Chapter 1: Silence of the Sacrificial Lamb (Daily Life #03)
Warning: This fic contains intense violence, lots of cursing, character death, gore and blood, sexual innuendos (thanks Maggie), and possible spoilers for the Danganronpa series, most notably the first one. But hey, everyone lurking in this fandom has at least played the first Danganronpa so no need to worry much there!
With that said, please enjoy!
Kaito Kizuchi stared out toward the open waters as Yuumi unpacked everything she needed onto The Fencer.
It was a beautiful ship and as the name implied, the ship would be able to both protect Yuumi and cut through the treacherous waters in the case they would ever dare attack the young adventurer. Protect Yuumi like a fence on a farm. Attack the seas like a fencing sword. Perhaps that was the reason Kaito finally let Yuumi sail across the world with her dreams of flying across the oceans and exploring new territories.
"You have at least 10 of those life rafts?" Kaito asked, clutching his arm tightly. Maybe a little too tightly.
"Yes Grandpa," Yuumi giggled.
"Enough food and water to last you a year?" Kaito asked, his arm shaking.
"Yes Grandpa," Yuumi nodded with a smile.
"And flare guns and med kits and even that harpoon I gave you last Christmas," Kaito continued. "You have all of those right?"
"Yes Grandpa," Yuumi laughed. "You are such a worrywart Grandpa! I have everything I need and if I don't, I can always stop at the nearest harbor and restock, right?"
"I… I suppose you're right, yes," Kaito had to hold his breath. Just the thought of Yuumi leaving him to go on some absurd journey to travel the world on a boat was enough to give him a heart attack. Yuumi had talent. And with a ship like The Fencer, he shouldn't be so anxious about this. But he just was. He couldn't help it.
Yuumi had everything she needed to sail across the ocean. She was going to be fine. That's what she kept telling him. That's what he kept telling himself. But he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going to happen to her. It's the same feeling he had when Typhoon Maria struck the dock they were standing on right now. It's the same feeling he had when Yuumi's parents sank to the bottom of the Atlantic along with The Sibyl. It's the same bad feeling and yet he couldn't flat out say no to Yuumi.
This was something she had been waiting for her entire life and her talent at sailing through the seas would be wasted. That was the reason why he told himself he would let her do this. But that bad feeling… He couldn't shake it away.
"Hey hey, Grandpa," Yuumi looked at Kaito with her starry-eyed gaze. She giggled and smiled softly at him. "Don't worry about me. It's just a fun 6-month trip from here to the coast of California! A month or two to sail there, then another month or two to explore, and then a month or two to be back. Besides, it's not like I'm going to India or anything like that."
"...Yes, that's true," Kaito gave a nod. A trip to India would take far longer and stress him out even more.
"And I won't be alone either," Yuumi giggled before holding out Sailor Penguin. "Sailor Penguin will be joining me."
"Sailor Penguin?" Kaito blinked. "What about Captain Walrus? Wouldn't you rather have both of your friends along for the ride with you?"
"Please Grandpa!" Yuumi pouted. "I'm the captain of The Fencer! Not Captain Walrus. And… I was also thinking that maybe you would be lonely too, so you can spend your Monday mornings with Captain Walrus until I get back! Just don't have too much fun without me, alright?"
Kaito couldn't help but chuckle. The bright-eyed Yuumi always had a way to lighten his mood. It was just her character. And now she was all grown up to make her own choices. Time flew by fast. He also promised he wouldn't cry but just imagining it now…
"Grandpa, I'll be fine," Yuumi repeated with a smile. "Trust me! Even the neighbors believe I'll be back in one piece so don't worry alright? I'll be back before you can say… Bluefin Tuna meat!"
"Bluefin Tuna meat?" Kaito repeated with a hopeful tone.
"Haha, very funny Grandpa," Yuumi giggled. She hoisted the sails and stepped onto the Fencer. Then untying the knot that kept her boat near the dock and hoisting up the anchors, she felt the wind blow across her face as she watched Kaito's face turn back into that of worry. She was slowly floating away from her grandpa. It was an almost sad sight to see but she meant what she said.
She was going to come back. And she'll bring back some fun trinkets that he could add to his collection.
"When I land in California, I'll call you okay?" Yuumi called out to Kaito with a wave of her hand.
"Call me every day when you land in California!" Kaito exclaimed.
"That's what I just said!" Yuumi giggled as she yelled back to her grandpa.
Slowly she drifted further and further away until finally she was nothing more than speck in the distance. Kaito could only watch her disappear. He sighed before glancing at his phone.
He shouldn't worry that much.
She'll be back in no time.
She'll be back… right?
(Cafeteria)
8 AM.
That was the designated time for everyone to meet together in the Cafeteria but today, only half of the prisoners were there. This was a worrisome sight for Jared, who had gotten little to no sleep last night after Cassandra's whole mishap snapped away that good thing they had together. At the same time, Jared couldn't really blame her. He had the same ideology just hours before her little tangent.
But at the same time, he was still here holding strong while everyone else fucked off to join Cassandra in hiding in their rooms or rather, avoid the morning meeting in general. Even Mayu wasn't here, and Jared would think she'd be here for early breakfast from Kane. Of the people who were in the cafeteria, this included Barracuda, Haruto, Kane, Maggie, Mimi, Yuumi, and Zuri.
"...Wow, is this really all of us today?" Jared couldn't help but feel astonished at how quickly they had grown divided.
"Good morning, Jared," Maggie yawned. It looked as if she too hadn't been sleeping well. "And yes. Sadly, this is everyone."
Jared rubbed his chin in silence before tipping his hat down.
"Sure is a difference compared to yesterday," Jared glumly looked down. "Were they all in their rooms or…?"
"Um, I saw Arthur hanging out by your Ultimate Cell," Barracuda raised his hand. "Though when I went up to him to say hi, he just ignored me. It… kind of hurt my feelings…"
Barracuda placed his hands over his heart as he looked down.
"Mimi and I went to knock on Abigail's door," Yuumi smiled before looking down. "But she told us to go away."
"She was surprisingly very mean about it," Mimi looked saddened. Abigail had been pretty cool in her eyes but her suddenly wanting to join Cassandra's clause of distrusting people practically hindered that image of her. Now she was no different to the witches at her school. "If I knew a spell that could change her mind about everything, I would've done it in a heartbeat."
"I tried to get Holland to come too but he said he didn't want to," Zuri looked down as well. And after they had gotten along so well yesterday. Best to give him some time, she thought. Perhaps they did have all the time in the world. While there has been some distrust, no one had outright wanted to murder anyone, besides Haruto, but she'd like to think his threats were empty threats.
Speaking of Haruto, it was his turn to speak up.
"Ran into that dick, Carter," Haruto grumbled. "The dweeb saw me and bolted right back into his room like I was going to fucking throw his ass down onto the pavement or something."
"Well, you are notorious for being overly violent so can't say I blame him that much," Maggie pointed out.
"Bitch, don't think I won't fucking hit you," Haruto growled at Maggie.
"...My point exactly," Maggie sighed.
"Well, I guess if this is everyone all accounted for, then shall we start our morning meeting?" Kane asked. No one protested against the idea, so he continued. "I know last night was kind of a… quagmire. But once we find that exit, we'll let them know and then we'll all escape!"
"Um, no," Haruto responded with a shake of his head. "Why should we bother letting them know if we found an escape, huh? They were the ones who ditched us. So, I say we dump them and let them find their own way out."
"I disagree with that," Jared looked at Haruto, seriously. "Even though we are divided now, we are still on the same team. And we don't leave members of our team behind."
"Jared is right," Barracuda nodded in agreement. "They only left because they needed time to think whether they can trust us or not, right? So, maybe if we find the exit, they'll have no choice but to trust us!"
"I think you could have worded that a bit better, Barry, but yeah, it's still a solid reason for us to focus on finding an exit," Maggie smiled. "And once we do, we can all leave this place and go back to whatever life we were living."
"Um…" Zuri twiddled her fingers, nervously.
"American girl, what's up?" Kane pointed to Zuri.
"...I don't mean to sound like Cassandra or anything but…" Zuri didn't like the taste of how she said that. She disapproved of Cassandra's attitude toward their situation, but she didn't outright hate her. Just… disapproved. "We already tried to look for an exit yesterday and didn't find anything. What makes you think we'll find something today?"
The group of 8 remained silent. Even Kane was struggling to formulate a response. In fact, the best he could muster out was:
"...W-We… We'll search harder?" Kane suggested with a nervous chuckle.
No one seemed happy with that response. Most unhappy of them all was Haruto, who just looked at Kane as if he were joking.
"S-Seriously?" Haruto deadpanned. "Dude, aren't you supposed to be our fucking leader with all the plans and shit? What kind of a plan is 'searching harder'?"
"That's what she said," Maggie snickered to herself.
"Shut up," Haruto glared at Maggie.
"I… Well… To be honest, I don't really have a plan," Kane looked down. "I mean, I wouldn't know where else to check."
"What about the Auditorium?" Jared asked. "Don't those rooms in the Auditorium mean anything? Maybe if we can get them open…"
"But Yuumi and I already checked there with Prince Arthur," Mimi said. "And we couldn't get them open or find the rabbit hole!"
"So, in other words, that room's a bust too," Jared frowned.
"There's still the bathrooms," Maggie pointed out. "And not just saying this because bathrooms are pretty nice, but I don't think anyone's checked there. Maybe there might be some sort of hidden passageway there?"
"I'll look in the bathrooms then," Haruto crossed his arms. "But I doubt there's going to be anything. It's about as stupid as that freezer idea."
"Hey now, it was worth a try," Kane pointed out with a sheepish smile. "Abigail did her best with that so we shouldn't really insult her ideas."
"Well then, if the bathroom is the only place that has yet to be covered then I will probably check out the Evidence Room in my Ultimate Cell again," Jared tipped his hat. "Maybe there might be something hidden in those long arrays of boxes, y'know?"
"Sounds good," Kane nodded toward Jared. "As for the rest of you guys, what plans do you have besides keeping an eye out for an escape?"
"Actually, Mimi and I had been thinking," Yuumi smiled brightly. "We should probably get our minds off of this whole situation and throw a little party in the Prison Lounge!"
"Cleanse away the bad juju," Mimi joined Yuumi in smiling toward the group.
"Um, the fuck?" Haruto glanced at Yuumi and Mimi. "We're being held in a fucking prison facility with no potential way out and your idea is to throw a fucking party?"
"Well, yeah," Yuumi looked at Haruto expectantly. "It'll be fun! Plus, it's just going to one moment of ignoring everything that's going on and just be ourselves, y'know? After everything that happened last night and what's happened so far… don't you think we need some time to relax and calm ourselves?"
"No, because we're-"
"I think it's a stellar idea," Maggie interrupted Haruto with a smile. "A party sounds like just what we need to keep our sanity in check."
"Ooh ooh!" Barracuda grinned. "I can also try out baking for the party too!"
"Barry!" Maggie gasped before looking impressed. "You never told us you can bake."
"I can bake!" Barracuda grinned. "It's part of the training of being a fitness trainer! I can make some really nutritious cookies that'll make you want to do a hundred push-ups!"
Barracuda grinned and flexed his muscles. That was enough to turn Maggie on. Kane on the other hand nodded at Yuumi and Mimi.
"I don't mind a good party," Kane smiled. "But I'll only join if you let me be the so-called… DJ of the party. I'll make it feel like we're back in the 50s!"
"Yay, a DJ!" Yuumi clapped her hands together.
"Ooh ooh, maybe we should get dance partners so we can dance in the grand ball!" Mimi beamed, looking excited at the thought.
"Okay, I'm also fine with making it feel like it's the 1800s," Kane chuckled.
"This sounds so exciting," Zuri smiled. "And maybe some of the others might join too."
"Exactly!" Yuumi smiled.
"You guys aren't serious about this are you?" Haruto looked dumbfounded at the excitement the group was getting at this party Yuumi and Mimi were to be throwing. "Why bother partying when we should be focused on… Fuck it. I'm joining and not to have fun, FYI, but for security measures. Some sicko might show up and murder someone there."
"Smart," Jared nodded toward Haruto. "A lot of murders tend to occur at parties. I'll see if I can join you for the security detail, assuming I don't take too long in the Evidence Room."
"Then it's settled," Kane grinned. "We'll be having a party tonight! Be there or be squared! That's a 1940s phrase by the way."
"Yeah, we know, people still say that today, dickhead," Haruto rolled his eyes.
That was the end of the morning meeting. Yuumi, Mimi, Maggie, Kane, Zuri, and Barracuda practically headed off to do their own thing and prepare for the party. In the meantime, Haruto had left for the public bathrooms while Jared headed straight for the Evidence Room in his Ultimate Cell.
Then they would all reconvene at the party and then after that, probably go over what they found or didn't end up finding at all.
That was the plan...
(Prison Confinements)
Waking up past 10 AM was the norm for Cassandra.
What was also the norm for Cassandra was an alarm forcing her to wake up to Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams and open her eyes to see the mess of a room she was always living in. It was day three and yet she couldn't get used to how clean, big, and bright this room was. It was so unlike the smaller complex she would be used to living in and boy could she not wait to go back to living in that little hut…
It was around this time that Cassandra would be on a computer. Her dad would knock on her door, telling her that her breakfast was in the fridge before fucking off and coming back late at midnight. Cassandra would clench her fist. She could've had a better life. But instead, her life just kept getting shittier and shittier. Now she was stuck in some messed up game with a bunch of preachy fucks who think they can Hallelujah their way out of this.
There was no such thing as Hallelujah, Kumbaya, or God. Cassandra conditioned herself to believe that for the past 16 years.
Cassandra yawned and opened her door to leave her room, but the first thing she saw was Abigail, leaning against her door, arms crossed, and eyes closed.
"So, you're finally awake," Abigail said.
"...Were you just waiting for me to come out?" Cassandra narrowed her eyes toward Abigail. "Fucking creep. If it's about yesterday-"
"All that shit you spouted last night," Abigail opened her eyes as she began. "I definitely agree with you. Any one of these people could potentially turn on us. So best to keep our distance, right?"
"...That's literally what I was getting at last night," Cassandra rolled her eyes. "And I doubt you waited here to fucking praise me for being sane. What do you want?"
Abigail looked at Cassandra. She unfolded her arms and stepped off the wall, walking closer to the unknown talent. She looked her straight in the eyes. They both had a similar personality/outlook on life as a whole. But while Cassandra was viler in her negativity, Abigail was apathetic.
It took a while before she finally responded.
"I want to make a truce," Abigail stated. "Eventually someone here is going to bite the bullet and I don't want that person to be me. And assuming you'll be the one to fire the bullet, I want you to point it at someone else."
Cassandra stared at her.
"Simple thing, I don't kill you, you don't kill me, then we'll both survive," Abigail explained.
Cassandra scoffed.
"Oh really?" she asked. "Since when did someone like you care about surviving? I saw what you were like when we all first introduced ourselves. You don't give a shit about anything."
"...Being aloof and apathetic doesn't mean I don't want to keep on living," Abigail folded her arms with a cold stare. "How about it? We're avoiding each other's backs or what?"
Cassandra took a deep breath. This girl really thought she could bargain with Cassandra of all people? She was even more of an idiot than she thought. More of an idiot than all those fucking preachy preacher fucks. Cassandra gave Abigail her own cold stare this time.
"What's your name again?" Cassandra asked, slowly wording out her next line. "Abbygail, is that right?"
Abigail didn't say anything.
"Abbygail, what a fucking disgusting name," Cassandra shook her head, gritting her teeth.
"Gee, what did a name ever do to you," Abigail flatly stared at Cassandra.
Cassandra didn't respond to that. Instead, she glared at Abigail.
"You want to talk about deals and truces," Cassandra began. "Here's a deal for you. You try to kill me, and I'll make you fucking regret it. I'm only in it for myself. The rest of you are just obstacles that will do nothing but slow me down."
"...From what?" Abigail raised an eyebrow at Cassandra.
"From surviving and leaving this shithole, obviously!" Cassandra headed toward the Cafeteria, throwing her arms up into the air as she glared at Abigail. Then the unknown left Abigail alone to her own devices.
"...Bitch…" Abigail muttered under her breath before turning back to head into her room.
The two definitely did not grow closer… But still Hope Fragments for both, nonetheless.
(Ultimate Revolutionary's Cell)
"Huh?" Ina blinked in surprise.
Mayu, the Ultimate Heiress was in the Ultimate Revolutionary's Cell of all places. That was a surprise. Who wouldn't be? Mayu's favorite place in the entire facility was the Cafeteria so to see her roaming around an area that she would never be in was a big shocker.
"...What are you doing here?" Ina raised an eyebrow at Mayu, slightly suspicious at the change of scenery the girl was in.
"Oh?" Mayu blinked. "Can someone like me not explore an Ultimate Cell?"
"Not someone of your status," Ina folded her arms. "Besides, you've always stuck around being in the Cafeteria. Why change that now?"
"Um, I'm not always hungry for your information!" Mayu pouted, looking at Ina in disapproval. Then she played with her hair slightly. "Besides, I never got to check out some of these locations myself. So, this is your Ultimate Cell huh? The one with the hatch no one can open?"
"...Yes," Ina merely responded, still not trusting the idea that this girl would ditch her favorite spot so easily.
"The stuff here looks pretty dangerous," Mayu noted, eyeing the molotovs and decor of the area.
"Perhaps," Ina nodded. "But all of these trinkets you see here will help the cause and change the future of the current demonic hierarchy."
"...And what is your cause exactly?" Mayu perked her head, curious.
"Eradicating the demons and supplying a better government for a new beginning," Ina nodded in approval at the thought.
"...What does that even mean?" Mayu looked at Ina, confused.
"Hmm, I would explain my cause, but for all I know, you could be working for the tyrannical rule of Satan and his spawn," Ina stared at Mayu. "Why should I explain myself to someone with such power and authority such as yourself."
Mayu began to think of an answer. Power and authority. This was something she definitely had. That was probably why Ina didn't trust her. She tapped her head for a second before responding.
"...Because I'm not like most people with power and authority," Mayu pointed out.
She literally called Cassandra an average girl, but Ina brushed that aside to listen to Mayu's answer.
"At least, I don't want to be like the people with that kind of power," Mayu rubbed her chest. "Having all that money is great, don't get me wrong. But the pressure of having to take over for Mashiro Co. is too…"
Mayu trailed off but Ina heard enough. She gave a nod toward her.
"I see," Ina nodded. "I've met people like you before. You're the spawn of a demon yet you wish to purify the work of those before you. Touching."
"People like me?" Mayu blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Younger children pressured by their demonic parents to continue their hideous legacy of backstabs and betrayal," Ina looked relatively frustrated at the thought. "Children who have no choice or freedom in what they want to do. Such a reason is why I fight against the system and do my utmost best to overthrow the demons that pull the strings."
Mayu looked at Ina. Her way with words were odd but she could at the very least understand where she was getting at. Though she was curious about one thing…
"Where exactly did you meet children like those?" Mayu asked.
Ina didn't say anything else after that. She just closed her eyes. She wasn't ready to speak about something like that. Mayu blinked.
"Hey, you've gone quiet," Mayu told Ina.
"Perhaps another time I'll tell you," Ina said, looking down slightly. "Anyway, a nice chat. Perhaps we can meet later today. I hear they're throwing some sort of event at the Prison Lounge."
"An event?" Mayu widened her eyes. An event?! An event sounded fun! And events always include… She began to drool. "I'll see you there…"
Mayu left the Ultimate Cell with Ina watching her oddly. She shook her head.
For a rich person and a spawn of powerful demons, Mayu didn't seem that bad. She wasn't even called an average girl as well compared to Cassandra. That itself was pretty cool.
Guess one could say, Mayu and Ina grew a little closer today…
(Cafeteria)
Carter sat at the cafeteria; hands clasped together as he stared straight at the wall. He didn't say anything. Everything that was in his mind focused on the events of last night. He had agreed with Cassandra that the people around him shouldn't be trusted in a game like this. They all seemed nice but that meant nothing. Mom and dad were nice. Look where that got him.
Carter fixed his glasses as he heard someone enter the Cafeteria. Titus, with his wild psychedelic look and another one who joined the whole 'Cassandra was right' parade, rubbed his head as he noticed Carter.
"Oh, Carter, right?" Titus blinked, raising a slight eyebrow. "You're here huh? Thought I would see that Mayu chick here but instead, it's you! Guess you're her replacement! Hehe!"
"...Mmm, Titus, right?" Carter looked at Titus. Titus looked pretty upbeat, despite everything that had happened last night. It was a curious case as to why someone could be so upbeat like this but maybe he had a reason. Carter had to nervously start… "Y-You seem to be in high spirits today."
"Boy, it doesn't do anyone any good if we were just moping around all the time!" Titus placed his hands on his hips with a grin. "We need to have total confidence in a situation like this!"
"...Um, s-sorry if I may or may not end up offending you but…" Carter had to sweat drop a bit. He played with a strand of his hair as he leaned forward. "Weren't you one of the people who was on the whole 'Let's not trust each other' campaign? You're literally acting how that group acts."
"How that group acts?" Titus raised an eyebrow. "Boy, you're really something else. Of course I'm not trusting anyone here. With how foggy my head's been since I woke up here, how could I not think someone here might've been the reason for my noggin to be like this, huh?"
Titus knocked on his head.
"Hello, hello, anyone in there?" Titus continued knocking on his head. "Think Titus! Think! But that's beside the point. Even if you don't trust anyone here right now, we'll still be able to band together in the future once we get definitive proof that no one here is a psychopath. Simple as that!"
"Y-You really think so?" Carter blinked.
"I know so!" Titus grinned as he folded his arms with sheer confidence before looking at Carter with a raised eyebrow. "Man, what is with you? You're so tense, it's crazy! You need to lighten up. Doesn't do you good to be a squeaky little mouse."
"I'm… I'm a mouse?" Carter blinked at that comment.
"Yeah dude!" Titus laughed. "A puny little mouse!"
"Ooooh," Carter looked down at that. "Th-That… kind of hurts."
"Aw shucks, I don't mean it like an insult," Titus perked his head as he looked at Carter, slightly more serious now. "I just mean that you gotta lighten up. Every time I see you, you look like you're about halfway ready to sprint your way across the Silk Road."
"D-Doesn't help that we're stuck in this Killing Game," Carter looked down. "I… I don't know. I've always been like this for as long as I can remember."
"Oh?" Titus blinked. "Then what makes you feel happy?"
"Writing," Carter immediately answered.
"Quick response!" Titus grinned. "Writing lightens you up! Can't say I get why anyone would feel happy writing but still, good for you!"
"A-Are you kidding?" Carter widened his eyes. "Writing is such an amazing feeling. To me, it's like reading a book or playing a really fun video game. Y-You just… get lost in the moment. And the more you write, the more you get into it."
Titus stared at Carter as he went on and on about writing. Titus seemed happy that Carter was speaking up more about this stuff.
"So, what do you write about?" Titus smiled. "You said you were a… I don't even remember!"
"U-Ultimate O-Opinion Columnist," Carter answered, his smile fading a bit. "Basically, I write for the newspaper and offer my own opinions on certain topics. What I feel. What I believe in. It's the best form of writing there is because you feel as free as a bird with what you want to write and however you want to write. And, even better, it can be used to spread awareness and alter pre-existing opinions and…"
Carter stopped. He had looked at Titus, who in turn looked at Carter with a neutral expression. Then with a small smile, Titus rubbed the back of his psychedelic head.
"I… don't know what the hell you just said but good for you man," Titus chuckled sheepishly. "Good for you."
Carter sighed.
Despite all of that, Carter and Titus grew a little closer today.
(Bathrooms)
Haruto was seriously going to punch something.
So far, from what he has seen from both bathrooms, they had a similar structure. In the boy's bathroom, there would be about 8 sinks on the right side of the room, 4 stalls on the left, deep within the room and 4 urinals closer to the door. That was pretty much the boy's bathroom.
In the girl's bathroom, there were 8 sinks on the left side of the room and 8 stalls on the right of the room. Somehow, the girl's bathroom smelled better than the boy's bathroom but that was because the girl's bathroom had an air freshener. But the boys have urinals so take that!
Either case, after a deep narrow search through both bathrooms, Haruto exited the girl's bathroom with a sigh. He was visibly frustrated. Nothing. No secret passages, no way out, just bathrooms for everyone trapped in this shithole prison. Of course, he tried to punch the girl's bathroom door, but a voice stopped him from doing so.
"...Did… you just come out of the girl's bathroom?" came the quieter voice of Holland. He was hiding his face behind the hoodie he wore.
"Oh great, it's you," Haruto grumbled. "What if I did? It's just a bathroom. No one was in there so not like I'm being a creepy perv or anything."
Holland didn't say anything. Instead, he tried to avoid eye contact.
"What the fuck are you doing here anyway?" Haruto asked Holland. "Aren't you going to hide in your room all day since any one of us will end up killing each other?"
Holland bit his lip.
"...I… I said I just needed more time," Holland looked down.
"Uh-huh," Haruto rolled his eyes. "Look man. You're either with us, or you're just not helping. I'm thinking you're the latter, so fucking scram."
"...What were you doing in the girl's bathroom?" Holland asked.
"And why the fuck do you want to know?" Haruto cracked his knuckles.
"...Because it's… kind of rude, don't you think?" Holland looked away, using his hoodie to hide the side of his face. "There's a boy's bathroom and a girl's bathroom for a reason so I just…"
Haruto stared at Holland.
"Like I said, I'm not being a fucking perv or anything," Haruto folded his arms. "If you had come to the meeting in the Cafeteria instead of fucking touching yourself in your room, maybe you would know why I'm here."
"...Why are you here?" Holland asked.
"Stop asking me questions, fucker!" Haruto glared at Holland. "You didn't come to the meeting, so why the fuck should I tell you?!"
"...I see…" Holland looked away once again.
"...Jesus Christ," Haruto sighed harshly. "You're a fucking bitch, you know that?"
Holland looked at Haruto.
"You're always so quiet all the time," Haruto glared at Holland. "If you were a member of my basketball team, I would be whipping you to be louder and prouder all the time. Oh, and maybe give you some emotion in your face because fucking damn, it's like your face is fucking ice that never melts."
Holland didn't say anything. His face had been emotionless the entire time.
"See, you can't even come up with a response," Haruto glared. He shook his head. "Look man. There's going to be a party at the Prison Lounge. You should go for no reason but to put more color on your face because seriously, you look like shit."
"...A party…" Holland muttered to himself as he looked on.
"Yeah, a party," Haruto folded his arms, bitterly. "Oh, but if you're thinking about slicing and dicing someone there, don't bother cause I'm going to shove your face right down onto the dance floor if you even think about trying. That's my warning to you."
Holland remained silent but also remained looking at him.
"What now?" Haruto gritted his teeth.
"...For someone so angry all the time and harsh…" Holland started as he closed his eyes. "You're actually… pretty cool."
"...You're fucking with me, aren't you?" Haruto gave Holland the meanest glare he could muster, which was actually pretty damn terrifying. "Fucking get out of here."
Holland did as he was told, a little too quickly after he saw how scary Haruto's face could be. But that never stopped him from thinking that Haruto could actually be a pretty cool guy. He may have been harsh with his words, but he still invited him to that party going on for his sake… At least, that's how Holland saw it.
Holland and Haruto… really did grow a little closer together. But only a little though.
(Ultimate Police Officer's Cell)
It was like what Barracuda had said. Arthur was at the Ultimate Police Officer's Cell, glancing at the Evidence Room and all of the boxes that were beyond his reach. Perhaps there was something he was interested in finding. And if he was, one had to ask what the big deal was for rich people wanting to check out a whole room full of cold cases.
"Barracuda said you would be here," was the first thing Jared said when he walked in. "Not like I was trying to find you anyway. I just wanted to check out some things here."
"I presume you and I wish to search in the same location then," Arthur crossed his arms, closing his eyes.
"...Huh, so you were just waiting for me?" Jared asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that it?"
"Hmph, nonsense," Arthur denied. "I've already searched everything I needed to in this half of the area. The only place I wish to search now is in the Evidence Room. You just happened to arrive at the right time."
Sure buddy. Jared didn't have much of a response nor the will to respond. Instead, he just unlocked the Evidence Room, pinging the computer on the desk, and entered.
"By all means then, come on in," Jared said. Once Arthur made his first step, Jared stopped him. "But just to set some ground rules, no taking anything from this room. I will do a full body inspection if I have to."
"...How hypocritical," Arthur stared at Jared.
"E-Excuse me?" Jared blinked at Arthur.
"...Why would you feel the need to instigate such a rule?" Arthur perked his head up with a smug expression. "I have no intention of taking anything from the Evidence Room."
"How do I believe that?" Jared eyed Arthur suspiciously.
"See?" Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "You did it again."
"W-What?" Jared frowned at Arthur. "What did I do?"
"...You're distrusting me," Arthur frowned back at Jared. "And yet, you're part of a group that is against that whole principle of distrust. That is why you're being hypocritical. You're a hypocrite."
"I…" Jared tried to muster out a response. Instead, all he could think of was how his previous thoughts had been very similar to what Cassandra had been saying. Those thoughts were read out in his very cell too…
"Why are you so adamant that we should all trust each other when you can't even trust me being in this confined space with you?" Arthur asked Jared with a raised eyebrow. He shook his head once more. "I think you're conflicted."
Jared didn't even try to say anything this time.
"You're battling between being a police officer and being a survivor," Arthur explained. "The thing about that is: the roles clash. You can't be a police officer and a survivor at the same time. Because a police officer's duty is to serve and protect and that will only get you killed in the end. But at the same time, you wish to survive as well. But doing so will have to mean dropping what it means to be an enforcer of the law. Tell me, how am I doing?"
Jared tipped his hat down. It took a while before he looked back up at Arthur.
"Not even close," Jared merely said. He fixed his hat. "You think you have me all figured out, but you really don't. I have trained my entire life to be one of the best officers in the police force. I took two years away from a normal high school life to achieve that goal. There is no battle between me wanting to survive and me wanting to be a police officer. I will risk my life for these people. That's a promise."
Arthur stared at Jared. His resolve was strong, he had to give him that. Jared continued, however.
"You know what I think?" Jared frowned at Arthur. "I think you're the one who's scared. Behind that cold pompous attitude of yours, you're trying to act like you have your shit together. But I've seen victims who try to stay strong in the worst kinds of situations. Victims of domestic violence, people so scared to speak up and ask for help, they all act like they have everything under control, but really, they're terrified, helpless. They don't know what to do. And you tick off every single box in that checklist."
Arthur stared at Jared before leaning back against one of the shelves. He chuckled and shook his head.
"A person of my standing will never be as weak as the people you've saved," Arthur smirked before standing back up with a more indignant look. "I'm the Ultimate Snowboarder. I'm the best at what I do. I was raised in one of the most powerful families in the world. In other words, I don't need someone like you telling me that I don't have everything under control, because I do. Besides, you're the hypocrite living as if everyone was trustworthy when in actuality, you hardly trust anyone at all."
Jared and Arthur stared at each other for a while with strong menacing looks. Then Arthur turned back and scanned through a random box of evidence.
"Now if you will excuse me, I have some evidence to look through," Arthur stated.
Jared clenched his fist.
"...Me too," Jared glared as he searched through another box.
Jared and Arthur grew a little closer together! Yay!
(Prison Lounge)
"W-Why… is it… here?!"
Carter had fallen to the floor as he stared into the creepy bulging eyes of Lawson the Lamb, who was merely standing in the middle of the Prison Lounge, waiting for any party members to arrive. As it turned out, it seemed like everything had been all set: the tables were moved and arranged together in order to provide a place for the food and there were some random confetti on the floor (probably from Mimi).
But the only thing off about everything was Lawson's presence. And Carter, Titus, Mayu, and Ina weren't too happy to see this thing here. Moreso Carter compared to everyone else.
"Th-This thing has to be possessed!" Carter exclaimed. "It has to be! This is the second time now!"
"Maybe it's here to join the party," Titus suggested. "All it needs is a party hat and a party blower and it'll fit right in!"
"L-Like hell it wants to party!" Carter exclaimed.
"Look at all that food on the table!" Mayu started drooling, looking excited at how good she could be eating tonight.
"D-Don't completely ignore this thing either!" Carter yelled.
"Enough," Ina sighed, shaking her head toward Carter. "If its presence bothers you that much, then I will go and put it back in the Ultimate Police Officer's Cell."
"B-But it might attack you!" Carter pointed out. "A hideous thing like that against you? Y-You won't survive against it!"
"...I've survived worse demon attacks than this," Ina sighed. "I'll be fine."
Ina said this assuming Lawson the Lamb was really, truly alive. She grabbed Lawson's waist and began to pull him back outside the Prison Lounge. After that, only Carter, Titus, and Mayu remained.
"So, who's ready to party?!" Titus grinned.
(Ultimate Police Officer's Cell)
"Well, I've seen everything I need to see," Arthur stated. "Good luck with whatever you are looking for."
Then he left the Evidence Room. With Arthur having left, Jared glanced toward the section that the snowboarder was looking through. It was like the shelf he was at but one of the boxes Arthur had been looking through was slightly pushed out, almost leaning over the edge of the shelf.
With a sigh, Jared moved over to the box to push it back in.
"Tidy it up ass- Huh?" Jared blinked, staring at what was inside the box. He slowly picked out a kitchen knife in an evidence bag. He raised his eyebrows as he noted the dried-up blood coated on the knife. Then curiously, he picked up the entire box and set it down on the floor, digging through the contents as he noted other items in evidence bags before finally coming across the file.
With a single scan at the contents, Jared widened his eyes.
"What the hell…?"
(Prison Lounge)
It wouldn't be long until Yuumi and Mimi's party would go underway.
And what was once a party that was expecting eight people now included twelve: Barracuda, Carter, Haruto, Holland, Ina, Kane, Maggie, Mayu, Mimi, Titus, Yuumi, Zuri. Of course, this included Carter and Titus, who had been waiting patiently for the others to arrive while also trying to hold back Mayu from eating all of the cookies that Barracuda had baked. Jared had yet to make his appearance. Ina, however, had returned after putting Lawson the Lamb away. Most surprising of all was Holland's appearance at the party.
Haruto wasn't surprised. He was the one who suggested he come. Zuri on the other hand walked toward him.
"Holland, you came," Zuri gasped, surprised.
"...I just wanted to play chess," Holland emotionlessly stated as he flipped his hoodie over his head.
"Oi, I told you about this party bitch!" Haruto glared at Holland. "Like hell you wanted to play chess!"
Holland didn't say anything in response.
Instead, Yuumi took the stage by clearing her throat and speaking loudly and proudly. She clapped her hands and looked rather excited by the amount of people who had arrived for the party. In fact, she had a good feeling about this party. And she just couldn't wait to start.
"Attention everyone!" Yuumi exclaimed. "Thank you so much for coming! Mimi and I worked hard to set up everything you see here. Maggie and Barracuda also helped provide the tasty food and Kane is helping provide the music. Once we finish with the party, please don't forget to thank us for such an amazing time!"
"Oh oh, don't forget!" Mimi raised her hand. "Haruto is also playing security guard! So, no spiking the drinks with frog poison, okay?"
"If you do, I'll kick your ass all the way to China," Haruto grumbled as he crossed his arms.
"That's a long way from wherever we are," Mimi smiled innocently.
"With all that said, let's just enjoy our time together and party hard!" Yuumi cheered, looking excited.
"PARTY TIME, WOOHOO!" Titus exclaimed before hurrying to the dance floor. "Quick Kanye, put on some sick beats, man!"
"D-Did you just call me Kanye?" Kane looked a little disgusted at being referred to as such.
"DJ Kanye with the yo frizzle drizzle," Titus placed his hand over his mouth as he attempted to look cool.
"P-Please, don't ever say that again," Kane groaned, shivering slightly. "It conflicts with my tastes of the good old days."
Kane then began to scan through the different music discs before finding a name that stood out to him. Once he found something of interest, Kane placed the disc on the gramophone and let it play, adding music to the interactions that befell the partygoers.
…
"M-Mayu, you gotta stop please!" Carter looked worried as he watched Mayu scruff down all of the cookies that Barracuda had baked. No one was more pleased and satisfied than Barracuda however as he watched the rich girl enjoy his cooking.
"Hahahaha!" Barracuda flexed his arms. "I knew no one could resist the nutritious and delicious Barracuda Cookies! It's also a part of a well-balanced breakfast and should be legalized as an official source of protein!"
"Th-That's nice at all but I won't know since Mayu's eaten half the tray," Carter really wanted a cookie.
"Th-This… This is way better than how my family chef makes them!" Mayu began to cry tears of joy.
"A-Are you crying?!" Carter exclaimed. It's like he was the only sane one in a group of oddballs.
"Y-You should try them," Mayu sniffled. "My family chef can't even make a chocolate cake balanced with richness, bitterness, and sweetness. I really should've hired a family baker. Maybe you can be my family baker!"
"Me?" Barracuda blinked. "A baker? As much as that sounds fun, I think I prefer life as a personal trainer! Besides, too many sweets and then what will happen to these guys, huh?"
Barracuda flexed his arm and pointed to the bulging muscles on his arm.
"M-Mayu, y-you're literally emptying the tray," Carter hopelessly stared at her. "Please save some for the rest of us…"
"One more," Mayu ate one more cookie.
Then she ate another.
"Okay, last one for reals," she said before eating another. "Alright alright, this is the last one."
…
"Yuumi, Mimi," Maggie had helped herself to a drink as she walked over to the two friends who have been doing nothing but converse with each other. "I have to hand it to you two. You really pulled off something. I mean, four of the people that left us last night are back here, enjoying themselves. I'm happy this is working out so far."
"Aww, thank you Maggie," Mimi beamed toward Maggie. "But this is really Yuumi's idea. She wanted everyone to get along. I just… helped."
"Don't say that Mimi," Yuumi gasped. "I couldn't have done this without you! And besides, we should all get along. Not fight. Because if we fight, then that no good White Collar wins and we can't have the bad guy winning right?"
"You're right about that," Maggie chuckled as she sipped her drink. "Fuc- I mean, screw that White Collar guy."
Maggie had to watch her language. To her, Mimi was like the youngest pea pod of the batch and therefore must be tended to with the utmost care. She held up her cup with a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Cheers?" Maggie cleared her throat.
"Cheers!" Yuumi grinned.
"Cheers!" Mimi cheered.
…
"The hell is with this oldies pop music?" Haruto frowned as he leaned against the wall, listening to whatever music Kane had played on the gramophone. "It's the 21st century for God's sake."
"Kane was the one entrusted with the music it seems," Ina sipped her drink as she stayed near him. She wasn't one for parties. They were a distraction to her mission in life. She only attended because one, there was food, and two… "Do not judge his taste in music. It is very refreshing to feel the sense of the good old days."
"Not my taste though," Haruto grumbled.
"That's fine," Ina merely nodded. "But you should still respect the tastes of others even if they conflict with their own."
"And I suppose it's the demons that taught you that, huh?" Haruto asked.
Ina stared at Haruto. She gripped her plastic cup a little tightly before sighing. She stayed near Haruto, sipping her drink before responding.
"...The world no longer revolves around respect," Ina frowned. "They say there is respect and freedom but truthfully, no one is really respected or free. It's nothing more than a fairytale designed to keep the innocents at bay."
Haruto didn't say anything this time.
"Perhaps this is why I joined the affairs here," Ina gave a small smile this time. "Look at how happy everyone is. That happiness is the world I wish to create once I overthrow the corrupted tyranny of the high demon courts."
"...You finished?" Haruto didn't seem to care.
"Yes," Ina finished her drink before looking toward Haruto. "Have fun with the rest of the party."
Ina tossed her drink on the floor before joining some other people in whatever conversations they were partaking in. Haruto merely shook his head.
"...Weirdo," he muttered under his breath as he listened to the oldies pop Kane had provided.
…
"I told you, I just wanted to come here to play chess," Holland covered his face with his hoodie. Zuri had been constantly asking why he was at the party. She had every right to. After all, Holland had walked out last night after hearing Cassandra's speech and now suddenly he was here at the party. Zuri didn't think anything bad of Holland.
Far from it.
She was curious and at the same time, relieved that he was here. Her first official friend here and he was back after a slight mishap last night. It scared her to think she would have lost a friend so quickly after making one, but it seemed…
"I'm just glad you're at the party," Zuri gave him a relieved smile. "To be honest I was worried that after last night, I might've lost my first friend here."
"...You wouldn't have lost anyone," Holland merely said. Even through his expressionless face, Zuri could feel that Holland felt a little guilty about last night. "...I said I needed time to think about it."
"And have you thought about it?" Zuri asked Holland, looking at him curiously.
"...I still need time," Holland bit his lip.
Zuri looked down upon hearing that.
Holland stayed silent for a moment. Then after a long moment, he continued.
"...But I think I can trust you," Holland looked at Zuri, his eyes a little tired. "...At least, out of everyone here. I can definitely trust you..."
Zuri had almost gotten ready to leave to spend time with some of the others but upon hearing that, she couldn't help but feel relieved that at the very least their whole time together yesterday wasn't meaningless.
"...Let's play some chess," Zuri warmed up with a smile as he headed to grab the box filled with chess pieces.
…
The party went on for some time and nothing happened. No deaths. No attacks. Everything was monitored under Haruto's watchful eye as he gave everyone glares whenever they tried to get near him.
Mayu had long finished Barracuda's cookies and had already worked her way to finishing the other food set up for the party. Now, Mayu was laying on the ground, stomach filled with all of the food she had devoured. Carter on the other hand cried since he never got to try Barracuda's cookies.
Kane and Titus on the other hand had a dance-off. Kane stuck to the more oldie types of dances while Titus ended up doing modern day dances. It was easy to declare the winner since no one really understood what Kane was doing and Titus had some really impressive dance moves. Probably came from his time as a musical conductor.
Zuri and Holland had a chess match. Some people would stay and watch but ultimately, Zuri would get beaten by Holland… five different times. Zuri still had much to learn about chess, especially the game-changing strategies that could help her win.
Yuumi and Mimi on the other hand were very content that everyone was having a fun time.
The party was a success…
(Cafeteria)
10 PM.
Jared had been the only one at the Cafeteria. He himself had a shitty day but once people started pouring in, he could feel the positivity radiate from the group. The people that came in included Barracuda, Haruto, Holland, Kane, Maggie, Mimi, Titus, Yuumi, and Zuri, all with rather relieved looks on their faces. Guess the party was a success and they had a lot of fun without him.
Shame.
He would've liked to join the security detail. But all he could think about was his conversation with what he found and Arthur… Ah screw that guy. The guy was just another rich prick who thinks he's above the law because of his connections. His words meant nothing to him… at least, it shouldn't.
Before he could continue to think more about this, Kane spoke up.
"Jared!" Kane smiled. "You missed out on a thrilling party, my Canadian friend!"
"It looks like I did," Jared tipped his hat down, slightly disappointed, before brightening up again. "Some of the people that had left last night seemed to have come back too."
Holland didn't say anything.
Titus did.
"Boy, that party was wild, man!" Titus grinned. "And the night is still young! I was hoping you guys would still have more juice to party!"
"It's actually the start of the nighttime meeting," Kane looked toward Titus. "There was only that one party."
"What?!" Titus looked shocked. Then he frowned, "Booooooo!"
"Hehe, glad you had fun anyway!" Yuumi giggled, excitedly. "I know Mimi and I did!"
"That was my first ever witch ceremony!" Mimi looked happy. "And it was joyous! Rejoice! Rejoice!"
"Let's make today's nighttime meeting quick though," Maggie smiled. "I want to go back and help clean up the Prison Lounge. We kind of made a mess of everything there and I would like to have it cleaned before the curfew."
"Very well," Kane gave a nod. "Seeing how you didn't show up at the party Jared, did that mean you ended up finding something at the Evidence Room?"
Everyone turned to Jared, who crossed his arms in thought. His face went from slight relief to seriousness. That was when the atmosphere changed. He took out the file he had found earlier at the Evidence Room and tossed it toward the Cafeteria table.
"...Yes I did," Jared tipped his hat.
"Huh?" Zuri blinked as she opened the file up for everyone to see. "What is this?"
"...Just read it and maybe you'll understand," Jared stated, looking down.
Everyone had gathered over the file to read what was said. At first, there was some confusion over what this could mean and why Jared seemed a bit troubled. There was a mugshot of a girl with blue hair. On the side of her file was a description including her name, birth date, gender, ultimate talent, height, weight, blood type, and her status:
Name: Sayaka Maizono
Gender: Female
Ultimate Talent: Ultimate Pop Sensation
Birth Date: July 7
Height: 5'5
Weight: 108 lbs
Blood Type: A
Status: Deceased
"...Sayaka Maizono?" Titus blinked. "Who the hell is that?"
"She looks so pretty," Mimi mused.
"Sayaka Maizono…?" Zuri blinked, looking confused. "You guys don't know her? She was once a really popular pop idol back in Japan, even becoming a Hope's Peak alumni as the Ultimate Pop Sensation. Her idol group was everything the Dream Palm wanted to be when we became well known but… Some time ago, the group broke up. Sayaka had disappeared and without her, the band just grew further apart… It was a whole thing back then... But what is this file of hers? And why is it here?"
"...Guys," Maggie looked serious. "Check her status…"
Everyone's eyes followed down to Sayaka's Status. In red bolded text, the words "Deceased" were listed and underlined.
"D-Deceased?" Barracuda widened his eyes. "But but, that means…"
"S-She's… dead?" Zuri looked a little creeped out by this revelation. She began to hug herself tightly. "Wait, but then…"
"Oi, cop," Haruto glared at Jared. "What the fuck is this? You're showing us some girl's file and it happens to not just be any girl. This girl is an Ultimate like the rest of us who also disappeared a long time ago and now you have a file that says she's dead?"
"Disappeared five years ago actually," Jared crossed his arms, looking down. "No doubt, died five years ago as well."
"Huh, how do you know that?" Titus widened his eyes.
"...You guys heard about Hope's Peak Academy shutting down for a year, right?" Jared asked.
"Who hasn't?" Kane asked. "It became the biggest school in the entire world only three years ago. Before that, it was a Japan exclusive school dedicated to bringing Hope to the country. Now, they're focused on bringing Hope to the entire world as a part of their 'New World Order'."
"But why did Hope's Peak Academy shut down for a year?" Yuumi asked, curiously.
"...It was because of the Tragedy of Hope's Peak Academy," Jared tipped his police hat down. "I myself don't know too many of the details. The case was kept under hush hush, so not a lot of details have been released to the public."
"The Tragedy of Hope's Peak Academy," Kane perked his head. "I think I heard something about that. I think news media stated that 16 students from Hope's Peak mysteriously disappeared and were never seen again after a field trip gone wrong."
"That's what was given to the public," Jared frowned. "The school shut down shortly after that and then a year after, the school reopened its doors, acting as if nothing happened. And not long after that, the case was unsolved and long forgotten, only being kept alive by conspiracy theorists and the likes."
"And no one knew what happened to 16 students?" Mimi looked a little sad.
"...No one could find them…" Jared shook his head. "But at least now, we might have an idea on what happened to them."
"...They died," Maggie concluded, looking down.
"N-No, that can't be," Zuri shook her head. "At least some of them should be alive right? Right?"
"...If they were, then they would have announced their survival to the world," Holland quietly stated.
"But none of us ever heard of any shit like that," Haruto folded his arms with a huff. "So, they must've all died."
"And they didn't die in any way either," Jared frowned. "They died in the same situation we're in."
"What makes you say that?" Kane asked.
"...Wanna know where I found the file?" Jared asked. "Inside an evidence box with a bloodied kitchen knife, a golden sword, and a toolbox kit. Almost like it was evidence for her murder."
"But you really can't say that means that she was also thrown into a Killing Game," Maggie pointed out. "For all we know, she could've been murdered by some psycho…"
"No, I'm sure of it..." Jared looked at his peers with a frown. "Sayaka Maizono died in a Killing Game. Her file confirms her death. If there was anyone in the world who would one hundred percent sure know that she was dead, it would be the higher-ups in Japan's police force who investigated the case and the one responsible for her death. And because I found this file in the Evidence Room, that only furthers my suspicion that White Collar may have been one who ended up killing her. I think White Collar was the cause of the Tragedy."
"But if he is then... that means White Collar is doing the same thing again but with us…" Zuri looked scared. Then she looked close to crying. "...W-Why? Why us?"
"...I'm not sure," Jared crossed his arms. "But whatever it is, whatever sin we made in his eyes, it has some connection to Hope's Peak…"
…
"Attention all prisoners," Monohebi announced. "It is now midnight. Curfew hour begins now. As such, all prisoners must report to their confinements. Anyone who is caught outside of their confinements will be punished accordingly. Be sure to review the rules on the Rules App of your Handbook. That is all."
No one had said anything during that majority of time. Jared's discovery spooked them to no end. Could it be that Sayaka and the other 15 Ultimates were once in the same situation they were in? Could it be that the real cause of their disappearance had been their deaths?
Haruto was the first to speak after keeping his fists clenched the entire time.
"What a way to kill the mood, jackass," Haruto sighed, shaking his head toward Jared.
"...I'm sorry," Jared looked down. "I just thought that you guys should know how my investigation went."
"Yeah well, at the same time, you're coming up with some wild shit and making it sound like we're all going to die," Haruto glared at Jared. "None of us are going to die, alright? Even if that bastard White Collar did end up killing those guys, we aren't going to die the same way they did."
"He's right," Maggie looked a little more optimistic at what he had said. "We'll all survive. None of us will become his next victim. We're making sure of that by trusting each other. That's how we'll get through this."
"Y-Yeah," Barracuda nodded, snapping out of that fright he had. "Maggie's right! We'll be fine! Eventually White Collar will have to give up right?"
"Maybe he'll get bored and just let us leave," Maggie flaunted her hips for a second. "Won't that be fun?"
"Either case, it is curfew time," Yuumi pointed out. "We'll have to leave this as it is and reconvene for tomorrow."
"Very true," Kane nodded. "I guess that concludes our daily nighttime meeting. Thank you for the report, Jared. This could be very useful in our endeavors in finding out the truth behind what White Collar's goal here is."
Jared merely tipped his hat, though a little ashamed. He didn't mean to ruin the fun and relief they had but it was still a find. And he truly believed it. White Collar killed the previous 16 Ultimates and now they were next.
"Guess I'll have to be on cleaning duty tomorrow," Maggie chuckled sheepishly. "The Prison Lounge is such a mess…"
That was the last thing said in the meeting. After that, everyone had left the Cafeteria and headed straight toward the rooms. While they had remained slightly optimistic about their chances of survival, none of them could shake the haunting look from Sayaka's mugshot. A girl that was once alive, had mysteriously disappeared, only to reappear five years later as nothing more than a confirmation of her own fate…
"Master…"
Monohebi snapped White Collar out of his imperiously long stare at his tablet. He had remained quiet for so long, watching the prisoners curiously through the security cameras before turning his chair around to the snake, tugging on a video camera at the end of her tail.
"I have accomplished Misson A," she stated.
White Collar's mask curled into a nasty grin.
"Excellent," White Collar placed his tablet down as he stood up. He grabbed his cane and slowly headed toward Monohebi, picking up the video camera she had on with her. After scanning through its contents, White Collar looked back at her. "Well done, Monohebi. Glad to see that I was correct to trust you with this mission."
Monohebi bowed her head. But throughout all her snake-like compartments, she couldn't help but feel happy that White Collar had complimented her.
Setting down the video camera on his large desk, White Collar's mask turned dark and sinister.
"...The Killing Game will now officially start…" he chuckled.
DANGANRONPA: CORRUPTED HOPE
And thus, another chapter has concluded! Part 3 of Chapter 1 Daily Life!
I have to say, writing this chapter was a bit of struggle for me mainly because of outside reasons. For starters, I had to go get my computer fixed which cost me a week of writing and I had a bit of trouble trying to figure out how to write the party scene. Eventually, this is the product I came up with, so I hope it turned out fine at least in your eyes! :0
Next thing, now that I have revealed this little snippet of them finding the file relating to Sayaka Maizono, I imagine you all have a bunch of questions on what the heck is going on. I won't answer any questions just yet but for now, all I can say is that the events of the first official Danganronpa game in this universe is regarded as a mystery and an urban legend, meaning no one knows exactly what the hell happened in those events. No one knows who died. No one knows who survived. No one knows who the mastermind was. All they know is that 16 people disappeared.
That's all I'm going to say :D The rest is for you to speculate!
As always feel free to let me know how I'm doing and if there's anything I need to know! Other than that, next chapter is when the Killing Game officially starts ;D
Prisoners Remaining: 16
Abigail Ellsworth - The Ultimate Equestrian (oddlyillregular)
Arthur Kingston - The Ultimate Snowboarder (SinWriter7)
Barracuda - The Ultimate Personal Trainer (Weekaro)
Carter Franklin - The Ultimate Opinion Columnist (armadas)
Cassandra Mura - The Ultimate ? (ExtraMeme)
Haruto Walker - The Ultimate Basketball Player (theotakureader101)
Holland Delaney - The Ultimate Game Designer (Sempi)
Ina Hamamura - The Ultimate Revolutionary (VividIsSleeping)
Jared Ceartas - The Ultimate Police Officer (Otterplay)
Kanenoshin Amao - The Ultimate Pawnbroker (benkj6)
Maggie LaDroubi - The Ultimate Supermodel (Project Drama)
Mayu Mashiro - The Ultimate Heiress (zetsunaflame)
Mimi Kazoo - The Ultimate Fairytale Writer (Idraegan)
Titus Erskine - The Ultimate Conductor (Lidamek)
Yuumi Kizuchi - The Ultimate Sailor (Shamelles410)
Zuri Auraline - The Ultimate Bassist (CandleFire45)