Chapter 4: Got Well Soon
Hanako stalled for a good fifteen minutes after the nighttime announcement. It was only the thought of Byakuya berating her for being late that finally got her out of bed. He'd only get more condescending with the amount of time that passed—or he'd send someone to get her, and she didn't need that twice in one day.
Ibuki had brought the tank top over earlier that day. The pocket and its tacky design were gone, the stitches neatly taken out of the fabric. She traded her shirt for the tank top, fingered the hem self-consciously, and stepped out of her cottage.
There was no light coming from the old building—all of the windows were boarded up or something—and she couldn't hear much either, but she assumed most of the others were already there.
Byakuya was waiting for her when she stepped inside. He was standing beside what looked like a receptionist's desk, arms crossed.
"Late, as usual."
Hanako gave him a two-fingered salute and made to walk past him, but he stepped in her path.
"I need to search you before you join the others."
"Excuse me?"
"Everyone else subjected themselves to a search." He raised an eyebrow. "You may have made yourself the exception to the rule when it comes to punctuality, but I'm not making any exemptions with this."
Hardass. Hanako glowered for a moment, then motioned for him to go ahead. He'd waited for her permission, at least. Byakuya proceeded with a thorough but businesslike pat-down.
"Am I the last one here?" Hanako asked before an awkward silence could settle in.
"Everyone else except Kuzuryu is here," Byakuya replied, "but this will still work if only one person is missing."
"What will work?" she asked. "What's the point of having this party?"
He pulled something out of her pocket and straightened. "What's this?"
She glanced between his face and the pen in his hand. "My prison shank."
He uncapped the pen and examined the ballpoint tip. "I'm going to confiscate this for tonight. I'll return it to you once the party is over."
Hanako scoffed. "What, are we going to have to eat with our hands, too?"
"I've deemed eating utensils safe, but the knives and other sharp objects have been confiscated," Byakuya said, either missing or just ignoring the sarcasm in her voice. He turned and deposited her pen in a small metal box sitting against the wall. "You're free to enter, now."
"You'd probably be a good bouncer," she said as she walked past him.
"What did you say?"
She turned to find him staring at her. He didn't seem offended, so she said, "Well, you're kind of a hardass with the rules and you have, you know, the physique for it." When he continued to look at her strangely, she shrugged and said, "Never mind."
If anything, he'd be the one hiring bouncers, rich as he was. He didn't look like he'd actually done a day of physical work in his life.
She rounded the corner and followed the sound of voices to a pair of double doors. The large room beyond was well-lit despite the metal panels blocking the windows. Several tables laden with food took up the space in the middle, and most of the others had already started eating.
Hanako stood still for a moment, scanning the room. Everyone else had paired off in twos and threes and were deep in conversation. Gundham was glowering by himself in a corner, but she wasn't inclined to try and break the ice with him.
She realized she was also standing on the fringe like a loser and went to get a drink. It looked like juice and soda were their only options, so she poured herself a cup of cola and swallowed a mouthful, letting the fizz run down her throat.
If I had a flask, I wonder if Togami would let me bring it in, she thought forlornly.
"Yukimura. I wasn't sure if you were going to come."
She glanced to the side to find Nagito approaching.
"I was just running a little late. Nice job on the cleanup, by the way." She glanced up at the colorful paper chains decorating the ceiling. "Did you make those yourself?"
"At the last minute. It's a pretty easy craft, even for someone like me." He took a sip of his own drink—water, it looked like. "I hope you enjoy yourself tonight."
"I mean, this isn't really how I like to party, but whatever." She glanced at the metal panels on the windows. "I still don't get why Togami's making us shut ourselves in here all night. I'm betting this thing will be dead in two hours."
"Well, maybe something exciting will happen before then." His smile widened.
"Like what?" She searched his face. There was a gleam in his eyes, like he was anticipating something.
"Excuse me! Hot food coming through."
Teruteru nudged in between them and placed a dish of steaming curry in an empty spot on the table. The smell hit her nose and Hanako felt her stomach rumble.
"Hey, is there any booze to go with the food?" she asked, then immediately looked for something heavy in case Teruteru made a roofie comment.
"Unfortunately, no," he replied. "I had some ideas in mind for some mind-blowing wine pairings, but I couldn't find so much as a drop in the kitchen." He shrugged. "A good chef must make do with what's available."
Hanako stared as he hurried back out the door. "So he can be normal."
"I'm not surprised Hanamura's passion would shine through when it comes to cooking," Nagito said. "I'm impressed by his dedication."
"I guess." She tapped the rim of her cup with one finger. The food did smell amazing. "What were you saying earlier? About a surprise or something?"
"I didn't say anything about a surprise. I doubt someone like me would be able to come up with anything spectacular, anyway."
"Well, I guess it's enough that you cleaned the place." She scanned the room, looking for an escape from Nagito's self-deprecating comments. There was only so much she could handle in one night. She spotted Ibuki piling chocolates in one hand and tipped her cup towards Nagito. "See you."
Ibuki waved with her free hand as Hanako approached. "Hiya, Yukimura!" She held up her palmful of sweets. "Have you tried these yet? They are sooo good. I want a bag to carry with me all the time."
Hanako popped one into her mouth and sighed at the burst of sweetness. "Yeah, make that two bags."
Ibuki had changed into a slim pink top that she'd cropped just above the waistband of her skirt, leaving a sliver of skin exposed. Even though there was no music, she was swaying her hips slightly, like she had excess energy to burn.
"So, uh." Hanako looked away. "Did you bring your guitar?"
"I did, but Togami wouldn't let me bring it inside unless I took the strings off." Ibuki made a face. "Guitars only make second-rate percussion instruments."
Hanako mirrored her expression. "What, does he think you're gonna strangle someone? That's so stupid."
It also didn't change the fact that she could have smashed in someone's head with the rest of the guitar if she'd wanted. As much as Byakuya had tried to child-proof the room, it didn't change the fact that Hanako could break a wineglass on the edge of the table and jab the stem into someone's neck. Anyone could shove a person's head against the metal screws jutting from the plates on the windows. Someone like Nekomaru could probably kill with his bare hands.
Everything was a weapon. That was one of the first things Hanako had learned when it came to defending herself.
"Hello?" Ibuki waved a hand in front of her face. "Earth to Yukimura?"
"What? Yeah." She straightened her tank top again. "I was just thinking we need music. I'm gonna go get my CD player."
Ibuki narrowed her eyes. "Hey, you've had a CD player this whole time and kept it to yourself?"
"I'm sharing it tonight," she replied with a coy glance, then walked past her to where Byakuya was guarding one of the metal cases he'd been keeping in the lobby.
He looked up from a rapidly-emptying plate of tonkatsu as she approached. "Need something?"
"This party is dead. I'm grabbing my CD player from my cottage." She spread her hands. "Just so you don't think I'm off murdering anyone."
"I made it clear no one was to leave the building once the party started."
She met his stare. "I'm not asking for your permission. I'm just letting you know where I'm going."
Byakuya chewed another bite and swallowed. "I'll have to search you when you come back."
"Sure, whatever. Be back in five." She waved at him over her shoulder as she headed for the door.
Hanako sighed and tried to keep her pace even. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up. She just needed a breath of fresh air, and then she would come back.
She was reaching for the doorknob when the room went dark.
Several people cried out in surprise. Something crashed to the ground. Hanako froze, eyes straining for even the dimmest shape in the black void. Ten seconds passed. Fifteen.
"Everyone just calm down! We gotta stay calm in a situation like this!" one of the girls called.
Hanako placed her hand flat against the door and began feeling for the doorknob. Frantic footsteps rushed past her.
"What the hell is this?"
"Ow!"
Her pulse thundered below her jaw. She finally found the doorknob and wrenched it open, but the hallway beyond was just as dark.
"Hang on, I'll go along the wall and find the breaker."
Hanako pressed her back against the door and held her breath. If anyone came close, she would have an escape route, at least. She waited, jaw clenched, ears straining for the sound of someone approaching. For a few suffocating heartbeats, everything was silent and dark.
Light flooded the room. Hanako flinched at the burst of brightness, then forced her eyes open to assess the damage. Most of the others were doing the same. Everyone seemed to be all right, except—
Sonia held up a hand to stifle her gasp. "That is…!"
Hanako rushed forward to see what everyone else was looking at. Mikan had fallen to the floor, legs splayed and half a bottle of soy sauce spilled across her apron.
"Ah, I'm so embarrassed!" Mikan cringed, cheeks flaring red. "P-Please don't look at me!"
Hiyoko snorted. "It kind of sounds like you want us to look."
"Oh, I cannot handle this!" Ibuki covered her eyes, though the gaps between her fingers were visible.
"You guys are assholes." Hanako stepped forward and grabbed Mikan's ankles, then pushed her legs down so she was no longer exposing herself. She reached down and helped Mikan to her feet.
Mikan sniffled and wiped at her teary eyes. "I'm s-so sorry. Please forgive me, everyone."
"Don't worry about it," Hanako grumbled, passing her a napkin for her stained clothing. How the fuck did she manage to fall like that?
"Well, anyway," Mahiru said, drawing everyone's attention to her. "Why did the lights go off like that?"
"There is another problem too," Sonia said. "Togami seems to be missing."
Hanako glanced around, half-incredulous, but Sonia was right. He'd disappeared—and he was hard to miss in the first place.
"That's concerning," Nagito said with a frown. "We should split up and look for him."
"I was next to the door during the blackout," Hanako said. "I think I would have noticed if he left the room."
"But there are multiple doors leading in and out of this room," he replied. "And Togami clearly isn't here, right?"
She shrugged a shoulder, and Nagito turned to the others.
"I'll go check the storage room. Hinata, would you mind looking around the entrance?"
Hajime looked up and blinked. It seemed like he hadn't been paying attention—or maybe he hadn't expected anyone to ask him for help. "Uh, yeah. Sure."
The two of them, along with Sonia, Nekomaru, and Kazuichi, left the room to search the rest of the building. Akane began refilling her plate with food. Hanako parked herself against the wall, where she would be able to see the rest of the room, and crossed her arms.
It bothered her that Byakuya had just disappeared like that after being so adamant about controlling everything that was going on during the party. The only thing she could fathom was that he'd chased another student out of the room. Teruteru was probably in the kitchen. Peko and Chiaki were nowhere to be seen, and Fuyuhiko apparently hadn't bothered to attend at all. Byakuya would probably march back in at any minute dragging one of them by the collar.
And if he didn't come back—
Stop. Hanako scratched at her arm, wishing Byakuya hadn't taken her pen.
After a few minutes, the group that had gone to investigate returned, bringing Teruteru with them. None of them had seen Byakuya, and according to Chiaki, he hadn't left the building either.
"I did not see Pekoyama in the office either," Sonia said. "I found that rather strange."
Teruteru smirked. "Maybe she snuck into the bathroom with Togami for some alone time."
"Can you shut up?" Hanako said. "This is a serious situation."
"Wait." Akane wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and lifted her chin. "I smell something funny."
"Funny?" Mikan echoed. "Like…f-flatulence?"
"No. Like blood."
No one had a response to that. They all watched in silence as Akane spun in a circle, nose twitching. She stopped and pointed to the back of the room.
"There."
The table was mostly empty, except for a lamp and a few discarded cups. Hanako didn't see anything that would smell like blood.
With halting footsteps, Hajime approached the table and knelt down. He gripped the edge of the tablecloth. His shoulders rose and fell with some split-second decision, and he threw it back.
Hanako's stomach turned. The other side of the cloth was splattered with blood.
Whatever Hajime saw under the table made him stumble back with a gasp. The others converged on the table, and a few screamed. Dizzily, Hanako followed them.
Byakuya was under the table. There was no mistaking him, even though he was face-down and lying in a pool of blood. There was so much of it, seeping through the gaps between the floorboards and staining the white fabric of his jacket.
"That isn't real blood, right?" Ibuki said faintly. "This is just a prank, right?"
"Check his pulse," Hanako said. Her own voice sounded as if it were coming through a layer of cotton. "Maybe h-he—"
"Nope, no need! Mister Togami is definitely dead!"
Monokuma waltzed into view and positioned himself in front of the gathered crowd.
"Let's all raise our glasses! The first murder on Jabberwock Island has finally occurred!"
"You're lying," Hajime said, a tremor in his voice. "You really expect us to believe Togami was murdered?"
"Believe it or not, I don't care. But if you refuse to see the truth, you're playing right into the killer's hands." Monokuma glanced around. "Looks like we're missing a few people. Might as well do this the old-fashioned way so everyone's on the same page."
He snapped his fingers, and the monitor on the wall flickered to life with a chime.
"A body has been discovered! Now then, after a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin!"
"I expect you all to do your best and investigate the murder," Monokuma continued once the announcement had ended. "So…chop chop!"
He disappeared, leaving them in stunned silence.
"Does he really expect us to do this?" Mahiru asked, eyes filled with tears.
Everyone began speaking at once, half a dozen arguments overlapping each other. She half-expected Byakuya's voice to cut through the commotion, for him to continue bossing them around, but his interjection never came. He was still lying under the table.
She almost could have pretended he'd had too much to drink and was simply passed out. But there was blood pooled under him and he wasn't breathing and the room was too loud, too small, too much—
"Fuck this," Hanako muttered. She pushed her way to the door and fled down the hallway. She passed Chiaki and Peko on the way, but she didn't give either of them a second glance. If they spoke to her, she didn't hear it.
The night air was balmy and quiet when she stepped outside. Hanako bent over the flowerbed and counted backwards from ten while her stomach decided whether or not it was going to empty itself or not.
Byakuya was dead. Someone had stabbed him and left him under a table and that person was still out there and how the fuck were they supposed to figure out who had done it before someone else died?
"Hey, you."
Hanako jolted and spun around, nearly losing her balance in the process. Her whole body felt off-kilter, her skin cold and numb.
Fuyuhiko stood a little ways away, hands stuffed in his pocket and a furrow in his brow.
"Did something happen in there?" He jerked his chin towards the old building. "I heard some announcement about someone finding a body."
"Yeah," Hanako said. Even the single syllable felt clumsy coming out of her mouth. "Togami, um, died."
One eyebrow ticked upward a notch. "So that bastard ended up getting himself killed after swearing to protect everyone?"
She stared hard at him. She supposed she shouldn't have expected a yakuza to be shocked about a dead body, but his lack of reaction just made everything feel more unreal.
"We're supposed to find out who did it," she said. She wasn't sure if she was trying to provoke a provoke a reaction out of him or if it was just easier to start stating facts.
"Well, leave me out of that shit. I want nothing to do with it." He waved a dismissive hand in farewell and headed back towards the cottages.
Hanako watched him go, feeling strangely, unfathomably lonely.
She lowered herself onto the steps outside the old building entrance. Her hands were shaking. She wanted a cigarette, a drink, fucking something before she went out of her skin completely. Distantly, she wondered how the others were faring inside, if they were all panicking like her or if they somehow had their shit together and were investigating like Monokuma had asked.
Her answer came some time later when the door creaked open.
"What are you doing out here, fiend?"
Hanako glanced up as Gundham descended the stairs with heavy strides. "Oh, you know. Just getting some fresh air."
He grunted in acknowledgement and walked through the flowerbed she'd been retching into a few minutes before. Hanako propped her chin in her hand, but out of the corner of her eye she watched as he knelt and inspected the wooden lattice at the bottom of the outer wall.
"Blast," he muttered. "The walls of the Void are nigh-impenetrable."
Curiosity won out, and she turned fully to face him. "The hell are you doing?"
He scoffed as if she'd asked why the sky was blue. "I am in search of the Hell Hound Earring, which absconded from my possession during the earlier festivities."
She blinked. "Why are you looking out here? You think it fell through the floor?"
"I have seen it myself. Yet the eye pierces through that which cannot be infiltrated by grasping hands."
Around Gundham's feet, his four hamsters sniffed at the garden foliage curiously.
She scratched at a small stain on her jeans with restless fingers. She needed to do something. Even if she had no idea where to start, even if she had nothing to offer, she couldn't just sit here.
After another moment of deliberation, she stood up. Finding an earring was something she could actually help with, and she didn't think she'd be able to tolerate being alone with her thoughts for another minute.
She picked a section of the lattice and pushed against a corner. The wood held fast. She didn't see any latch or hinge that would indicate an entrance, either.
Gundham propped one forearm on his bent knee and peered up at her. "Don't tell me you intend to embark on such a perilous search."
"Yeah, well." She pressed her lips together. She still wasn't sure how to respond to his strange way of speaking. "Shit's dangerous."
They circled the building in silence. There was no door or even a gap large enough to provide entry to the space beneath the floor. At the last panel, they stood in defeat.
"This is not the end," Gundham growled, seemingly to himself. "If there is still a chance, I must pursue it. The Hell Hound Earring will be mine once again!"
An uncomfortable pressure was building at the base of her skull. She walked up to the lattice and tested it with the toe of her sneaker. With a bit of pressure, there was a slight give. She lowered her foot, then kicked hard at the corner of the wood. A crack split the air, and the lattice shifted slightly.
"Hey, you probably shouldn't do that."
Hanako ignored the newcomer's voice and kicked again. She wanted to split the lattice in half. She wanted to dig her fingers in between the wood strips and tear it apart and feel splinters dig into her flesh.
Chiaki put a hand on her arm—not to restrain her, just a gentle touch to help ground her. Hanako stepped away from the building, glaring at the fracture she'd created in the wood.
"Monomi might get mad if you damage the building. What are you looking for, anyway?"
She glanced to the side, but Gundham was already marching away. Hajime and Nagito passed him as they approached.
"Uh." Hanako brushed off her hands on her jeans. "Tanaka's earring fell through the floorboards. We were trying to find a way to get beneath the building. No luck, obviously."
Chiaki's expression turned solemn. "So there's no way to get beneath the building from outside?"
"Not unless you break something down."
"Interesting thought, Nanami," Nagito said, moving to stand next to them. "I never considered checking beneath the floor."
Hanako eyed him, the pressure at the nape of her neck returning. "What, does this have something to do with the investigation?"
"Maybe the killer stabbed Togami from beneath the floor," Hajime said. "I mean, the gaps between the floorboards were wide enough for something like that, right?"
"That would require the killer to find a way beneath the floor in the first place," Nagito said. "Which doesn't seem to be possible, right, Yukimura?"
She shrugged. "Guess not."
"What if there was an entrance inside the building?" Hajime said.
"I didn't see anything while I was looking around, so that's pretty unlikely. Anyway, there's one more place I want to investigate." With a cheerful wave, Nagito walked away. Hajime trailed after him.
Once they were gone, Chiaki turned to Hanako. "Are you doing okay?"
Hanako met her gaze with a flat stare. "Peachy."
Before Chiaki could respond, the monitor by the pool chimed.
"Alrighty then, time's up! It's finally time for the class trial. Please proceed to the mountain on the central island—you'll recognize it by my adorable face carved on the front. See you soon!"
"That's it?" Hanako hissed. "He only gave us, like, thirty minutes."
"We'll have time to talk it all over during the trial." Chiaki shot her a comforting smile. "All we can do is our best, right?"
Yep. Just do our best. Not like our lives depend on it.
Hanako followed Chiaki out of the hotel grounds and tried not to be sick again.
The song for this chapter is Got Well Soon by Breton, which is also the soundtrack for the ill-fated party in Life is Strange Chapter 5.
