02
YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT?
"...Okay, funny joke!" Hanako chuckles nervously, "Whoever is in charge of this psychotic teddy bear, you can come out now!" That's just ketchup, right? Her feet continue to tap against the cold gym floor, a futile attempt to ward off the mounting unease. She looks around, hoping for someone to pop out and say 'Hey! You were right! This is just a harmless joke!'
"I doubt this is a joke..." Akimitsu's weariness is etched onto his face, his trembling body betraying the weight of the situation. "This isn't a funny p-prank at all…" His words, laden with exhaustion, echo the collective sentiment that this is no mere prank but a terrifying reality.
"...We're just hallucinating, right?" Yosuke swallows nervously, a hot lump of saliva crawling down his burning throat as he tightly shuts his eyes. "...Right, this is just a dream...There's no way..."
The gymnasium feels oppressive, suffused with an air of foreboding. The walls seem to close in, pressing against our senses, and intensifying our anxiety.
"No, this isn't a hallucination," The purple-haired girl beside Keiko replies, glancing at the brown-haired male. "This isn't an illusion either. Illusions aren't meant to work this way. They aren't supposed to scare you." She says, and to be honest, I'm kind of surprised.
Yosuke opens his eyes, the flicker of denial fading into a resigned acceptance. The truth stares back at him, etched in Monokuma's relentless gaze. "Okay…! This is real, heh..!" He admits with a nervous chuckle, his voice quivering with a mix of fear and determination.
Monokuma giggles.
Another giggle escaped from him.
And another,
and another.
His laughter pierced through the air, his giggles echoing with a chilling mix of sadism and amusement. Each chuckle seemed to mock the gravity of the situation, intensifying the sense of unease that hung in the room.
"Why the hell are you laughing?! Do you think this is a fucking joke, you asshole?!" Kenji's voice erupted with raw anger, his words reverberating in the air. Hisa's attempt to calm him down was met with limited success, as frustration and disbelief coursed through their veins.
"Calm down, Kenji!" Katashi's voice rang out, desperate for composure in the face of overwhelming circumstances.
"I mean, it is kinda funny in a way..." Hanako's snicker cut through the tension, her words met with disbelieving stares from those around her, especially Akimitsu, who regarded her with a mixture of confusion and concern.
"Oh yeah, I think this is hilarious! Hysterical, even! Even the look on your faces is priceless!" Monokuma continues to laugh, his twisted amusement filling the room.
"Are you freaking insane!?" Keiko yells, her raspy voice reverberating in the gym. "Do you expect us to kill each other just like that!? In your frickin' dreams!" From beside her, Midori aggressively nods her head in agreement. "You're fucking delusional!" The greenette vehemently declares. "If you think we're going to attempt a shitty murder against someone, then you're so fucking sorely mistaken!"
"Yeah! Someone will find out that we're missing! They'll call the authorities!" Rina's voice trembles with desperation as her wispy blonde bangs fly onto her face.
"I wouldn't count on it," Hisa responds, her deep voice filled with a somber realization. "Given the current situation outside, it's unlikely anyone will notice our absence. Their attention is consumed by... you know." Her voice trails off, the unspoken truth hanging heavily in the air.
I know what she means; my heart sinks.
"B-But still, someone has to come and find us, right!?" Misumi's voice quivers with a glimmer of hope, her eyes filled with worry. "Everything appears to be blocked, so no. I highly doubt that." Ryuto responds, his tone tinged with resignation.
"N-no...you...this can't..be happening," Hitomi lets out a shaky breath, chuckling to herself as she tries to deny the fact that a frickin ' teddy bear kidnapped us and expected us to slaughter each other without hesitation. "...This is...just a joke, right...?"
Ryuto's arms crossed firmly over his chest, his expression was stern. "This isn't a joke," He asserts, his voice carrying a weight of conviction. "The bear is being serious."
A smirk tugs at the corner of Kiro's lips as he interjects, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. "I, for one, find it rather humorous."
"This isn't fucking funny, Kiro!" Kenji snarls in reply.
In an instant, the piercing sound of gunshots echoes through the air, sending shockwaves of panic through our bodies. My instincts kick in, and I instinctively cower on the floor, joining the chorus of terrified screams from my classmates as they reverberate off the walls, intertwining into a cacophony of raw fear.
Silence follows, a silence so thick and suffocating that it feels like a tomb.
I slowly raise my gaze, surveying the room and taking in the sight of my fellow students. Fear glimmers in their eyes, sweat trickling down their foreheads as they desperately try to convince themselves that this cannot be happening. They are trapped in the clutches of this nightmare, consumed by terror.
My eyes landed on the ravenette who was standing with her gun, which was pointing toward the ceiling. Her eyes are cold, sending shivers down my spine — shivers that feel icy and gut-wrenching.
I swallow hard, a bead of sweat trickling down my forehead. Holy fuck, this is real.
"...How many times does he have to tell you? Shut your mouths and let him speak," Her voice slices through the air, firm and seething with anger.
She's pissed.
"S-sorry-" Akimitsu stammered, his voice filled with remorse, but Hanako nudged his shoulder, silently urging her brother not to apologize.
Monokuma clears his throat, his gaze shifting towards Mukuro. "Thank you, Mukuro! It's good to see someone here with a shred of respect," he remarks, his eerie red eye fixating on the rest of us. The intensity of his gaze causes dryness to form in my throat, and I nervously swallow.
"I wanna go home..!" Emiko's voice trembles with desperation as she quietly wails, seeking comfort from Katashi, who tries his best to soothe her by rubbing her back. "I don't wanna be here..! I wanna go home!"
Silence lingers in the air, thick and suffocating. No words escape our quivering lips.
Taking a deep breath, Yasu musters the courage to break the oppressive silence. His voice quivers as he speaks, a mix of fear and anxiety palpable in his words. "...So, um, Monokuma, right?" Yasu hesitantly raises his hand, his entire body trembling. "...You really won't let us leave unless we...unless we kill someone?" His breath comes in short, erratic gasps. He's afraid — afraid of the consequences that await us if we refuse to follow the rules.
"Eeeyup!" Monokuma snickers, his laughter filled with sadistic delight.
"What if we refuse?" I ask.
"Well, I won't force you to do anything. The choice is entirely up to you!" Monokuma's grin widens, his voice dripping with malice. "But I must warn you, I don't recommend it unless you want to spend the next forty years trapped here..." The bear's laughter grows even more chilling, echoing through the room.
"I-I...don't want to stay here for forty years..!" Hitomi's voice quivers as she responds, tears streaming down her reddened face.
"You're fucking sick, asshole," Kenji growls, "...Seriously, you're so sick.."
Hisa grasps his shoulder and shakes her head. "Don't," She softly whispers, her voice filled with caution.
"Aww, maybe I went a little over the top," Monokuma sighs, his tone feigning remorse. A little? This is way past the top — you're already at Mount Everest. "But where's the fun if I don't push the limits a bit, right?" His whining tone only adds to the twisted nature of his character.
"S-So, can we go now!?" Misumi's hopeful voice fills the air, her relief evident in her faint smile. "Heck to the NO!" The bear cackles, his tone dripping with sadistic glee. "I'm only joking with ya! I won't let you leave unless you kill someone! That's final!"
"Hold on, you expect us to kill each other just so we can escape?" Chizuki's voice is filled with disbelief, her brows furrowed in confusion. "So you're keeping us in here until one of us does it?"
"Correct-a-Mundo, kid!" Monokuma's laughter echoes through the room, his satisfaction palpable.
"And how exactly do you expect us to kill another?" Kiro's voice is laced with defiance, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Does it even matter to you?"
"There are many methods you can use to put your victim to death, including blunt weapons, stabs, beatings, burning, crushing, strangling, or even shooting them! It doesn't matter how you kill," The bear continues to speak, snickering. "As long as you get the job done, then that's all that matters, right!? Nyuk nyuk... " He giggles, enjoying the thought of us murdering — slaughtering each other until there was nothing left; not even the tiny droplets of our sickening blood.
The room falls into an eerie silence, broken only by Monokuma's disturbing laughter. His words hang in the air like a heavy fog, enveloping us in a suffocating atmosphere of despair. The gravity of the situation becomes even more apparent, as we realize the depths of his sadistic intentions.
"No... this can't be real," Akimitsu mutters, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You're insane," Keiko breathes erratically. "You're absolutely insane."
I bit my bottom lip; nervousness began to churn in my stomach. How...why...why did it come to this..!?
"Okay, okay," Yosuke began, hesitant. "M-Maybe, we can make a deal..?" He says, chuckling nervously beneath his words. I can tell he feels pressured, especially because of the way Kenji is murderously glaring at him right now. He's so ready to kill him. "...Say, we don't necessarily have to murder someone — Do you want something out of this?" He says, his gaze was cautious.
"You're going to...negotiate with him..?" Chizuki's voice is filled with concern.
"Are you stupid!? Don't even try to negotiate with him, the bear is frickin' crazy!" Emiko's frustration boils over, her voice laced with anger. "Do you seriously think he'll accept whatever lame ideas you have going on in your head!?" She snarls.
"I doubt that'll work, anyway," Ryuto comments with a hint of skepticism. "He doesn't seem like the type who'd enjoy a luxurious life."
"Hey!" Monokuma lets out an exasperated huff, clearly irritated by the remark. "Who says I can't appreciate the finer things in life? I have my own standards, you know!"
Interrupting the tense atmosphere, Yosuke suddenly blurts out, "Hey, Yosei! You got any money!?" His voice carries a mix of desperation and hope.
Yosei, taken aback by the sudden question, instinctively covers his face with his cape, his cheeks turning slightly flushed. He's caught off guard. Ah, he doesn't have any, does he? "N-No. I do not have any at the moment," he stammers, his voice trembling with both embarrassment and determination. "Either way, I refuse to share my spare money with some... fiend who has malicious intentions."
"K-Keiko, don't you have money!?" Misumi exclaims, her voice filled with desperation. Keiko vigorously shakes her head, her expression resolute as she refuses to share.
"I-I can share some of mine! My mother recently got her paycheck, and she spared me some so I can use it to buy more sewing kits, but I-I can give it to you!" Rina's voice quivers with anxiety as she reaches into her pockets, desperate to contribute any amount of money, no matter how small. Her selflessness shines through her actions. "...I-I never planned on using it anyway! Here, take it!"
"Wait, are you sure that's a good idea?" Hisa asks.
Rina hesitates for a moment, her hand still extended with the money. With a resolute nod, she replies, "I want to do whatever I can to find a way out of this, Hisa. If this can help, even in the slightest, then it's worth it."
The purple-haired girl next to Keiko steps next to the blonde, "I have some too." She reveals a handful of — Wait, a hundred dollar bills!?
The unexpected display of wealth raises eyebrows and sparks a chorus of disbelief.
"Wait, you're ACTUALLY GIVING HIM SOME!? " Yosuke exclaims, clearly taken aback by Sonomi's gesture.
Hanako, on the other hand, finds amusement in the situation. She chuckles and gives Sonomi a warm smile. "How sweet! I never would've guessed that you had a soft side, Sonomi...You're so nice!"
Akimitsu sighs and mutters under his breath, "Yeah... nice ."
Silence lingers in the air, and a droplet of sweat trickles down my forehead. My stomach churns, and I find myself biting my bottom lip. The taste of blood lingers in the corner of my tongue, and it's bitter.
"Ha," Midori scoffs, "I wasn't expecting the Talented students to actually be the Ultimate Dumbasses," The greenette huffs, her eyes scanning the room with a mix of frustration and disappointment. Several students exchange glances, their expressions turning from surprise to annoyance. "Do you seriously think money is gonna work against him, idiots? Think again." She snarls.
Midori's biting remark cuts through the tension in the room, provoking a mix of indignation and frustration among the students. Her blunt attitude clashes with the desperate hope that had momentarily flickered within us upon seeing Sonomi's display of wealth.
"And you, Sonomi, think your wads of cash will impress that sadistic bear? You're fucking stupid!" Midori's voice rises, her words laced with anger. "Do you honestly believe throwing money at him will solve anything, you idiot? Wake up! We're dealing with a twisted psychopath!"
"Hey, cut it out!" Keiko growls.
Sonomi's face flushes with a mix of embarrassment and defensiveness. "I-I just thought maybe... maybe we could find a way out of this…m-maybe we could appeal to his greed or something-"
"Appeal to his greed? Seriously?" Midori's voice drips with sarcasm. "He's not motivated by money, you stupid bitch! He revels in our suffering! Your little show of wealth means nothing to him! He doesn't give a shit!"
"Hey, watch your mouth, you bitch!" Kenji snaps, his fists clenched tightly as he steps towards the greenette. "We're all just trying to fucking survive here, so stop bitching!"
Midori's face flushes with anger, "Excuse me?!-"
"Stop it," Hisa interjects, her voice calm but firm. She grasps Kenji's arm, pulling the furious boy away from the fiery greenette. "Kenji's right, we need to stick together and find a way to overcome this situation."
Midori rolls her eyes, seemingly unaffected by the heated atmosphere. "Whatever. If all of you dumbasses want to keep living in this delusion, then be my fucking guest. But don't say I didn't warn you." She growls.
"Tch." Kenji grits his teeth and glances away from Midori with a loud huff.
The rest of us stared at the two-toned bear, our anxiety turning into a mixture of disappointment and frustration. The glimmer of hope we had felt only moments ago quickly faded as Monokuma revealed his true intentions.
"The only thing I want is to see you all suffer," Monokuma growled, his voice filled with malice. His paw hovered in front of his face, showcasing a sharp claw that sent a shiver down our spines. "I don't want money! What the hell am I gonna do with that? Despair is all I need." He paused, relishing in the power he held over us, before breaking into a snicker. "That's way better than some yucky dollar bills!"
Yosei, visibly disgusted, gasped dramatically as if personally offended by the insult to money. How dare you insult precious money?! "Yucky!?" He exclaimed, "Money is anything but-"
"So... you're doing all of this just to see us suffer?" Reijiro cut in, shaking his head. The concept of a deranged teddy bear orchestrating this twisted game solely to inflict pain on ordinary students was mere trashy shit to him. "How absurd."
Monokuma's snickering continues to reverberate in the room, intensifying the sense of danger that surrounds us. His sinister expression and gleaming red eye send a chill down our spines, reminding us of the gravity of the situation.
"...But it'll all be worth it, won't it?" Monokuma giggles, his voice dripping with sadistic delight. "It'll all be fun to see you cry in despair."
Silence hangs in the air as his words settle upon us like a hefty weight. We don't find the courage to respond, paralyzed by the fear and uncertainty that now consume us.
"Anywhooo! Right, I forgot to give you something veeeery important!" Monokuma exclaims, diverting our attention. His gaze shifts toward the black-haired girl standing beside him. "Mukuro, if you would, please."
Mukuro stepped forward and retrieved a large black bag from under the table. As she opened it, our eyes widened at the sight of what appeared to be cell phones, but not exactly cell phones.
"These are your handbooks," Mukuro murmured, holding one of the devices in her hand. "You all will have one, and they will be used to enter specific rooms such as bathrooms or changing rooms." The girl says beginning to them out to the students, who skeptically grasped them in return. "They also have the school rules, so be sure to look through them thoroughly." She spoke once more.
"Uh, question," Midori grumbled. "Where's mine?"
At that moment, I realized. We're not getting ours because we don't attend here.
Mukuro's response was blunt and to the point. "You don't have any records indicating that you attended Hope's Peak," The ravenette explained, her tone lacking sympathy. "Therefore, you won't receive a handbook."
A murmur of discontent rippled through the room, with Katashi voicing the concerns of many. "That's not fair," he said softly. "How are they supposed to navigate the school without a map? It puts them at a disadvantage." He spoke, and the other students agreed with him as they nodded their heads. In a way, I feel kind of appreciated.
Mukuro sighed, a hint of resignation in her voice. "Fine, you're right. I'll make an exception," She said, reaching into her bag once again. Surprisingly, she pulled out two student handbooks that hadn't been distributed earlier.
The slender female hands them to us, and I grasp one of them, before turning it on.
But when I turned it on...my eyes widened.
"Thanks," Midori grumbles, "Now I definitely won't get lost."
I glanced at her.
No, never mind. That's not important right now.
"Everyone got their handbook, right?" Mukuro asks, and we all nod anxiously, our murmurs blending into a sea of nervous whispers. Mukuro's gaze then shifts to Monokuma, who responds with a nod and a snicker. It's unsettling and weird, to say the least.
"Okay, any questions?" The ravenette inquires, her tone expectant.
Before anyone can speak up, Reijiro casually interrupts, his arms crossed. "I'm still waiting for Monokuma to answer me. We're missing-"
" Yada yada! Movin' on!" Monokuma dismisses him with an irritated grumble, stepping forward. I furrow my brow in confusion. What the heck was that just now? "You can take a look at your handbooks if ya wanna," The bear continues, his voice laced with a sinister playfulness. "And don't forget to start planning once you get to your dorms!" He waves at us, a chilling giggle accompanying his departure from the gym, with Mukuro following closely behind.
"Buh-bye!"
SLAM!
