Chapter 2: The Solace of Hate and Envy (Daily Life #03)
Warning: This fic contains intense violence, lots of cursing, character death, gore and blood, sexual innuendos (thanks Maggie), and possible spoilers for the Danganronpa series, most notably the first one. But hey, everyone lurking in this fandom has at least played the first Danganronpa so no need to worry much there!
With that said, please enjoy!
"Are you sure this is correct?"
"Yes. Positive."
"Goodness. How could a father do that to his own daughter like that?"
"Poor thing. She has no idea. We must tell her at once."
"No. It's best she does not know. It could put her in danger's path."
"Sisters?"
The four nuns of Tenshi Delight's Orphanage turned to five-year old Ina Hamamura, who curiously peeked from behind the door. As a child, she was rather small, meaning whatever milk she was drinking definitely jump started her growth spurt to be higher than average in the present. But at the moment, she was small, well-versed, and very innocent. Her tiny curious body much resembling that of a baby kitten.
"Ina," Sister Hitsuji, the leader of the group of nuns, shuffled her feet toward the little girl. "You know it is rude to eavesdrop on Sister business. It's midnight. Why are you awake?"
"...I couldn't sleep," Ina looked down. "I… had a bad dream."
"Oh Ina, I'm so sorry you had to go through something like that," Sister Hitsuji squatted down, placing a hand on the little girl's shoulder with a sympathetic look on her face. "Tell you what. You go back to bed, and I'll have Sister Kiyoi tuck you in with a lullaby after me and the other Sisters finish our conversation. Is that fine with you?"
Normally, Ina would nod and be on her way. But this time, she thought it important to ask. After all, she heard enough to get a decent grasp on what the Sisters were talking about. She looked down, sadly.
"Is this about Daddy?" Ina asked.
Sister Hitsuji was taken aback by this question. The other sisters shared their awkward looks toward one another. None of them knew how to break it to a five-year old child that her father was very adamant about leaving her all alone in the world. That she was born unwanted by both the father and the mother. None of them knew just how to word it properly. Ina was smart for a five-year old child so lying out of the question for the Sisters. Instead, Sister Hitsuji squatted down and slowly brought Ina into a hug.
"I'm so sorry Ina," Sister Hitsuji frowned, somberly.
"...The reason Mommy and Daddy didn't want me," Ina didn't hug Sister Hitsuji back. She just stood still, letting herself get hugged. Surprisingly, she didn't tear up or cry or anything. She didn't feel the need to. She just couldn't be bothered. After all, it was to be expected, right? "It's all Daddy's fault, right?"
Sister Hitsuji held Ina tight. She remained silent for a moment before nodding.
"Yes," Sister Hitsuji confirmed.
It took a while before Ina formulated her next response. And once she did, Sister Hitsuji could only hug her tighter.
"...I hate him," Ina shuddered, her face darkened as she felt the desire to cry but made no attempt in doing so. "I hate Daddy very much."
And throughout her proclamation of hating Daddy, Sister Hitsuji made sure she was there to act upon Ina as her closest mother figure. By God's standards, Ina's father would surely get sent to hell for what he had done to Ina. And by her standards, she was going to make sure Ina would grow up to live a better life than what was bestowed upon her.
"I know, Ina," Sister Hitsuji said. "And Daddy will pay for his transgressions."
Ina looked up toward the sweet Sister, that solemn look stuck on her face.
"Is that what you will do?" Ina blinked, innocently.
"...No, that is what God will do," Sister Hitsuji smiled. "That is a promise. God's promise."
God's promise. She had familiarized herself with a minimal number of stories in the Bible. And God's promise was holy and sacred. And for Ina, it was the promise to clean the world of demons.
Demons.
Like Daddy.
Daddy was a demon.
So, what did that make her?
"...Why are you talking to me?" Zuri repeated herself before turning to Holland, revealing the bubbling tears forming from her eyes. "Just because I defended you earlier today doesn't change what you did to me."
Holland fell back to the silent person he always was. He looked at her with that same emotionless glance before looking away.
"Then… what about all the things you said?" Holland asked with that same expression. "The things you did. Did you really mean any of that? Giving me a second chance?"
Zuri didn't say anything for a while. Instead, she let her voice quiver a bit before slowly forming a response for him to listen to.
"...I… I don't know," Zuri merely stated, voice stuttering slightly.
Zuri bit her lip as she laid in her bed, her arms covering her eyes as she didn't even feel bothered to get out of bed. How could she? The scene replayed in her head as she felt nothing but a dashing assortment of questions completely stab her mind over and over again.
Did she really mean what she had said to Holland? Or was that just a heat of a moment kind of thing?
Zuri didn't know. She honestly didn't. She didn't know why she bothered to go and defend Holland after everything he did to her. She didn't know why she adamantly stated that she would accept him back even though he could very easily betray her trust once more. She didn't know why. She just didn't know…
God.
She was an idiot. What was she supposed to do? Side with Cassandra and everyone else who agreed to outcast Holland? She'd be no better than the ones who often picked on her back at home. But then again, she was supporting an attempted murderer and allowing him a second chance. So, in a way, was that even the right choice at all?
The feelings flooded back to her as she thought of nothing but what she could do. What was the rightest thing to do after all? Holland was an attempted murderer who seeked to end the life of someone in order to leave. But the reason he wanted to do so was because of that video. That video of his mother. It was such a wrong thing for him to do, but at the same time, she understood. If she saw her friends in her video, she probably would feel motivated to go and do something drastic but…
That same question again: What was the right thing to do?
Support Holland. Give him his second chance? Or reject him completely?
These were tough questions, especially for her, someone who had been close friends with him before his inevitable misconduct. And all these tough questions ended up making her imprisonment here much more miserable…
…
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
The sound of a loud knock thrusted Zuri off of her bed in surprise. She didn't know what to expect except for the fact that maybe someone was trying to break her door down and kill her! But who?! Who would do such a thing?!
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Zuri was nervous. She couldn't move. She was petrified. Unable to move one foot over the other without that need to fall over. Her legs felt like jelly. Who would knock like some sort of ungodly beast?!
Her heart pounded. Perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps it was someone who just needed her for something. Perhaps it was Maggie or Barracuda or Jared or… just anyone nice and least likely to murder someone in their group!
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
If she didn't answer, there was no doubt that the sound would continue and continue. It would just make her all the more afraid. So, with a charge and a yell, Zuri used every bit of what strength had over her gelatinous legs to sprint toward the door and thrust it open as quickly and hard as possible.
"P-Please don't kill me!" Zuri screamed in fear, closing her eyes and secretly hoping someone nearby would hear her cry out before she got stabbed or bludgeoned or strangled. There was a silence before she slowly opened her eyes, half-expecting to see blood on her body or any feeling of pain.
But what she expected was instead replaced with an image of a very confused Barracuda.
"Um, I… I would never kill…" Barracuda looked down.
"A-Ah, Barracuda, it's just you!" Zuri sighed in relief. So much relief that Zuri's legs gave way and forced her to her knees. "Y-You scared me with that loud knock of yours! S-Sorry!"
"O-Oh, yeah, sorry!" Barracuda blinked before chuckling in embarrassment. "I forgot that I was strong. Meaning, my strength can take down bears… and knock down doors! Hahaha!"
"Yeah, just be gentle with the knocks next time, okay?" Zuri gave him a small smile.
Barracuda offered the bassist a hand, allowing Zuri's leg to relax and ultimately regain that strength needed to help her stand. Then once she stood, Zuri took a breath.
"So… what did you need me for, Barry?" Zuri asked.
"Huh?" Barracuda blinked before crossing his arms and thinking to himself. "Huh. Why did I come here again? It was something important…"
"Oh, um, would it be because of the Cafeteria meeting?" Zuri blinked. "I know I didn't come last night, and I probably missed it today since I had to-"
"YES!" Barracuda determinedly exclaimed with that determined look and flexing of his determined body of ultimate determination. "THAT'S RIGHT! THE CAFETERIA MEETING! YOU HAVE TO COME! RIGHT NOW ZURI!"
Someone had their caps lock turned on…
"O-Oh?" Zuri blinked. "Um, what's wrong?"
"NO TIME TO EXPLAIN!" Barracuda roared. "YOU HAVE TO COME! LET'S GO!"
And with that, Barracuda sprinted down the hall toward the Cafeteria, leaving Zuri behind in the metaphorical dust.
"A-Ah, wait!" Zuri exclaimed, before running after him. "B-Barry! Y-You're too fast!"
Unfortunately, due to his head start, Zuri was unable to keep up but headed toward the Cafeteria nonetheless…
(Cafeteria)
When Zuri reached the Cafeteria, the only people who were there were Barracuda, who didn't seem at all bothered by that heart pounding sprint he just made, Maggie, Abigail, Mimi, Ina, Mayu, and Carter. It seemed that whatever meeting was going on here and just ended.
But that didn't matter at the moment! Zuri was completely out of breath! She tried her hardest to catch up to Barracuda and look at what happened! If her legs could and would turn to jelly right about now, they would but unfortunately, she was, if not, all too curious as to why she had to work so hard just to get to the Cafeteria. As she panted and regained her oxygen, Zuri looked up to see Maggie as the key person of interest at the moment.
"Zuri!" Maggie looked serious, folding her arms together as she stepped forward to the bassist. "You're here."
"C-Can… someone please tell me what's going on?" Zuri sighed, wiping her forehead.
"It's awful!" Mayu exclaimed. "I'm growing sick and tired of sandwiches!"
"W-What?" Zuri blinked. Surely that couldn't be the main reason why she was just called here by Barracuda. Because if that was, then she just wasted her physical health over this nonsense.
"Ignore her," Maggie shook her head. "It's not about the sandwiches. It's about Holland. He's…"
Maggie looked away. Zuri widened her eyes. No. She couldn't be suggesting… could she? Zuri felt like her heart was about to give away. If it wasn't pounding so hard before, it was certainly pounding hard now. Zuri stepped closer to Maggie with a pleading look in her eyes.
"W-What about Holland?!" Zuri cried out desperately. "I-Is he okay?"
"Not if we're just going to stand here and struggle to tell Zuri what's going on," Abigail frowned, crossing her arms. "Cassandra took him."
"W-Wait what?" Zuri blinked, confused.
"It was just like any typical Cafeteria meeting," Ina folded her arms with a slight frown. "Only Cassandra came in and started acting out as usual when she saw Holland was there too. Said something about making sure a criminal like him should be treated like one… Or something along the lines of that. Either case, she and Jared have escorted him to Cell Block S I believe."
"W-What?" Zuri looked surprised to hear the other name that Ina had mentioned. "J-Jared was in on this? W-What's going on? What are they doing to him? And… Why didn't the rest of you do anything?! They could be hurting him for all we know!"
"W-Well, we did think that when C-Cassandra said she was going to take him s-someplace," Carter shivered, hugging himself in slight fear. "B-But… J-Jared said he was going to tag behind her to make sure she didn't do anything r-rash. S-So we entrusted Jared with that…"
That suddenly made more sense than whatever she thought Jared was doing. So, Jared tagged behind Cassandra to make sure she didn't go too far with whatever she was doing. But still, it just made her feel uneasy about what was happening. She clenched her fist slightly before glancing towards the group of bystanders.
"Th-Then, why did you call me here?" Zuri asked, biting her lip.
"Are you kidding?" Maggie blinked. "You're closer to Holland than any of us ever were. I thought you should know what exactly was happening to him, so I instructed Barry to come fetch you."
That made sense. She really was the only person who was closest to Holland. And granted, if no one had alerted her of what was happening, she no doubt would've been very confused, stressed, and concerned over why she wouldn't see Holland again or if Holland started acting differently. Her clenched fists tightened.
"Cell Block S, right?" Zuri asked, her face mixed with seriousness and worry.
"That's right," Maggie nodded. "Hurry. Who knows what Cassandra might do…"
Really, it would've been best if she had other people to back her up, but she supposed it might have had something to do with Jared telling them to stand aside or something like that. Sounded something Jared might say. But really, the most important thing now was making sure nothing bad was happening to Holland.
That's right. Holland was in trouble.
And so, without another word, Zuri raced out of the Cafeteria, sprinting once more to the direction of Cell Block S.
(Cell Block S)
This time, Zuri wasn't as tired as she thought she would be after committing herself to yet another sprint. And not just any sprint mind you. She had to sprint from the Cafeteria to the Auditorium, past the broken wall, down some stairs and finally make it to the rubble that was Cell Block S. And once she reached Cell Block S, she spotted Cassandra and Jared, the former of which was speaking to the latter about something that she didn't manage to catch.
Of course, Cassandra was the first to notice her presence and immediately that sour look on the unknown ultimate switched into a smug smirk that Zuri couldn't help but feel needed to be wiped off somehow.
"Speak of the Devil," Cassandra smirked.
"Ah, Zuri, hey," Jared straightened his police hat with a stiff nod. Apparently, whatever the two had been doing was something Jared wasn't too comfortable with. Speaking of doing, it seemed that the person she would've expected to see wasn't here. In other words…
"...W-Where's Holland?" Zuri strictly asked, concerned. She attempted a brave face in front of Cassandra, but instead it just made her face look even more worrisome.
"Hmph, you don't need to worry about your freak of a boytoy anymore," Cassandra shrugged with a smirk. "He's in a better place now. Where he won't be harming anyone, ever again."
"H-He's not a freak!" Zuri exclaimed. "And also, what did you do to him?!"
Cassandra didn't respond. Instead, she just stood there, chuckling to herself. It looked as if she was rather pleased and satisfied with whatever she had done. Jared on the other hid his eyes, or rather the one eye not covered by his light blue hair, by lowering his police hat.
"Jared!" Zuri looked toward Jared, this time a more pleading look. "What did you guys do?!"
"Ah!" Jared was taken aback by Zuri's yell. His eyes scattered around as Cassandra pointed a narrowing gaze toward him. "Well, um. I did what I said I would always do if someone committed a crime here…"
"...I was arrested," came that familiar voice. Zuri glanced around, half-expecting him to be behind her. But instead, he wasn't there. So then, where was he? That was when she realized there was a room she had yet to check. She turned to the cell door of #66's Solitary Confinement Cell only to find it closed, unlike how it had been so generously opened just yesterday.
"H-Holland?" Zuri perked her head toward the closed door of #66's cell. Walking closer to the door, Zuri attempted to open it but unfortunately found the door to be locked.
"I'm sorry Zuri," Jared looked away, avoiding her look of concern for the person she once called a friend. "But the door is locked. Any attempt to open it will be futile if you don't have the key to the door."
"Th-Then, are you saying he's just stuck in there?!" Zuri turned to look at Jared in slight desperation.
"...I'm sorry but it was kind of an executive decision," Jared rubbed the back of his neck as he felt his police hat to be a little loose.
"An executive decision?" Zuri immediately fixed her gaze toward Cassandra. "By whom? Her?!"
"...I hate it as much as you do but Cassandra brought up some good points during our meeting today," Jared frowned. "I mean, how could we ever fight back against White Collar knowing full-well an attempted murderer was running around scot-free? We can't have someone like that unchecked. Which is why I thought Cassandra coming up with the idea of locking him up here was a solid one."
"But what about yesterday's conversation?!" Zuri was disappointed that Jared would listen to Cassandra of all people. She clearly wasn't seeing things from his or Cassandra's angle. Perhaps a testament to how blind she was when it came to Holland. "We all agreed that whatever Holland did, it would be up to the ones who are willing to give him a second chance. Not-"
"Stop right there, Princess," Cassandra rolled her eyes, looking slightly annoyed by the topic Zuri was bringing up. "Last I checked, no one outwardly agreed to such an arrangement. And by the way, up to the ones who were willing to give him a second chance? That witch girl is clearly incapable of preventing another murder. And that hag Maggie is too busy getting it on with that dumbass fish to probably even bother. So ultimately, the only person who we would have to rely on to make sure this asshole doesn't go start another killing spree is you. And lo and behold, how the hell is someone like you gonna stop him from stabbing us? No. This is the better option."
"A-And you agree with her, Jared?" Zuri turned back to Jared.
Jared avoided Zuri's gaze by lowering his police hat once more before letting out a simple response.
"...Yes," Jared frowned. "Everyone is afraid about what Holland might do next. So, of course, this is our best course of action."
"Him staying in that really horrible cell is the best course of action?!" Zuri looked absolutely distraught over the decisions that were being made between the Ultimate Bitch and the Ultimate Police Officer. A surprising duo all things considered.
"...Don't worry," Jared looked away. "When we find a way out, I'll unlock the door and set him free. I have the key after all."
"K-Key?" Zuri blinked. "W-Where did you get a key?"
"Monohebi supplied it," Cassandra smugly stated. "Of course, I checked with the snake first to see if we could allow something like this and not only did she give us a key, but she also gave us something to note for Rule #7."
"R-Rule #7… that's…" Zuri rubbed her chin, biting her lip in thought.
"..."Nighttime" is from 12 AM to 7 AM. Leaving the Confinements is off-limits at this time with some exceptions," Jared had read out loud for Zuri to hear. "This is one of the exceptions."
"Y-You mean, Holland is going to stay in there…" Zuri couldn't even finish her thought. She was too horrified by what was happening. Poor Holland wasn't even going to come out for the morning meetings or see the light of day until they found a way out. If they find a way out, that is.
"...For a while?" Cassandra finished her sentence for her. "Pretty much. But hey, at least you can keep having weird conversations with each other. So, it's not all bad."
Zuri didn't say anything in response to that. With a frown, she looked toward Jared, impatiently.
"Open the door Jared," Zuri ordered.
"What?" Jared blinked. "But the best course of-"
"This isn't the best course of action for anyone other than Cassandra," Zuri placed her hands over her hips. "Now open the door."
Zuri was never like this. She never felt so heatedly like this in her entire life. Typically, when the bandmates of Dream Palm were in danger, it was those very members inside the group that did most of the talking. Zuri just stood in the back, agreeing with everything her best friends were fighting for. But here, she didn't have her friends to say what should be said. Instead, she had herself and only herself.
"...Zuri," came Holland's voice behind the cell door. "It's fine. Just… don't bother…"
"H-Holland?" Zuri was surprised to hear Holland say that to her. Jared and Cassandra also glanced toward the door, with Jared resigning a bit and Cassandra raising an eyebrow.
"...Look, it was also my decision to be locked in here too… in a way," Holland's voice stated. "So, stop trying so hard to fight for me…"
Zuri remained silent until Holland's voice continued.
"...You probably don't mean it anyway," Holland's voice turned into a mutter but it was said so clearly that Zuri felt herself break slightly.
"H-Holland, I-" Zuri was about to say before Cassandra cut in, clearly having enough with this conversation.
"Okay Princess, you heard the psycho," Cassandra frowned as she began to shove Zuri out of Cell Block S. "He also agreed to it, and he doesn't want you bothering him. So, visiting hours are officially over."
"B-But!" Zuri frowned.
Zuri didn't get another word in. Instead, she watched as she got pushed farther and farther away from a slightly guilt-stricken Jared and a cell which housed the first friend she made and an official pariah of this group of prisoners…
(Cell Block A)
"Exercise?"
Ina raised an eyebrow when Mayu had come to her, proclaiming her desire to actively exercise and get in shape. Last Ina had an important free time event with Mayu, she concluded that Mayu wasn't that bad to be around despite holding some sort of power and authority: The classic MO that she would revolt against. A spawn of a demon that desired to purify the works of those before her.
A true case of someone that Ina would respect. And given the options of the people she was trapped with, arguably Mayu was probably closest to her, despite what minimal conversations they've had. Case in point for the other way around: Mayu was closest to Ina.
A working friendship that still needed more Hope Fragments so now they are paired up once again to explore Mayu's desire for exercising! Wait. Exercising?!
"Of course!" Mayu looked determined, huffing through her nose as she leaned toward Ina. "If I am to do whatever it takes to succeed as the Ultimate Heiress of my family company, I have to be stronger!"
"...Okay, but where exactly is this coming from?" Ina asked, raising an eyebrow. "You never felt the desire to be strong like this before…"
"Of course, I have!" Mayu exclaimed. "Have you noticed that I haven't been drooling over the thought of food lately? And how sick of sandwiches I've been getting? It is my body telling me that I have to start my resolve to take over Mashiro Co!"
"...No, I am pretty sure that is a matter of your body rejecting the food you overeat," Ina bluntly stared at Mayu. They all have been eating nothing but sandwiches for the past eight days.
"I-Ina!" Mayu looked embarrassed, pouting slightly. "Th-That's rude! I don't overeat! I just eat more than the average human can eat!"
"That is still referred to as 'overeating'," Ina stated, looking slightly exasperated.
"Oooh… at least allow me to convince myself to be strong so I can be a better Ultimate!" Mayu stamped her feet on the ground in desperation. She was certainly serious about this, that was for sure, albeit for completely illogical reasons.
"Hm, you are correct," Ina sighed, shaking her head apologetically. "I am sorry. I forgot how much it meant to you that you wished to be different from the demons that hold equal value to yourself."
"That's right!" Mayu exclaimed. "And that is why I want to exercise! So, I can fight to take over the Mashiro Company and rule it with a nutritional fist!"
"...I fail to see how exercise ties into your goals, but your resolve is remarkable," Ina pointed out before slightly smiling. "I wish you luck then Mayu."
Ina got ready to leave before Mayu pulled her back into the conversation.
"Eh?!" Mayu exclaimed with her most classic Japanese tone. "Y-You can't leave yet! What about you?! Don't you wish to be stronger so you can combat the demons in the world?!"
"...While that is my ultimate goal, I'm afraid the bigger demon I have to combat first is the mastermind behind our predicament," Ina's tone slowly shifted to a colder tone as she glared toward the security cameras watching their interaction unfold. "White Collar…"
"Which means you'll exercise with me, right?!" Mayu looked excited.
"...Th-That is not nearly what I indicated," Ina looked surprised by Mayu's conclusion. "Has… this all been some sort of attempt to force me to exercise with you?"
"Well, I can't possibly exercise alone!" Mayu declared. "I need someone to push me hard! Train me to be as strong as the buffalo I eat!"
"...We have an Ultimate Personal Trainer whose name could be a traditional type of seafood," Ina pointed out.
"No way!" Mayu rejected. Somewhere in this facility, Barracuda tripped and fell flat on his face. "He looks too intense! He's definitely someone who would force me to drink improperly blended milkshakes and chemical-infused candy bars!"
"...Are you talking about protein shakes and energy bars?" Ina raised an eyebrow at Mayu.
"Yeah, that's what it's called!" Mayu exclaimed, glad to see that Ina was understanding just what she was talking about. "See? You're a natural already! So, you'll come and train with me, right?!"
Ina stood still. What would her answer be? It was nice to see how strong Mayu's resolve was, but the question was, did she really want to exercise and get stronger too? Did she really feel the need for it? She considered herself plenty strong already but the more she thought about it…
…Ina shook her head.
"I apologize," Ina looked away. "I admire your resolve but unfortunately, my ultimate goal does not require me to gain physical strength."
She closed her eyes and sighed.
"If anything, I believe I would need to strengthen my mental strength instead," Ina continued with a slight frown.
"Man, you're still hiding something, Ina," Mayu looked at Ina, slightly disappointed before giving her a more supportive smile. "But at the very least, I'm glad you support me on my path to become a better Mashiro! And if you change your mind, join me every morning to go exercise!"
"Hmph, if you wish," Ina gave Mayu a small appreciative smile.
What Mayu had said was true. She was still keeping something secret. Or rather, it was a topic she just didn't want to talk about. But nevertheless, she was in admiration for that mental strength Mayu had. Mental strength to go about and be that better heiress of her family name. If only Ina had something like that. Then maybe her ultimate goal would be all the easier.
And as such, Ina and Mayu grew closer together!
(Cafeteria)
Maggie held her breath. Zuri hadn't been back yet but whatever she was doing, it definitely was trying to fight against whatever Cassandra had been plotting toward Holland. The thought would've made her chuckle. After all, she had some tingling feeling that whatever was going on between her and Holland was probably a little something more… But at the moment, she had other matters to attend to.
For starters, Mimi had been nothing but silent ever since the events of yesterday. She hadn't bothered to open her mouth to speak. She hadn't bothered to look at anyone. Her entire body acted much slower than it normally did.
The girl in the witch's outfit was undoubtedly depressed.
And with how close Maggie had been to taking care of Mimi ever since this horrible game started, it pained her to see her like this. God. These past few days, in the wake of the first round of murder, were just a gloom-infested set of days. No one had been as positive or optimistic as they had been the first few days.
In fact, the two more positive girls, Yuumi and Mimi were now stone cold and wounded respectively.
Maggie sighed as she snuck a glance at the non-moving Mimi. She handed the fairytale writer a sandwich.
"Mimi, you have to eat something," Maggie frowned. "I know it's not much, but these sandwiches are all we have…"
Mimi didn't say anything. She just glumly stared at the floor. At this point, anyone could mistake Mimi for a corpse.
"Mimi, please say something," Maggie scooted closer toward the witch-outfit wearing girl. "I can't help you if you don't say anything."
…
"...Miss Maggie, did I do something wrong?" Mimi quietly asked, eyes filled with nothingness.
"...Mimi, of course you didn't," Maggie attempted to console her. In the back of her mind, being called 'Miss Maggie' made her feel old, so she was going to have to ask her to refrain from calling her that when she was feeling better. "What Yuumi did was wrong and there was no reason for her to do that to you."
"...But she did," Mimi simply said. "I must've been a bad girl. That's why she hit me."
"Mimi, why are you jumping to conclusions?" Maggie frowned. "Look Mimi, I can't condone what Yuumi did. But why she did it has nothing to do with you being bad at all. If anything, she's just… stressed out as it is."
"...But this always happens," Mimi curled her legs up onto the cafeteria table seat, burying her face into her knees as she felt effortless. "In the end, I'm just the same Isadora De La Vega…"
Maggie furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean exactly?" Maggie placed a hand on Mimi's shoulder.
"...Once upon a time…" Mimi began, eyes tearing up. "...There was a little girl who wanted so hard to be a good witch. She went to a wizarding school where she met other witches and wizards at school just like her. Only, they weren't like her. While the little girl only knew basic spells and simple potion-making, the other wizards had strong powers and advanced knowledge of alchemy. The little girl was nothing like them, but she desperately wanted to be. She desperately wanted to be friends with them. So, she… she did everything she could to be just like the best wizards of her wizarding school."
Maggie listened attentively, noting how Mimi was telling this story as if it were a fairytale she had been writing.
"...In the end, the little girl grew into a powerful book witch," Mimi continued. "And she was so happy. She was so happy that she walked up to the other powerful wizards and attempted to show off her spells. Everything that she had done to become just like them. To be as great as the greatest wizards of her school. But the other wizards didn't understand what the little girl was saying. They didn't understand how much trouble the little girl went through to become a great witch. They didn't understand anything the girl tried to do. Her power as the book witch was too strong and eventually, they pointed their fingers and laughed. They mocked the book witch for how stupid she was. They called her mean names. They tormented her. The little girl finally got their attention, but it wasn't the attention she wanted."
Mimi's eyes began to flood with tears as she covered her mouth to stop herself from hiccupping.
"The little girl couldn't take it anymore," Mimi said. "So, she tried to run. She tried to hide from the wizards and witches she wanted to be like. She did everything she could to make sure the mistake she made was no more."
Mimi was now sobbing. Her voice quivered as she struggled to continue the story. It was clear she had more to tell, but it was too much for her handle. So instead, all she said, as she turned to Maggie with weeping eyes:
"It's me-" Mimi sobbed. "I'm the little girl. I'm the mistake."
"Mimi-" Maggie looked at Mimi, a broken expression on her face forced her to grab Mimi and drag her directly into a tight hug. "You're not a mistake. Whoever these wizards and witches were didn't know what kind of person you really are."
Mimi didn't say anything. She just continued crying. She was breaking down. Eight days of pure torture. Mimi, of all people, didn't deserve to be trapped in an environment like this. Maggie knew that all too well now. She found herself stuck in that hug that she had forced Mimi into, but neither cared. Mimi just continued sobbing. And Maggie continued letting the tears pitter patter onto her shoulder.
"Just let it out Mimi," Maggie consoled Mimi. "It'll be okay. It'll be okay."
"...W-Why am I such a bad girl?" Mimi sobbed. "Wh-What did I do wrong?"
"...Nothing Mimi," Maggie repeated. "You did nothing wrong."
And Mimi and Maggie kept still for a long time. Mimi finally let out her emotions and Maggie understood her a little better. Through angst, tears, and sorrow, they grew a little closer today.
(Auditorium)
"You seem to have enjoyed yourself this morning."
Cassandra had just left Cell Block S after having her fun imprisoning that psycho Holland and seeing the look on Zuri's face when she confronted her and Jared about it. She had been on her way to the Cafeteria, but Arthur's surprise appearance certainly caught her off guard as she hadn't expected anyone to hang around the Auditorium of all places. With a raise an eyebrow and a slight relief that it wasn't anyone too unbearable, Cassandra stopped, placing a hand against her hip.
"Oh, it's you," Cassandra frowned. "Yeah, sure. I did. Your point?"
"...Can I not find a means to start a conversation with you, or anyone for that matter, that doesn't result in me being questioned?" Arthur crossed his arms, slightly displeased where this was going.
"You have only yourself to blame for being so fucking suspicious," Cassandra deadpanned.
"Suspicious?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Pot calling the kettle black I suppose."
"Hey," Cassandra glared at Arthur, jabbing a middle finger in his direction in disdain. "I know I'm not on anyone's good side here but at least I'm bluntly honest about everything I believe in. What about you, moving about like you're some puzzle piece ready to be solved? You seem to be trying so hard to fly under the radar."
Arthur remained silent for a moment. If this was some sort of chess battle in the chess dimension, this was the moment Arthur selected the 'Wait and see' option. He closed his eyes, tapping his finger on his elbow before his lips trailed into a small smirk.
"Touche," Arthur merely stated.
"...What exactly are you up to?" Cassandra narrowed her eyes.
"I could ask the same of you," Arthur opened his eyes to match Cassandra's suspecting gaze.
"...I don't know what you're talking about," Cassandra's narrowing eyes turned into a glare.
"Hm, then I suppose I don't know what you're asking either," Arthur smirked placing his hands behind his back to examine Cassandra carefully. "But don't think I didn't notice a change between the Cassandra you were to the Cassandra you are now."
"Seriously?" Cassandra rolled her eyes. "You're just saying that I changed. After the last Trial, anyone would change. Just look at that sailor bitch. Doesn't even play with that witch freak anymore."
"...If you say so," Arthur shrugged, crossing his arms again. "Truthfully Cassandra, I don't really care about whatever it is you're doing or what motive you have for doing so, but I only ask you do one simple thing for me…"
Cassandra didn't realize it, but she began to bite her thumb, gritting her teeth as she did so. Perhaps she was going to have to retract that earlier thought over how unbearable Arthur really was. And this single action confirmed everything Arthur had suspected. She was doing something but what exactly was it? And in Cassandra's case, how did he even know?
"Oh yeah, what's that?" Cassandra asked Arthur.
Arthur took a step closer and loomed over her with a cold inflexion of himself.
"...Don't ruin this game for me…" Arthur coldly stated.
His eyes chilled her to the core and his words were just as icy to the point where it ended up freezing her in her place. Was it fear? Surprise? Cassandra didn't know but it was so uncomfortable. Like frostbite had made it to her fingertips with just a few words. But Cassandra was no one's bitch. She wasn't going to cower like any of those other pussies would. She clenched her fist.
"...I guess I should've expected other psychos in this game as well," Cassandra frowned, mentally slapping herself for not expecting something like this sooner. "Especially if it's a rich piece of shit like you."
Arthur scoffed as he looked away. It was a typical reaction of anyone trying to hide who they really were, but for some reason, it was different than what Cassandra was normally familiar with this time. As if something she said made him uncomfortable. She had an idea on what it was…
"...As I said, Cassandra," Arthur folded his arms with a sigh. "I don't care what you're plotting or doing but don't ruin this bloody game for me."
Another chilling remark after that.
"...It's the most fun I've ever had after all," Arthur smirked.
Arthur stuffed his hands in his pockets before shifting his facial features back to that cold, uncaring look. With one last glance toward Cassandra, he closed his eyes and walked away to who knows where, leaving behind the unknown talent with her own thoughts. Cassandra's fist was clenched tighter than it normally was.
"Freak…" Cassandra muttered. She thought Arthur to be different. Someone she could actually relate to in this menagerie of idiots and emotional pussies. But in the end, he was nothing more than someone who relished in the situation they were in. Another psycho running rampant in this facility. But why reveal his fascination with the game to her of all people?... Unless he counted on the fact that she would keep her mouth shut.
With the information he had however… Cassandra looked down, grinding her teeth in frustration. It's always been like this. She really couldn't count on anyone in order to survive.
She really thought she would get closer with Arthur but instead, she grew farther apart in the new world she was thrust.
it was just her and the world she hated so much.
As always.
Arthur walked toward his room as he thought about everything he had said to Cassandra. From what he gathered; he was probably the closest person that she would've been able to trust if they spent more time together as civilized people. But Arthur knew better to hang out with someone like Cassandra. Her personality was repulsive after all. At least with him, he was a neutral wild card. At least, he'd like to think so. And yet, he revealed his card to Cassandra, possibly a little too soon.
Arthur scoffed. It didn't matter. All it would do was create an interesting challenge. And Arthur liked a good challenge. To him, it was like snowboarding down the highest mountain with obstacles scattered around for him to avoid. Get too careless and you're good as dead. But given the slope of a high mountain, there was also no room to be careful. What an interesting situation to think about.
Arthur huffed before reaching his door, but not before noticing what seemed to be a box just sitting right outside his door. He raised an eyebrow. A package? And if it was, from who he wondered?
Regardless, Arthur curiously opened the box to take a peek inside…
(Cafeteria)
"So, Cassandra and Jared locked Holland up in #66's room?" Abigail raised an eyebrow at Zuri. She rubbed her chin and sighed, tiredly. "Well, at least it wasn't anything too bad."
"But they're literally treating him like some sort of animal!" Zuri exclaimed. "I just... I just don't like this."
Zuri had been in the Cafeteria shortly after being pushed away from Cell Block S by Cassandra. Since then, she had been lost in her thoughts, worried nonstop for how exactly Holland was feeling behind that cold cell. She wasn't entirely allowed to visit Holland, at least not with Cassandra roaming that area making sure the poor boy didn't get any visitors. She was also a little early for the normal Nighttime Meetings, but then again, so was Abigail, who only wanted dinner and ended up engaging in a conversation with her to figure out what had happened earlier in the morning.
"Look, I hate to agree with Cassandra on this but maybe it's for the best," Abigail yawned. She hadn't gotten another night's sleep again. It was definitely thanks to that same fucking nightmare she kept having.
"H-How could you say that?" Zuri frowned toward Abigail. "Holland is a human being! N-Not some animal!"
"Yeah, a human being who tried to kill another human being," Abigail looked at Zuri, exasperated. "You really can't have someone like that running around scot-free y'know. Look, you can still talk to the guy, right? So just visit him whenever you can. I don't think he's going to be locked there forever either too. I mean, at some point, Jared might let him out for fresh air. He's not nearly as heartless as Casshole."
Abigail was listing the bright side for Zuri, but none of which she could really accept. It still felt so wrong. God! Why was she like this?! What was wrong with her? Why did she care so much for someone who used her to commit murder? If anything, she should be acting as cold as Yuumi right now, but she wasn't! She somehow… still cared for Holland…
…
That was when Arthur came in, a darkened expression on his face as he set the box, he had found sitting outside his room, on top of the nearest Cafeteria table with a slam. He folded his arms and stared at it, but to Zuri and Abigail, it was like a shadow had been casted over his eyes.
"Well, geez, hello to you too," Abigail rolled her eyes.
"A-Arthur?" Zuri blinked, a little frightened by his reaction to said box. "What is…?"
"...Get Jared," Arthur merely stated.
…
"So, you found this box right outside of your room?" Jared asked. It didn't take long for him to be called in. Abigail and Zuri already knew he was going to be guarding #66's cell, or rather Holland's cell now that it was being inhabited, so finding him was a cinch. But their frantic run ended up attracting Barracuda, Carter, Haruto, Ina, Mayu and Maggie, who had just helped Mimi to her room, to the Cafeteria too.
"Exactly," Arthur responded, having folded his arms and closed his eyes like some pompous prosecutor. "I thought it was some sort of passage until I discovered the contents inside it."
"B-But… what's inside it?" Barracuda asked, nervous.
"A-Another one of those evidence boxes is m-my guess," Carter shivered, fearing the alternative option of it being a bomb. "L-Like the one that had S-Sayaka's m-murder weapon."
"...Yeah, but instead of a knife…" Jared widened his eyes before tipping his police hat down and carefully extracting what seemed to be a 25-pound dumbbell. "...It's this."
"I-Is that… a dumbbell?" Haruto raised an eyebrow.
"N-No!" Barracuda looked beyond horrified. "H-How could someone use such an important item for murder?!"
"For bludgeoning someone in the head, no doubt," Ina frowned, grimacing slightly at the result of its use.
The dumbbell was as big as any typical 25-pound dumbbell. Its sides were circular but most notable was the large dry splotch of blood at the end of the dumbbell, essentially proving its use to hit someone on the head… hard.
"N-Noooo!" Barracuda wailed. "Dumbbells shouldn't be used that way! It's… It's… Illegal!"
"Last I checked, hitting someone over the head with a blunt object is illegal… dumbass," Haruto clenched his fist.
The object extraction didn't end there, however. Alongside the dumbbell that Jared extracted was an extension cord as well as a poster of a swimsuit model. Both objects had dried blood on them, but not nearly as much as the dumbbell did.
"More pieces of evidence…" Jared frowned.
"I'll gladly keep that poster and extension cord though, if you don't mind," Maggie raised her hand with a slight blush on her face. She cleared her throat. "No reason. Just thought it needed some more… examination."
"W-We all know that's not what you mean," Carter exclaimed, twirling his fountain pen around. "A-And why the extension cord?"
Maggie didn't respond. Instead, Jared harshly looked toward Maggie to respond to her request.
"Absolutely not," Jared frowned. "Evidence like this deserves to be locked up in the Evidence Room."
Magggie looked slightly disappointed as Jared continued to fish out whatever else was in the evidence box. But ultimately all that was left was the file. It was a file similar to the file that they received regarding Sayaka Maizono.
But instead of Sayaka's information, the information was as follows:
Name: Chihiro Fujisaki
Gender: Male
Ultimate Talent: Ultimate Programmer
Birth Date: March 14
Height: 4'10
Weight: 90 lbs
Blood Type: O
Status: Deceased
"...I knew it," Jared frowned. "Chihiro Fujisaki. She was another one of the students that went missing. And now, we just found confirmation of her death…"
"Her?" Mayu blinked. "But the file says he's a male. I'm sorry. Did I miss something here?"
"No way!" Maggie gasped. "This boy must've been a crossdresser trying to escape the harshness of being weak!"
Everyone looked at Maggie with the blankest of expressions. Her head was clearly trapped in the gallery of cursed images and comments. Jared shook his head with a sigh.
"That can't be it," Jared stated. "But it doesn't matter. What matters is that another one of these evidence boxes turned up. And I just can't help but wonder why it showed up in front of Arthur's room of all places?"
"...I'm sorry, are you suspecting me of something?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Bloody hell. Out of good faith of sharing interesting information, I brought forth an evidence box that was left outside of my room. Even more, I ordered two fine girls to come get you to help examine this further. And the thanks I get is being treated like some sort of criminal? Perhaps next time I come across these boxes I'll keep them to myself."
"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Jared frowned. "It can't be a coincidence, Arthur. You were the one who brought attention to the first box when we had our chat in the Evidence Room. And now the second box shows up in front of your room of all places? You have to know something!"
"I think you're a little too quick to suspect Arthur, Jared," Mayu scratched the side of her cheek. "I mean, maybe it really is just a bunch of coincidences. I mean, that first box was located in the Evidence Room, wasn't it? Maybe it was meant for you to find."
"Thank you, Mayu, for the much-appreciated assistance," Arthur frowned toward Mayu. "The box showing up in front of my room is nothing more than an attempt for you to continue to suspect me of some sort of wrongdoing. No doubt a cheap parlor trick from White Collar. He most definitely wanted to heighten on your attack on me after hearing your delusional conclusion the last time we found Maizono's box."
Jared clenched his fist, glaring at Arthur. He definitely didn't trust the snowboarder one bit. Not one bit!
"Regardless, I'll repeat exactly what I said regarding Sayaka for this Fujisaki girl… or boy," Arthur frowned. "...I have no clue who they are or why their information is here, but we can all easily assume that this is something White Collar is plotting. Or maybe more accurately, taunting us with."
"B-Because he could've been involved in these students' disappearance… r-right?" Carter dreaded that thought.
"Precisely," Arthur nodded. "I am just in the dark regarding what really happened to these students as the rest of you are."
But this side plot was certainly intriguing in Arthur's mind…
"Now, I must be off," Arthur frowned. "I have shown what I wanted to show."
No one tried to stop him. Not even Jared, who had his fist clenched the whole time. He was so certain that Arthur knew something. He had to! It couldn't just be a coincidence, right? The placements of this particular box. If White Collar really did have something to do with that, it really seemed like he was trying to tell them all something.
Tell them all something about Arthur…
"Oi, Jared," Haruto glanced at Jared. "I know Arthur can be a suspicious son of a bitch but if you really think he's hiding something, you gotta have proof first y'know? Quit acting based on feelings and start acting like a real law enforcer."
Jared didn't say anything. Instead, he placed every item he had taken out of the box back inside and carried it.
"...I'll be putting this in the Evidence Room," Jared frowned. "This box is off-limits so if I catch anyone with anyone of the items in here, I'll arrest you."
And with that, Jared walked off, box in hand, leaving behind a concerned group of people who knew where Jared was coming from, but still didn't want to go too far in terms of suspecting someone without any basis.
(#66's Cell)
Holland miserably sat down on the floor, back against the door as he felt nothing but the cold breeze of the room's interior and the freezing pavement of the floor. The lightbulb that did nothing but blink profusely was starting to strain his tired eyes. He remained cradled as he heard nothing but the humming and the flickering of his only faulty light source.
He sighed.
Alone in a cell that was infested with rats and roaches. Alone in silence and basking in the chilly atmosphere of the room he was imprisoned in. Funny of all was the fact that this is what he got coming to him. This was the price he had to pay for his actions. And it really should've been expected.
He had done nothing to prove he wouldn't strike again and here he was now. A prisoner acting as a prisoner in a prison of a prison. His entire life was even more of a prison now, whether he liked it or not. Not just the fact he had to suffer along with the Killing Game but also due to the fact that his peers treat him as an animal now.
Again. This was the price he had to pay for his actions. So, in conclusion, he was fine with this. He had to be.
A timid knock forced Holland to look up for a slight moment. It came from the door that he had laying his back against, but who would visit him of all people?
"H-Holland?" a quiet voice alerted Holland to glance toward the door. Instantly, he recognized who that soft-spoken voice belonged to.
"...Zuri?" Holland blinked. Even hearing her voice from beyond that door, Holland's facial expression never wavered from a neutral uncaring look. But really, it's painfully obvious just how much Zuri's friendship meant to him. "...What are you doing here?"
There wasn't a response of the verbal kind. Instead, Holland felt something on his lower back. The little slot that was connected to the door for food tray purposes was being pushed open by Zuri, who had given a whole plate of food: a sandwich, a water bottle, and a bag of chips.
"...Zuri, did you make this?" Holland blinked, staring at the food nonchalantly.
"Of course," Zuri nodded from outside. "You… You wouldn't have made it to dinner so I thought I would just…"
"...Ah, the Nighttime Meeting," Holland looked away. "...How did that go? If you went?"
"It was..." Zuri failed to respond to the question. Holland then heard her slide her back against the door, so that it would seem that they were sitting back-to-back with one another. "Are you okay in there? Because if you're not, I can force Jared to unlock this cell door-"
"No…" Holland said almost immediately. "...There's no reason for you to do that. I mean… if you do, you'll just be called crazy… or something…"
Zuri didn't say anything in retrospect. He had a point. Many times, when she had defended Holland, she was branded to be a bit of a brainless idiot who thought with her emotions. Harsh for them, pretty much just Cassandra, to say such a thing but…
"...What makes you think I care about that?" Zuri asked.
Holland remained silent as thoughts filled his mind. What did she mean by that?
"...I lived my entire life in the background while the rest of my friends in the Dream Palm took all the glory and fame," Zuri smiled as she recollected a moment. "And I didn't care a bit. I was happy for them. Because essentially, that's who they are: the lead singer, the synthesizer, guitarist and lyricist. And who am I? Just the bassist."
Holland didn't say a word, taking into account what Zuri was saying.
"So, the point is Holland," Zuri would smile at him if she could see his face right now. "I don't care what people think about me. What people think about me doesn't matter as long as I'm doing myself justice. That's why I'm the Ultimate Bassist. Or… rather, the Ultimate Background Character of a story."
Zuri chuckled sheepishly at her joke. But instead of joining in with her amusement, Holland's mouth opened up to respond to everything that Zuri had just said.
"...You were never the background character to me…" Holland said, simply.
Zuri blinked.
"...I don't know why you would think of yourself like that, but to me, you're the main character…" Holland continued. "...Always have been…"
Holland looked away from the door, even though she couldn't see his face. But even if she couldn't, Zuri couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
"It's funny," Zuri smiled to herself. "Hana told me the same thing. Or at least, something similar. But I don't know, it's just so hard to believe it sometimes."
"...Believe it," Holland merely stated. "If you don't believe me, at least believe Hana."
Holland had no idea who Hana was but from the sounds of it, she was probably one of the most important people in her life and a definite member of this Dream Palm she was a part of. Most likely one of the friends she's mentioned.
And unbeknownst to Zuri, she was smiling much more than she had been previously. It was almost like everything Holland had done before hadn't happened. She was speaking to someone who wasn't an attempted murderer, but rather the first friend that she made in this facility… Which led her to a sorrowful thought.
"...Holland…" Zuri's smile faded. "About yesterday…"
Holland remained quiet, patiently waiting for her to continue. Though he looked down, unsure on what she was going to say yet feared for the worst. But then again, what exactly could she say that could be even worse than what was happening now?
"...I'm sorry," Zuri looked down.
I'm sorry? Holland looked up. What exactly was she sorry for? If anything, Holland was pretty confused by where this was going.
"...I'm sorry for leaving so hastily," Zuri frowned. Ah. That was what she meant. "I just… I just didn't know how to approach you, even after that Cafeteria talk. And I wanted time to myself to think about whether or not I could really trust you. If I really… did mean what I said…"
"...And did you mean what you said?" Holland looked away before adding. "Ah, it's okay if you don't… I don't really hold… grudges…"
"No no," Zuri shook her head with a small smile. "I did mean what I said. I think you deserve a second chance Holland. But… I think when it comes to us being friends, I think it'll take a while for us to properly be friends again."
Holland took in what she said. From the sounds of it, it sounded like all hope wasn't lost when it came to their friendship. And for that, he remained grateful. For once, in this miserable environment, he finally found something he was looking forward to. Some form of hope he could finally cling to…
"Attention all prisoners," Monohebi's voice announced. "It is now midnight. Curfew hour begins now. As such, all prisoners must report to their confinements. Anyone who is caught outside of their confinements will be punished accordingly. Be sure to review the rules on the Rules App of your Handbook. That is all."
"Well, I guess that's my cue," Zuri smiled gently to herself before sitting up from her spot by the door. Then placing a hand on that hard, cold, dusty metal door, Zuri sighed to herself. "Take care of yourself Holland. And… good night…"
Zuri somberly said that last part before walking away. Holland didn't move an inch. Where could he even go? So instead, all he did was glance at the meal that Zuri had made for him. With a small hopeful sigh, Holland took the sandwich and bit into it.
…The food was somehow better than he thought.
Despite everything, it seemed that slowly Zuri and Holland were growing closer together once more...
The devilish mask of White Collar gently hung at the corner of his bloodwood desk. His face was completely shrouded in gray, the flames of the fireplace radiating a light that did little to reach him as he caressed a cold portrait of a framed picture. It wasn't odd to see White Collar so quiet as he hung around by that bookshelf which, alongside the framed picture, were files containing different names and labels.
Monohebi slowly side-winded her way toward the unmasked White Collar as she contemplated what exactly she should do to get his attention. He looked as if he did not want to be disturbed. But as White Collar's faithful assistant, she had a duty to provide him with important news of her next mission.
Carefully, Monohebi spoke.
"Master…?" Monohebi called out. White Collar seemed to respond to Monohebi's call. As soon as the word left her snaky lips, White Collar had set the picture down by the bookshelf before slowly reaching for his mask. Once he gently picked it up, White Collar, back still turned to the snake, set the mask over his face until the devilish helmet was firmly planted over his head.
Then the Devil himself turned, the light that radiated from the fireplace now highlighting his demonic and sinister appeal. White Collar swiped his corroded-looking cane that leaned against the bookshelf but instead of using it to walk toward the snake, he gripped the cane by its end and pointed the sharp horn of the cane directly underneath the snake's chin.
As the fires danced in the background, White Collar's jagged eye glinted a hellish red. Monohebi was forced to stare at her master, right in that eye. And boy, it made her feel honored. Good even. That she was staring into the eyes of the Master that she served and worshiped-
"...Remind me Monohebi…" White Collar said, simply. "What was it that we agreed upon? Regarding the way you refer to me as…"
Monohebi blinked. He had a problem with that again. What was wrong with what she called him? She was born to serve White Collar, right? So naturally, she was to refer to him as-
"Monohebi," White Collar's tone became stern. It was no longer as simple as it was supposed to be as White Collar held her chin up higher. "Answer the question."
"...I was not to call you Master," Monohebi answered the devilish mastermind.
"And what did you just do moments prior?" White Collar pressed.
"...Call you Master," Monohebi tried to hang her head down in shame, but White Collar's cane only prevented that course of action. "...I apologize."
White Collar didn't say anything else. Instead, he removed the cane from under the snake's chin and turned his back, facing the fire that had imprinted its warmth onto his black suit. One hand behind his back and the rest of his body leaning against his cane, White Collar continued, but this time with a much bitter tone.
"Speak," White Collar ordered. "What is it you wish to say to me?"
"O-Oh," Monohebi blinked. That small little discourse between the two seemed to have caused a slip of her mind. A small slip but easily recovered. "Yes, of course. I have completed the next mission. Everything should be set tomorrow for the next round of the Minigame."
"...Good Monohebi," White Collar complimented, still basking in the warmth of the flames. "Splendid news."
Monohebi stayed put. Was that it? She expected more from him. Something more complimentary. But at this point, all it seemed like White Collar wanted was to be alone. That can't be right for her, though. She was created to serve him. Not leave him to bask by the fireplace all alone. She had to ask. She needed to ask. Otherwise, what was her purpose? She was White Collar's faithful assistant after all!
"Ma- Sir, is there anything else you-" Monohebi was immediately interrupted by White Collar's voice, which now sounded much harsher than before.
"Sir, now?" White Collar asked, not even bothering to glance behind him. "Really, Monohebi. I thought we've gone over this already."
He slowly turned and walked toward the snake at a noticeably slow pace. Once he loomed over the black and white serpent, Monohebi shrunk back slightly. She did something wrong again! No wonder he didn't compliment her much! She's already made a fool of herself in front of him.
"S- I… I'm sorry…" Monohebi didn't even know what he wanted to be referred to as. Master. Sir. It was all obvious yet none of them were even the right answers to what White Collar wanted to be known as.
As for White Collar, all he could do was stare at this snake. Monohebi felt it too. The way he was staring at her through the eyes of his demonic helmet. Pity. She felt the look of pity. He stared at her with pity. Then the Devil himself stepped back and sighed, shaking his head.
"That look you give…" White Collar sighed. "How it reminds me of the finer days of life. Of... my life."
"Master…?" Monohebi looked at White Collar, confused by what he was talking about.
"...Take a rest for the night, Monohebi," White Collar ordered, calmly. "I wish to be alone."
"Ah, but what about the Mini-" Monohebi was about to say before White Collar interrupted her with that same harsh tone again.
"Leave," White Collar ordered, darkly.
"I… Y-Yes, Master," Monohebi hung her head down before slithering off.
White Collar never turned back to make sure she left. He never turned back for that snake. Instead, all he could do was hang out by that bookshelf again. He took off his mask and gently placed it on the floor before taking a glance at the framed photo once more.
Grimly, he felt a sting in his eye.
And then a tear followed through, carefully navigating down his cheek until it hung loosely over his chin…
DANGANRONPA: CORRUPTED HOPE
That was fast! Part 3 of the Daily Life for Chapter 2!
I'm in the zone now that it's Winter Break so hopefully I can keep cranking these chapters out but be advised that more I crank out, the more y'all gotta wait since I want this upcoming Trial and Investigation portion to be absolutely perfect! Or at the very least, good enough! Ahem!
A handful of y'all seemed to like the idea of a Discord server. I'm thinking about officially starting it up by the time I complete Chapter 2 but we'll see what happens within these two months! Maybe it'll be ready by the time I finish the next chapter or when I finish the Investigation or- Whoooo knowwwwws? Either case, as for the chapter itself, I hope you find it to your liking! I feel like the switch between certain scenes is a little awkward for my liking but hopefully it's good for you guys haha!
And you already know what I'm going to say next! As always let me know some stuff you liked and disliked! Criticisms are welcome! Praise is much appreciated! And slap that like button if you want White Collar to cry some more over what he's putting your children through XE
Prisoners Remaining: 14
Abigail Ellsworth - The Ultimate Equestrian (oddlyillregular)
Arthur Kingston - The Ultimate Snowboarder (SinWriter7)
Barracuda - The Ultimate Personal Trainer (Weekaro)
Carter Franklin - The Ultimate Opinion Columnist (armadas)
Cassandra Mura - The Ultimate ? (ExtraMeme)
Haruto Walker - The Ultimate Basketball Player (theotakureader101)
Holland Delaney - The Ultimate Game Designer (Sempi)
Ina Hamamura - The Ultimate Revolutionary (VividIsSleeping)
Jared Ceartas - The Ultimate Police Officer (Otterplay)
Maggie LaDroubi - The Ultimate Supermodel (Project Drama)
Mayu Mashiro - The Ultimate Heiress (zetsunaflame)
Mimi Kazoo - The Ultimate Fairytale Writer (Idraegan)
Yuumi Kizuchi - The Ultimate Sailor (Shamelles410)
Zuri Auraline - The Ultimate Bassist (CandleFire45)