Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here, they'll be seeing growing 'love' for Byakuya, along with some more free time events. Some involving the plot, somewhat. I hope you enjoy.
P.S. Who's your favorite character in V3?
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.
Review Responses!
Q: Will you show the rest of Chihiro's FTE's?
L: Welp, read on!
S: What Lucky said!
Q: Do you know what to do when Makoto finds out his real talent?
L: It's a long ways out so we have plenty of time to prepare for it. Although, I'm not too worried about that considering how we're doing already.
S: Agreed. We've manage to make these reactions accurate to their characters so far.
Chapter 30: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 7
The next scene showed Makoto walking in the hallway. "So, what should I do today?" He mused to himself.
As he was walking, something grabbed him by the arm from behind. He turned around in slight surprise until he realized it was just Toko.
"T-Toko?" Makoto asked, still reeling from the sudden grab. "What's the matter?"
"Why are you s-so surprised? Am I really that an-noying?" She scoffed. "W-Well I already know I'm annoying. I came here kn-knowing that, so….that makes it okay…."
The group let out a collective sigh. Gloomy Toko just depressed everyone.
"No, you're not annoying," Makoto denied. "I'm just wondering what was going on."
"I have a f-favor to ask," She told him. "I want you to g-go somewhere with me…."
"Go where?" A familiar glint entered Hifumi's eyes. "Could it be that Miss Fukawa is wanting to be with Mr. Naegi?"
"W-What?!." Makoto cried.
"D-Definitely not!" Toko exclaimed. "Master is my one and only true love!"
"Oh, but who knows? Maybe you're imagining Mr. Togami and Mr. Naegi- OW!" A baseball hit him right between the eyes.
"Hey, do us a favour and at least keep that stuff to yourself." Leon stated, shivering a little. "I want to keep my sanity."
"Agreed." Byakuya said curtly, his face showing obvious disgust. "And thank you, Leon, for silencing him before he could continue that line of nightmare."
"And….where is it you want to go?"
Toko looked hesitant on saying. "W-Well….the library."
"Oh, of course it's the library." Junko deadpanned.
"Where else would she go?" Taka said. "After all, she is the Ultimate Writing Prodigy! It makes perfect sense that she would like to read the books there!"
That got the others to stare at him blankly. "...Looks like we'll need another talk soon, bro." Mondo sighed.
"Huh?" Makoto looked at her in confusion. "Are you looking for a book or something? Why don't you just ask Byakuya? He spends all his time in the library, anyway."
The moment he finished his words, Toko gasped audibly with a half shriek, causing Makoto to take a step back. "D-Did I say something wrong….?"
"You're not a b-b-blabbermouth, right?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes at him. "This h-has to be a secret!"
Makoto looked at her for a moment before sighing. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, but if you want me to be quiet, I'll be quiet."
"Some secret." Junko stated with an eye roll. "Anyone with eyes can see that you have the hots for Byakuya."
"That's putting it lightly I think..." Sayaka said.
"Then let's g-go to the library!"
"Okay, I got it, the library…." Makoto sighed as the two began walking to the library. 'Jeez, why so pushy?'
The scene switched to Makoto and Toko slowly entering the library. "Qu-Quiet! Be quiet when you g-go in! ….Don't l-let him see you!" As they crept into the library, Byakuya was already sitting at one of the tables reading a book.
"H-He's here," Toko muttered, staring at Byakuya. She let a small, strange laugh. "He's r-really here."
"Okay, raise your hand if you saw that coming." Thirteen hands shot into the air, with Taka still oblivious to what's happening, and Toko and Byakuya refusing to admit it. "Yeah, thought so."
She turned to Makoto. "Okay, M-Makoto. Go talk to him!"
"What?!"
"Stop b-being so loud!" Toko shushed. "Just hurry up and g-go talk to him!"
A few mouths were agape. "What do you expect him to say?" Sayaka asked.
Toko looked away. "I-I don't know. But I want to see how c-cool Master is."
"Then you should go talk to him!" Leon retorted.
"Don't tell her that." Byakuya said, clearly displeased. "Her presence enough is annoying."
"You go talk to him, if you want to so bad….!" Makoto retorted.
Toko shook her head. "I c-can't! I don't want to i-interrupt him….!"
'That's….kinda crazy.' Makoto couldn't help but deadpan to himself.
"Definitely."
"Definitely messed up."
"Miss Fukawa is an unstable individual, that's for sure."
Toko gave Junko, Hiro, and Hifumi a nasty glare for their responses.
Makoto's focus returned to Byakuya, who didn't move an inch from his sitting position. 'He seems to be really focused on that book. It doesn't seems like the best time to talk to him….'
Taking his eyes off his book, he turned towards Makoto's and Toko's hiding spot. "Hey, you." He spoke up. "What are you doing back here? I hate even having to look at you."
"Byakuya, can you even be a little respectful towards your classmates?" Taka lectured sternly.
"And what's wrong with Makoto?" Hina pouted angrily. "He's adorkable!"
"Yeah!" Sayaka agreed firmly, embarrassing Makoto. Leon, Mondo and Hiro laughed at Makoto, which only worsened his embarrassment. It was something Hina and Sayaka came up with some time ago, and they're fond of calling him that every now and then.
"Ah," Makoto got out of his hiding spot. "So you noticed me, huh?"
"...Of course." Byakuya confirmed. "Now hurry up and leave. And take her with you."
Toko was silent as she got out of her hiding spot. "Hey, um….Byakuya?"
Byakuya raised an eyebrow, silently asking what. "Remember how you said, 'Don't be a woman who dominates w-weak men. Be a woman dominated by a s-strong man'?"
"...The fuck?" Was Mondo's simple statement. It was something most of the others was thinking as well.
"Oh, come on! Are we hearing more of Toko's fantasies?" Leon groaned. "I had enough of those to last a lifetime!"
Several shuddered at the memory of Toko's vivid fantasies, especially the one who played a part of it.
The scowl on his face increased. "I never said that."
"W-Well, actually, I just thought it sounded like s-something you might say…." Toko giggled a little.
"Like I would let those words be uttered from my mouth." Byakuya said in disgust.
"...Get out." Byakuya said, pure disgust in his tone. "And go take a bath. You smell."
Toko reeled back from the brutality of his words, but stood where she was, looking completely shocked.
"Don't make me say it again." Byakuya ordered. "Go now, before your stench latches onto the entire room."
"Damn." Mondo couldn't help but say. "That's brutal."
"That's no way to speak to a young lady, Byakuya!" Taka scolded.
"Is there anyway you could be, I dunno, nicer?" Hina asked him. Byakuya merely let out a 'hmph'.
"And risk leading her on?" The heir said. "I'll pass."
"O-Okay…." With that, Toko slowly left, with Makoto following her.
As they got out of the library, Makoto couldn't help but notice her silence. "He really dug into us there." He said. "Maybe he's in a bad mood…." She continued staying silent. 'She seems super depressed. Did he really upset her that much?'
"Wow, you really upset her, Byakuya." Hina pointed out.
"Your future self should really apologize to her." Chihiro suggested.
Byakuya rolled his eyes. "I could care less if she gets upset." The heir stated. "Maybe she'll leave me alone, at least in the future."
'Don't count on it.' Makoto thought to himself. He remembered a similar experience with Toko, and had an idea of what's about to happen. Especially with the small sighs and giggles Toko are letting out.
"Byakuya….to go that far…." Her head then shot up, a smile and a big blush on her face. "He must be r-really concerned about me!"
"...Huh?"
That was not something everyone else was prepared for, but felt as if they should have been. "...We really should've seen that coming." Junko deadpanned.
"Indeed." Sakura agreed.
Byakuya sighed in annoyance, pressing his palms on his forehead.
"He told me t-to take a bath and everything." She explained. "He must really care a-about my well-being!"
"M-Master cares a lot about m-me!" Toko stated. "Especially since h-he made sure I get a bath!"
"How the hell are you interpreting it as him caring?" Leon questioned in disbelief.
Celeste was the one to answer. "It's because she has so much affection for him, that any words he speaks will be taken as compliments."
"I still think, that that's putting it lightly." Sayaka repeated herself.
Makoto slightly gaped at her, not believing what he's hearing. "Hey, M-Makoto….what do you think?" Toko asked shyly.
"Think….about what?" He asked cautiously.
"Do you think B-Byakuya and I would be….g-good together?"
"No. No, we would not." Byakuya said with an eye twitch. "And those who would say otherwise will regret it."
"Um, well now….I-I don't really know." He answered.
Byakuya looked over at Makoto, his eyes bearing a certain kind of threat that he hasn't seen before. "It was future me, future me!" Makoto panicked.
Kyoko quickly spoke up. "Calm down, Byakuya. Besides, at least he didn't say yes." Byakuya looked over at Kyoko for bit before sighing and returning his gaze to the screen.
"It appears we'll need to have a talk sometime."
"O-Of course!" Makoto let out a sigh of relief, then turned to Kyoko. "Thanks for the save." He whispered. Kyoko smiled and silently waved it off, signalling him to just keep watching
"That's t-true." Toko admitted. "There's really no w-way to know….but the distance between u-us doesn't change our love….!"
"Um, did she forget that the love is only one-sided?" Hiro asked in confusion. Toko glared at him.
"N-No, it's not!"
"No, the fool is right." Byakuya deadpanned. "The only thing I feel towards you is pure disgust!"
"B-But master!"
"Because as soon as you realize your f-feelings, the love is born. That's h-how love works!"
"O….kay." Makoto slowly said, probably the only thing he could say.
"There m-might come a day when y-you understand." Toko said. "Maybe. S-Someday."
'I kinda hope not.' Makoto thought with a sweatdrop. At least, not this way.
"Well….bye." With that, Toko left in a daze. Makoto merely stood where he was, utterly befuddled.
Monokuma then suddenly appeared. "Ah, young love!"
"Uwah!"
The others yelped and/or jumped as well. "Damn it, will he stop doing that?!" Mondo growled.
"I'm way too young to have a heart attack!" Hiro agreed.
Monokuma continued speaking. "Who would've guessed she would go for someone like him? But eager passion can also be scary! Sometimes that leads people off in the wrong direction!" Ending that with a laugh, he left the area, leaving Makoto even more befuddled.
"...All of a sudden, I feel exhausted." Makoto deadpanned tiredly.
"I don't blame you." Kyoko sighed. "Anyone would be after going through that."
"I would probably nap in one of the classrooms, first chance I get." Leon remarked.
Taka didn't take that well. "Sleeping inside a classroom is prohibited!"
"Maybe I'll go back to my room for now…." With that, he went back to the the first floor.
The scene switched to Makoto coming down the stairs. When he got downstairs, he was met with a depress looking Taka. "Taka?"
"I'm weak, Makoto," Taka moaned. "So very weak…."
"What's wrong, bro?" Mondo asked in concern.
Taka groaned. "I think I've hit my own limit, trapped in that place."
"What happened….?" Makoto asked in concern.
"Haven't you realized?" Taka asked him. "This school is missing something of the utmost importance! Textbooks! Classes!"
"It looks like I'm correct."
"Yeah, that explains it." Mondo sighed. "Even when sick as hell, you won't let it stop you from going to school."
"This must be absolute torture for you." Celeste commented on. She can't imagine how her future self is fairing right now.
'Oh, um….I can't say I really miss the stuff.' Makoto admitted to himself.
"Makoto!"
The luckster laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, Taka." He apologized.
"Not everyone is a study fanatic like you are." Leon remarked.
"I'm just gonna come right out and say it….I'm freaking out!" Taka stated, getting into a panic. "As we speak, we're being left in the dust by other students our age! I'm totally freaking out!"
"Imagine how he would feel if he finds out that some of his memories were taken." Junko said.
Unfortunately, that thought provoked the present Taka. "Oh no….with his memories gone, at least a year worths of knowledge has disappeared!" He shouted in panic. "Maybe even more!"
"W-Why did you have go a-and say that?" Toko groaned.
Mondo put a hand on Taka's shoulder. "Bro, calm down! We'll be able to stop this from happening, trust me! We won't be behind anyone!"
The Moral Compass took those words in before taking some deep breaths. "Okay. I'm good."
"Makoto! What should I do?!" He asked the luckster. "If I keep involuntarily skipping class like this, I'm gonna reach dunce status in no time!"
"I-It's not really that big a deal. Just calm down…." Makoto told him. "You were always at the top of your class at the private school you used to go to, right? I mean, you're basically genius level, so even if you miss some classes, it's not the same as an ordinary kid ditching…."
Taka froze at the word, "genius". Mondo and Makoto also froze before looking at Taka worriedly, knowing that the guy doesn't like that word.
"Yeah, that's true." Hina agreed, unknowingly adding fuel to the fire. "Taka's grades are one of the best out of the class, so that must make him a gen-"
"No." Taka spoke, his voice quiet but fierce. "No, I'm not a genius. I'm just an ordinary student, just like anyone else. So don't call me a genius!"
That cause some of the others to reel back a bit. "Whoa! What's wrong with you?" Leon questioned. Taka merely stayed silent, inclining his head toward the TV.
"Genius….?" Taka seemed to freeze at the word. "Don't say that…."
"Huh….?"
"I'm no genuis. I'm a normal person, just like anyone else." He insisted. "I'm from a middle-class family, you know? Actually, they're not even middle-class. That's why I have to push so hard! I have to knock down that wall!"
"It's not geniuses that change the world. It's ordinary people who make every effort they can." Taka continued. "And to prove that, I have to keep on making effort after effort after effort!"
"It's ordinary people that change the world?" Byakuya scoffed at that. "Do you commoners really believe that?"
"I have to agree with Togami." Celeste spoke in. "The only one who change the world, are geniuses."
"Of course the two of you would say that!" Taka remarked with a scowl. "But I will not stand down! I know I'm right!"
"If you say so, dear." Celeste giggled.
"So don't call me a genius!" Taka demanded. "Don't lump me in with those lazy clods who don't put in any effort!"
"What?" Byakuya hissed, clearly looking angry.
Taka's words also angered Celeste, who had her eyes narrowed. "Lazy clods, are we?" She asked rhetorically, with a thin line of anger in her tone.
Taka didn't back down from the two and glared at them. "While my choice of words could have been better, I stand by my opinion!" The Moral Compass said fiercely. "Geniuses put no effort into what they are doing, have no value of actual hard-work!"
"And what right have you to judge me, commoner?" The heir and the honor student glared fiercely at one another, neither one backing down.
"Bro, calm down." Mondo sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "No fucking point getting into an argument. We need to finish this damn show, or vision, or, whatever the fuck it is."
Taka continued glaring at Byakuya for a moment before settling down. At the same time, the heir huff and settled as well.
Meanwhile, Junko mentally pouted to herself. She is not lazy! She's working hard to bring despair into the world, doesn't she?
….On second thought, she might be a little lazy.
"S-Sorry," Makoto apologized. "That's not what I was trying to do."
Taka was silent for a moment. "No, I'm sorry. I got a little carried away. But I only said all that because you and me are the same. You and me, we're just normal people. We know that it means to make an effort. That's why I want you to know exactly how I feel…."
"I understand…."
Sayaka, Hina, and Leon couldn't help but emphasize with Taka a little. Without their own talents, they're just as normal as he is. So they can understand how he's feeling.
"And that's why I'm so passionate about the morals committee." Taka continued. "I want to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to give it everything they've got. That's why I put all my blood, sweat, and tears into creating that kind of environment. I want everyone else to understand that, too."
"In the end, you can't succeed if you don't try. Anyone who says differently is selling something." He pulled his fist up. "Effort is everything! That's the only way to fix anything in this world! And I have to prove that to all the ordinary people out there so they'll keep on trying! I have to become the ordinary man who can surpass any genius!"
"Wow, Taka." Hina said in awe. "That's some determination."
"Strong conviction, that's for sure." Leon agreed.
Sayaka looked at Taka, feeling more empathy towards him. It's like her trying to realize her dream.
Sakura hummed. "The ordinary man who can surpass any genius. That's a challenging path."
"And I intend to stay that course!" Taka stated in pure conviction. "I'll be one of the many that will surpass geniuses!"
Byakuya merely scoffed at the notion, while Celeste rolled her eyes. However, the former couldn't help but understand the commoners a bit better, seeing Taka's viewpoint.
"Those are the feelings I carried with me when I entered Hope's Peak Academy…." He looked down. "But now that I'm trapped in here, I've been robbed of the opportunity to make that effort. So now what am I supposed to do….?"
"Taka…." Makoto said, his voice soft.
"Sorry, Makoto." Taka apologized. "I didn't mean to make you listen to my pathetic complaining…."
The luckster shook his head. "No, it's not pathetic at all." He reassured. "I can totally understand why you'd be upset. You obviously feel really strongly about this."
"I really hope you don't give up and start to lose track of what you want to do." Makoto told him. "If you really believe that effort is what matters, you can't give up, right? Because if you can't make that effort, then what do you have left?"
"He….has a great point." Taka said. He clenched his fist in determine. "I cannot give up my philosophy, just because I'm trapped in a school! If anything, I need to cling onto it further!"
"That's the spirit, bro." Mondo supported his best friend. "And I'm damn sure Makoto's speech is going to encourage future you."
Taka's eyes widen at this. "I think until you said that just now, I'd totally forgotten what I was here for." He said. "The foundation of effort is the will to never give up."
He clenched his fists. "You're right! I have to try, no matter the situation. Even without classes, without assignments, I can just look back at what I've learned already and reinforce those basic principles!"
"Good idea, me!" Taka cheered.
"Yeah, good idea!" Makoto agreed.
Taka smiled. "I'm glad we had this talk, Makoto." He said sincerely. "Wow, I feel so much better getting all that off of my chest! As my way to say thanks, next time I buckle down for a study session, I'll make sure to invite you! Let's work together as fellow ordinary people to show those geniuses who's boss!"
"Look like he got his old energy back." Hina chirped.
"Definitely." Mondo agreed. "Makoto's words definitely had a good effect!"
"And I, myself, will take those words to heart!" Taka said passionately. "If I'm ever not able to go to school, I'll re-evaluate what I've already learned!"
"Glad to hear that I could help." Makoto said, rubbing his head sheepishly.
Makoto smiled, seeing the usual energy back from him. 'Even though he says he's not a genius, I still think he is one.' Makoto thought to himself. 'He's one when it comes to effort. Still, I did notice one thing,' A small frown etched onto his face. 'He seems to have a lot of hostility toward the idea of someone being a genius. Is there some reason he feels that way….?'
"Yeah, now that he mentions it, is there a reason you hate geniuses so much?" Leon asked with a raised eyebrow.
Taka shook his head. "Like Makoto said, I dislike the idea of someone being a genius, not geniuses themselves." The Moral Compass simply said.
Meanwhile, Chihiro looked down, feeling a bit hurt. Many people considered her a genius, thanks to her skills in programming. Does that mean Taka considers her lazy? As someone who doesn't put effort into what they're doing?
Still feeling a bit tired from dealing with Monokuma and Toko, Makoto went over to the dormitory hall. When he got there, he was met with Hina, who looked exhausted. "Ugh….Hey, Makoto…."
"Wow. You looked tired, Hina." Hiro noticed.
"Did she decide to run a marathon through the school?" Junko questioned.
Taka didn't take that joke well. "Running through the hallway is prohibited!"
"I'm so tired…."
"Yeah, you looked pretty tired." Makoto agreed. "What happened?"
"Well, I wanted to forget that scene between Taka and Mondo, so I decided to do a push-up, sit-up, and squat set." Hina explained. "I ended up doing a thousand of each…."
"Why am I not surprised by this?" Leon asked blankly.
"Her stamina is definitely maxed out." Hifumi said. "Probably even above the cap…."
"At least she's taking Makoto's advice to heart." Sakura said, smiling.
"Well, that would explain it." Makoto deadpanned a bit.
"Tired….so tired….." Hina groaned. "I want….something sweet….I want those things you get when you mix flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, then deep fry 'em…."
"Donuts." Everyone answered simultaneously.
"Yeah, that answer was too fucking obvious." Mondo sighed, getting an embarrassed blush from the donut lover herself.
It took Makoto a moment to guess. "You want some donuts, don't you?"
"Don't tell anyone, but there's actually a bunch of frozen donuts in the warehouse….!" Hina informed them. "Throw those in the microwave for a few minutes and just imagine….
"Imagine the chewiness of the donut!" She told him. "You know what Im sayin', right?! You'd eat the crap outta that, right?!"
"You really do love donuts, huh?" Makoto asked her.
"Is there anyone who doesn't?" Hina retorted. "Who on Earth-no, who in the whole universe can say they hate donuts?!"
"Think about the sensation of biting into a donut. First the sweetness floods your mouth, then the soft dough cushion you…." A look of contentment is etched onto her face. "Next you get that hint of egg and butter, right? Your whole body starts to melt….you feel like you're falling into the center of the donut itself!"
Hina felt her mouth watered at the description she's giving, and felt hungry more and more hungry. So without hesitation, she grabbed more donuts leftover from the buffet and started eating more.
That cause several of her friends to shake their heads fondly. "Welp, there she goes again." Leon spoke for everyone.
"When people talk about the donut effective, that's what they're talking about….!"
"They do not, you idiot." Byakuya deadpanned.
"You really need to learn to make better metaphors." Celeste giggled, getting a small raspberry from Hina.
"That's absolutely not true." Makoto stated bluntly.
"Ah, I can't take it anymore!" She shouted, suddenly. "I'm drooling like Niagra Falls over here! Get outta my way, Makoto, or I got an uppercut with your name on it!"
"I-I'm not in the way…." He said nervously.
But she wasn't listening, or is barely listening. "Wait for me, god of donuts!" With the declaration, she ran off.
Makoto was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Whenever I'm around her, I feel like I'm soaking in the essence of human vitality…."
"No argument there." Mondo agreed with Makoto. "I even feel energized just by watching her."
"It's a good thing that she can affect people like that. I for one, welcome this energy." Sakura smiled, bringing a sheepish grin to the swimmer.
'At least I don't feel tired anymore.' Makoto thought to himself. 'I guess I can do my laundry...'
The next scene showed Makoto, holding a pile of clothes, entering the laundry room. There, he saw Chihiro sitting at one of the benches. "Hey, Chihiro." Makoto greeted.
The programmer looked up before smiling. "Oh, hey Makoto." Chihiro greeted back. "You're here to do laundry, too?"
"Yeah." Makoto confirmed, putting his clothes in one of the washers. "You too?"
"Mmhmm." She confirmed. Then she looked down nervously, twisting her fingers together. "Um, if you don't hate the idea….would you like to talk some more?"
'Jeez, if there's anyone who can say no to someone who asks like that, I'd like to meet 'em.' Makoto thought.
"Yeah."
"Same here!"
"Very hard to say no to that face."
Chihiro blushed at Sayaka's, Hina's, and Hifumi's words. "I think the only person here who would say no is Byakuya." Hiro said.
"But he doesn't have a soul, so he doesn't count." Leon retorted.
"Very funny." Byakuya muttered with an eye roll.
Makoto nodded, sitting down beside her. "Sure, I'd love to learn more about you."
"Okay. But….want do you want to know?" Chihiro asked him.
"Well, let's see," Makoto thought about it for a moment. "What kind of program are you working on now? I bet it's pretty amazing."
"Oh! Actually, I just started the research process for something…." Chihiro told him. "You remember that database software I told you about? I'm retooling it into something a little more complex."
"Really?" Taka asked, looking interested. "What do you mean, Chihiro?" Some of the others look interested as well.
Chihiro shifted uncomfortably. "I-I'm not allowed to talk about it. I signed an NDA with the company that hired me, so I can't really say anything…."
"But you told Makoto, didn't you?" That question came from Kyoko. That got a flush and a guilty look from the programmer.
Mondo laughed lightly at this and gently patted Chihiro on the back. "Don't worry about it, Chihiro. Whenever you're with the little guy, you intend to spill your guts about anything." There were even times he almost told him about the circumstances about his brother's death. It wasn't even something told his bro, or any of his close friends in the gang.
"Indeed." Kyoko nodded in agreement.
"There isn't any doubt there." Sakura nodded.
"He's the type of guy you open yourself up to." Sayaka said.
"W-Without even realizing it, s-sometimes." Toko added in.
The luckster himself is blushing beet red at their words.
"But I signed an NDA with the company that hired me, so I can't really go into the details…."
"Yeah, they probably wouldn't want the wrong people to hear about it, huh?" Makoto said in understanding.
"It's not that I don't trust you or anything!" She hastily said. "I just….made a promise, you know? S-Sorry…."
"No, it's okay." Makoto reassured. "It's my fault for asking about something you couldn't talk about."
"Oh, but," Chihiro started thinking for a moment. "...maybe I can give you a little hint."
"So you actually gave him a hint?" Taka questioned. Chihiro nodded.
"I didn't think my hint would be too easy." Chihiro said, still sounding a bit guilty. "Guess I was wrong."
"It has to do with simulating human thoughts."
It didn't take long for the smarter students to figure it out. "So you're developing artificial intelligence?" Celeste questioned, causing some eyes to go wide.
Chihiro's eyes went wide before she began looking more guilty. "I knew it. My hint is too easy…."
"More like you're dealing with smart people." Leon reassured. "Don't worry, Chihiro. I'm willing to bet that only some of us figured it out."
"Me, Makoto, Kyoko, and Celeste obviously." Byakuya listed off. "The others are too average in intelligence, or too dimwitted to figure it out."
'Why do I have the feeling he's talking about me?' Hina, Hiro, and Mondo thought simultaneously.
After a moment, it clicked to Makoto. "You're developing some kind of artificial intelligence, aren't you?"
"Ah!" Chihiro gasped in surprise. "You figured it out! Was my hint too easy….?" She began to tear up in panic. "Ahh, what am I gonna do? If they find out I broke my promise, they might…."
Makoto quickly reassured the girl. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna say anything to anyone."
"Y-Yeah, I know….I know I can trust you." Chihiro said, pulling herself together. "Okay, I guess I can tell you about it."
Chihiro then began explaining. "I'm working on a type of artificial intelligence the world has never seen before. It's what we call a strong AI. It's designed to think like a human, to process any mental task we can."
"A strong AI?" Hina tilted her head in confusion. "What does that mean?"
"Yeah? How different can an AI be?" Hiro asked.
"I'm sure future me will explain it." Chihiro told them.
"A strong AI….?"
"You see, in the field of artificial intelligence, there's strong AI and weak AI." Chihiro informed him. "Weak AI isn't meant to match human intelligence. It's simply a type of problem-solving software. A weak AI isn't actually thinking, it's just executing actions programmed into it."
"Strong AI, on the other hand, is a program that can achieve true self-consciousness-full ego awareness." She continued. "In other words, a strong AI is a complete entity, a computer program capable of becoming aware. But it's always just been a hypothesis. Plenty of experts don't think it's even possible."
Seeing that a few of the others are still a bit confused, Makoto explained. "Chihiro is basically saying that a weak AI only do things that are programmed to do, while a strong AI has the awareness and intelligence of a human being."
That got everyone understanding. "So, Chihiro is actually trying to do that?" Hina asked, sounding amazed. "That's sound cool! Something from a sci-fi movie!"
"I'm not sure." Hifumi said nervously. "What if the AI rebels against it's creator, and try to destroy all of man kind?"
"It won't do that!" Chihiro reassured quickly. "I promise, the AI won't have thoughts of hurting people!"
"It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie…." Makoto murmured in awe. "And you're working on something like that?"
"Well like I said, right now I'm just researching it." Chihiro told him. "I've made a lot of progress on the programming side, and the intelligence development, but when it comes to actual awareness, it's still a long way off. It might even be impossible…."
"So you already have a AI made?" Kyoko inquired.
Chihiro looked hesitant to answer, but eventually, she nodded. "Yes. Like I said, the programming and intelligence development is mostly done, but actual awareness is still a long ways off."
"Can you tell us more of this, AI?" Celeste inquired.
Before Chihiro could answer, Byakuya interrupted. "You should do it, later, when we're not watching this."
Just as some of the were about to argue, Chihiro quickly spoke up. "Y-Yes. You're right, Byakuya." She said quietly. "Let's continue watching, okay?"
That gain some sighs, but they complied with her request.
"Really….?"
"I'm not sure how to put it, but…." Chihiro said, trying to think of the right words. "No matter how well designed or complex a program is, no matter how closely the software can simulate the workings of the human brain….I don't think that's enough. If the program is only simulating thought, it will always be lacking something."
"And what is that something?" Taka inquired.
"It's probably the one thing that makes us all human." Sakura said. "A soul."
"Lacking….?" Makoto inquired.
"Well…." Chihiro looked down. "I guess you could say….a soul."
"Looks like you're correct, Miss Ogami." Hifumi said.
"Of course. It's kinda obvious, once you think about it." Makoto said. "A soul is something you can't really program. It's something you're born with, that's been with us all our lives. It can't be something you can create with technology or some other mean."
"Well said, Makoto." Sakura said, a small smile on her face.
"If you could somehow poor your own soul into the software, maybe then a strong AI could be created." Chihiro said, sounding thoughtful.
"Wait….a soul?" Makoto repeated.
"Yeah, I know. It's not a programming term." Chihiro said, looking back up. "I'm not even sure how that would work on a technical level."
"Not to mention, realistically." Mukuro said, crossing her arms. "It's impossible to physically take your soul out, and put it into something else."
"In addition, the idea of a soul would be rejected in the science field since there's no real way to prove that one exists. It's simply a concept that is universally agreed upon by people." Chihiro added.
"Do you think a ghost could go into an AI and use it to destroy us all?" Hiro suggested, sounding frightened. All this soul talk is scaring him.
And his question gain several groans of annoyance from the group. "Um, no. I don't think that's possible, Hiro." Makoto said, sweat dropping, before anyone else could snap at him.
"S-Sorry, forget I mentioned it….." Shaking her head, she continued talking. "Anyway, all I have right now is theory. There's still a lot of research left to do."
'Artificial intelligence sounds like a pretty tough subject.' Makoto thought to himself. 'But I'm glad I got to hear about it….'
Chihiro then gain a worried look. "I wasted your time on another boring topic." She murmured. "I must have bored you to death, huh?"
"No, the complete opposite!" Makoto reassured, smiling. "It was really interesting!"
"Makoto's right! The subject of artificial intelligence is fascinating!" Taka agreed. "It's something I would like to include in my academic studies!"
"Yeah!" Sayaka agreed. "It was really nice to hear you talk about it!"
"It's an interesting topic to speak about, Chihiro." Sakura reassured, smiling. "Many of us hear were glad to listen to it."
Chihiro have a big smile on her face. She's really glad of her friends like it!
Chihiro looked surprised at that. "You mean it….?" A smile then lit up her face. "Okay! Next time we talk, I wanna hear about you!"
"Oh, well…." Makoto scratched his head sheepishly. "Unlike you, I really am boring."
"No excuses!" She stated. "It's your turn next time!"
"O-Okay…."
"Hmm. Now that Chihiro has mentioned it, you've never talked about yourself, Makoto." Celeste brought up, looking at the luckster. "Am I wrong?"
Makoto sweatdropped at this. "Well, um…."
"Yeah, that's right!" Hina said in realization. "All of us talked about ourselves with you, but you've never talked about yourself to any of us, have you?"
"Well, I talked about my life with Chihiro." Makoto corrected/protested. "Besides, like I said, my life actually is boring compared to all of you guys."
"Like Chihiro said, that's no excuse!" Sayaka said firmly. "First chance we get, all of us should gather around and find out about you!"
Makoto gulped as several of the others nodded in agreement. Something tells me that he isn't gonna get out of this one.
Chihiro giggled happily at this. "Yay!" (That got Hina and Sayaka squealing at how cute she's acting)
'When she says it like that, I think the only way to refuse….is if you're one of those soulless AI program she mentioned.' Makoto thought to himself, looking at the happy programmer.
"Yep."
"Definitely."
"No doubt about that."
"They really don't have a soul if they can say no THAT."
Chihiro looked down, turning beet red at the compliments washing over her. Do they really think she's that cute?
And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I'm telling you, it's hard to pick out which free times to do, and when to do them. I don't want imagine doing this when I get to DR2. That's going to be a nightmare. Anyway, review, favorite, and follow, and I will see you later.
A Lucky Soldier random comments, totally not dying from school workload and part-time job: First snow here in Canada! Still wallowing in despair at V3's price! Bought DR:UDG from the Steam Halloween sale! Touhou music is actually awesome! Hope you're all having a good day and see you next update!