Three days later, one morning, Monokuma gave the following announcement:
"Good morning, everyone! Time to get up and have another merry day… is what I would say! But actually, I've got something special for you this time! Do you remember that room in the palace with all those pods and whatnot? Hurry up and get there pronto! See you later!"
Once the announcement ended, Masashi wasted no time getting ready for the morning. Instead of uncertainty about how he might spend the rest of the day, there was instead dread building up for what Monokuma had in store for them.
Oh God, what does he want with us now? Masashi thought as he started dressing. He remembered all too well that the last time Monokuma had given the group something special, it had ended with Atsushi's and Haruka's deaths. And he knew that there were many temptations out there to use, so it was not as if Monokuma were to ever be in a loss for motives. Moreover, there was the interest sparked in him about the location given by Monokuma.
I guess Monokuma really wants to keep his promise, Masashi thought, recalling how out of place it looked in comparison to the Egyptian setting of the rest of the ship. He promised that someday he'd tell us what they're for, and that day is today.
After he finished, Masashi left his bedroom at once and saw Kumi and Sister Hikari standing by the former's door. The storyteller looked as scared as he had been when the others had become certain that he was Atsushi's killer, whereas the nun was trying to look as calm and reassuring as she could.
"S-Sir Masashi?" Kumi asked, holding onto his teddy bear. "Y-You're not gonna do what Monokuma says, are you? I-I don't wanna do it! N-Nothing good will come out of it!"
"You have no choice, I'm afraid." It was Mari, who had come out of her own room. The phenologist looked not at all shaken by Monokuma's announcement, as if this were simply another event to behold. "You know what happens if you dare to defy him. You're free to do so, of course, and I won't stop you, but I'm just telling you what'll happen."
Though knowing that she was right, Kumi nonetheless looked down at Sir Teddybane, his ever so silent but faithful friend, and muttered a wish that there were no monsters awaiting them.
"By the way," Masashi said to Sister Hikari, noticing that Kumi's expression still showed some tiredness, "how has Kumi been?"
Sister Hikari sighed. "Well, it's all erratic. Two nights ago, he had a nightmare in which he was chased by some kind of ball Monokuma creature. But when he woke up from fright, he didn't imagine seeing any creatures lurking in his room. But last night, he saw evil creatures again while he tried to fall asleep, but he had nothing but pleasant dreams. I don't think there's any pattern to this, but hopefully, this is the end of his troubles."
"Yeah, I don't want to imagine him going through the ordeal again," Masashi said. "And I hope that whatever Monokuma comes up with doesn't do him any more damage."
"And what do you think are the chances of that?" Mari asked.
Masashi had no answer, but only bleak thoughts popped up in his mind when he tried to come up with one.
Deciding to tarry no longer, Masashi and the others headed over to the mysterious room in the Egyptian palace. When they reached the fourth deck, eight of the others must have already gone to the other side, as he could make out two boats by the platform on the other side of the river. There were only two boats remaining on this side, and so they wasted no time and began their sailing through the river.
Oh God… Oh God… Masashi thought, feeling his heart beating faster while the boat moved quietly through the river. The room had always struck him as odd, and he had wanted to know what its purpose was, but when the time was about to come, there was a certain part of him that made him dread finding out. And yet, even with the dread, he would do nothing to stop this; not only was he required to go along with Monokuma's instructions, but he also could not stay put while knowing that the answer to his question was waiting right there, nothing present to hinder him. That was the dreadful cost of knowledge, but generally, it was better to know than not to know.
"Hmm… I wonder how long it'll take," Mari said, sitting next to him and looking almost bored as if this were a trip to the nearby doctor or pharmacist. "I hope it won't take too long. I don't want a lot of time to be wasted that I could have spent outside."
Whoa… She's so calm about this... Masashi thought.
When the boat arrived at the other side, the four got off and walked into the room, which awaited them with a normal yet unsettling silence. Here as well were all the others but Sayua, Tanjiro, Haruyuki, and Hikari. It was then that Masashi saw that on each of the sixteen rectangular pods, all of which were set in a half-circle, was a pixelated drawing of a student. It was the same drawing that was on the students' doors, and so each pod appeared to be assigned an owner. Upon further inspection, he also saw that by each pod was a small stand to which was installed a keyboard.
"Sorao… Please remember what we talked about the other day," Futaba said, she and her deputy standing in the back. "If Monokuma should try to tempt me with his motive… then you must do whatever you can to help me resist it."
Sorao nodded, a strong-willed expression on his face. "And I promise you that I won't forget."
"Uh, Miss Nirigiri?" Arashi said, he and the pastry maker standing by the kitchen door. "Are you, um, all right?"
Faye, who had looked a bit tense, smiled, though there was a hint of nervousness therein. "Oh, uh, yes, I'm well, fit, and healthy! It's just that I can't believe Monokuma is up to something again. And,uh, tell you what: after this whole thing is over, I'll cook you a treat!"
"R-Really?!" Arashi beamed, seemingly unaware of Faye's worry. "Thanks, Miss Nirigiri!"
In truth, the only ones who did not look rather shaken by all this were Red Mask, Abraham, and Maiha, the last of whom seemed quite focused on keeping an eye on Futaba and Sorao, as if she were some kind of informant gathering information. Masashi reminded himself to keep an eye on Maiha, remembering how she had willfully roused the crowd against Futaba after Monokuma had explained the motive.
Abraham snarled. "If I could, I'd stay the hell away from this room. I don't give a fuck what the deal is with these pods. Whatever the freakish bear has in mind will bring us nothing but fucking trouble."
"Still… I do want to know what is up with them," Sister Hikari said. "I'd like to think that it's not so bad as you think."
"Maybe it's related to treasure!" Red Mask said unusually blithely. "I've always had the feeling that there's treasure hidden somewhere in this room!"
"No way that's it…" Murphy answered. "Your mind must have a lot of silly thoughts if you can say something like that."
"Yeah, I agree," Masashi said. "Well, not the part about silly thoughts, I mean, even if your character is pretty questionable overall."
Red Mask giggled, covering her mouth with her right hand. "What's so questionable about me?"
"Uh, do I really have to answer?" Masashi said.
"Anyway, even if it's something bad," Mari added, "there's nothing to worry about, if you ask me."
Once the last four arrived, a familiar cackle was heard, and in the group's midst appeared Monokuma.
"Good morning, everyone!" Monokuma said blithely, wearing his usual white captain's uniform. "Glad to see you all here! The weather's been getting a bit rough these days, but hey, maybe after all this, we can all go out and have a nice swimming session in the pool! That is, if you can still remember how your swimming skills!"
"So what's the reason you've called us this time, captain?" Sorao asked. "Does it have something to do with these pods?"
"As a matter, it does!" Monokuma answered. "They're indeed important for today's special event, and I've made sure that they're all good and ready for use!"
"Wait… Are we getting into those things?" Masashi asked.
"Yep! Don't worry, it won't hurt at all!" Monokuma said. "All I'm doing to you is… well, I'd prefer to tell you after the fact! It's much better that way!"
"I-I don't like the sound of that..." Faye said.
"Y-You're… You're going to brainwash us, aren't you?!" Kumi said, flustered. "Th-That's what these pods are for! The evil warlock's going to brainwash us with this technology that he must have gotten from the aliens!"
"Oh, just shut up about your fairies and aliens already!" Sayua said, raising a fist. "Or else I'll make you shut up the hard way!"
"Eep!" Kumi squealed as he covered his face with his teddy bear. "P-Protect me from that troll, Sir Teddybane!"
Sorao chuckled. "Looks like you're a troll now in his eyes."
"Wh-What…? Troll?!" The cheerleader scowled, looking as if she were about to grab him and throw him at the wall. "That's it! He's gonna get it one way or the other! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's had it with his fantasy crap, so most of us here won't be against it if Tanjiro gives him a few punches to the head."
"All right by me," Abraham said.
"Wait, hold on!" Tanjiro partly raised his hands, eyeing his president worriedly. "Why am I the one to punch him? And why does there have to be any punching in the first place?"
"Oh, come on, you're the right kind of guy for the job," Sayua answered. "Your punches won't kill him any time soon, I tell you."
"Th-That's besides the point…" Tanjiro mumbled.
"Ahem!" Futaba said, unamused by the conversation. "You can continue your petty bickering later, preferably without violence. This is a serious occasion, and you have ruined it with your bickering."
"Oh, I don't know about that!" Monokuma said. "If you ask me, every now and then, it doesn't hurt to begin a dramatic moment with some comedy. It's just like how hospitals hire clowns to entertain patients before they undergo surgery."
"Um, I'm pretty sure hospitals don't do that," Sister Hikari said.
"They don't?!" Monokuma exclaimed, looking as if truly surprised before looking downwards dejectedly. "N-No way… Is everything that I've learned up until now all a lie?"
"There you go again…" Sorao said. "Anyway, what's the next step?"
Monokuma giggled, his dejectedness gone in a flash. "Well, it's simple! Just go into the pods, put on the headset inside, and relax. And don't worry, the pod will stay shut until the procedure's over, so no clown or whoever can come and stab you or anything."
Seeing that there was nothing else to do, all sixteen students here headed to their respective pods, and this time, the pods opened with ease. Inside each pod was a headset that looked much like the one that had been in the carriages for the Haunted Woods ride. The one outward difference was that the headset had cords linked to other parts of the pod, and when Masashi tried to pull the headset out, he was met with great resistance; it was clear that the headset was not meant to be taken outside.
After being hurried one last time by Monokuma, Masashi thought to waste no more time and lay down in the pod, which was great enough to feel comfortable in. Once he put on the headset, he heard the sound of something closing, all light from outside now gone.
"Relax, relax!" Monokuma said, still outside. "You guys are in an amusement park, after all! What harm will it do you to relax for a while?"
As soon as he said that, Masashi found himself feeling sleepier, sensing that the headset had just turned on.
W-Wait… Hold on! What are you doing to me…? Masashi thought as his sight grew darker and darker. I…
A second later, Masashi saw what Monokuma had meant earlier. He was right; there was nothing left to do but relax.
"Wake up, everyone! You've had a long enough rest, but even relaxation can't last forever, you know!"
That was the first thing that Masashi had heard upon awakening. The pod's lid rose, letting all light come back to his sight, which made him wince for a second. Once he became used to the sight again, he raised his upper body, looking around him first. All the others were up as well, looking as confused and careful as he was.
"Get out of there already!" Monokuma said, beckoning them to come to him. "I don't really like to talk to people whose legs I can't see, you know."
"Wh-What's just happened?" Masashi asked as he and the others got out. "I could've sworn that we'd just gotten into those pods."
"Well, you did!" Monokuma answered blithely. "The procedure that we've done on you took only until the evening came, but I'm glad to say that it has been successful!"
"E-Evening?!" Futaba exclaimed. "It was about seven o'clock when we started this!"
Mari looked none too happy. "Are you saying that we've wasted nearly the whole day being here, then?"
"Hey, ladies, I'm only telling you the facts here. Though great and mighty, I can't rush science," Monokuma answered before his expression turned sad. "Yes, I know. It's surprising to learn that even I, the mighty Monokuma, have to wait every now and then."
"Simply explain to us what you have just done," Maiha said.
Monokuma chortled. "Are you sure you're ready for it?"
"Uh, duh! Have you forgotten why we're even here in the first place?!" Sayua said, shaking a fist at him as she frowned.
"Puhuhuhu… Well, I certainly have not forgotten anything at all," Monokuma replied before he looked at them seriously, raising a paw. "But… I can't say the same for you guys."
"Wh-What…?" Kumi said, eyeing the captain with a mix of confusion and dread. "I don't get it… Wh-What are you talking about?"
"N-No way… You're not suggesting…" Sorao said.
"To cut to the chase… from the procedure that you guys have just gone through…" Monokuma said before opening up his arms. "All the memories of someone dear to you have been taken away!"
The whole group gasped, every member's expression full of shock and nothing else.
"T-Taken away? No way… There's no way that's true!" Masashi said, and yet, notwithstanding his words of denial, every inch of his body pushed him to move, as if he were facing some danger that he ought to flee from. "Our memories can't have been taken away! It's impossible!"
"Impossible?" Monokuma giggled as he covered his mouth. "Are you sure about that?"
It was then that a short but telling shriek came from someone from the group, and all the others then glanced at the woman that had let it out.
"N-No… No… No, no, no, no, no!" It was Faye, who looked unusually horrified, her hands shaking. "H-How could you do such a thing?! I… I can't remember her at all!"
"'Her'?" Abraham said.
"M-Miss Nirigiri?" Arashi said. "Wh-Who are you talking about?"
"My mother! I can't remember a single thing about her!" Faye exclaimed. "I-I can still remember my father, but as for my darling mother… The memories are all gone! Disappeared! Vanished! I can't remember her appearance! I can't even remember talking about her!"
The group gasped once more, but this time, instead of shock from disbelief, shock from the reality of the situation set in for each student here.
"Puhuhuhu!" Monokuma said as he faced the rest of the group. "Technology sure is amazing!"
"Wh-What are you playing at, you stupid little bear?" Abraham murmured as he grew a little skittish, panic setting into his face. "Memories… taken away? What bullshit is all this...?"
Murphy scowled. "I-I can't believe it, but it's no joke... I can't remember anything about my own mother as well."
"Enough of this farce!" Futaba said, her face losing a great amount of grace and composure. "I refuse to accept this answer. There is no such technology as can extract certain memories from people. We... We must have been drugged with some nefarious chemical, I am sure! That explains why we are all confused with respect to our memories right now."
Monokuma giggled. "All that means is that you're far behind the news. lady! Memory theft is the new hot thing, don't you know?!"
"Th-That's ludicrous..." Tanjiro said, eyeing his anxiously. "The more I see you, the more absurd this whole thing feels like… I mean, a talking autonomous bear is one thing, but sophisticated memory theft is definitely another!"
"U-Um… When are we getting back our memories?" Kumi said, tightening his grip on his teddy bear, his body quivering.
"Hate to break it to you, but those memories of yours are gone from your mind forever!" Monokuma answered. "None of you will get your memories back… until… you know!"
"Until someone here is killed," Sorao answered, looking composed compared to the others. "Only then will you return the lost memories to everyone remaining in the killing game."
"But that would mean that our memories are stored somewhere," Haruyuki said, who also looked unfazed for the most part. "Otherwise, how would he return them?"
"Why, that's right! In fact, they're stored right in this very room—the Memory Bank!" Monokuma then raised his paw, pointing at the pods from which the sixteen students had come out. "Each pod is linked to a storage space that stores the stolen memories of its respective student. They'll be safe in there, nice and cozy."
"Wait a minute… If that's the case," Sorao said, "what's stopping us from just going into our pods and accessing our memories, then?"
Monokuma chuckled once again. "If you want to keep something really dear to you, it makes sense to keep a lock on it. That's why there's a panel next to each pod, and the password happens to be the name of your forgotten one. If you type that in, then you get to access your pod and take a look at your memories, even though you can't take them with you."
"Wh-What?!" Arashi said, eyeing him intensely. "I-Is that true?!"
"Yep, I'm not kidding around!"Monokuma answered. "But hey, it doesn't matter, if you ask me. After all, you've lost all memories of your darlings, so it means you've forgotten their names as well, doesn't it? You might as well start thinking about killing someone, if you want to get them back!"
"Ugh... So it's nothing more than a mean-spirited taunt," Tanjiro said. "It's like putting the key to a treasure chest in the chest itself."
"And more importantly, are you telling us the whole truth?" Maiha asked.
"Hmm? What do you mean by that?" Monokuma asked inquisitively.
Maiha then pointed an accusatory finger at the bear. "What I mean is: you have unbridled access to our memories. Are you going to do anything to our memories while they're gone?"
"Modify them, you mean?" Monokuma replied. "Hey, don't worry! All the machines here do is take parts of your memories. Think of it as like taking away pieces of a pie, without actually being able to change the pieces!"
"Well… When you say that, I guess I feel a bit better," Sorao said. "You haven't lied to us so far, and even if you tried to trick us this time, we'd notice a discrepancy in our memories soon enough. And if that happened… well, this whole killing game's integrity would be put into question."
Monokuma chortled. "Exactly! Trust me when I say I won't do anything to them other than keep them safe and sound. And if you still don't trust me, then you really need to learn how to get over your anti-bear prejudice."
"And is that all you have to say to us now?" Mari asked.
"Actually… I have three more things left to tell you. But don't worry, they're nothing worrisome," Monokuma answered. "First, while you guys were asleep, I took the time to make all your rooms soundproof! Now you can as many loud parties in there as you want!
"Second, I've been cleaning the ship, and I've noticed a few rats in the ventilation," Monokuma continued. "Those damn little creatures got away from me as I tried my best to get rid of them. It'll take me some time to find them all and get rid of them, so from now on, you can't go into the vents."
"The vents?" Masashi then noticed that in this very room was a vent a few feet above one of the other pods.
"Not as if it mattered. We weren't crawling through the vents before, were we?" Sorao said. "What's the last one?"
Monokuma let out a hearty but irksome laugh. "This one's nothing bad. In fact, think of it as a gift! Somewhere on this ship, I've left behind a certain… thing."
"A… thing?" Sister Hikari asked as she and the others looked at him bemusedly.
"Yes, you may find it to be of great interest if you happen to find it," Monokuma answered. "And don't worry, you'll tell that it's from me if you see it."
"And where is this thing?" Sorao asked.
"Hey, now, that's for you to find out!" Monokuma answered. "But if you want a hint… it's not in the restrooms or the exhibit rooms, I assure you!
"Now, then, that's all from me! Hope you had a nice time on this unforgettable occasion! See you later!"
Monokuma laughed as he disappeared, leaving the sixteen students utterly stupefied. They all looked at one another uneasily for a short while, still trying to understand what had just happened to them.
"Well… I think we shouldn't stay silent about this," Sorao said, breaking the silence. "There's no denying that Monokuma's given us a new motive."
"Indeed," Haruyuki said. "I am rather curious as to how exactly we have been affected. It appears that Faye and Murphy have lost their memories of their mothers."
"But that's odd," Futaba said, looking a bit gloomy. "I remember my mother and my father without a problem."
"Well, according to the bear," Haruyuki said, "we each had been bereft of memories of someone dear to us. As some of us still remember their parents, it means that Monokuma had taken away the memories of someone else instead. For instance, perhaps I have an uncle or an aunt that I no longer remember."
Masashi tried to remember all that he could of his family. His mother and his father were alive and perfectly well the last time that he had seen them, even though the latter was overworked a bit at his company. And as far as he knew, he had no siblings at all. And yet, for some reason, much of what he remembered of his daily life was gone. Was it a sibling that he had forgotten? Or was it another relative or even one of his friends?
Futaba grimaced, her hands clutching the hems of her dress. "I don't know why, but… I feel that something is... missing."
Masashi felt likewise; whomever he had forgotten, the feeling that there was something missing now lingered in the air, and however much he could pretend otherwise, there was no denying what Monokuma had done.
"Then it appears that our memory theft is not perfectly seamless," Haruyuki said. "In fiction, usually, memory theft is meant to deceive victims into thinking that all is well, and so they sense nothing odd. But here, the imperfection and the distress caused thereby are intentional."
"Th-There has to be some way to get our memories back, right?" Faye asked, looking more distraught than Masashi would expect of her. Losing all her memories of her darling mother had understandably shocked her greatly.
"If you want to become the next killer, then go ahead," Abraham said, frowning. "Face it, there's no fucking way to get our memories back unless someone dies."
"Now, don't say that!" Sister Hikari said. "Perhaps once our rescuers come, they'll find a way to make our memories come back to us. Until then, we'll have to live with the fact that part of our memories have been stolen."
"Yeah!" Red Mask said, looking unusually blithe, given the situation. "A few stolen memories won't stop this phantom thief! In fact, I'm more impressed that Monokuma even came up with the idea of stealing memories!"
"I-Impressive? I-I don't really care about all this, but that's a weird way to put it..." Hikari said. Though appearing rather gloomy, she seemed hardly any different from how she usually looked. Masashi wondered whether the motive had barely affected her.
"And with all due respect, Sister Hikari, you don't expect us to just simply pretend that everything's normal now, do you?" Murphy said, eyeing her and the others with a hint of carefulness. "I was a fool to think that this killing game was only a joke, so I'd rather not make that mistake again."
The others looked uncertainly at one another as well. Though he wanted to believe that another murder would not happen again, it was beyond dumb at this point to deny the very possibility that someone here had already begun to think about killing. And moreover, being bereft of one's own memories was far greater a problem than the previous motive, in that it was much more unusual and less grounded in the world that they had known up until now. And in an unfamiliar situation, who knew how they would react?
"Well, if it's any consolation, we've already moved all the dangerous things from the storeroom to the second exhibit room. Only Abraham has the key to that," Sorao said. "The chances of someone pulling off a murder should be much lower now."
"Still, there's a chance that someone here will try to kill," Maiha countered. "The items locked behind the exhibit room are certainly not the only tools at our disposal, yes?"
Haruyuki shook his head. "Unless you plan to bereave us of our free will somehow, there will always be the chance that one of us will act."
"Yeah… we've done all that we can if you ask me," Sorao said. "The only thing we can do is hope that our rescuers come soon."
Though many of the group seemed none too reassured, none of them seemed too unassured that they would protest against this, unlike last time. Not even Maiha looked keen to push the others into gainsaying the leadership, her expression full of contemplation and composure instead. She could still be plotting something, of course, but for now, it seemed that the motive had affected her enough to be quiet.
"Y-Yes… that's right," Futaba said at last, regaining a bit of her usual grace. "In the meantime, I am a bit more concerned about something else. It's the matter of the object that Monokuma had mentioned last."
"Yeah, what's the deal with that?" Masashi asked, wondering what Monokuma was up to with it.
"Well, the best way to answer that is to actually find it," Murphy answered. "He said it was somewhere on this ship, right? It shouldn't take too long to find it, then."
"Then shall we have the group split up and look for it?" Sorao asked the lady.
"No, the ship is not so great that it would need many of us to search for it," Futaba answered. "A few of us should be enough."
Afterwards, it was decided that Faye and Murphy would search the first and second decks; Futaba and Abraham the third deck; and Mari and Tanjiro the fourth deck. Futaba had originally asked Sorao to search with her, but he had then claimed that he felt much more tired than usual, so she had chosen Abraham as her new partner.
"And as for the rest of you," Futaba finished, "you are to go back to the first ship, and you are free to do whatever you want as long as you do not interfere with our search. Once the search is done, we shall start our dinner meal."
Once everyone agreed to her bidding, the group left the Memory Bank, sailed to the other side of the river, and split off into two. The ones not investigating made their way to the woodland kingdom. No one said a word along the way, though the silence was telling enough of what was on all the students' minds.
What exactly have I lost? Masashi thought, unable to rid himself of the feeling that someone important to him was missing. Even if he could not name what it was, that this feeling even existed already troubled him enough. If only he could find a way to get rid of it, he would spend the rest of his time here much more at ease.
When they reached the outside, they saw that it had already turned dark, the stars slightly hidden by the looming clouds. The waves, however, seemed a bit rough, beating against the ship as hard as a beggar child might against a rich man's door. Once the group was inside the first ship, many of the members split off, thinking to do something else other than stick around. The only one remaining in the dining room was Arashi.
"Hey, are you all right?" Masashi asked, seeing that he was rather quiet now. Though he had been like this lately, in truth, he had expected that Arashi might say something in anger against Monokuma, given his behavior the last time a motive had been given.
"Oh, uh… yeah!" Arashi answered before sighing. "Well… I feel a bit weird. I can't remember exactly who it is I've forgotten, but… I know that that person was really important to me."
"Any guesses as to who it may be?" Masashi asked.
Arashi thought for a few seconds. "Um… Actually, I do. I live with my grandma, and for some reason, I can't remember a lot of what's happened in my life. So maybe… it was my grandpa that I forgot?"
"Really?" Masashi said.
"I'm not fully sure, but it's the likeliest answer, right?" Arashi said, a dreary expression on his face. "But… I also remember walking from a graveyard with my grandma, so I think he's…"
It was then that his eyes began to water, his cheeks reddening.
"Grandpa…? Grandpa! Wh-What's happened to you?!" Arashi said. "S-Something must've happened to you, but what is it?! What is it?! I… I need to remember what's happened!"
Suddenly, Arashi grabbed a nearby chair, and with surprising ease, he threw it at the nearby wall, which stupefied Masashi for a very short while before he recovered.
"Monokuma!" Arashi yelled. "Give me back my memories! Give me back—"
"Arashi! Stop it!" Masashi said, seeing that thinking about it would do him no good. "Think about what you've been trying to do! If you get angry over this, you'll make a terrible mistake!"
"Mistake…?"
"Yeah! What have you been trying to do these last few days?"
Arashi gasped. "Oh! Th-That's right… I mustn't let my anger get the best of me again! Yeah… I mustn't!"
Upon saying that, the pyrotechnician grew a little calmer, picking up the chair that he had tossed and putting it back in its place. "I… I just don't know what to do, though… The temptation is there, and it's really, really hard not to go for it…"
"Well, one way to ward that off," Masashi said, "is to think about something else. Maybe you should spend your time on a hobby while we're trapped here."
He had originally thought to suggest that he think about the negative effects of falling for Monokuma's motive, but he had then realized that it would only make Arashi think about the motive, even from a different perspective.
"A hobby…? Um… I don't know what I can do here as a hobby, but I'll think about it!" he declared.
About an hour later, the investigators had finished and told everyone to meet up at the dining room, according to what Mari had said when she had found him in the lounge. When Masashi arrived at the dining room, however, he sensed no celebratory mood coming from anyone, which made the results that they had been unsuccessful less surprising.
"I do not understand," Futaba said, irked. "Monokuma said that he had put the object somewhere on the ship, and yet, it is nowhere to be found."
"Maybe it's actually in one of the exhibit rooms, despite what he said," Sorao suggested, having taken a nap in his room during the search.
Futaba sighed as she shook her head. "I too thought to have Faye and Abraham inspect the rooms as well, just in case he had misremembered. But there was nothing to find there other than what we had already put in there."
"And obviously, the restrooms had nothing to find," Murphy answered. "So it seems like Monokuma was right about that."
The others murmured to one another about what this meant. Given that Monokuma clearly wanted them to find it, it was surprising that it had been so elusive to find now.
"Well, maybe if we search again tomorrow," Sorao said, "we'll find it. I get the feeling that we're all tired and shocked by this whole ordeal, so a good night's rest ought to do the trick."
"Hmm… I suppose that is the right course of action," Futaba said.
"And another thing," Sorao added. "If the object that Monokuma put is made of metal… it'll be helpful to use the metal detector, don't you think?"
"Wait, what metal detector?" Masashi said.
Sorao crossed his arms. "Oh, yeah, I guess you don't know… Well, during Faye's and Abraham's search of the storeroom a few days ago, they found a small metal detector lying there. They put it in the second exhibit room, but I think it'll be wise to take it out for a spin."
"Yes, go ahead and do that…" Futaba said, looking a bit dazed. "Now, I believe that it's time for the dinner meal. Faye, go to the kitchen and begin your work."
"Oh, uh… right, right!" Faye said, who also gave off a rather weird feeling. Notwithstanding her determined expression, it seemed that she too had not fully recovered from what had just happened to her, and therefore, the smile that she showed looked a bit forced.
The dinner meal came and passed much more quietly than usual, though the quality of the food seemed to have worsened a bit.
Oh… I still can't remember...
There had been the hope that their memories would come back the next morning, and having felt exhausted, Masashi had headed to bed right after he had finished his shower last night. But when Masashi had woken up the next day, he still could not recall what he had been bereft of. He could recall his parents and many of his other relatives, but there was still someone missing, and the worst part was that there was no way to find out what it was. The only way to find out was the memories locked in his pod, but as Tanjiro had said, it was nothing more than Monokuma's mean-spirited taunt, as if he had felt not enough pleasure from their suffering.
The breakfast meal passed uneventfully, with the usual conversations here and there, though there was a noticeable drop in liveliness among the students; it was clear that the memory theft had done a number on them, even if they denied it. It was most noticeable in Faye, who was usually open for conversation, but was now rather quiet, saying nothing to her tablemates, her eyes looking a bit weary. Among the few who seemed unaffected, however, was Sayua.
"Tanjiro and I are gonna keep looking in the hidden library," the president of Team Tomi announced. "I betcha that there's an answer to this whole shitty problem somewhere in there."
"It would be swell if you found the solution to our problem," Haruyuki said, also another who seemed to be his usual self. "But as I said last time, I highly doubt that the mastermind would be so careless as to leave behind the cure in the library. You are welcome to try, however."
"Indeed," Maiha said. "In fact, let me accompany you. I have something to look for in the library as well."
"Oh? What is it?" Tanjiro asked.
"Nothing that concerns you, commoner," she answered bluntly, and that was the end of that.
The only other remarkable thing that happened during the meal was an incident wherein Red Mask accidentally got ketchup spilled on her purple shirt, which made her head back to her room early. Once the meal was done, all the students left to sundry parts of the amusement park, whiling their time away as they waited for their rescuers. Masashi walked around, wanting to see whether there was anyone he could hang out with, though he sensed that very few people here were open for conversation. Nonetheless, he wandered about, having nothing in particular to do.
Today, the weather was noticeably rougher; there were more dark clouds, and the winds were stronger than usual, the chairs and parasols by the pool barely sticking to the deck. Nevertheless, when he saw Mari standing by the bow, she insisted that she stay there.
"I'm all right, really," she said. "The weather doesn't bother me that much."
"Are you sure about that?" Masashi asked.
She nodded slightly as she stared back at the waves. "I appreciate your concern, but really, you don't worry about me, really. Whatever happens happens."
Later, Masashi thought that he could find someone to ride the merry-go-round with, seeing that if he was staying at the amusement park against his will, he might as well enjoy what was offered him. He began his way to the merry-go-round room, only to hear chatter coming from the lounge. He peeked through the door, and sure enough, it was Sorao and Futaba, the latter of whom carried a look of great anxiety.
"Ah, Sorao…" Futaba began, her voice quivering. "There's… something that I need to tell you."
"Huh? What is it, Lady Inoshishi?" Sorao asked, looking at her inquisitively.
"Well… to begin with, I'm not sure whether I've told you this before, but I'm actually betrothed to another man already," Futaba said, looking at him seriously. "That man happens to be the son of a businessman with whom my father works."
Masashi gasped, recalling the conversation that Futaba had had with Sorao a few days ago. Futaba had revealed to Sorao that she had feelings for him, but she must not fall for him, since she already had feelings for a woman, a Spanish dancer who was also the hostage that Monokuma had taken as part of the first motive. Though greatly shocked, Sorao had nonetheless agreed to stay by her side, even if his chances with her were now gone. Since Futaba could no longer remember that conversation, it meant that the darling whom she had forgotten was her dancer friend.
"Um… I think you told me this a few days ago," Sorao said. "I don't remember all the details of the conversation, though. It's been a while, as you know."
"Yes… That I understand," Futaba said. "Anyway… my father wants me to wed the man, as part of the consolidation of his business might. But in truth, I am hardly any interested in the man at all, however kind he may be. The one that I am more interested in is… is…"
Her lips trembled as she struggled to get her answer out.
"It's you, Sorao."
"Wh-What? Me?" Sorao said, eyes widened.
"Indeed. I've grown more and more interested in you ever since you began to help me here. I don't why I haven't told you this beforehand, but I suppose it's about time that I told you."
She took in a deep breath of air as she looked him right in the eye, her cheeks reddening, her body quivering. "Sorao Mineta… I love you."
It was then that Masashi, already shocked by what he had heard so far, completely froze and understood what was going on: Futaba, though having forgotten her dancer friend, still had feelings of love lingering within her. She needed someone to love, but she had been bereft of all memories of the object of her love, so with that in mind, she went for the next logical option.
Still… I can't believe it! She's confessed! Masashi thought.
"Wh-What…? You love me?" Sorao said, shock rushing through his face.
"Yes. I wish to start a relationship with you."
"But… your father! What about him and your betrothal?"
"Oh, I can't very well agree to what he has in mind for me!" Futaba said, frowning as disapproval entered her eyes. "Once we are rescued, I'll tell him that he must cancel the betrothal. However much he may protest, I am set on starting a relationship with you."
"S-Still… Aren't you rushing this a little, Lady Inoshishi?" Sorao said nervously. "Maybe you should talk with your betrothed first before we make any hasty decisions!"
"What's there to talk about?" she asked. "I don't hate the man, but he hardly interests me. I can't imagine that I should have a very fulfilling life if I were to wed him. But you, on the other hand, are different! I feel that you actually understand me and will stand by me, come what may."
"I… I see…" Sorao said, whose cheeks too had reddened, as he scratched the back of his head. "Well… if truth be told, I've been interested in you. It's just that… I'm a commoner, and I didn't think that you would want to start a relationship with me."
"Sorao, I can assure you, your social rank will be of no problem to me," Futaba said.
"Really? Then... now that you say that you want to be with me, however poor I may be… well…" Sorao stopped for a few seconds before he could utter his answer. "I guess we can start seeing each other."
The lady then looked at her with stern but pleading eyes. "Is that a promise?"
Sorao nodded. "It's a promise."
"Oh, Sorao... thank you!" Futaba then held Sorao by the hand, smiling as if she were a girl given her favorite sweets. "I feel that with you, my future has grown brighter!"
"Haha… I guess I have that kind of effect on you," Sorao said, chuckling.
As the two celebrated the beginning of the relationship, however, Masashi stared at the sight, shocked by what had seen. It was not that Sorao and Futaba were now an item; he had once thought that they would make a good match. No, it was that the occasion seemed like a repeat of their conversation a few days ago, in which Futaba had explicitly told him that his advances would not work, as she had already fallen for another. But the difference was how it had ended; it was as if time had reversed itself so that the occasion might lead to its proper outcome this time.
But that was not it at all. Time had not reversed itself; it was simply the erasure of the dancer from Futaba's memories. Thanks to that, Sorao had no longer had no obstacle in starting a relationship with her. It seemed rather convenient that things had turned out this way, but that was not the main thing that concerned Masashi.
Sorao… He can't have forgotten, can he?
Last time, Sorao had sworn to stand by her side, even though he was never to become her betrothed, and such a promise was so weighty that Masashi could not believe that Sorao had forgotten the details of the conversation, however forgetful he might be. At the very least, he must have remembered that Futaba already had a lover, and he must have realized that it was the lover whom Monokuma had cruelly made Futaba forget.
In other words… Sorao purposely chose not to tell her! Masashi realized with horror. He… He lied to her! But why...?
Though not wanting to interfere with the couple's happiness, he sensed that if he did not address it later, something bad might happen. He needed to talk with them about Sorao's deception.
No… Not both of them. Masashi realized that the best way to understand what was going on was from the horse's mouth. In short, he ought to talk with Sorao only instead of openly confronting him while Futaba was around. He wanted to make sure that things should resolve without any tragedy, and so a private talk with Sorao later was the best option. Seeing that he was busy now, Masashi thought that he could talk to him tomorrow.
In the meantime, Masashi quickly left the scene, going to the dining room. Unlike last time, there was no one to accompany him. He wondered how Haruyuki would react to all this, but for now, he planned to deal with this by himself.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully, most of the others keeping to themselves. The dinner meal had no incidents, and once again, Faye's cooking was noticeably a bit worse than usual. Still, Masashi was glad that they had someone to cook for them, so he made no complaints and kept on eating his pastries. Moreover, Abraham looked a bit more tired than he would expect, but he thought that it was simply due to being forced to search for Monokuma's mysterious object; there was still no progress on that front, unfortunately, but Futaba insisted that they not give up on finding it.
After the dinner meal, Masashi spent some time with the others before he headed back to his room. By the time he finished his shower, nighttime had already begun.
I wonder when this whole nightmare will end… Masashi thought as he looked out the window, thinking about what had happened up to this point. He had found himself in this very room and ventured out before seeing that he along with seventeen others were trapped on this ship that was part of a fantastic amusement park. Then after Monokuma had announced their situations, the students had remained idle. But it had all changed when Monokuma had given them motive videos of their loved ones—"
Wait a minute… Masashi snapped from his daze, realizing something odd. Who… was my loved one in my video?
However much he tried to remember, he could not remember whom he had seen upon watching his video for the first time. He also remembered that he had offered to clean up the mess that Futaba, Atsushi, and Mari had made from destroying all the videos, and there had been one unbroken video. That video had been—
Mine! Masashi quickly rushed through his drawers, shocked that he had completely forgotten about it. So much had happened since then that it had naturally slipped his mind.
Not long after, he found a pink tablet whose screen was slightly shattered, but it must still be functional. Why else had he stowed it here? He turned it on, all too keen to remember its contents.
"It's the moment we've all been waiting for! The motive video!" Monokuma said in the video, the screen showing "Masashi Kousaki's Motive Video". He vaguely remembered seeing this screen; it was the same screen that he had seen on his tablet while cleaning up, after all. "Who's the person most important in your life? Let's find out!"
As soon as the screen changed, Masashi realized what he was now seeing.
No… No… This person… I-It can't be…!
On the screen was a girl with short black hair who had an ever so blithesome smile. She wore a white headdress, a white apron over a black dress, and white lacing, looking like a typical maid.
"Masashi Kousaki, the Ultimate Lucky Student!" Monokuma said. "Rather bland and uninteresting upon first glance, this high school boy can stand out only with his title. But the same can't be said for Keiko Kousaki, his little sister and the Ultimate Maid! We've managed to get a video with her, so let's hear her sweet exquisite voice now!"
No! No! This can't be! This girl… is my sister?! But… I don't have a sister!
"Oh, hey, Masashi!" the girl said, her voice chirpy. "I hope that things are going well back at home. It's been pretty tiring so far at the place I'm working at, but it's no problem for me! I'll be sure to send you some of my earnings soon!"
No! No, no, no! This girl can't be my sister! But… But...
Masashi clutched his head, his eyes focused on the girl, who Monokuma said was his younger sister, but all the memories that he had in him said otherwise.
This can't be right… This can't be right! This has to be a lie!
This was all wrong. This girl could not be his little sister, and yet the more he listened to his own explanation, the less he could accept it, as if knowing that the message that his memories told him was to be spoken against. He felt as if there were an irritating buzzing sound that urged him to deny what he now saw right before him, and having understood that he was seeing something that he was not meant to see now, he knew that to rid himself of the sound, he simply needed to stop watching and destroy the video, as the leadership had meant to do.
No… No, no, no, noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
And yet, Masashi kept his eyes on the video. Once he had seen the beginning, he could not stop until he saw everything.
"Oh, no!" Monokuma said after the screen changed to show Keiko kept captive in dreary conditions, her lovely appearance utterly sullied. "It seems that Keiko's days of employment have come to an end! And it's all due to an unfortunate incident! What is that incident, you may ask? Well, you'll find out once you leave this place! Puhuhuhuhu!"
The video then ended. Masashi stood there dumbstruck by the discovery of what he had lost. A numbness rushed through his legs and arms, and so he fell on his knees, the image of the girl echoing through his mind. For a long while, he stayed like that as if waiting for the image to rid him of all the false images in his mind. And yet, he knew that he would have to wait forever; after all, all he had done was discover who his lost darling was. He had not recovered his stolen memories at all, and that was the end of that.
No… No, that's not true. That's not true at all...
The stolen memories were stowed in his assigned pod in the Memory Bank, the very last room in the palace of sands. The only way to access his pod was by typing in his lost darling's name, and formerly, he had thought it to be nothing but Monokuma's taunt.
But now things were different. Indeed, this time, he knew what his lost darling's name was.
"Keiko..."
He repeated the name, as if worried that he would forget it. But of course, even if he were to forget, he could always just look at the video again.
"Keiko... Keiko..."
He rejoiced every time that he said the name. It was something that he was not meant to know right now, and so every utterance was indeed an act of defiance.
"Keiko... Keiko... Keiko..."
Monokuma must be listening to this right now, and he was glad if this irked him greatly. He must have realized his mistake, and now, he could not stop it, having already set the terms of the current motive.
"Keiko, Keiko, Keiko, Keiko, Keiko, Keiko, Keiko, Keiko, Keiko!"
After a while, having said it enough times, he was sure that he would not forget her name. Then what came out of his mouth next was not her name but a hearty laugh.
"Ahaha... Ahahahahahahahahahaha!"
He rose from the floor, an ever so gladsome smile on his face, glee and joy in his eyes. He had realized what he had been missing after Monokuma had wrongfully stolen his memories of Keiko, and now, he had the chance to see what he had lost. Sure, he would not actually get back his memories until someone died, as part of Monokuma's motive; the pod only gave him an opportunity to watch his memories. But that was good enough; he now had a chance to see what he had lost in his peaceful life, and it was all thanks to the motive video, which Monokuma himself had given him. Yes, the irony was clear and ever so delightful.
And of all the videos that had stayed intact during the leadership's destroying of the videos, it was his and his alone. What extraordinary luck he must have! Now, he could use the video to overcome the deception that Monokuma had set on him.
To think, I was forced to forget about you! Masashi thought as he put the motive video in his gray jacket. It was a bit shameful that he had forgotten one of his own kin, but there was nothing that he could have done to stop it. Don't worry, Keiko… I'll see you again soon.
It was nighttime, and so the others should all be asleep. No one would be there to stop him from going to the Memory Bank. Of course, no one had heard him laughing; these walls were soundproof. And there was no way that he would turn down the opportunity to remember the knowledge that he had lost. Generally, it was better to know than not to know.
Once ready, Masashi left his room, off to see his lost darling.
Here's the motive at last! This time, it's memory theft (a variant of this was used in the first case of DR2), and I thought it'd be interesting to see how certain characters would react to hearing that certain memories of theirs were gone. In short, a few of the characters have changed quite a bit because of it, and Masashi rediscovers something important about himself. And yeah, the action in this chapter isn't over yet!
All right, now that you have the motive, which characters do you think will die this chapter?
