Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 3
Act 13
Mukuro's eyes snapped open at 6:30 AM, her mental alarm clock functioning perfectly. During her time in Fenrir, the Ultimate Soldier had learned how to control her body's natural clock and 'set' herself to wake up at specific times, if she so desired. And while it was true that exhaustion could throw off this ability, she didn't allow it to derail her plans for this morning.
Before settling in, sleeping with one eye open just in case Junko or anyone else went after Alter Ego, the soldier plotted out what she needed to do for the following morning:
Wake up early and go check on Alter Ego. Return to her room and pretend to awaken with everyone else, possibly letting someone view the inside of her room to see that she had nothing to hide. Make her way to the morning meeting. Return to her room but leave the door open to continue listening for intruders while serving her 'house arrest'.
It was a simple strategy, but considering that strategy wasn't her forte, she felt it was sufficient enough for now. After all, since she was confined to her room, what else was there for her to do other than guard their only means of fighting back against Junko?
Slowly picking herself up off her bed and yawning, Mukuro sputtered a bit as stray strands of her wig got into her mouth. It was odd to wake up still wearing the huge ball of pink fluff, but there was no way she could remove it for the time being…which also meant she need to keep it clean and presentable for the foreseeable future.
"Dammit…I never even considered that," she seethed, pushing away more stray strands as she stood up and adjusted her wrinkled outfit. She'd opted to sleep in her clothes, just in case she needed to dash to Alter Ego's rescue in the middle of the night. "Uhg…this is such a pain…how could anyone stand having this much hair?!"
The reason she always kept her own black hair short was because it was more manageable, requiring less action if she was suddenly awakened due to a night raid or something. Long, beautiful hair was a privilege that girls like Sayaka or even Junko had. Not to mention that Celeste's hair extensions probably took a great deal of time to put in each day, which the gambler dutifully performed despite their horrific situation. Hell, even Kyoko managed to keep her hair tidy, even going so far as to tie a ribbon into it each morning! Honestly, it felt rather out of place considering that the Ultimate Detective seemed far more interested in ability than appearance.
"…I guess even she has a bit of a girly side," Mukuro solemnly noted, suddenly aware of just how 'un-girly' her true self really was. Then again, for a soldier such as herself, it was more important to focus on her mission than her appearance. Grabbing a tuff of pink from her wig, marveling at how realistic it felt as it glided through her hand, the soldier's fingers got tangled in a knot that had formed overnight. "I have no clue how to even brush this thing. And I can't ask the other girls about it…not unless I want to get executed."
Pulling her hand out of the wig, she instead pulled open a drawer and picked up a hair brush that Junko had left for her. Staring at it, as though it was a hated enemy, the soldier slowly lifted it up to her wig and set the bristles onto the pink fibers. Her grip on the brush tightened, her entire arm shaking nervously as she prepared to attempt to brush away the knot she'd found. Taking in a huge breath, she pressed the brush into her wig and attempted to pull it down…only to have the fibers of the wig tangle in the brush's bristles.
Unable to stop mid-motion, Mukuro's head was jerked to the side as she unintentionally yanked on the wig's tangled mess. Her scalp stung as the clips holding the wig in place tugged at her actual hair beneath the wig. Grunting angrily, more from frustration than pain, the soldier used both hands to try and dislodge the brush that was currently stuck in her wig's fibers. She had to stop herself from pulling out her knife and just cutting the pink fluff away, which she would often do to her real hair if it became tangled in anything on the battlefield.
It reminded her of the time her real hair had gotten stuck on a tree branch while attending Hope's Peak, and she'd simple cut it away without a second thought. Junko, however, didn't waste the opportunity to point out how ugly her hair looked afterward, even suggesting that she cut the rest of it away so she could have the despair of being mistaken for a boy.
At the time, Mukuro hadn't thought much of it…but everything was different now.
"…Junko did always say that I was too manly…and ugly…"
Shaking her head to push away her negative thoughts, Mukuro remembered that she was on a tight schedule and needed to act fast if she was going to maintain her strategy. Painstakingly untangling the brush from her 'hair', the soldier decided to leave the brush out and make a second attempt later.
Glancing at her reflection in the mirror once more, Mukuro scowled as she realized that all she'd accomplished is making herself look like a slob. And though it could be blamed on tiredness or the excuse that she didn't get much sleep due to leaving her door open, she still hoped to be able to correct this mistake before the morning meeting.
"I'll just check to see if Alter Ego's alright and come right back…" she reasoned with herself, glaring down at the brush on her dresser. "When I come back, you and I will annihilate the enemy…"
Walking over to the mirror and checking to see that her wig was properly in place and that her clothes looked presentable, the soldier nodded to herself as she began the first step of her newfound strategy.
Tapping her chest, making sure her hidden combat knife was ready, just in case, Mukuro straightened up and headed out of her room and toward the bathhouse.
*Tap*Tap*Tap*Tap*
Lush red acrylic fingernails tapped on the desk in front of Junko Enoshima as she glared at the designer shirt obscuring the camera in her sister's room.
"Well, I guess I have to cut the 'Meanwhile, with Mukuro' section of the broadcast," Junko said to herself, still capturing the audio from her sister's room. Fortunately for her, even without the camera, she could infer what her sister was doing. "Long hair is despairingly difficult to take care of. Much more despairing than being bald…that has its own kind of despair but not as much as painstakingly having to brush and comb and condition and dye and style a massive amount of hair the grows so long you could use it as a fucking blanket!"
Reaching into her pocket, she fished out an elaborately decorated cellphone with studs and miniature diamonds all over the case. Rummaging through the photos on her cellphone, which she only kept after the tragedy because it held many despair-filled pictures on it, her finger stopped as she came across a picture she'd almost forgot about.
It was a picture of her, butt naked, smiling and flashing a peace sign at the camera…with absolutely no hair on her entire body…
Two years before she called Mukuro home to enact her Ultimate Despair project, the famed Fashionista actually did shave her entire body completely bald. It had been exhilarating! She had only just begun her modeling career and if anyone at her agency had found out, she would have been kicked to the curb faster than a dime store whore on Christmas!
And what did she do with all the hair she'd shaved? Where do you think the wigs Mukuro was using came from?
At first, she'd used them herself, to keep her manager from finding out what she'd done. And when her hair would grow out again, she'd shave it again and make more wigs out of it. At the time, she didn't have a specific use for the wigs, it was more about how she had planned to reveal herself bald on national television. The despair of having the entire nation realize that the 'realistic' and 'honest' supermodel they all idolized was a complete shame would have been mouthwatering! She would have done it too…but then she wouldn't have been able to infiltrate Hope's Peak Academy, where the potential for despair was even more ripe! Not to mention that she got bored of constantly cutting her hair and decided to let it grow out again, with it returning to its natural length only just before Mukuro arrived back in Japan.
It was a fond memory that made the despair-loving girl chuckle darkly.
"Everyone always said they liked my 'honest' and 'natural' charm! Magazines printed whole articles about how 'real' I was compared to other models! Ha! Bunch of dumbasses!" she shouted, her tone deepening and becoming unusually cruel. Upon recognizing this new voice, she immediately cataloged it alongside her 'Sexy Teacher' and 'Cutesy' personas, to be used when boredom struck…like right now. "Seriously, how fucking dumb were all those posers! They probably used my pictures as a spank bank! Fucktards!"
Rearing her head back, she let a malicious barrage of unruly laughs, ones that would have chilled even the most stoic of hard-asses to the bone. Her maniacal laughter echoed as she swiped her finger across the phone screen and came to another picture that made her fall silent.
It was a picture of her with long red hair, her natural color, and deep crimson eyes that were currently hidden beneath sky-blue contacts. She was flipping off the camera, with massive bloodstains all over her boots, and bits of splatter reaching up to her flushed cheeks.
"…Just afterward, huh?" she surmised, knowing that she had almost immediately reverted back to her Fashionista persona after that incident. "I don't remember taking this…then again, my memory was a bit fuzzy."
Honestly, even though it was one of the most despair-inducing moments in all her life, to this day, Junko still had difficulty recalling the instant her memory had returned…and she killed both Yasuke and Ryoko Otonashi in one fell swoop! It had been a defining moment for her…and the fact that she barely remembered it was all the more despair-inducing!
"Sooooo glad I snapped this pic!" she said in her cutesy voice, giggling like a schoolgirl.
A bit curious as to what else might be on her phone, the Mastermind swiped her finger one last time and smiled at what she saw.
It was a group picture of her and all her classmates. They were sitting in their classroom, bright smiles on all their faces. Even Mukuro was there…which was kind of odd. Mukuro hated pictures…except when Makoto asked her to be in one. It was also ironic because, in this particular picture, Junko's face couldn't be seen at all. Her face was completely obscured by Taka saluting the camera, a fact that no one noticed until the picture had already been sent to their respect phones. However, the Fashionista had been utterly satisfied with it, having gotten to feel the despair of her beautiful visage being left out of what turned out to be their last class photo.
"The commemorative photo…" she reminded herself, recalling how Makoto had practically begged everyone to take a picture to commemorate completing their first year at Hope's Peak Academy. But for Junko Enoshima, it was commemorative in a very different way. "It was the end…and the beginning…but still the end…of all things hope!"
The very next day…the Worst, Most Tragic, Most Despair-Inducing Event occurred…just as Junko had planned. The world ended, she and her classmates were asked to forever remain inside the school, and her plan to annihilate hope for the sake of her Ultimate Despair began.
Strangely enough, seeing all these old photos really put things into perspective for the despair-loving woman.
"If the killing game had gone as I'd predicted, and the body count was at least two or three people by now…how much despair would I be feeling right now?" she genuinely asked herself, seriously considering the idea. "I mean, my classmates only get to die once, and if it's not satisfying…then what's the point? Plus, I can't deny that the suspense of not being able to predict something is despairingly fantastic!"
All her life, Junko could accurately predict what would come about based solely on observation and analysis. In fact, if she had to categorize herself, her original talent would have actually been as the Ultimate Analyst, the talent her mind-wiped self had possessed. The reason that skill had survived the mind-wipe was because it was her 'true' talent, though Junko loathed to admit it. Then again, the despair of knowing that her true talent wasn't despair made her despair even more!
However, for the second time in her life, her analytical talent was absolutely useless.
The first had been when she'd first met Izuru Kamakura, not knowing if she was even going to survive the encounter. But this time was completely different. Unlike with Izuru, who she calculated the possibility of being killed by, there had been no room for error in her little killing game! She'd planned everything out perfectly, inserted a second mole in case her sister failed her, and even had the failsafe of suffocating everyone if she got to bored! It was supposed to be the perfect stage for breeding a despair greater than the time she'd murdered Yasuke Matsuda!
More importantly, she didn't want this to go down like her original killing game involving Hope's Peak's student council. That had served other purposes…not to mention that it was over in a matter of minutes! She needed this game to last as long as possible! The tension, the anxiety, the palpable despair of watching her classmates slowly kill each other off was supposed to be the greatest euphoria of her life!
And yet, the situation was continually spiraling out of her control.
No one was dead…She had to create a bullying trial just to keep things interesting…Alter Ego was completely unexpected…Her sister had turned completely against her…Did she mention no one was dead yet…?
All of these things should have upset or discouraged Junko…but instead, they made her wet!
To have all her plans dismantled like this…the despair of having worked so hard just to completely lose the game she had created! It could potentially create a despair even greater than she'd imagined! That was the reason she'd allowed her sister to leave that obstruction in front of her bedroom camera, because it created an element of the unknown, something Junko couldn't completely predict! The despair of not-knowing what her sister was plotting contribute to the discovery of her true goal!
A despair that would transcend time and space! A despair that no one on this earth had ever experience before! A despair that would make her feel like a true human being!
"An Ultimate Despair that has no equal! That's what I want! And that's what they'll give me!" Junko shrieked as her hand trailed down toward her nether region, a euphoric grin stretching her lips to impossible degrees. "And it'll be all mine! A despair that will rival no other will be mine! Mark my words, by the end of this…I'll show the whole world the TRUE FACE OF DESPAIR!"
Cackling to herself as she reveled in her own madness, the Mastermind barely acknowledged the image of Kyoko on the lobby monitor, heading directly toward the bathhouse.
"…Well, that's unsettling," Kyoko whispered to herself as she stood in the bathhouse changing room.
To the untrained eye, nothing would seem out of the ordinary in the changing room. However, because the amnesiac girl had expected someone to come for Alter Ego during the night, she'd set up a specific precaution the night before.
A small piece of paper sat on the floor just beneath the locker housing the AI. Kyoko had placed it between the cracks of the locker door before closing it, keeping the paper stuck in place. Since the paper was now on the floor, it meant that someone had opened the locker door sometime during the night…and possibly accessed Alter Ego.
Raising a gloved hand to her chin, Kyoko audibly pondered, "If it were the Mastermind, they surely wouldn't have left the device intact…which means—".
The clicking of heeled boots interrupted her concentration and drew her attention over to the changing room entrance. Turing around swiftly, it was only a matter of seconds before Junko Enoshima entered, visibly startled by seeing Kyoko there ahead of her.
However, of the two of them, Kyoko certainly felt the most surprise as they stared each other down. The normally perfect hair that Junko was known for was disheveled and visible knotted, the bow tying up one of her pigtails was bent and the kitty hair clip on the opposite side was upside down. Also, her clothes were wrinkled and messy, completely out of character for the normally pristine looking Fashionista.
"Wh-Whoa, Kyoko! W-What are you doing here?" the Fashionista asked, more than a bit rattled.
Whether it was subconscious or not, Junko's hand reached up and tried to adjust her hair, simultaneously pressing her other hand against the wrinkles in her outfit. It meant that either she was more self-conscious of her appearance than she had previously stated, considering she'd given up on make-up entirely, or…she was nervous about something.
Unfortunately, there was no way for Kyoko to know the answer, and so she decided to note this for future reference before answering, "I came to check on Alter Ego. I'm guessing you came to do the same?"
"Yeah…" Junko replied with an audible yawn. "Barely slept a wink last night, too worried something might happen to me. How about you? Get any sleep?"
"Enough," the amnesiac girl swiftly replied. "By the way, did you hear anything last night?"
Raising an eyebrow, the Fashionista answered, "…No, not a peep actually. Then again, if Alter Ego had screamed, we both would have heard it, wouldn't we?"
Kyoko did her best to keep her gaze even, recognizing that Junko was potentially probing for information. It was cleverly disguised and her friendliness seemed genuine, which only raised Kyoko's concern. However, she knew that neither of them had time for scrutiny…especially since both of them had failed in their objective.
"I suppose that's true." Kyoko turned away from Junko and instead focused her gaze on the locker housing the laptop. "However, what if Alter Ego didn't have a reason to cry out for help?"
"…Do you think someone snuck in here last night?" the Fashionista suddenly asked, much to Kyoko's surprise.
Although she couldn't take of risk of looking back at her, Kyoko was positive that the Fashionista held the same determined visage she'd displayed yesterday. A visage that radiated not only confidence and power…but also forbidden knowledge. And while Kyoko felt confident that it wasn't Junko herself that had snuck in, something about the way the Fashionista easily picked up on her insinuations bothered her.
"High intelligence isn't exactly out of character for her…but she doesn't usually display it so readily. Is it a sign of respect or something else?"
Again realizing they were short on time, Kyoko walked over to the locker, bent down, and picked up the small paper that had come loose when whoever had snuck in opened the locker door. Shifting on the balls of her feet, she turned around and held up the paper, earning a confused expression from Junko.
"Last night, I placed this between the edges of the lockers door. When I arrived moments ago, it was on the floor…" Kyoko explained, during which Junko's eyes widened, obviously having figured it out already.
"Shit…" the Fashionista abruptly swore, her hands balling into fists. "Do you think the Mastermind found out about it? Or was it someone else?"
Reading the confusion in Junko's eyes and hearing the worry in her voice, Kyoko concluded without a doubt that she wasn't the one who had snuck in. However, the way she asked if it had been the Mastermind felt…off, as if she was expecting such an outcome. No…as if it were a guaranteed event rather than a conventional worry.
"Her words and actions continually makes her suspicious…but her genuine nature and earnest behavior make her difficult to read. I can see now why those fashion magazines were so enthralled with her…being able to be honest and yet keeping so much hidden."
As Kyoko furthered her analysis, she almost forgot that she'd been asked a question and hastened to answer it.
"If it were the Mastermind, I doubt that Alter Ego would still be here—".
"Which means that one of us snuck in here last night…" Junko somberly stated, unintentionally interrupting. Quickly realizing her mistake, the Fashionista continued, "Sorry, didn't mean to cut you off like that! It's all…just kind of a shock…"
"Indeed, it is…" Kyoko concurred with a small nod. "Speaking with Alter Ego would be the most direct way of finding out who was here. However, it seems that we've run out of time…"
Glancing up at the clock, and knowing that time was off the essence, Kyoko decided to quickly set up one last precaution before a familiar sound reverberated through the school.
*Ding*Dong*Bing*Bong*
Good morning from Hawaii everyone! Where you all are, it is now 7AM! Time to rise and shine like the beautiful tropical sun that none of you get to experience yet again today! Be sure be on your best behavior while I'm goooooone!
Finishing her preparation, Kyoko listened as the announcement completed, making her shift her gaze back toward her classmate. To her surprise, she found Junko glaring up at the monitor, grimacing while listening to the end of the message…as if something important to her had been lost just by hearing that announcement. Even though she knew it was risky, Kyoko couldn't stop herself from pursuing this new lead.
"You look upset. Did you have something you needed to do before the morning meeting?" she asked politely, trying to sound concerned but coming off far too inquisitive.
Shock overtook Junko's face as her gaze shot over to the lavender haired girl. However, almost instantly, her expression shifted to one of embarrassment.
"Yeah…I'm guessing you can already tell but…I'm kind of a mess." She gestured to her hair and clothes before letting out a deep sigh. "You see, I ended up waking up early and thought it was better to check on Alter Ego first but—".
"You wanted to clean up before the morning meeting but now there's no time," Kyoko cut her off this time, internal smirking at this small form of payback.
Rather than be upset, the Fashionista flashed one of her signature grins and said, "Boy, nothing gets by you, does it? But I guess that's to be expected. Your talent is pretty frightening, after all. Anyway, we'd better get going before Taka declares us tardy. No sense in both of us getting confined to our room, huh?"
Turning around and heading straight for the exit, there was no way for the Fashionista to see the expression of pure shock that over took Kyoko. Lowering her head, letting her lavender hair obscure her vision for a moment, the amnesiac girl glanced up and stared obsessively at the back of Junko's head…consumed by a single thought:
"My talent…is frightening? What talent is she referring to?"
"So, starting today, everyone will be required to follow through with this bathing schedule I've prepared for you all!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru proclaimed, his burning eyes and pure white hair an eternal sign of his authority. He had already passed around a sheet for everyone, detailing the times of the day the bathe would be dedicated to men or women.
Glancing around the room, he shouted, "I expect each and every one of you to pick a time and bathe yourself each and every day! When you finish, sign off on the check-sheet I've posted in the changing room! If I find that someone has failed to bathe, I will personally see to their punishment myself! Now then, does anyone else have any pressing matters?"
As usual, everyone remained silent. No one had the gall to tell him that his bathing plan was flawed. Anyone could just sign off on his check-sheet without actually bathing, a fact that Toko was quick to mentally note. Then again, there was no point in arguing or discussing anything with Taka at this point. He would use his newfound authority to overrule any suggestions or ideas he disagreed with, which made conversing with him utterly pointless. It had been difficult at first, but soon the students had fallen into an uneasy rhythm.
Each morning meeting, the Disciplinary Chairman would ramble on for a while and then he'd ask if anyone had questions. When no one presented any, he'd excuse himself to wander the halls, 'patrolling for delinquents' he often called it. During that time, the students were afforded a brief moment of peace to eat their breakfast.
This morning probably wouldn't be any different, any moment now the Disciplinary Committee Chairman would announce his intention to leave—
"Very well then! Dismissed!" Taka faithfully reply, standing up as if preparing to leave.
However, much to everyone's shock, instead of heading directly for the door, the Moral Compass retreated to one of the back tables, taking a seat and silently observing the class.
It was unsettling, to say the least, considering he'd never acted that way before. However, it was easy to surmise why he was acting strangely. After yesterday's incident with finding them all in the bathhouse, he was undoubtedly suspicious of absolutely everyone. For even though he seemed to believe the lie Celeste had concocted for him, it seemed that he still had his doubts.
Because of that, a wave of uneasiness spread through the class as they were forced to keep a close watch over what they said and did while in his presence.
"So…what's everyone got planned for today?" Hina broke the silence, trying to make the situation just a bit less awkward.
"I'm not too sure," Makoto answered, doing is best to smile despite his nervousness. The lucky student glanced over his shoulder and as his eyes made contact with Taka, the Moral Compass shifted his gaze to glare at him. Grimacing and sweating, Makoto laughed apprehensively and said, "Probably just…hanging out and stuff!"
"Whose gonna bring Mondo his breakfast?" Junko suddenly asked, all eyes shifting over to her. "I mean, I'd do it myself…but I'm kind of under house arrest."
Surprisingly, the Fashionista didn't send a glare Taka's way while she commented on her 'imprisonment'. No doubt she wanted to, but she probably knew it would do far more harm than good. Instead, she continued to look from classmate to classmate, searching for a volunteer.
"I'll do it," Leon finally stepped up, having finished his breakfast consisting of bacon and eggs. "I'm not sure what to make him though…we've been out of bread for a while…for some reason."
The baseball star seemed to almost seethe as he relayed that information, glaring at the camera and silently cursing their captor for only stocking specific food items for the past few days. In the midst of his sneering, the Fashionista called out to him.
"Pancakes," Junko informed him, making him snap his head over to her. "He's a big fan of pancakes."
Sighing, the baseball star picked up his plate and stood up. When he did, he glanced down at Sayaka, who'd yet to finish her meal. She was eating a lot more slowly than before she'd been injured but at least she was able to keep food down without any issues, something that had worried Leon when she'd first regained her appetite.
"Did you wanna come with?" he asked the pop idol, being very patient and mindful of her condition.
Taking a moment to consider, Sayaka let a concerned expression mar her features.
"Actually…I was kind of hoping to get in a bath today," she said carefully before looking up at him. Picking up the sheet of paper with the bath schedule on it, she pointed at the current time and continued, "Since it's the girl's time to bathe right now. I can get that out of the way while you're taking care of Mondo."
Despite the simple request, her eyes were fairly serious, and Leon almost instantly figured out why. Neither of them had gotten to meet Alter Ego yet. Mondo had told them about it when he'd returned from the bath, and mentioned that Makoto planned to take them there later. However, with Taka's new bathing schedule, they most likely wouldn't have the chance to meet the AI together. Thus, it seemed Sayaka was taking the initiative, which Leon both admired and feared about her.
Nevertheless, he trusted her judgment and replied, "Sounds good! I'll meet up with you afterward then!"
"I'll help you out," Makoto offered to Leon, nervously scratching his head. "I don't really have anything else planned today."
With that settled, Sayaka beamed at them before smiling at her female classmates and saying, "Would any of you girls care to join me? It would be kind of awkward to be in there by myself."
Her smile was genuine, but behind her eyes, there was a sense of apprehension. Whether her classmates noticed it or not, Sayaka was being incredibly brave. Of course, none of them had forgotten what she'd done…how could they? But despite that, instead of cowering and letting her mistake consume her, she was trying to move forward. The pop idol was trying to be friendly and prove that she had nothing to hide from them. She wanted to show them that people could change…even someone as despicable as she had once been.
More than anything else…she wanted to genuinely befriend them. She was tired of constantly being afraid every time one of her classmates glanced her way. She wanted to be able to laugh and smile with them…like she had been able to when this whole affair had started. And despite the fact that she had spent most of her with Makoto at the start, she couldn't deny that she wanted to make some female friends…considering that, besides her bandmates, she didn't really have many friends in general.
And so, even though she was slightly trembling, fearful of their potentially hateful responses, she still extended the olive branch out to them…hoping there might be a chance for forgiveness.
Unfortunately, at the mention of the bath, both Hina and Celeste averted their gazes while Toko openly scoffed at her, biting her thumb and turning away.
"N-No way! I-I'm not going near the bath…I have a promise to keep!" the writing prodigy outright declined, causing a bit of confusion as to what promise she was talking about. And for some reason, her apprehension seemed to be shared with Hina and Celeste.
"Sorry," the swimmer abruptly said, her voice low. "I'm not really up for bathing right now…"
"I'm afraid I must decline as well. I just applied my make-up and I do not wish to reapply it so early," the gambler informed her, a sickly sweet smile on her porcelain face.
At the same time, Sakura looked to the pop idol apologetically and said, "I apologize, but I'm afraid I planned on exercising this morning. Perhaps we could make arrangements for later?"
Their subtle refusal stung Sayaka, but she kept a bright smile despite that. She shouldn't have been surprised, bathing with a potential murderer would be nerve-wracking for anyone.
"No problem! I don't want you to feel obligated or anything," she said carefully, not wanting to sound disappointed. "I can go by myself if—".
"I'll go with you."
Everyone was shocked as Kyoko volunteered herself. Her visage was as stoic as always, but she seemed serious about the offer. And although Sayaka knew that Kyoko wasn't the type to do anything out of pity, that didn't mean that she didn't have an alternative motive for offering to bathe with her.
More than likely, Kyoko wanted to keep watch over Alter Ego, and this would be the most convenient way. It kind of stung Sayaka even more, with how obvious it was that her classmate had an ulterior motive, but she put on a pleasant face regardless.
"That sounds great! So, just the two of us then?" Sayaka said as cheerfully as possible, masking her mild disappoint as much as possible.
To this, Junko audibly sighed before dismissively waving her hand. "Honestly, I'd love to join you two, but I doubt His Highness would allow it," she commented, tilting her head toward the Disciplinary Committee Chairman.
Sayaka's heart sank, having hoped that Junko would have been able to bathe with them. In truth, she had secretly been hoping that Junko would come along with her. There hadn't been much time for them to chat since the last trial and the pop idol had a lot she wanted to say to the Fashionista.
Just as she resigned herself to bathing only with Kyoko, an authoritative voice called out, "In light of the fact that the girls were unable to bathe yesterday due to…complications, I would be willing to allow a short bathing session."
Nearly the entire class snapped their gazes over to Taka as he made that proclamation, but none were more surprised than Junko herself. But more than surprise, a hint of fear draped across her features…
"S-Seriously?! I-I wasn't expected you to—".
"Do not misunderstand me!" the Disciplinary Committee Chairman shouted, shooting to his feet and pointing at her. "I am merely being generous because the girls were unable to bathe yesterday! Normally, I would relegate you to showering in your room but, in light of your compliance and willingness to cooperate with your punishment, this one time, I will allow you to bathe with them! However, after that point, I expect you to return to your room! And if you demonstrate good behavior, I would be willing to allow more trips to the bath, provided you show improvement in your attitude! I hope you appreciate my leniency!"
Thoroughly stunned, the Fashionista's hand unconsciously reached up and patted her hair, a growing concern evident in her eyes. As she opened her mouth to reply, she was drowned out by an enthusiastic shout.
"That's fantastic!" Sayaka jubilantly exclaimed, beaming as she looked at Junko. "I'm glad that we'll be able to spend some girl time together!"
Even though Junko appeared slightly conflicted for a moment, it all vanished as Sayaka made that proclamation. Steeling herself, as if her life depended on it, the Fashionista returned the gesture, rose to her feet and fist pumped.
"Alright then! Let's head for the bath!"
As slowly and carefully as she needed to, Sayaka joined her in standing, as did Kyoko, and together they headed for the cafeteria exit. Taka watched them like a hawk as walked together, and just before they pushed open the door, the Moral Compass slightly scoffed and said, "A proper show of gratitude for my acquiescence would be appreciated, Junko Enoshima!"
The girls grinded to a halt, with Junko snapping her face toward him. She must have realized how fragile of a chance this was, however, so she refrained from making a snarky comment in favor of smiling sweetly. Bowing deeply to him, she knew exactly the right words to respond with.
"Thank you so much, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru. I won't waste this chance!"
Her voice oozed sweetness so thick you could swim in it. And while even Taka realized she was merely putting on airs, she had done exactly as he'd requested. In light of that, the Moral Compass nodded to her and replied, "Indeed. Enjoy the bath."
Rising from her bow, she flashed him a genuine smirk before following Sayaka and Kyoko out into the hallway.
Not an instant passed since their departure that Hina let out an audible sigh, "Well…I guess I'll head for the pool. I wanna get a few laps in." She turned to Celeste with a hopeful expression and asked, "Do you wanna come with? It'd be great to spend more time together!"
Celeste smiled pleasantly at the invitation and replied, "That sounds delightful. Let us be off then."
"I'll accompany you as far as the locker rooms.," Sakura said to them, all three of them preparing to leave. "It is time for me to resume my weight training, anyway."
Nodding to her, Celeste and Hina followed her out of the cafeteria and presumably toward the stairs leading to the second floor. Until they were out of sight, Taka kept his keen eyes trained on them, watching for anything suspicious. After they'd gone, he turned his gaze back to the rest of the class, observing them carefully.
Not long after Hina, Celeste and Sakura departed, everyone else stood up, preparing to go their separate ways.
Leon and Makoto headed for the kitchen in order to make Mondo his breakfast. Byakuya wordlessly left the cafeteria, glancing over his shoulder and scowling as he noticed Toko dutifully following after him. The instant he reached the hallway, he increased his speed but was careful not to run, as Taka was still within his field of view. Despite his faster pace, the writing prodigy eagerly stalked after him, a perverse grin on her face. Hifumi also departed, a bit of a sad expression on his face as he momentarily glanced toward the bathhouse. Hiro left as well, muttering about visiting the Rec Room.
Left completely alone in the cafeteria, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru pressed his knuckles to his lips in thought.
"…Perhaps they are not as deceitful as I had imagined."
"So…where is this computer AI thing?" Sayaka asked immediately upon entering the changing room.
Beneath her guise, Mukuro felt a bit surprised. She figured that everyone must have seen Alter Ego by now, but realized that by the time the boys got out of the bath, there may not have been a good time to meet the AI without Taka discovering them.
"Oh, you haven't seen it yet? I figured Makoto would have showed it to you by now," Mukuro said with a smile, looping her arm around Sayaka's shoulder and edging her toward the lockers. "Then again, you were on guard duty, so it's not unexpected. Welp, not a big deal. It's right—".
"No."
Both of them froze as Kyoko practically materialized in front of them, a deadly serious expression marring her features. She stood between them and the lockers, an immovable obstacle that neither of them had the power to conquer. Well, Mukuro could have easily forced the amnesiac detective to move, but that would defeat the purpose of keeping a low profile.
At the same time, the soldier didn't appreciate the fact that Kyoko wasn't willing to let Sayaka meet Alter Ego. The pop idol had just as much of a right to see the AI as anyone else, and just because the detective was being protective of the laptop didn't mean—
"Wait…is that why she invited herself to come along? To keep Sayaka from trying to access Alter Ego?"
A hint of anger bubbled up inside Mukuro as she thought that. It made sense, unfortunately. Kyoko never did anything without reason and try as she might, the soldier just couldn't imagine a reason as to why the amnesiac detective would suddenly want to bathe with Sayaka. Ever since the first trial, the two of them had hardly spoken a word to each other. In fact, Mukuro had half a mind to bet that Kyoko, while not wishing for any harm to come to Sayaka, held a bit of a grudge against the pop idol for almost starting the killing. And because she could be even more unreadable than Junko, the soldier had absolutely no idea what went on inside the lavender haired girl's head.
Suddenly, Kyoko took a step toward both of them, standing only a few inches from them.
Both Sayaka and Mukuro were startled but quickly understood when the lavender haired girl whispered carefully, "I don't have an issue with you wanting to meet Alter Ego. However, with the chance of certain individuals possibly listening in, I suggest you wait for a more opportune moment."
Her lavender eyes flicked over to the entrance, and Mukuro instantly understood. There was no way to know if either Taka or the Mastermind could be listening in on them. They needed to be careful and make sure Alter Ego wasn't discovered, at least until all of the files on the computer were analyzed and conveyed to all of them.
However, Sayaka probably wouldn't understand that, considering that she wasn't present when—
"Got it," the pop idol abruptly nodded. "Taka aside, we shouldn't let the Mastermind know what we're up to."
For the first time, both Mukuro and Kyoko shared an expression of surprise as Sayaka acquiesced. Of the two of them, the soldier felt the most shocked, never having expected the pop idol to understand so completely.
"W-Wait…how did you—?" she tried to ask before Sayaka turned to her with a fiercely serious visage.
"Didn't you know? I'm psychic…" Again, shock was all Mukuro or Kyoko could register as she answered. However, less than a second later, the pop idol let out a bright smirk and said, "Kidding! I just have really good intuition."
As her joke landed, Mukuro couldn't stop the laughter that arose. It had been a long time since she'd heard Sayaka use that line, but this was the first time it had ever been used on her! The shock and awe of the pop idol's intuition was almost frightening, but it also helped relieve some much needed tension.
"Jeez! You really had me going there for a second!" Mukuro said with a laugh, making Sayaka beam even more brightly.
"Ah…so that's where he got it from," Kyoko whispered to herself, drawing a bit of attention from the pop idol.
"Hmm? Did you say something?" she asked, clearly not hearing what she'd said.
"It's nothing," the lavender haired girl assured her, a ghost of a smile on her face. "Anyway, shall we change?"
"Sure! I'm really looking forward to getting into the bath," Sayaka said cheerfully, already untying the bow from her outfit. Kyoko nodded and began to undress herself as well, grabbing a basket to deposit her clothes in.
As her two classmates began to disrobe, Mukuro felt a sense of foreboding, hesitating to undress. Even though their memories had been erased, there was no telling what small event might trigger some kind of recovery. Junko had warned her about that, because while the memory erasure process was thorough, it was far from perfect. If the despair-loving twin hadn't of killed Matsuda when she did, he might have perfected it…but that wasn't the issue right now. The issue gnawing at her mind was the fear that seeing her naked might make the other girls realize that she wasn't what she appeared to be!
Despite how proud she was of her physique, no matter how you looked at her, she just didn't have a typical 'Fashionista' type body. Her breasts were modest, and her hips weren't very wide. Not to mention the freckles that littered her face. And then there was the matter of her wig! Sure, she could probably just wrap it in a towel but she had no idea how to properly do that! Never mind the fact that the tangled mess of pink was an utter mess right now, which would make it harder to explain why she didn't want to wash it!
Regardless, Mukuro's hands slightly trembled as she reached up to unbutton her blouse, knowing that there was nothing she could do to deny her fate. She just had to pray that neither of them noticed—
"Junko? Are you alright?" Sayaka called out to her.
Snapping back to attention, the soldier turned her attention behind her and answered, "Uh, yeah! Just having a bit of…trouble…"
Mukuro lost the ability to respond as glanced behind her. Sayaka held a wad of unwrapped bandages, which had only moments ago been plastered over her stomach wound. She was completely nude, aside from the few bandages left on her abdomen, carefully working to unravel the slightly darkened strips. Bit of pink littered what should have been white on the strips, and Mukuro couldn't stop herself from staring.
Sayaka, however, must have noticed the soldier's gaze, smirking as she chided, "Trying to sneak a peek? I never would have considered you to be one of my stalkers."
Flabbergasted, Mukuro sputtered, "W-What?! I wasn't sneaking a peek! I was just surprised at how much you've recovered! Besides…your boobs aren't that much bigger…"
"Really?" the pop idol mischievously replied, pushing her chest out a bit. "Do you want to compare?"
Scoffing at the challenge, and knowing she'd lose, Mukuro waved her hand and said, "No thanks. Besides, I don't need sweater puppies like those getting the way."
"Oh yeah, turning on the catwalk must be so difficult for large breasted women," Sayaka mockingly teased, continuing to slowly unwrap her bandages. At the same time, she smirked at the soldier and said, "You sure you're not just jealous?"
Feeling her face flush, Mukuro abruptly averted her gaze. "O-Of course not! What do I have to be jealous of? I'm proud of my body…it's not like I want the editors from my agency to alter my proportions for their magazines…"
There was a soft silence for a moment before Sayaka responded, "…I'm sorry. That was horrible of me to suggest…I was just teasing but I guess I was actually being pretty insensitive…sorry."
Mukuro breathed a quick sigh of relief, knowing that her diversion from the subject had worked perfectly. Since she had already told everyone, aside from Sayaka now that she thought about it, that her appearance was supposedly altered for magazines, it was an easy lie to make use of. Plus, it was far better than any of them realizing that it was her sister on those magazines…
But, she also didn't want to upset her classmate, so she turned back to her and added, "Hey, it's no big deal. I overreacted, so—".
"My manager once forced me to lose ten pounds for a performance," the saddened voice of Sayaka interrupting, a heartbreaking expression on her normally bright face. "I struggled, hardly ate anything for almost a month, but I lost the weight…and then collapsed just after the performance. The doctors said that I almost died from starvation…and my manager scolded me for having to take time off work to recover…"
Despite herself, Mukuro's eyes became as big as saucers as she heard that story. And while she'd certainly seen and heard far worse, considering everything Junko had made her do, it still shocked her that such a horrific thing had happened to such a sweet girl. Yeah, Sayaka was no angel, they all knew that, but she certainly wasn't evil…that right belonged entirely to Junko…and a little to herself by association…
"That's horrible! It was your manager's fault in the first place!" the disguised girl said to her classmate, genuine anger in her voice. "How could they do something like that to you?! If my manager tried to pull shit like that with me, I'd have nailed him to a fucking wall!"
Sayaka abruptly looked up at her with surprise on her face. "Wait…you mean your manager has never asked you to lose weight? Not even for one of your fashion shows?"
Mukuro inwardly flinched, knowing she might have just blown her cover. Thinking quickly, especially because she wasn't sure if Kyoko was listening in or not…she probably was…the soldier placed her hands on her hips and answered, "This may come as a shock to you, but I've actually got the perfect figure for modeling! Make-up and junk help hide some of the imperfections but beyond that, I've always been perfect for every event I've been in! Or did you forget that I'm the Ultimate Fashionista?!"
She heavily accented the title she pretended to have, praying that her enthusiasm would be enough to convince her classmates of her claim. A bit of quiet followed her statement before a snicker came from Sayaka's direction.
"Wow, I'm totally jealous!" the pop idol sincerely told her, stifling a laugh. "But now I'm kinda curious as to what a perfect model's body looks like. Care to give me a looksee?"
Knowing she was being teased this time, Mukuro rubbed her thumb and fingers together and said, "It's gonna cost you…"
"Oh, I didn't know you were in that kind of business."
Mukuro and Sayaka were startled when Kyoko abruptly entered their conversation. They turned to see her, clad only in a large bath towel, the ribbon that was usually tied into her long, braided, lavender hair being used to tie all of her hair back in a ponytail. As she walked toward them, she held a completely stoic expression on her face. Honestly, Mukuro wasn't sure if she had actually made a joke there, considering the amnesiac detective's normally serious demeanor. It felt like a joke but she just couldn't be sure…
"Is that your idea of a joke?" Mukuro teasingly asked, testing the waters a bit. When she didn't respond, the soldier felt the need to mess with her a bit. "Or do you want to know for personal reasons?"
"Not really. I was just curious…" Kyoko answered, somehow sounding serious but joking at the same time. The mood in the room dampened by that exchange, with both Mukuro and Kyoko awkwardly averting their gazes. Pushing past her own joke, the lavender haired girl glanced between the two of them and said, "We should hurry, we have a limited amount of time to bathe."
"Crap, that's right! Taka's schedule!" Mukuro said aloud, glancing at the clock. "Well, we've got another hour. That should be plenty of time."
"Actually, why don't you go on ahead, Kyoko?" Sayaka offered, obviously trying to be considerate. Kyoko gave her a sideways glance but said nothing as the pop idol pulled off more of her bandages and continued, "Because of these, it takes me a bit longer to get undressed."
"It's fine," the lavender haired girl responded quickly, taking a seat on a bench. "I don't mind waiting."
"O-Oh…okay," the pop idol answered, still working on getting out of her bandages. "Sorry for making you wait…"
Instantly feeling a bit embarrassed because she still hadn't changed out of her clothes, the soldier shook her head and said, "N-No, take your time! I'm the one holding both of you up!"
As quickly but cautiously as she could, Mukuro began to undress, tossing her blouse and skirt into a nearby basket. After discarding her undergarments and wrapping a towel around herself, she took another towel and carefully wrapped it around her wig, doing her best to tie it up correctly so that it would stay. It took a few tries but eventually she managed to get it all wrapped up tightly before she turned to see Sayaka only just finishing unraveling all of her bandages.
No matter how hard she tried, Mukuro couldn't stop herself from grimacing at the long jagged wound on Sayaka's abdomen. It stretched from just below her breasts all the way down to her waist. Just the sight of it made the soldier's body tingle uncomfortably, slowly glancing down at her own scarred hand.
It was then that Mukuro noticed that Kyoko had elected to leave her gloves on, despite going into the bath. And while she didn't exactly blame the detective for wanting to keep such horrific burns a secret, she still felt it was a bit odd.
"Something wrong?"
Mukuro tensed as she heard Kyoko speak to her, realizing that she'd been staring at the detective's hands, which she'd obviously noticed. Quickly regaining her composure, the disguised soldier said, "I was just wondering if you were going to take your gloves off. I mean, how are you supposed to clean them like that!"
It was an underhanded move to call her out on such a thing, Mukuro knew that. However, she couldn't deny that any normal person who saw their classmate going into a bathhouse with gloves on their hands would have said the same. Perhaps that was why Kyoko didn't seem as perturbed as she might have been, considering that she wanted to keep her charred hands a secret.
Glancing down at her own gloved hands, Kyoko seemed to wrestle with her own thoughts before answering, "…Is it any of your business?"
A bit startled by her harsh tone, Mukuro waved her hands and said, "No…I guess it isn't."
An awkward silence hung between the two of them for a moment before a cheerful voice said, "Alright! I'm ready! Sorry for making you both wait!" The girls turned to see Sayaka, dressed only in a bath towel, standing before them. Her smile widened as she finished, "Shall we?"
Without a word, Mukuro and Kyoko nodded and stood up before all three of them entered the bathhouse. Regretfully, none of them noticed the figure lurking just outside the changing room door…
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! We got quite a bit more about a few different characters today, didn't we? But who was the mysterious figure outside the bathhouse? And what are they after? Do we have another peeping session or has someone come to claim Alter Ego? Tune in to the next chapter to find out!
Now, I want to address something that many of you have already pointed out: Chapter 3 is dragging. I know that, and while it wasn't intentional, the potential for the story as a whole made this chapter unusually long. However, I promise you, the climax of his Chapter is forthcoming. The next few 'Acts' will roll right into the conflict and I certainly hope you will enjoy the end of this Chapter.
As always, I appreciate each and every review/comment that I get! So if you have any questions, concerns, comments, fears, tears, traumas, phobia, anything of the sort, don't be afraid to ask me. I will do my best to respond as quickly as possible! Thanks again!
Until next time, keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!