Chapter 2: Act 3: Bitter Cold
Location: Dormitory Plaza, Hotel Despair
Day: 8
Time: 3:00 PM
Having spent most of the day in the Arcade, Akira decided it was time for him to get some time away from the darkened lights and loud music. He had passed by a few others who had been planning on heading there, but he turned down their offers, after seeing that photograph, he was just far too out of it to do much of anything.
The dormitory plaza was quiet, and that was exactly how he wanted it. He needed time to think, perhaps to process everything that was going on. He had gotten too much information far too quickly. It was starting to hurt his mind. With Byakuya's tangent still fresh on his mind and being choked by being trapped within the Academy, he was starting to get cabin fever. He missed the sunlight, the wind on his face, the sounds of traffic. He never thought he'd actually miss those annoying sounds, but now he'd give anything to hear them.
Thinking about anything other than being locked within Hope's Peak was starting to give him a migraine. At least he had his PSP back, so he'd be able to distract himself with that. He stretched his arms above his head as he walked, reaching into his pocket for his key, which he slipped into his door.
"Maybe a nap will do the trick. I didn't really get enough sleep last night. Ah… but I doubt I'd fall asleep. I'm the type to never go back to sleep once I wake up. I should talk to Mikan about that, I bet she'd have some useful advice."
As he entered the room, he pulled his key from the lock, glancing into his room, eyes widening when he saw Sayaka standing in the middle of it, holding a shirt in her grasp. She was wearing a pair of shorts and sneakers, along with a baby blue bra, her hair having been pulled up into a ponytail.
Neither said a word, eyes locked with each other. Akira merely turned around, leaving the room, ensuring the lock was engaged before returning to the Plaza. He looked around for a moment, finding an outlet near the entrance to the Bathhouse. He sat down by it, shrugging off his backpack, pulling out his PSP from within. He plugged it into the wall, pausing for a moment to do the same with Sayaka's iPod. Waiting for a moment, he managed to get his PSP to turn on.
"Sweet, at least it works," he thought to himself. He looked through the menu, finding a few odd things that stood out. There were several games on the SD card that he didn't remember getting. There was save data for games he had never played, and even the date was off. "What the hell?"
He grabbed the iPod and switched it on, going through the menus until he found the calendar, seeing it was set to September 17th, 2017. He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes a bit in thought. "That's weird… the dates are totally off on both of these. Eh… they were probably reset by the Mastermind so that's why it's off. I'll just leave it as is, it's not like it's gonna bother me."
He set the music player down beneath his backpack, keen on letting it charge for a little longer. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, seeing his roommate making her way toward him, this time completely dressed. She was wearing a tank top with Hope's Peak's logo on the left hip, along with a pair of short shorts and sneakers, having left her hair up. Seeing her out of her usual uniform was rather odd but quite welcoming.
She sat down to his right, pulling her legs beneath herself as she stared ahead, lips pursed for a moment before speaking. "You tell anyone about what you saw, and I will kill you in your sleep."
"I sleep with one eye open, Sayaka, you'll have to get me when I'm at my most vulnerable," he replied, rolling his shoulders. "Cute bellybutton by the way."
"Stop!"
"Hehe… I kid, I kid. Close your eyes, I got you a present," he said. She rolled her eyes, but did as she was asked. He took a hold of her hand, placing her iPod in it, closing it up. "Alright, you can open them."
She let out a gasp, squealing happily, hugging the boy tightly. "Oh thank you! You have no idea how much I wanted this."
"You're welcome, though I was just returning what belonged to you. It was in the claw machine on the second floor, along with my PSP," he said, gesturing to the gaming console next to him. She flipped the device over, seeing her name etched onto it.
"Oh, you're right! I remember these. Apple decided to do a limited edition release when my idol group reached triple platinum on our second album. We were the first group since AKB48 that stayed at Number 1 in the Billboard Top 100s in Japan, America, and Europe, not to mention we sold 4 million copies in our first month. Shame we never hit Diamond."
"How many album sales do you need for that?"
"Ten million. I don't think I've met an idol group that has diamond certification," she said, as she looked through the songs on it. "We were close though! I'm excited for the day we finally get outta here. I have lots of songs I'd like to record."
"I'm sure this place has given you lots of inspiration."
"The opposite, actually. If anything, I never want to remember this place." the blue-haired girl returned. "I do have one particular song I wanted to record. I wrote the lyrics before I was scouted for Hope's Peak Academy. My friends suggested I wait for our next album but I'm just too excited, so I'm probably gonna release it as a single."
"Oh, what's it about?" the boy asked, a curious look on his face. She flushed, looking away from the boy.
"U-uh… it's a character song if you will. It's about a girl who's in love with a classmate, but she's so blinded by her crush that she can't speak to him. Just a usual cheesy love song." she said, sounding embarrassed. "It isn't about anyone if you're curious."
"Eh, I'm not, don't worry about it," he said, returning his gaze to his PSP. He opened the UMD Drive, sliding Dissidia Duodecim into the slot, closing it. "You know… If I wrote a song, I'd want it to be space-themed."
"Huh? Space themed?"
"Yeah, I mean… I've always been fascinated by space. The vast endless ocean of the cosmos, full of brilliant little stars. A lot of people I know say they love the day, and the blue skies and clouds. But for me? I like the night. Because you can see all of those stars light up the sky." he said, smiling. "I remember when I was six, my sister and I were lost in the mountains. We took a trip to Hokkaido and got separated from our parents. It was really dark and scary, I held onto my sister's hand so tightly I thought I'd have broken it. But after a while, she led me to this path she found, and down to a lake. That's when I saw the Milky Way for the first time."
He looked up from his console for a moment, staring ahead, licking his lips, pondering his words. "I guess I realized just how tiny we were. I mean here we are, thinking we're all so important and special, but we're nothing but space dust. Tiny insignificant little pieces of dust."
"I never thought of things that way. But you are right, everyone is worried about how to stand out in the world, how much money they wanna make, and the lives they wanna lead. In the end, none of that matters. If you're famous or if you aren't, you end up in the same place in the end."
She stretched her legs out, leaning back against the wall. "But I guess that's why everyone fights so hard to be remembered. They don't want to be another face in the yearbook. Another star in the cosmos. They want to be the shining star, one that'll be remembered for eternity."
"Hm…. that's romantic, isn't it? A shining star in the sky, hanging in the darkness until the end of time. I like that."
"It's a wonderful thought, eh? Full of hopes and dreams," she said, holding a hand over her heart. "They're up there, you know? Makoto, Junko and Leon. They're bright shining stars lighting our path forward."
He didn't say anything. Instead, he reached into his pocket for his notebook. He flipped it to the first page, pulling out the picture he had found. He handed it to Sayaka, who looked at it curiously, only to let out a small gasp. She stared at the image for a moment before finally looking at the boy.
"Where'd you get this?"
"The claw machine. The others don't seem to believe it's real, but I do. They're wearing Hope's Peak Academy uniforms, and the windows aren't blocked with those plates. They look so happy."
It was quiet for a moment, but the idol found herself smiling, holding the picture closely. "I think this is real. I don't know when it was taken or why we can't remember it, but it's real. They were friends, close friends."
"That's what I want to believe as well, but it's all so confusing. This school, the closure, The Parade, this Picture… it keeps adding up and I don't know how to make sense of it all. Honestly, I wish I wasn't the type to overthink things. But I can't help it, it's in my nature."
"Overthinking things is a good thing."
The pair were joined by Kyoko, who had likely overheard their conversation. She had shortened the distance between them, a look of curiosity on her face. "I take it you found something important?"
"Something like that, take a look at it and tell me what you think," he said, handing her the photograph. She examined it closely, taking in the image presented on it. She narrowed her eyes for a moment, looking at it with a close eye. "Well?"
"It looks real. Obviously, I can't one hundred percent confirm it without looking at the original source. But I don't believe something like this was faked. If it was, why leave it behind?"
"My thoughts exactly. The Mastermind put that in the claw machine for one of us to find it. Why else would we be encouraged to collect those coins? Then again, I only got it because of my luck." he said, rubbing his neck.
"Your luck?"
"Yeah… Celeste wanted to test it and handed me some MonoCoins. I put them into the slot machines and I got four boxes out. Two of them contained my PSP and your iPod, the third had Cyalumes and the fourth one had that picture." he said, crossing his arms, head tilted slightly in thought. "Mondo suggested the Mastermind took our stuff and put it in there for us to try and get out."
"I wouldn't put it past them, if I'm being honest. Still, this is a monumental find. It shows proof of the renovations that took place here. The windows are uncovered, furthermore, Makoto, Leon, and Junko are wearing Hope's Peak Academy uniforms." Kyoko said, adopting a thoughtful look. "There's something odd about all of this. Coupled with that letter we found, along with Yukizome's planner, it's another piece of the puzzle."
"So it would seem… here I thought things were gonna get easier for us."
"Cheer up, Akira! I'm sure things will be fine. We're bound to find something more substantial soon. We only just got to the second floor after all. We just need to settle in." Sayaka cheerfully said.
"Don't think too hard about it. After all, the Mastermind is likely playing mind games with all of us. There's no way to verify the authenticity of this photograph, so worrying about it will cause undue stress."
"Fair point. You're impressive, Kyoko, you always know what to say to get me to calm down," he said. She frowned, glancing away from the young man.
"I wouldn't call it impressive. I've just been in your position, overthinking things usually leads to mistakes being made. And in a high-stakes situation like this one, I cannot afford to make mistakes."
"You should take a bath, Kyoko."
"Huh?" the girl said, clearly taken aback. Sayaka giggled, holding her hands out.
"I didn't mean it as an insult! I mean, you should take advantage of the bathhouse. Relax a bit, take advantage of the hot water. It definitely made me feel a lot better." the idol said. She pursed her lips a bit, quickly turning around.
"I'll keep that in mind."
And just as fast as she had arrived, Kyoko Kirigiri had gone. Akira watched her go, a small smile on his face. Sayaka jabbed him in the side, grinning. "You are crushing on her hard, aren't you?"
"Wah? No, I'm not!"
"Trust me on this, I have good intuition, you know."
"Yeah yeah."
Location: Hotel Despair
Day: 9
Time: 6:50 AM
The rest of the day had gone by in a blur for Akira. He had been far too tired to pay attention. He and Sayaka had spent most of the afternoon together, just chatting and taking turns with his PSP. It hadn't been long after that dinner time had arrived. It had been a quiet affair, though he did share the picture he had found with everyone present. They had a lot to say, but they all said the same thing, they didn't remember ever seeing a picture like that. They didn't even have a memory of it. He had asked Mahiru if perhaps she had taken it, but she said her memory cards had been damaged, so even if she had, she wouldn't be able to access it. She vehemently refused having taken it, since she didn't remember it. It was an odd circumstance for sure.
Once again, Akira had gotten up early, but this time it wasn't because he was restless. This time, it was because it was a bit colder than normal. The temperature in the dormitories was always constant, but today, it had been a bit colder than he had expected, likely a few degrees below it. Usually sleeping with just bedsheets, he had ended up waking up early since the cold didn't let him sleep. Normally, he loved the cold, but this was a troublesome kind. He had finished getting ready by 6:50, and by that time, Sayaka had also gotten up, shivering a bit.
"Why is it so cold in here?"
"I'm not sure, I just noticed it myself," he said, holding back a yawn. "Come on, it'll be nothing a hot cup of tea won't fix."
"Alright, just let me get ready," she said. He took that as his cue to leave, having grabbed his backpack from the table as he did so, pocketing his keys. As he left his dorm, the outside corridor made him shiver. Kiyotaka was standing by the edge of the dorms, a perplexed look on his face.
"Good morning, Taka. Something wrong?"
"Ah… I don't know if you've noticed it but… it's a rather cool morning, don't you think?" he questioned, earning a nod from the Lucky Student.
"I noticed. The temperature here is usually manageable, but it feels like it's a few degrees off." Akira replied, adjusting his blazer. "You wouldn't happen to have access to the thermostat, would you?"
"No, I'm afraid not. I don't think Monokuma ever mentioned there being one. I'm certain there is, after all, Hope's Peak Academy must have heating controls for the winter months. It's probably inaccessible to us. Oh well, we'll just have to go on a morning run around the Gym. That'll warm us up!"
"Will it really?"
"Of course! Well then, I'll be on my rounds! See you soon, Akira!" he said, beginning his daily rounds. Akira shook his head in disbelief.
"Nothing seems to bother that guy. I bet he'd be smiling even if it was raining fire." he thought to himself. He walked toward the plaza, noticing only one other person, the Ultimate Nurse. She was standing close to the Dining Hall entrance, seemingly lost in thought.
"Good morning, Mikan."
"Ah! Good morning, Akira! It's a nice day isn't it?"
"I'm not sure, the windows are blocked so we can't see the sky." the boy said. She let out a nervous laugh, scratching her cheek.
"You're right, I'm so stupid."
"It's an honest mistake. We're all still getting used to this stuff, you know?" he asked, giving her a once over. He noticed she was wearing a pure white nurse's outfit, complete with white pantyhose, and even an apron, bearing Hope's Peak Academy's crest. She wore a small hat on her head with a red cross on it. He tilted his head a bit. "Uh… is that a new outfit?"
"Y-you noticed?" she asked, looking almost excited. "It is! Sonia found it in the warehouse. She said if I wore a proper nurse uniform, I'd exude a bit more confidence. Sayaka even fixed my hair, it doesn't look as mismatched as before."
"You're right! I thought you wore your hair like that because it was a style choice. Don't tell me it was like that because someone cut it?"
"I-it was, but I'm not letting that happen ever again! I'm the Ultimate Nurse and it's my job to cure people and take care of injuries. I have to be confident!" she said cheerfully.
"I'll admit, she does look like a proper nurse now… but do nurses wear garter belts?" he asked himself, shivering. "Heeh~ It's so cold. How are you able to stand there and not shiver?"
"T-that's because I'm used to the cold. Hospitals are kept at colder temperatures to stop the growth and spread of bacteria. The last thing doctors and nurses need are patients on the road to recovery to catch the flu or TB or anything worse."
"I see… that makes a lot of sense actually. I just thought hospitals were kept cold because the doctors were sadists," he said.
"N-no… that's definitely not it," she replied, giggling. "You know, the coldest part of the hospital is usually the operation rooms. In fact, there are medical machines and equipment designed to work better in the cold. T-the second coldest place in the hospital is the morgue… for obvious reasons."
He pursed his lips a bit, not expecting to hear that. She sighed, looking away. "I shouldn't have brought up the morgue, I'm an idiot. The last thing anyone needs to think about is that ."
"It's fine, Mikan. We can't avoid death forever, it's the fate of all living things after all," he said, smiling at her. "I learned something new though, and I'm thankful for that."
The nurse smiled happily, her cheeks flushing red. "I-I've never taught anyone anything, that makes me happy."
"God, it's even colder out here!" Sayaka announced, as she joined the pair. She gave the nurse a bright smile. "See? You look so much more confident in that, Mimi."
"It's thanks to you and the girls. The first step to being a better you is to accept your faults and promise to better yourself!" she said, her expression changing a bit. "Though… that doesn't mean I'm any less scared."
"Fear means you're alive, Mikan. If you have no fear then well… I guess you wouldn't be able to stay alive."
Ding dong dong ding
"Ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 7AM, and nighttime is officially over! It's time to get up and greet another beeeyu-tiful day~"
"Well… I guess it's back to business as usual." the Ultimate Lucky Student said, watching as the grate over the Dining Hall entrance slowly opened up. "I'll take care of breakfast today, Sayaka. Mikan, would you like to join us?"
"H-huh? Me? You want me to join you two?"
"Sure, we're all friends. Akira is a great cook too, I'm sure you'll love his cooking." the idol said, vouching for the man. The Nurse happily nodded.
"Okay! I'd love to!"
xxx
Watching Mikan happily eat her breakfast was enough for Akira to forget the abnormally cold temperature in the Dining Hall. The others present didn't seem to be too bothered with it, though Hiyoko had gone back to wearing her kimono, and was sitting rather closely to Mahiru, who was in a sweater. The Ultimate Lucky Student had noticed Byakuya was absent, likely keeping to his word. Some seemed rather happy with his absence, while others looked worried. After all, what happened last time was still fresh in their minds.
He had been busy making paper stars, using them as a means to distract himself. Sayaka had been quietly beside him, grinding characters on Dissidia between bites of food. It was a quiet morning, and he was silently praying that it stayed that way, at least for the time being. Kiyotaka stood awkwardly at the center of the cafeteria, looking around for a moment before speaking.
"Um… t-thanks for showing up today, everyone. Especially after what happened yesterday," he said.
"Unlike Byakuya, all of us made an agreement to meet up and ensure we are all doing well. It'll be a tough challenge moving forward, but I believe we'll be able to succeed." Sonia said, a cheerful look on her face. "Besides, it's so much better to have breakfast among friends instead of by yourself."
"He's the real problem here. If we don't keep an eye on him, he might actually end up killing someone." the biker said, his neutral look splitting to a grin. "We got no choice! Get some rope! We're gonna hafta keep him bound and gagged!"
"What the hell? Don't you think that's a little overboard?" Kazuichi exclaimed, taken aback by the biker's suggestion.
"He's right! In this situation, nothing is scarier than when an ally turns loose cannon! It's just like when we were kids, and someone would go crazy at sports day or whatever!" the Moral Compass said.
"The fuck are you talking about? You gonna use the rope to do tug of war or somethin'!? Idiot!"
"I'm not an idiot…? YOU'RE AN IDIOT!"
"Who are you calling stupid? Stupid!"
Akira sighed, shaking his head. "It is far too early for this bullshit."
"You're telling me," Sayaka whispered back, clicking her tongue. "Fuck you, Sephiroth."
The boy looked at her screen for a moment, looking away after a second, catching the disappointed look on Chihiro's face. He gave her a small smile. "What's up, Chihiro? You don't look so good."
"Oh… I'm just going through a little self-loathing."
"Huh? Why?"
"Well… after what Byakuya said yesterday… I got so nervous. I locked up, I couldn't say anything. You and Mondo had to step in, and even he said I was someone who couldn't fight back. I… hate how weak I am." she said.
"Ah… so it was Mondo that made you depressed," Hina said, acknowledging her friend's mood. The biker cringed a bit, balling his fist.
"Hey, I wasn't trying to be mean! Besides, girls are naturally weak, right?"
Sayaka looked up from her game, giving the man a death glare. He swallowed the lump in his throat, meeting the eyes of Sonia, Mahiru, and Hiyoko, all of whom had looks of anger and annoyance on their faces. He let out a chuckle, rubbing his neck. Chihiro had broken down a bit, sniffling softly in her seat.
"Don't cry, Chihiro, Mondo didn't mean it. Listen, everyone has different strengths, and not all of them are physical. You have your strengths, like being a whiz at programming!" the black-haired boy said, grinning. That didn't seem to cheer her up at all. Hina glared at the biker, lips pursed in annoyance.
"Nice going, Mondo."
"I didn't mean it, I swear," he said, sighing. "Okay, listen, it's my fault okay? I won't yell at ya anymore…"
"I doubt that."
"S-shut up, Hina, jeez!" the man exclaimed. He walked over to the programmer, kneeling down and looking her directly in the eye. "I ain't gonna yell at ya again, alright? I'll make you a man's promise."
"A-a man's promise?"
"Maybe I mentioned it before, but… Ever since I was a kid, there was one thing my brother told me over and over again. He said no matter what, a real man always keeps his promises. That's what he left me."
"L-left you?" Hikari asked curiously. He bowed his head, sighing.
"My brother's dead," he replied. That made everyone go quiet, but as fast as he had said it, the man looked up, grinning. "Anyway, I don't wanna talk about that. Don't wanna make y'all cry or anything. Just know, when I make promises, I keep'em!"
"O-okay!" Chihiro said, happily as she wiped her tears away. "Thank you, Mondo."
"S-sure."
"B-but I still don't know how I'm gonna get stronger. But I know I just have to… If I'm so weak anything can make me cry… that's not good." she said, dejectedly.
"The first step to becoming stronger is to admit you have a problem." Mikan suddenly said, grabbing the girl's attention. "Once you make peace with that, you can start working toward becoming stronger. It's thanks to Sonia, Sayaka, and the other girls that I decided to stop acting scared. As a Nurse, I have to be ready to act if someone's hurt. Thankfully, I also have a lot of medical advice to give. If you want to start becoming stronger, starting with a healthy diet is the first step."
"Agreed, you gotta get some protein in ya if you wanna build muscle. Not only that, you gotta start liftin' weights! Oh! And going for a swim is good too! Swimming lets you use muscles you normally wouldn't use. You'll be a stronger runner because of it too!" Hina cheerfully said. "If you want, we can go to the pool later and I can teach you how to swim!"
"Really? Okay, I'd love that, Hina. Thank you, and thank you, Mikan, for your advice. I think I'll follow in your footsteps. I'm a naturally weak person, but I'll get stronger. I'll make a man's promise too!"
"Uh… I don't think those work that way, Chihiro." Akira said.
"Of course they do, the strongest kind of man's promise is the one a woman makes!" Mondo added, giving the girl a grin. "Speak to me whenever you want, I can give ya advice on what weights to use."
"Perhaps focusing on all of this will allow us to ignore the temperature drop. At least it'll help everyone stay focused on something other than the obvious." Akira thought to himself, a pensive look on his face. "Hm… Maybe I'll head to the pool too."
"Wooo! Pool Party! Hell yeah man, let's all go!" Ibuki said, shooting from her seat. "It's gonna be so much fun~"
"Apologies, but I'll have to abstain. I've grown rather interested in the bathhouse so I'll be using that today." Celeste said, taking her leave. "I do hope you all have a good day today."
"Okay then, meeting adjourned! If anything happens, don't hesitate to come find me. I'll be doing my rounds as normal!" Taka cheerfully said. With that, everyone took their leave from the dining hall.
Location: Library, Hope's Peak Academy, 2F
Day: 9
Time: 9:30 AM
"I seriously don't know why you'd want to come here, Mahiru. It's so dark and dusty." Hiyoko said, following after her friend. "Seriously, can't we play some video games?"
"Hiyoko, you can't just waste your time playing games. We're in Hope's Peak, we can make use of the facilities to learn new things. I know it isn't ideal, but it doesn't mean we can't take advantage of what we have."
The blonde girl blanched in surprise. "Ew… you wanna study, now? What's wrong with you?"
"You have to stay sharp! Besides, I'm mostly looking for photography books. I always look for new techniques to try. I've been snapping pictures of our other friends and of the school. But with the lighting being off and my equipment being missing, I want to see if I can make use of what I got." she said, sliding the doors open. "Don't complain, we won't be here long."
She moaned, but followed the redhead into the room. It was quiet, just as she was expecting, but what she wasn't expecting was to see the Togami Heir in the room. He looked up from his novel, scowling for a moment before returning to his reading. He was the only one in the library, no one else had bothered to come up there. She decided to ignore the man, humoring Mahiru for a bit.
"Alright, let's see what we got here. Mystery? Nope. Cookbooks? Maybe later, Romance? Barf… Young Adult? Meh, some of those are crap. Taxes? Who the fuck left this shit in here?" she thought, mentally reading all of the sections. After walking around the library in a loop, she didn't find anything of interest. She stopped in front of the history section, spotting several Japanese history books. Shrugging, she grabbed the first one that interested her, looking at the cover. She started coughing loudly, fanning the dust away from her face.
"Do you seriously have to make so much noise?" Byakuya asked, causing the dancer to look at him.
"I'm not making noise, the dust just made me cough."
"On the contrary, those wooden sandals you are wearing are perhaps the most annoying piece of your attire. I cannot stand the slapping sound they make against your feet."
"Aw… I'm sowwy, is the Ultimate Jerkoff bothered by my loud feet?" she asked, holding back a laugh. "You are such a prick, you know that?"
"Takes one to know one, darling."
She let out a growl, slamming her history book back into its shelf, stomping over to the boy. She glared at him as she towered over him, balling her fists tightly. "You know, I ought to beat some sense into you. You aren't doing yourself any favors, making enemies out of everyone here."
"That was my intention. I do not care for the notions of friendship and camaraderie. Not when my life is at risk. I didn't work hard to get where I am only for some uncultured swine to stab me in the back."
"Now that would be ironic, wouldn't it? The richest one among us all being killed by a broke-ass loser. That would be the cruelest joke in the world. Keep acting that way and someone might take the bait." the blonde girl said, turning away from him.
"You're a Saionji, aren't you?"
"Yes, what of it?"
"Then you of all people understand the gravity of the situation we are in. Unlike Fuyuhiko, who has a guard dog stepping on his shadow, you are vulnerable. I'm certain you understand what that means?" Byakuya said, sitting up a bit. "At any moment, someone can do to you what Leon did to Makoto. That'd be the end of the Saionji Heiress."
"You think that's going to happen? You've got another thing coming. I didn't bust my ass for my entire life just to die in some academy. Besides, do you actually think I care about my family?" she asked, crossing her arms. "It's because of my name that my life has been a living hell. From the moment I was born, I was whisked away and trained, daily. Until my ankles hurt, until I couldn't walk. It is through strength and conviction alone that I earned the title of Ultimate Traditional Dancer. Just because I was born a Saionji doesn't mean everything was given to me."
"On that, we couldn't be more different. The Togami Name means a lot across the globe. It is why I am my family's savior. It is my destiny to take it to greater heights. It is expected of me, naturally. After all, even my own family recognized my Ultimate Superiority."
He pushed his glasses back, smirking. "That is to say, among the Togami, I am the chosen among the chosen."
"Sounds to me like you were just born with a silver spoon in your mouth," Hiyoko said, shaking her head. "See why you are so arrogant now."
"Hardly, I project arrogance because I have earned what I have. I've had to fight in order to maintain the status quo. I cannot allow myself to mingle with the 99%, who are nothing but useless pawns on the chessboard of life. That, my dear, is what you are."
"You're such a dick," Mahiru said, shooting daggers at the boy. "Seriously, all you do is insult people for no reason."
"I do not insult, I merely tell the truth. Without the Saionji name, what does she have? Absolutely nothing. Even if I wasn't the heir to the Togami Corp, I'd still have my billions. There is no point in denying the truth." he replied, glancing back at his book.
"Even without my name I have people who care about me, I have Mahiru too."
"You met a week ago, she can easily turn against you. I need not the care of others, I can take care of myself. That is how I ensure my survival." he simply replied.
"We might've met a week ago, but that doesn't matter. I wouldn't do anything to Hiyoko or anyone else. Because I value the lives of those around me. We're all stuck in the same situation together, that's why we should all work together to find a way out."
"Don't waste your time, Mahiru. Remember what Celeste said yesterday, people like him are built different. He probably didn't work a day in his life to get where we are. He was given everything." Hiyoko said, shrugging. "Let him keep making enemies, at the end of the day when he finds himself bleeding out or worse, he's gonna regret treating everyone like crap."
"You know… there is one thing I fail to understand here, why is it that you, with such a prestigious name as yours, choose to mingle with them? They provide you with nothing. The 99% are nothing but losers, they're uncultured and have no skills. The only thing they can amount to is dying a dog's death." Byakuya said, looking up from this book. "So why bother?"
"It's called having a heart. I'll be the first to admit I'm a bitch, but it comes from the crap I've dealt with in my life. But the second I saw Junko being killed, I had a little heart-to-heart with myself, and I wised up. Because being a bitch isn't gonna get me anywhere." she said, looking away from him. "We can stand here throwing words back and forth but you and I will never see eye to eye. That's why I'll leave this academy alive, with my friends, and you'll die alone, with nothing but your wealth surrounding you."
"Foolish woman, I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am Byakuya Togami, and I will not become a victim to the sick machinations of the Mastermind. I will win this game and I will leave with my life. If you are lucky, you might witness greatness being made."
"Oh yeah? Well…" Hiyoko paused mid-sentence, a shiver going down her spine. She looked around for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, feeling a rush of cold air coming through the ventilation shaft. "Why the fuck is it so cold?"
"So you noticed that too, huh? Normally this place is kept at a normal temperature, but it's gotten far colder as of late. Perhaps there is a problem with the temperature controls?" the heir said, shrugging. "Well, it doesn't matter to me. I shall be taking my leave, the library has become foul with the odor of loser."
The Traditional Dancer grabbed a nearby book, throwing it at the heir, only to hit the door as he had left before she had thrown it. She balled her fists, letting out a scream. "God, you fucking piece of shit!"
"Hiyoko, calm down! He's just trying to get into your head. Ignore him." the photographer said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He'll get his sooner or later, we're the ones who are gonna make it out of here."
"You're right, I don't know why I even bothered to entertain him," she said. She started shivering, rubbing her arms. "God, why is it so cold?"
"I don't know, I think we should head back downstairs. The warehouse is full of sweaters and jackets. I'm sure we can find something in your size."
"Ugh… I hate wearing pants," she mumbled in an annoyed tone. Mahiru merely rolled her eyes, pulling her friend along.
xxx
"Miss Sonia! There you are."
The Ultimate Princess let out a sigh, forcing herself to smile as she turned to face Kazuichi, the person who had called to her. "Good Morning, Kazuichi. Is something the matter?"
"Well, I was thinking, since the second floor opened and there's a pool up there, I thought maybe you'd wanna go have a swim?" he asked, a sheepish look on his face.
"Ah… I must apologize, I'd rather not venture into the pool. The chlorinated water would dry out my skin and I'd rather not take that chance."
"Come on, Miss Sonia. You have to take some time to relax! Especially after everything that is going on. Besides, I'm sure the school store has lotions and stuff like that for dried-out skin!" he replied.
The blonde princess pressed her lips together, an unreadable look on her face. Her lips curved into a small smile. "Again, I must insist. I have other things to attend to, I just remembered, Akira and I were going to pick up the chess game that was interrupted last time."
Hearing this, the mechanic frowned. "Oh… that's weird, he and Sayaka were heading up to the pool too. He never told me you two were playing chess again."
"He must have forgotten, and I do not blame him. I was on my way to remind him, actually, since we agreed to host it in my and Hajime's dorm. We wish to avoid the scenario that sprung up last time. I'm sorry." she said with a bow.
"Well… things work out perfectly then! I mean he is heading to the pool so why don't you tell him then? It would be perfect." Kazuichi said, not noticing the annoyed look on the princess's face. "You don't even have to go into the pool if you don't want to!"
"I don't want to go to the pool, Kazuichi. Please, can we just drop this?"
"Kazuichi, Sonia, hey!" the familiar voice of Hajime said, taking the pair by surprise. Kazuichi's smile dropped a bit, but he gave the taller boy a wave.
"Hey, Hajime, what's up?"
"Ibuki was thinking of heading up to the pool, and figured I could ask a few others to come along too. I know things are still weighing heavy on all of us due to what happened to Junko, Leon, and Makoto. But they'd probably like us to keep moving forward." he said, grinning. "So how about it? Wanna head to the pool?"
"See? Even Hajime is heading up there! Come on, Miss Sonia, say yes?" the pink-haired boy said in a pleading tone. The Ultimate Princess sighed, finally relenting.
"Very well, I shall accede to your request, but I am not going into the water."
"Yes! Awesome! This is gonna be so cool~ Seeing Miss Sonia in a swimsuit~" the boy said, stars in his eyes. Sonia however, had a forced smile on her face, but even Hajime could tell she was uncomfortable. "I'm gonna head off first, see you guys up there!"
The second he was out of earshot, Sonia let out a growl. "Jesus Shit, Goddamn son of a bitch! Why the fuck does he not take no for an answer?"
Hajime's eyes grew wide, jaw dropping slightly. The princess looked at him, cheeks flushing a bit in embarrassment. "Oh… Hajime I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to speak such ill words."
"What are you talking about? That was awesome!"
"T-truly?"
"Of course! Just hearing the pure power radiating in those words!" he replied, chuckling. "Though I gotta ask, what's that about?"
"Kazuichi was pressuring me into heading to the pool with him. I tried to politely decline but he didn't take no for an answer. Honestly, I'm starting to become bothered by his constant presence. It's very obvious he's attracted to me, but doesn't understand that I do not hold him in that kind of light." she said, brushing some hair over her shoulder. "I'm far too kind to say it outright."
"You have to be a bit forceful with him, Sonia. If you don't want to have that kind of relationship with him, telling him outright will be for the best."
"I understand, I've just struggled to formulate a good plan of action. I've had a myriad of suitors over the years, but none of them seem to care about me. They only care about my looks, or that I'm a princess, or that I have a nice body. It's disgusting. No one ever notices my likes and dislikes."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Though I'm sure someone out there will share the same views about you, especially with things like Freemasonry," he said with a shrug. She turned to fully face him, stars in her eyes.
"How'd you know I was interested in Freemasonry?"
"I saw you looking at those books in the library, wasn't hard to see what they were. I'll admit, I know next to nothing about the subject, but I was a bit interested." Hajime said, scratching his neck.
"I could teach you, if you'd like? You must understand, someone of my standing cannot truly learn about things like that. So being here, away from prying eyes, I wanted to learn all I could. It's hard finding people who share the same views as you." she said, a genuine smile on her face.
"Well like I said, I wouldn't mind learning that stuff. Though don't ask me about J-Dramas and Japanese Idols, that's likely more Sayaka's speed, hehe."
"Of course! I'd rather leave the television shows for another day. Between you and me, I'd rather not come out as a total weeb." she said in a quiet tone, making him laugh. "Now then, do you think Hope's Peak Academy carries wetsuits?"
"Uh, I'm not sure? Why, you suddenly feel like going for the Ultimate Scuba Diving talent?"
"No, I'd rather be in the pool hall fully covered if I can. Normally, I cover myself up as much as possible due to how pale my skin is. But since I can't use that as an excuse, I'd rather just wear something I am comfortable in." she said, looking away from him. "Though I suppose if I have to, I shall wear the school swimsuits. I've actually been a fan of them for a long time."
"Those do look really good on girls," he admitted, chuckling.
"Let us venture forth! On the way, I shall tell you about one of my homeland's beautiful creatures, the Makango!" she said, a bright smile on her face. Hajime was glad she didn't look as nervous as she had a few minutes ago. He'd have to have a chat with Kazuichi later on.
Location: Pool Hall, Hope's Peak Academy, 2F
Day: 9
Time: 11:00 AM
"You know, I'm surprised you decided to join us, Fuyuhiko. I would have thought coming to the pool was beneath you or something," Akira said, as he put his clothes into one of the lockers. The Ultimate Gangster was nearby, having changed into a pair of black swim trunks, with a flame-like pattern. The young man scoffed, giving him a firm look.
"What do you take me for? You think that just cuz I'm a gangster I can't enjoy the pool? Huh?"
"No, that isn't it. Just figured you'd want to do something else is all."
"Yeah well, I didn't. After what happened yesterday, I decided to stay in a larger group, for my own safety. I ain't gonna die here." he merely said, a slight flush on his cheeks.
"It's a good choice! Spending time with friends is always nice." Hikari said. As opposed to Fuyuhiko and Akira, who had been fine with wearing swim trunks, the Ultimate Graphic Designer decided to wear a pair of loose-fitting shorts, along with a tee shirt. His arms and legs were a bit paler than other parts of his skin, which he tried to keep covered. "I don't exactly agree with everything Byakuya said, but he did bring up a point. Anyone can poison your food at any time, we gotta be careful."
"I make my own food, so there's no way that'd happen to me. Trust me, in my world, people die of poison more often than not. I was taught by my folks to always make my own shit." the gangster said, closing his locker.
"It is a wise idea for sure, but you also need to have a degree of trust in others. Me and Sayaka always prepare our food with others around, as an added extra layer. I would never do anything so cowardly as to poison someone. And with what? It's not like we have access to that stuff anyway."
"Oh you'd be surprised, there are plenty of foods that contain natural sources of cyanide. Any combination of them could prove lethal with the right preparation method."
The pair gave him an odd look, earning a shrug from him. "Sometimes, when I take a break from my commissions, I surf the web. You'd be surprised what you can learn at 3 am with a stable internet connection."
"Fair enough, though I do have a question. Are you the guy who made those billboards for Junes not long ago?" Fuyuhiko asked, causing him to smile.
"That's right! I was wondering when someone would ask about those. I was tasked by their upper management to make something eye-popping and appealing. So I went to my local Junes and snapped pictures of things that would stand out. I added a little bit of computer magic and voila! I heard their profit margins went up thanks to the ads alone."
"Wow, that's impressive."
"Eh… it's nothing really. Graphic Designers don't usually get a shout-out or anything like that in anything important. All I do is take stock photos and animations and transform them into something appealing. Anyone can do what I do with time and practice." the boy said, smiling brightly.
"How humble. Trust me, kid, you got a knack for this kinda shit." the gangster said, turning back to Akira. "Get this, Hikari here managed to save a company from bankruptcy just by redesigning their entire ad campaign. Not only that, but he designed new signs for them, flyers, and even did their website, without pay."
"Really? You did all that work for free?"
"Ah… it was nothing, really," he said, blushing. "The company was already in dire straights, I wasn't going to charge them all that money they didn't have. As long as I can help people who need help, that's more than enough payment."
"It must have been hard getting to where you are, meanwhile all I do is get average grades. I worked my ass off for years, but it took a lottery to even get me in here." Akira said, lips curved downward in a frown.
"Don't sell yourself short, kid. I heard Hajime talking about your lucky streak, anyone who can pull off that kind of miracle deserves to be here."
"Hm… yeah if you say so. I still think I have Ultimate Bad Luck, if I'm being honest. I mean, look at what's going on?" he replied.
"But that's out of our hands, isn't it? Besides, saying you have Ultimate Bad Luck goes against what you've shown! You were lucky enough to win the lottery, lucky enough to find that teacher's planner. During the class trial, we had nothing to go on, and you prayed for a miracle, leading to Peko presenting that piece of evidence, and just recently, that picture in the claw machine." Hikari said, hands clenched tightly, a starry-eyed look on his face. "I think that's way better than anything we can do!"
"Hikari's got a point. You live through this, you should buy a lottery ticket, who knows? You might make an easy billion dollars." Fuyuhiko said, walking toward the exit. Akira shrugged his shoulders, grabbing a towel from the rack as he walked past it.
"I think I'll take that suggestion into consideration, Fuyuhiko."
The three shivered as they entered the pool hall. It was a bit colder than the day before, but no one seemed too bothered by it. Hina was already in the pool, helping Chihiro learn how to swim. Ibuki and Hajime were in a splash fight, the boy trying and failing to cover his face from the watery assault.
Sonia was sitting at the edge of the pool, her legs already in the water. Kazuichi was sitting a few paces next to her, talking about something. If the princess was annoyed, she didn't show it. Akira could hear the pink-haired boy repeatedly complimenting her choice of swimsuit, despite it being a standard school swimsuit. It was clear she was disinterested but was being polite with him. Akira wondered if Kazuichi would ever get the hint, but he wasn't going to tell him.
Peko had also decided to join them, and was one of the few who wasn't wearing a school swimsuit. She was wearing a black bikini, with a frilled bottom, a see-through wrap tied around her waist. She had pulled her hair out of its braids, letting it fall down to her back. It was odd seeing her look like this and not in her school uniform. She was speaking with Sayaka, who, like Sonia, had opted for a school swimsuit, which she filled nicely. The final person in the pool hall was, to his surprise, Kyoko. Though she was standing away from the others, leaning against the wall, and despite being in a swimsuit, she was still wearing her gloves.
He turned to say something to Fuyuhiko and Hikari, but the pair had already left, with Hikari having already jumped into the pool. Shrugging, he made his way to the other end of the pool, giving Kyoko a small nod, leaning against the wall beside her.
"Wasn't expecting you to show up."
"You have Sayaka to thank for that, she was the one who managed to convince me."
"Really?" he asked, glancing at the Ultimate Pop-Sensation for a moment. "How'd she pull that off?"
"She said if I didn't relax, even for a few minutes, she'd sing Narwhals until I either killed her or killed myself," she said, making him go wide-eyed. "Obviously, she has quite a way with words."
"So it would seem," he replied, clearing his throat. "I've been meaning to ask, you never take those gloves off. Are they important to you?"
"You could say that." the lavender-haired girl said, tugging on them. "Are you going to ask why I won't take them off?"
"No, I don't really want to pry. Besides, even if I asked, something tells me I wouldn't get a straight answer."
They remained quiet for a moment before she asked him another question. "Are you scared, Akira?"
"Am I scared… undoubtedly."
"Hm… that's good."
"Why?"
"Fear is proof that your imagination is still functioning. Frankly, I feel bad for anyone who can't feel fear. Without imagination, you can never deduce what action to take next." she replied.
"But what about you? You seem totally calm. You don't act afraid at all."
"I'm scared too, of course… I simply hide my emotions. There's no advantage to be gained from letting others see how you feel."
He looked away from her for a moment, focusing on Chihiro and Hina. She was holding the smaller girl's hands, encouraging her to kick forward. Hikari was on the other side of the pool, cheering for her as well. He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling it. "You find it easier to hide?"
"What I mean is, I'm not as foolishly open as you are."
"Well, that's a backhanded insult," he replied with a smirk. "But I get what you mean."
"Besides, the fear I experience is a little different from yours, I imagine."
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
"You are afraid of what you might lose. But I'm afraid of what I've already lost." came her cryptic reply. He turned to face her, a firm look on his face.
"Kyoko do you…" he cut himself off, shaking his head. "I see. I don't fully understand but-"
"I didn't expect you to. At the very least, Sayaka's suggestion has helped me a little bit. There's no use in walking around stressing out about every little detail. I remember someone telling me that once. If I became a stress ball, I'd have a nervous breakdown and tear my hair out. And I quite like my hair."
He let out a chuckle, hiding his smile behind his hand. "I like your hair too, Kyoko. It looks nice."
"I appreciate your compliment."
"Hey you two, glad to see you here, Kyoko," Sayaka said, joining the pair.
"You didn't give me a choice, I quite like being alive so I'd rather not take my own life." she returned, causing the idol to grin. "That being said, I'm not jumping in the pool."
"Aw, that's not fair."
"She doesn't want to get her hair wet. I'm sure won't mind at least sitting at the edge of the pool, right?" Akira said, giving her a hopeful look. She met his eyes for a moment, silently nodding, causing him to grin. "Excellent."
"You know, Kyoko. You look really good in that swimsuit." Sayaka said, giving the girl a once over, admiring her body. "You have really nice skin too, I bet you use some really good moisturizers and stuff."
"I can't say that I do. I'm only using the soaps provided to me by Monokuma. I suppose those might have some sort of moisturizer in them."
"Hm… it's a real shame. I was telling the girls during our bath yesterday about all of the products I use. I buy all of my haircare products from a former Ultimate Hairdresser, and everything else from a former Ultimate Dermatologist. It sucks that we're stuck here, I'd probably be able to get you a lot of good stuff for free."
"Don't fret, I think my skin will be fine for the time being," Kyoko said firmly.
"Fair point. We're planning another bath soon, you should come along with us! I'm sure the others would love to have you."
"I'd rather not, sorry,"
"Aw, why?"
"This is a radical idea but… maybe Kyoko just doesn't like being naked in front of strangers?" Akira said, holding his hands up slightly. "Just throwing that out there."
"Well… Yeah, I guess that's true. Even if we are girls, bearing it all in front of people you just met would be a bit awkward. Maybe it could just be the two of us?"
"I'll think about it, okay?"
"Why do you want to get Kyoko naked all of a sudden?." the boy asked, earning a blush from Sayaka.
"I'm not! I just want us to become good friends! You know what they say, in order to become close friends with someone, you gotta get naked!"
"Literally no one says that."
The trio headed toward the pool, with Sayaka diving straight in, letting out a cry the moment she surfaced from how cold the water was. Akira couldn't help but laugh, kneeling down on the edge of the pool, only for the idol to grab his arm and pull him in. He was thankful Kyoko had agreed to hold his glasses for him while he swam around. He surfaced after a second, teeth chattering as he brushed the water off of his face.
"What the hell, Sayaka?"
"That's what you get for laughing at me. I wasn't expecting it to be so cold though."
"You'll get used to it. So, are you a good swimmer?"
"I'm decent enough, I kinda had to learn on my own," she admitted, brushing some hair out of her face. "My dad was always at work, so he encouraged me to join clubs at school. I ended up joining the swim club because all the other ones were full. Some really nice girls taught me, before that, I would have sunk like a rock."
"Well, we have something in common," he admitted, leaning back against the edge of the pool, avoiding one of the jets. "I almost drowned as a kid. The orphanage I lived in sent us to a local elementary school, and during the summers, if the class behaved, we were taken to the local pool. I was always afraid of the water because I couldn't swim, and the others knew that. I ended up being pushed into the deep end. They all laughed, but when I didn't surface, they got scared."
"What assholes, did they get in trouble at least?"
"Oh of course! I almost died. As a consequence, I ended up developing a fear of water. But ever the pragmatist, my sister said she would cure my fear of water. We snuck out at night and she literally pushed me into the deep end of that same pool and told me to figure it out. Once I could paddle around, she taught me how to swim for real." he replied, glancing up at the sealed ceiling. "She always seemed to have a solution for everything. You're hungry? Learn to cook, you can't swim? There's the deep end, figure it out, need a ride to the video game store? Hotwire a car. I swear, she's like Superman."
Sayaka gave him a firm look. "What was that last one? Hotwire a car? What the hell, your sister isn't a criminal, is she?"
"Pfft, no. She's a Child Caretaker, ironically enough. She was always naturally good with children. I guess I was her first success story. She gave me the confidence I needed to be the person I am today."
"Your sister sounds awful, forgive me for saying that," she said, bracing for his retort. Instead, he laughed, taking her by surprise.
"Yeah… yeah she can be, but she's also got a sweet side. It's just hard to pull that side out of her. The kids back at the orphanage seemed to love her though. I don't know why but they all seem to stick to her like glue, which I guess isn't a bad thing."
"Hm… I wish I had a sibling. Growing up as an only child was kinda lonely. My dad was always at work, so I used the swim club to distract myself."
"What about your mom? Wasn't she around?" he asked. She didn't say anything, her expression changing slightly. He frowned, looking away from the girl. "I'm sorry, I didn't think-"
"It's okay, it's not like I told you about it. I didn't really know my mom, she died when I was three, so I hardly remember her. The only memory I have of her is watching early morning cartoons. I think that's where I started my fascination with idols. A lot of them were on TV, so I had plenty of role models."
"You're lucky, in that regard. You remember your mom… I don't even know who my parents are." he admitted, frowning. "I wonder what drives people to abandon their children… I mean… I suppose there are tons of reasons. My foster parents don't really care about me, I'm just there for them. My foster brother is a total douchebag, and the golden child, and my parents don't really treat me like their son. I'm just there."
"And yet, it's you in this pool with me and not your brother. Now how about we stop being sad and have a bit of fun? I bet I can beat you in a race~"
"Doubt it, I'm a pretty fast swimmer."
"Then let's go!"
As the pair started racing, Hajime and Ibuki decided to take a break, having grown tired of their water fight. They joined Sonia and Kazuichi at the edge of the pool, a look of relief flashing across the princess's face as the pair arrived. She immediately ignored whatever the mechanic had been saying, smiling at the pair.
"Hello you two, enjoying the pool?"
"Totally! The water's bitchin' and Hajime is an awesome target!"
"I swear I'm gonna be sneezing water for the next week." the boy said, shaking his head. "But hey, if it makes her happy."
"Dude," Kazuichi said softly.
"So, we're any of you in any clubs at your old school?" the musician asked, a look of curiosity on her face. "You guys must have done something interesting."
"This is my first time in high school, actually. Due to being a princess, I had different schooling than normal students. From a young age, I was trained in various things. I had to learn thirty different languages, as well as economics and political science. I also had to learn how to use military equipment, in case of total war."
"Wow… Miss Sonia, that sounds so cool! Being able to drive a tank must be super fun!" the pink-haired boy cheerfully said.
"Perhaps… but I did yearn for traditional schooling. I do love my tutors, but I yearned for people my age I could interact with," she replied, sighing. "That's why, even though we're trapped here, I am extremely grateful to have people my age. It would be awful if I was the only one here that was a teenager."
"I get what you mean… it's a lot harder to connect with people who are older or younger than you. So being in a situation like this with adults would put you at a disadvantage. I suppose being with people my age isn't a bad thing," Hajime added.
"I didn't really join any clubs,"
The trio turned to Kazuichi, who had a somber expression on his face. "It doesn't look like it now, but I used to be bullied a lot as a kid. It was because of my looks, I just had that face, the punchable face. I got tired of that after a while, so I decided to change my appearance so no one would mess with me. Thing was, I changed it so much that no one wanted to approach me, so I didn't have many friends."
"RIP," Ibuki said, making the mechanic frown.
"It was alright for me, I didn't need human companionship or anything. That's why I love working with machines. Taking things apart, finding out how they work, and putting them back together, it's so much fun! Though I always end up with some kinda vehicle, which baffles me given my motion sickness."
"Wait… you mean to tell me you are a mechanic that works on engines, somehow makes a vehicle and you can't drive it?" Hajime asked, holding back a laugh. "That's a load of irony right there."
"Yeah yeah, laugh it up," he said, blushing in embarrassment. "I know one day I'll be able to get over my motion sickness. But it works for now. Besides, it's not like anything I make is street-legal."
"Being able to assemble and disassemble any type of machine is a good talent in and of itself. If we find something like that inside this school and it doesn't work, we'll be able to make use of it because of your talent." Sonia said, smiling. "It makes you special, Kazuichi."
"S-special? Y-you think I'm special, Miss Sonia?"
"Of course… Everyone is special," she said. He deflated a bit, but understood what she meant. Leaning back a bit, he found himself staring at the emblem painted on the far wall.
"What do you think the Mastermind gets out of all of this? Trapping us in here? Making us suffer the way we are." he asked, a curious tone in his voice. "Do you think it's some sort of experiment or something?"
"I wouldn't put it past this school to do something like that. I did read online that the staff members here are all scientists. Researchers who study every talent that walks through these halls. Maybe it's some sort of social experiment. It would explain why there's cameras everywhere."
"That's awful! An experiment where our lives are at risk, do they not care about us? We're human beings too, not animals!" Sonia said, a fearful look on her face.
"Celeste said something about us possibly having done something to them. But I don't know what that would be. I mean, none of us met before all of this." Kazuichi said, looking confused, shaking his head. "It's all just one big mystery."
"Meeh… God, every time I wanna have fun, you guys bring the mood down! Come on, we're at a pool, let's have pool fun!" Ibuki said, hopping back into the water. She surfaced in front of Sonia, grabbing a hold of her arm. "Alright Princess, time for you to join me!"
"Wah…! No Ibuki wait, I don't-" she was cut off, having been pulled into the water. She went under for a moment before surfacing, screaming from the cold. "F-F-Fuck! Ibuki! I didn't want to get wet!"
"Well, now you are! Come on, time for us to wage war on the scourge known as Kazuichi and Hajime! Go!" she cried, slapping the water, soaking the two boys. Hajime growled, a look of fake anger on his face.
"This is a battle we can't afford to lose! Come on Kazuichi! Our manly pride is on the line!" he said, leaping into the water. He surfaced after a moment, grabbing a nearby pool toy. "TO BATTLE!"
"Oh God, why?!" the pink-haired boy cried, taking his hat off as he joined the others in the pool, cringing as the cold water struck his face. He was practically blinded, unable to do much of anything.
"Ha! I win!" Sayaka boldly announced, as she pulled herself out of the pool, sitting on the edge of it. Akira panted a bit, spitting some water out of his mouth. "You have to take the dive, Akira."
"Oh come on, Saya, can we do something else?"
"Mm…sure! You have to admit to everyone here that I, Sayaka Maizono, am the best swimmer in Hope's Peak Academy."
"That is blatantly false, Hina is here," he said, jabbing his thumb at the Ultimate Swimmer, who was still teaching Chihiro how to swim. In the half an hour they had been in the pool, the girl had grasped the concept of the breaststroke and had been swimming without her floaties. The pop idol pursed her lips.
"Alright, second best. I beat you in a best out of three, even your luck didn't help you. You have to keep your promise, Akira." she said, feigning a hurt expression. "Do you know how sad I'd be if I found out one of my best friends was a liar?"
"You… consider me your best friend?" he asked, genuinely surprised. She blushed a bit, looking away from him for a moment.
"Well yeah… you've been there for me since Makoto… You know. Out of everyone here, you've been my rock, and aside from the other girls, put time and effort into keeping me sane. So yeah, I consider you a close friend." she said, poking his stomach, giggling. "Which means you have to keep your promise~"
"Alright alright, stop, it feels weird," he admitted, brushing her hand away. He stood up, turning to the diving boards. There were three levels. One at three feet, the second at ten feet, and the final one at thirty-two feet.
He swallowed the lump in his throat as he started climbing, growing more and more nervous the higher he went. He finally made it to the top, slowly walking toward the edge of the board, staring down at the water. It was a lot higher than he had expected. With the deep end of the pool being around 25 feet, he knew he had enough clearance to make it without hitting the bottom, but that didn't really make him feel any better.
"Oh god… What the hell am I doing?" he asked himself.
"Come on! Don't pussy out!" Sayaka cried, grabbing his attention. Her shouting attracted the gaze of the others, who all turned to look at him.
"Woo! Yeah! Go, Akira, Go!"
"Are you insane? You're gonna die!" Kazuichi cried out.
The boy didn't really say anything, shivering as he kept staring down. He looked briefly at the vent behind him, wondering why it was blowing so much cold air out of it. He shook it off, ignoring the cold breeze behind him.
"Oh fuck me, man, I can't fucking do it, shit." he thought, stepping back from the edge of the board.
"Chicken! Come on Akira, do it or you have no balls!" Fuyuhiko shouted, causing the Ultimate Lucky Student to shift his gaze, shooting daggers at the gangster.
"Goddamn you, Fuyuhiko. I'm gonna get you back for that one." he thought, stepping back to the edge of the board. "Alright let's do this, LEEROY JENKINS!"
It was over in 4 seconds, he hit the water and quickly swam forward, shooting toward the surface. He let out the breath he had been holding, adrenaline coursing through his system as he let out a cheer. "Fuck yeah dude, that was awesome!"
Ding dong dong ding
"This is a school-wide announcement. All Students of Hope's Peak Academy, please come to the Gymnasium at your earliest convenience. I repeat, All Students of Hope's Peak Academy, please come to the Gymnasium at your earliest convenience. Thank you~"
And just like that, the fun was over. Everyone's gaze had been locked with the TV monitor at the entrance to the pool, Monokuma's image already gone. The Ultimate Lucky Student let out a sigh, frowning as he kept himself afloat. "It was fun while it lasted."
"Hey, it isn't gonna be anything bad, I'm sure," Sayaka said, joining him in the pool. She splashed his face, grinning. "Race ya to the other end!"
"You're on!"
For the time being, he'd at least be distracted. Whatever Monokuma had in store for them, he just hoped it wasn't as bad as he was imagining it to be. Of course, it was going to be a lot worse than any of them could have possibly imagined.
A/N: Things are going to get nippy