet, considering he waited for the biker to shut himself in the nurse's office before approaching her. Normally, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman would have simply inserted himself into the conversation and presented the pink slip at that time. The very idea that Taka 'patiently' waited to present her with a citation after she'd left Mondo's company proved that, on some level, the Moral Compass was still reluctant to even acknowledge his former friend.
Mukuro probably would have found the situation more heartbreaking…if Taka wasn't still in the process of writing her up!
"There you are," he said, handing her another pink slip, which she begrudgingly took. "That one is for reckless endangerment of yourself."
"Reckless endangerment…of myself?" Mukuro repeated with a raised brow.
"Indeed! As I followed after you to write up your citation, I watched as you began running through the halls like a mad woman!" Taka shouted, his powerful aura intensifying with each word. "You could have fallen and hurt yourself, or shamefully collided with another student! How could such an act not be classified as 'Reckless Endangerment'?!"
Feeling exhausted just by being in his presence, Mukuro let out a deep sigh before asking, "Alright, fine, I'm sorry. Can I go now? It's getting late—what the hell?! There's more?!"
In the middle of her asking to leave, the Disciplinary Chairman began writing up another citation. However, he did seem to be speeding up his writing as he presented her with the next slip rather quickly.
"Another profanity violation just now," he briefly explained before instantly writing up the next one.
Realizing it was better to just keep her mouth shut and wait, the soldier leaned against the counter behind her and lowered her gaze, sighing audibly. In a matter of moments, she was presented with her fourth pink slip in the last five minutes.
"And what's this one for?" she said as she reached out and grabbed it from him.
"Another reckless endangerment, but this time for nearly assaulting me when I came to greet you," the Moral Compass explained, his gaze narrowing angrily. "I realize I startled you, but you must consider the consequences for your actions! What if you had struck me in a way that would have made me fall over and bump my head?! If that had happened and I didn't regain consciousness, it would have resulted in another bullying class trial! The very thing that I am trying to prevent would have occurred and it would have been your responsibility to make amends for it!"
"If I had hit you, you wouldn't have been unconscious, you'd be wailing in pain! Plus, I'm not sure any of us would care to find whoever knocked your ass out anyway! We'd all be too happy celebrating the fall of a tyrant!" Mukuro couldn't stop herself from thinking as she silently allowed the Moral Compass berate her.
"Next time, just calmly turn around and address whomever is speaking to you with the grace and patience befitting a woman of your age! You are old enough to know how to behave in public, young lady!"
As his insults reverberated in her ears, Mukuro prayed, for Taka's sake, that he was finished…because if he wrote her one more pink slip, she wasn't sure if she could stop herself from breaking his legs—oh, the fuck, hell, shit, what?!
"And finally, this last citation is for both your vulgarity and profanity when I first addressed you," the Disciplinary Chairman said, handing over what appeared to be the fifth and final pink slip of the evening. "However, I was kind enough to have them as a single citation instead of two. I hope you are grateful for my benevolence."
With a trembling hand, shaking from rage, Mukuro took the last pink slip from him and put it with the others before slipping all of them into her pocket. Taking deep, cleansing breaths to keep from strangling him, the soldier calmly asked, "May I go now?"
At the sound of her request, Taka's features suddenly shifted and a proud smile overtook his lips as he replied, "Indeed you may! Thank you for asking! I was going to suggest it anyway, since it is almost night time and the cafeteria will soon be off limits!"
"Thank you…" Mukuro said swiftly, stepping around him and heading for the kitchen door. However, before she reached it, that irritating voice called out to her again.
"Wait a moment!" Taka practically shouted, causing Mukuro to halt and snap her head to glare over her shoulder at him. Seemingly unaware of her rage, the Moral Compass pointed to the food tray she'd left by the sink and continued, "You did not finish taking care of the dishes! However, as time is of the essence, I will graciously allow you to finish them in the morning, as I would not want you to violate the off limits rule of the cafeteria over such a minor issue."
"How kind of you…" Mukuro slowly replied through gritted teeth.
"Think nothing of it!" Taka said with a hearty laugh before marching past her and out of the kitchen. However, he immediately poked his head back inside and said, "Now please hurry! Or I will have to write up another citation for violating the night time rule that Celestia Ludenberg so generously bestowed upon us!"
All at once, Mukuro's anger subsided as the Moral Compass bestowed that bit of knowledge to her. He actually considered Celeste's self-enforced rule to be valid? Was that the reason he was patrolling the hall right before night time? It made sense, considering that the Disciplinary Committee Chairman wanted to avoid casualties as much as the rest of them, but she never imagined he'd take it this far. Perhaps there was a method to Taka's madness after all…
"Miss Enoshima!" Taka shouted at her again, this time pulling out his pink notepad. "If you delay any longer I will have no choice but to fill out another citation!"
"Never mind…he's still a fucking dick!"
"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" she finally replied, following him out of the kitchen, through the cafeteria, and all the way into the hallway leading to their rooms.
Almost immediately upon returning to her room, Mukuro pressed her back to her door and exhaled deeply. Her hand shot up and, with a fierce tug, she pulled the pink wig from her scalp. Her arm fell to her side, wig in hand, as her other hand reached into her pocket and pulled out the five pink slips that Taka had presented her. Lazily, she lifted that hand up and glared menacingly at the small pink pages, tightly clutching them angrily.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with these?" she questioned aloud, looking them over as if they were foreign currency.
In truth, she'd never been written up for anything before. Taka had largely ignored her during their time in school and she always made sure she kept the 'duties' she performed for Junko secret from everyone. Compared to that, a little swearing was the least of her crimes…
"If he knew about how much blood I have on my hands…he'd be reporting me to the authorities instead of giving me useless write-ups."
A sad chuckle escaped her and a melancholy smile traced her lips as she slowly walked into the main area of her bedroom. She'd meant to reassure herself but had only managed to increase her anxiety. The soldier had done her best not to consider the irony of her choices in this killing game. After all, what right did she, a mercenary, a killer…a murderer, have to try and save her classmates lives?
If the irony wasn't enough, despite how successful she'd been so far, considering recent developments, Mukuro had begun to question whether or not she possessed the skills to complete her mission. One mistake is all it would take to have her executed…which she honestly didn't care much about. She'd accepted the fact that she wasn't getting out of this school alive, but if she died before ensuring that her classmates survived, the shame of having failed them would surely follow her even after death.
Then again, if she did fail and was executed along the way…would she come back as a ghost and haunt the school? She'd never really believed in that kind of thing but she knew from experience that anything was possible.
"If that happens…I'm totally going to haunt Junko for the rest of her life…" Mukuro briefly glanced at the pink slips in her hand again before adding, "And maybe Taka…yeah…'Write a pink slip for me now, bitch!'"
Finally, a genuine laugh sounded from her and she managed to shake her head free of all depressing thoughts. Instead, her thoughts became preoccupied with showering before night time and actually getting a good night's sleep tonight, considering the debacles that had occurred the night before.
However, just after she replaced her wig on the wig form and tossed her pink slips on the dresser, a familiar tune sounded throughout the school.
*Ding*Dong*Bing*Bong*
"The night time announcement? I wonder how Junko's gonna handle that with Monokuma on 'vacation'…oh, shit that means no shower too!"
An irritated groan sounded from Mukuro as she decided to glare up at the monitor, directing her frustration toward it. However, Mukuro instantly became surprised when the screen flickered to life…and the image of Monokuma, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and holding what appeared to be a martini, sitting on a whicker beach chair in front of a pool, suddenly appeared on the monitor. Mukuro's mouth hung open for a moment before the bear cleared its throat to address the school.
"Goooooood evening, everyone! Did you think that just because I was on vacation that I would forget about the daily announcements? Anyway, the time right now…where you all are anyway…is 10PM! As such it is officially night time! You know the drill by now; dining hall doors locked, a chance for murder to occur, yada yada yada. Since I'm not around to enforce absolutely everything about your lives, I suppose a subtle message is best…go the fuck to sleep! Goodnight!"
Utterly exhausted by the bear's ramblings and disappointed by the fact that she couldn't enjoy her oh-so-lovely shower, the soldier decided it was best to cut her losses and just rest. Flopping onto her bed, still fully clothed but not giving a shit, Mukuro dared to let a hopeful thought invade her mind.
"Hopefully…things will get better tomorrow…" she whispered as sleep consumed her.
"Yearbooks…class registrations…funding notices…perhaps this was an archive?"
Kyoko Kirigiri sat at the lone desk in the secret room hidden in the boy's second floor rest room. The only light she allowed to illuminate the room was from the open door she'd entered. That way, if someone happened to sneak in behind her, she would see their shadow and wouldn't be caught unaware.
Currently, she was perusing through all of the books that she could find but wasn't having much luck discovering anything that could lead to how or why she and her classmates had been imprisoned in their school. She'd cleared most of the yearbooks and registrations from previous years and only just got to what would have been their current year.
"'The 78th Class Registration'…" she read aloud, flipping open the book and glancing through the files.
It detailed who their homeroom teacher, whose name she didn't recognize, would have been if everything had gone according to plan. It also held information about each individual student. The very first was Makoto Naegi, listing everything from his talent and special skills, all the way to how and why he'd been selected to join the school. Instead of immediately moving on, her curiosity got the best of her and she decided to skim through his entire file, reading about the series of unfortunate events that had led to Makoto being selected as the 'Ultimate Lucky Student'.
"'Ultimate Unlucky Student' seems more appropriate by this account," she mused with a half-smile.
Knowing Makoto as much as she did, she could easily see these kinds of misfortunes following him. In fact, perhaps it was misfortunerather than luck that brought the very average boy to this school…only to be caught up in this horrible experience. A slight frown dragged her lips downward as she felt a hint of guilt for having information on him without her willing to give any to him.
Perhaps…one day…she'd feel comfortable enough to open up to him…but now wasn't the time for such thoughts. Moving past his page, she decided to thumb through the other files as well.
As she scanned the rest of her classmates' files, she found that there wasn't much information to piece together. Aside from their names, talents, and reasons for being drafted into the school, not much information was given. Toko's file, for example, had no mention of her split-personality. Then again, if the school had been aware of the fact that she'd been a serial killer, they certainly wouldn't have invited her to join their roster…would they? A part of her wanted to discover that mystery alone but knew that she had more pressing matters to look into.
As she continued to read, she was surprised by how little there was to be found. In fact, there seemed to be a definite lack of info. Could that be due to the Mastermind's interference or was it intentional?
Alternatively, she also wanted to see if another piece of information was present…
"Dammit…" Kyoko quietly swore as she reached her own, thoroughly disappointed. There was nothing there aside from a picture of her; the rest of the file had been completely removed…as if someone had altered it somehow. "But if that's the case…then the Mastermind knew this room existed…and left it here for us to find. But why would they do that? Why leave such a vast library of information hidden if they had already removed sensitive information?"
As she pondered this notion she continued to flip through the files until she found a very peculiar page. It was a page incredibly similar to hers, except that it bore no picture, only a name and a scratched off talent. Squinting her eyes, Kyoko quietly read what little was legible from the page.
"…Mukuro…Ikusaba…Ultimate -….Class 78…student number…sixteen!"
Kyoko almost fell over as she read that, steadying herself as she reread that short passage over and over again until it was burned into her retinas. When she was positive that she'd never forget that passage, she finally allowed herself to set the book down and process the information. Her brow creased as she frowned…a seething anger slowly beginning to overtake her.
"…There's a sixteenth student…a sixteenth student…that could be inside the school with us…could they be…the Mastermind…?"
"Awwww, c'mon!" Hina groaned as she glared at the locked doors of the cafeteria. "I know that I only had a few minutes but I didn't think it would be closed already!"
Despite Monokuma's absence, the doors to the cafeteria remained locked during the night time hours, as well as the water being turned off. Hina had thought to grab a quick snack before bed, but now it seemed that she would have to do without.
Her shoulders slumped in disappointment as she said, "I knew I shouldn't have eaten all the donuts in the storage room…now all that's left in there is cheese puffs…I hate cheese puffs."
Actually, that wasn't true, Hina adored cheese puffs. In fact, on cold winter nights, nothing soothed her more than those rich, cheesy balls of fluffy goodness! However, right now, those delectable puff balls couldn't sate her craving for something sweet…something sugary…something circular with a hole through it…
"Donuts…why are there…no more…donuts…?" she questioned aloud, her legs carrying her out of the dorms and into the hallway.
Even though it was already night time, and Hina knew she was violating Celeste's night time rule, her appetite drove her to wander the halls. As she traversed the halls, her carnivorous hunger for the doughy delight unsated, she eventually passed by the student store. Her feet came to a halt as she turned and stared at the door for a moment, reaching into her pocket and fishing for something. A moment later, her hand emerged from the pocket of her red sports jacket with a tiny coin in hand…one that bore Monokuma's likeness.
Taking a moment to stare at the 'Monocoin', Hina recalled how the other students, mainly Makoto, had found several of them lying around under desks and in other odd places. This particular coin had been discovered in the corner of her own room, and its presence further increased Hina's curiosity. The same insignia was printed on a strange prize dispenser in the student store…could it be…?
A mighty growl from the swimmer's stomach abruptly echoed in the brightly lit hallway, causing Hina to sadly look down and pat her belly. With a heavy sigh, she said, "I've got nothing to lose…"
Having justified her own reasoning to herself, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
All manner of trinkets littered the store, ranging from strangely decorated glass cups and vases, all the way up to multiple sets of suspicious suits of armor. However, no small packs of candy or other kinds of edible treats were in sight, forcing Hina's attention directly over to the prize dispenser machine. Stepping toward it, she leaned forward and read the label aloud:
"Monomono…Machine?"
The very name confused her, but she wasn't the type to question things that didn't make sense to her. Instead, she glanced through the clear glass of the machine and stared at the various prize balls it housed. Her gaze became scrutinizing as she tried to imagine what each of them contained. It was a rather large machine and each prize ball could hold something considerably big, or at least that's what it looked like. Not to mention that the mystery of not knowing what you might get was…actually kind of exciting!
Of course, all Hina's hunger driven mind could conjure the balls held were various snacks, candies, and possibly even tiny little donuts that you could easily fit into one of those prize balls!
However, as she glanced down at her hand, staring at the single Monocoin she possessed, she couldn't help but hesitate. After all, she only had the one coin, and if it wasn't food the mystery ball contained, then she'd become even more depressed than she was now. Looking from the coin to the machine, Hina just couldn't force herself to take the risk,
"Get it together, Hina! Just think…what would Sakura do?" she tried to psyche herself up, attempting to draw strength from her friend's example. After a moment of contemplation, the swimmer clutched the coin tightly in her hand and said, "She would do whatever it took to achieve her goal! And so will I!"
In one fluid movement, Hina slammed the Monocoin into the coin slot and turned the handle. The coin was sucked down into the machine as the insides churned, a metallic click signaling that her prize awaited her below. Lifting the metal plate at the bottom of the machine, she reached in and grabbed her prize ball.
To her shock, it was a lot longer than she had expected…which could only mean that something great could be inside! Picking it up with both hands, she proceeded to pop open the lid, already envisioning what could be waiting for her inside. Perhaps it was a candy bar, or a big bag of mini donuts, or it could be…
"…What the heck is this?!"
Resting in her hands was a strange doll-like cylinder, and a fairly long and tall one at that. It had odd features, with the tip of it being a head that was shaped like a Japanese doll, that looked as though it could be twisted off, and an ominous red button on the bottom. As Hina continued to examine the weird object, she noticed something written on the side of it.
"Kokeshi…Dynamo?" Confusion warped her features as she looked over her 'prize' once more. "A kokeshi's like a bottle for mixing drinks right? So, what's the dynamo part about—?"
As she asked that, her hand accidently pushed the small red button on the bottom of the prize. Instantly, the long cylinder began to vibrate, causing a shocked Hina to reel back in shock, nearly dropping the 'prize'. Immediately, she switched it off and set it down, standing straight up, on the counter next to her.
Drawing in large breaths, with her face slightly reddened, a flustered Hina could only stare at her 'prize' with a number of mixed feelings rushing through her mind. Once she'd caught her breath, she stepped away from the counter and turned toward the door.
"I-I think I've lost my appetite! I should really get to bed!"
Her feet quickly took her to the door, her face still a tinge of pink as she grabbed the door handle and prepared to leave. However, at the last possible moment, she peeked over her shoulder and couldn't stop herself from staring at the Kokeshi Dynamo. At the same time, it was almost as if the doll head atop the 'prize' was staring back at her, beckoning her, pleading with her, calling out to her, overwhelming her…
Hina bit her lip as an internal battle raged in her mind, one that she was quickly losing. Then, before she knew what she was doing, she marched back up to the counter, grabbed her 'prize', and shoved it deep into her jacket pocket before heading directly back to her room.
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! Well…that certainly was an interesting turn of events, now wasn't it! How do you think Celeste will go about her revenge? Will Mukuro ever understand those mysterious 'feelings' she keeps having? Is Kyoko closing in on who the sixteenth student might be? And just what the hell is Hina gonna do with the Kokeshi Dynamo?! You'll have to stick around to find out in the next few chapters!
So, the idea for using the Kokeshi Dynamo and its brilliant introduction goes to my beta, who reminded me of its existence. And for those of you cringing right now, trust me, I can guarantee you, it wasn't added just for kicks. Be prepared…
Just to reiterate from last time, I was recently selected to provide the voice for Byakuya Togami in a fan reading of Danganronpa IF. I'm stoked for the opportunity and I'll let you all know when it's available.
Also, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of the guest reviewers who I can't respond to on . Sometimes, really good questions or ideas come from guests but there's no way to reply. I know that I get busy sometimes but I do try and respond to questions when they are asked, so if any guest wants to make an account and has a question, I'd be happy to answer!
As always, a review or comment will make my day and help inspire me, so if you have anything you want to ask or need clarified, don't hesitated to ask! Until next time, keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!