Summary: Exploring your school is rather tainted when it comes at the price of blood on your hands. Nonetheless, press forward. Because you don't know what you would do if you stopped.
With his rigorous sweeps of the first floor before the first motive had been laid out for them, Naegi knew exactly which rooms had been left blocked behind caution tape within their incredibly limited prison. There were three in particular. A set of doors tucked away in the corridor leading to what he assumed was the second floor of the dormitory. The bathhouse, haphazardly blocked by layers upon layers of yellow and black police tape. And most important of all, the infirmary, marked by an obnoxiously pink door. His first stop, especially considering its proximity to the gym. Glancing briefly at the now unlocked set of stairs to the second floor, he turned the corner and tested the door. It rattled, but remained shut even after he applied slightly more effort to check if it was jammed in any way. No dice.
Well, he'd have to figure out another way to patch up his wounds, but that was a problem for future Naegi. Crossing through the hall, he hesitated for a brief moment before entering through the open doors leading to the entrance of the school. Unsurprisingly, the intimidating vault door was still present, and the machine guns hooked up to the ceiling gleamed ominously. Absentmindedly, Naegi considered the possibility of ripping down those things and dismantling them for parts. There certainly wasn't a rule against doing such a thing, but Monokuma would most likely figure out what was happening before he could get anything out of it. In any case, it might be of use to keep note of them. Carefully sweeping the room from one end to the next as he did the first time he investigated the school, he checked for the Monokuma-brand coins (collecting them wasn't exactly necessary, but they did give interesting prizes) before sticking his hand into the mailbox.
It had previously been empty, but the cool touch of metal against his fingers indicated that there was something new this time. Slowly feeling around through the narrow opening, he briefly Hoped that it wasn't a mousetrap or a bear trap waiting to snap off his limb before tugging at the sleek objects stowed within.
"E-Handbooks…" Naegi tilted them over in his hands before shaking the tin slightly to check for more. "Just two of them." It didn't take a genius to correctly guess who these belonged to. He turned the first one on, mildly surprised that Kuwata's still worked despite the sheer punishment his body had taken. Slipping them both in his pocket, he quickly exited the same way he came, making a beeline for their "Despair Hotel" after some awkward eye contact with Ishimaru that only served to make his blood boil for a moment before being suppressed under the not entirely innocent curiosity that drove him to keep searching.
The bathhouse was now wide open, looking as though it had always been that way, its previous barricades completely absent. Humming curiously, he went through the locker room after a quick search for more Monocoins and whether the lockers had been used, entering the large open air bath. Fortunate, considering the very thought of using the same shower that Maizono had died beside made his skin crawl. Opening the door at the end of the hall led to a blast of heat, and he reflexively slammed it shut. There was no need to go in there anyway, though he might pop in during one of the future nights just to cover all his bases.
Suspiciously, the second floor of the dorms were still locked behind the familiar sight of a shutter gate. Considering the other set of stairs were now accessible, why weren't these ones? So many questions, and so little answers. It was like trying to stamp out a termite infestation with tweezers. Gently opening the brown doors, he blinked at the storehouse that encompassed his vision and then some, with all sorts of equipment arranged neatly on shelves and in cupboards. He resumed his usual left to right check of the entire space, taking note of the various things and where they were located. Nothing of particular use, but certainly items that would improve the quality of life here in their cage. He opened the fridge, a small part of his mind noting that the more sporty students would enjoy the protein drinks within before completing his search with a slam of the door. On to the next floor.
A similar layout to the first floor appeared on the map he pulled up, but nonetheless, everything was free to be searched. There was a section marked as leading to the third story, but considering this specific floor had been cordoned off until someone died, they wouldn't be getting to it anytime soon. He hoped. There was a pool, which would definitely make one specific student a lot happier than she had been last they met, but out of a sense of self-preservation, he decided to put aside investigating that particular place until he could be fairly certain she wasn't there. The boys' toilet on the first floor didn't possess anything important apart from a pretty neat fish tank that seemed incredibly out of place in that specific facility, so it was logical to assume that the second floor wouldn't be any different. Still, it wouldn't hurt to check it after he was done with the rest of the rooms.
The classrooms were largely unimpressive, and reflected those on the first floor apart from new gaudy wallpaper and more doodles that were probably put there by the Mastermind to mess with them. Testing the metal plated windows bore no fruit, and he believed that it might require far better equipment or strength than what he currently possessed to even think of making a dent in one of them. Pocketing a handful of Monocoins with the idle thought that he should get a wallet for these things, Naegi moved through the second classroom with the same speed he had cleaned out the first. Interestingly enough, the tables and chairs possessed signs of disuse, as though no one had been here in a very long time. A finger swipe across one of the tables gathered dust that he promptly wiped off on a sleeve. Odd, considering Hope's Peak showed no signs of being forced to shut down, especially at the start of a new school year. Surely he would have received some sort of notice to relocate somewhere else rather than this place, which was clearly falling apart. There were several issues with the design of the school, and he was discovering more with each day. Well, it would be good to compile the information; at a later date, of course.
Other than that…the hallway was lined with computers on one side, which seemed like a planning oversight because anyone walking to and fro would be able to just look over the shoulder of a user to check what they were currently using on the computer. Or maybe that was the point? Not expecting much, he attempted to turn one of them on and when that failed, peeked beneath the table to look for a power source. There were wires coiling around on the floor like angry snakes, but even after sorting through the tangled mess (which took far longer than it should have), the fact that it was pointless quickly dawned on the unfortunate Luckster as he held the other, unplugged end of a cable to his eye. Mildly disappointed, he took one final glance for an outlet, finding a slight discoloration of the wall where one presumably resided at some point before it was sealed off. No way of communicating with the outside world then. Crawling out from where he had been uncomfortably compressed into, he stretched his limbs slightly before progressing to the next room.
Opening the library door, he took one glance inside and very nearly sighed when he met the cold stare of one Togami Byuakuya. The Ultimate seemed to dismiss him at the same moment Naegi registered his presence, turning around to peruse the shelves without a single hint of acknowledgement. He shrugged, feeling as though a bullet had been dodged as the teenager inspected the library, A battered, ancient laptop had been placed on a table, and while it didn't turn on after several buttons were pressed, the fact that it wasn't bolted down indicated its portability, and the faintest Hope that it could be fixed. That, at the very least, required a conversation with someone that he hadn't exactly talked to in a meaningful way, but hopefully she wouldn't just turn tail and run as soon as he approached.
Approaching the rather dusty letter placed neatly on a pedestal, he inspected the official looking seal before carefully opening the envelope and reading the contents within.
"From the Hope's Peak Academy Executive Office" He blinked. Huh. It hadn't even been that long since he was wondering about what happened to all the adults. Which begs the question: Was Monokuma's role as the Principal indicating that he was the Principal, or simply someone pretending to be? His lips twisted briefly into a snarl. Honestly, neither option appealed to him.
"Throughout the years, we have been committed to shaping the youth who will one day shape the world. We have a long, proud history as an institution of higher learning with full government support." To be fair, when the word Hope was displayed proudly in your school's name, and the indirect brag that was considering it the "Peak", it wasn't particularly surprising that they assumed anyone who went into said school was going to come out revolutionising whatever field they entered. Although…if every student (bar the Lucky One and the Reserve Course) was an Ultimate when they first stepped in, did that make the school the institution responsible for their successes or the students themselves for being that good? Naegi resisted the urge to smirk at his snarky statement. It was rude to laugh at your own jokes after all.
"Our graduates enter society ready to take on active leadership roles in every major job field. However, Hope's Peak Academy must now lower the curtain on its glorious history, for the time being." Again, it really seemed as though whoever was writing this thing was patting themselves on the back so hard he wanted to ask if they broke a limb. Apart from that side note, there was a piece of contradictory information in here. Nonetheless, he read on.
"This decision was not an easy one to make, but serious issues beyond our control have made it necessary. But make no mistake—this is not the end for Hope's Peak Academy. We intend to reopen our doors as soon as the issues forcing our closure have been resolved. That being said, this is the end for now, and I would like to personally and sincerely thank everyone for your help and support over the years. For now, we are awaiting official governmental authorization to formally cease operations." He blinked once, then twice. Slipping the letter back into the envelope, he set it down where it came from, tracing a small circle in the dust around it. Before Naegi could properly analyse the new information on his mind however, a dry voice cut through his thoughts.
"Interesting, is it not?" In a shocking display of apathy that no one would have associated with Naegi Makoto before the Killing Game, the Luckster barely moved his head to make eye contact with the previously silent Togami. Judging from the contempt not concealed by the blond, it was obvious that the other wasn't expecting the doormat to suddenly grow a spine.
Nonetheless, it was only polite to answer. "The fact that, supposedly, Hope's Peak Academy was forced to close down?" Naegi met Togami's gaze evenly, eyes cold with a sort of unsheathed steel that made the Ultimate Affluent Progeny smile. Just for a moment though.
"It would seem even a commoner like you can put the pieces together," he adjusted his glasses, "with the amount of dust collected on that letter, I would hazard a guess that this incident might have even happened as long as a year ago?"
"...and considering we were scouted and invited to attend school here just days ago, the timeline doesn't match up." Togami grunted while Naegi put a finger to his chin, mind already whirring to life in an attempt to analyse the information they were currently working with. It wasn't much, unfortunately. They were still stumbling around in the dark, trying to solve a puzzle that they couldn't even see. And as the days ticked by, he was afraid that they would either resign themselves to staying here…or no one would be left to do so. Shivering slightly at the thought, he very nearly missed the other teenager's next words.
"Of course, we must consider whether or not this letter is real."
"Information is information. Even if the letter is fake, it might provide us with directions to the truth. And if it is, well, we might have to start thinking about what exactly could've caused Hope's Peak to close down."
"Tch." Togami's brief friendliness was immediately suppressed under a healthy dose of disdain. "I don't need you to tell me that. Although it would certainly make the game more interesting if this is the abandoned school that we've been locked in. Because if the Mastermind is able to carry out such a deed…" He trailed off, clearly losing interest in the conversation. Thankfully, Naegi was able to read between the lines.
Talking with Togami over, he checked through the shelves somewhat thoroughly, slightly pulling out books at random and leafing through their contents. As expected, there were a wide range of genres, mostly oriented at teenagers and adults, but no more clues to assist them in solving the mysteries of their prison. Moving on without a second thought, his hand was already reaching for the doorknob at the other end of the room when a sharp voice gave him reason for pause.
"Normally I wouldn't stoop as low as to assist plankton—" Naegi ignored the flickering rage begging to be unleashed within his heart. "—but I must warn you, the contents of that room are not for commoners like you." The Luckster remained silent, but the message behind his actions (or lack thereof) resonated clearly in the confined space.
Togami sighed, but very reluctantly continued. "That's the records room. It contains documents not normally accessible to the normal 99% of the population. Cold cases. Hidden information about those who control this world from the shadows. Secrets that would get you killed even before one of the other peons has the chance to do so."
Naegi hummed quietly, turning the Scion's words over in his head before settling on a placid smile and withdrawing his hand from the handle. While it may be useful to learn life changing secrets, he still had another room to check out, and the Luckster would rather not get into a fight with Togami over something so minor. Ducking his head slightly in thanks, he left the room, not missing the almost disappointed sigh coming from the sole occupant left behind. His expression flickered, changing to a more genuine, amused version of the one Naegi had plastered on just seconds earlier. It was best to keep a low profile, especially after the incident that had put him on Togami's radar in the first place.
The room he entered in search of the pool was a small connecting one meant to house items that might be useful while swimming. Eyes drifting lazily across the place, the two brown orbs hesitated for a moment on Asahina, who was eagerly chatting with Ogami while leaning against a wall. Quietly, he conducted a fast search of the premises before approaching the two doors. Glancing up at the machine gun positioned directly facing them, he sidestepped to what he assumed was the gender-correct door, pressing lightly and frowning when it refused to open. Leaning forward slightly, he noted the electronic box situated next to the door and, acting on a hunch, withdrew his own E-Handbook and swiped it down what he believed was a card reader. With a beep that definitely drew the attention of people he was hoping to remain invisible to, Naegi hurriedly slipped through the now open door.
A locker room greeted him, assorted exercise equipment scattered across the place. Ignoring the risque poster on one of the walls, he opened each locker to find nothing but cobwebs and dust, before picking up one of the weights after more straining than he cared to admit. It was heavy, possibly somewhere between ten and twenty kilograms, and he noted somewhat darkly that it could easily crush someone's skull with a single well placed swing. Grimacing, he dropped it without a second thought, peeking through the next door to confirm the obnoxiously large pool before closing it once more. Taking a seat on one of the chairs in hopes that he could pass enough time for Asahina to forget he existed, the Luckster began to run through his thoughts once more.
With the layout of this floor compared to the previous one, it was logical to assume that each storey had a dedicated theme, which would possess at least two to three facilities alongside the two classrooms. Every possible escape to the outside world was locked behind concrete walls and metal plates, except maybe the laptop he had discovered. The restrooms would have to be investigated more thoroughly at some point, but he wasn't expecting much from them. As for the library, there were secrets there that he was itching to get his hands on, but that could wait. Resisting the urge to chew on a finger, he considered the idea that Hope's Peak was well and truly shut down, and they had been duped by the Mastermind, lured into a Killing Game with almost no hope of getting through. It wasn't the kind of thing you'd want to think about when you were already confined. He felt a brief stab of pain at the idea of his sister feeling guilty over sending her brother to uncertain death, but pushed it down to mingle with the bubbling hate in his soul for the one who had placed them in this mess. Slowly dragging his hands down his face, Naegi tried to smile, but could only muster a somewhat awkward grimace before dropping it in favour of the neutral frown he was beginning to use more often.
Questions upon questions upon questions. He was almost starting to regret challenging Monokuma.
A sharp laugh bounced off the walls of the boy's locker room, its owner placing a palm over his mouth to conceal the sudden grin that stretched across his face.
Naegi Makoto never was good at lying.