Chapter 2: Act 5: Bitter Cold III
Location: Arcade, Hope's Peak Academy 2F
Day: 9
Time: 7:20 PM
(Song Key: Normal Text: Sayaka, Italics: Akira, Bold: Sayaka and Akira)
"Another high score, this is so unfair," Akira complained, a look of defeat on his face as he stared at the flashing numbers on the screen. "You're no joke, Sayaka."
"I do have practice, but don't knock yourself short, you're a great singer! You need a bit of vocal practice and you'll be able to hit the harder notes!" she replied in an encouraging tone.
"Hm… Will you teach me? After all of this, I mean. I'd rather not be distracted from what's going on here."
"Of course! Ah! I'll talk to Satomi and the others, and have them give you pointers too! Who knows? Maybe you'll become super famous, and we'll be able to release an album together! Male Idols are all the rage in Japan, especially in many social circles!"
"Me? A Male idol? I doubt that… I don't think I could handle the pressure. I'm not that good of a dancer either. Besides, that's more Leon's thing…" he said, eyes widening slightly in surprise. He frowned, shifting his gaze across the room. "It was his thing."
The blue-haired girl pursed her lips, leaning back against the nearby billiards table. "Honestly? Leon wouldn't have lasted as a rockstar. He didn't seem to be into it as much as he wanted what the life brought him. I could just tell he was the womanizing type, and not just because of what he tried to do to me. He didn't have a passion for it."
"Is that your intuition speaking?"
"No, that's me speaking. I put thousands of hours into my craft, long painstaking hours of dancing, singing for hours on end, to the point I couldn't speak. And he… thought all he needed was a damn guitar and a songwriter. God, the balls on him." she spat, tightening her grasp on her microphone. "Like I said, he was a total playboy who was likely into the rockstar scene for the lifestyle and not for the singing aspect of it."
"Well… I sadly have no horse in this race. I'm just a Lucky Student… all I ever did was work my ass off on school stuff." he shrugged, leaning back against the table. "But I guess I understand where you are coming from. I've worked for long hours of the night, memorizing functions, formulas, history, economics… you name it. And even with all of that, I still got B's. It just wasn't enough ."
"Yet despite that, it was your wish that brought you here. A pure-hearted miracle won you a ticket to Hope's Peak Academy. It's just a shame that it had to turn into all of this." she replied, gesturing to the sealed windows.
"Mhmm… though if I'm being honest… aside from the psychological and emotional trauma, I am glad I came here. Winning the lottery did one good thing for me," he said, turning to face her, a smile on his face. "It brought me to you."
Her eyes widened a bit, cheeks flushing at his words. She cleared her throat, shooting to her feet as she began sifting through the tracklist. "Hey, how about a duet? Afterwards, we can head down and make some soup or something."
"A duet? Sure why not? It sounds like fun." he said, a genuine smile on his face. She turned away from him, humming as she clicked through the tracklist. Finally finding one, she tapped the screen, hitting "Play", taking the second microphone and handing it to the boy.
Once again, the arcade was filled with a peppy tune, one that was very familiar to the Lucky Student. Sayaka, of course, had started dancing a bit as she had with every song, fully getting into the song. Akira didn't want to awkwardly stand there, so he moved slightly to the beat a bit, earning a wink from the idol.
"Nee, mada mada mada? Isoide!
Dekakeru junbi wa dekitakai?
Kimi ni misetai fushigi no sekai
Miokuri nara iranai
Tatoe hi no naka mizu no naka
Te saguri de mienai kyou no naka
Ichibyou saki datte mada shiranai kedo
Itsumo omoi de wa dore mo
Zenbu booru no naka ni~
1-2-3 de tobikome!
Itsuka egaita mirai ga
Boku no poketto ni aru kara
Hajimemashite wa itsudatte hajimete sa
Tamerau koto nado
Nai! (Nai!) Try! (Try!)
Let's have a fight!
ichi , batoru o shita nara
Ni , Warau ka naitatte
San de nakama ni narou yo
Ano hi datte kono hi datte
Itsudatte soushiteita
Saki mo mienai
Hate mo shiranai sekai ga soko ni aru kedo
Let's go! Koronde surimuite
Let's go! Nandomo arukidasu tonari
Kimi ni kimeta!
Akira took a deep breath, turning to Sayaka who was still dancing happily. She looked at him, smiling at him. He rubbed his neck in embarrassment, his gaze returning to the screen before him.
"Tonari no machi kara keshiki wa
Tame ikitsuku hodo sekai wa
Me magurishiku mawari kawaru
Boku o okizari ni suru
Kodomo no koro ni wa muchuu de
Kuguri nuketa anaboko demo
Shibaraku buridana miotoshiteita no?
Demo ne wasureta keshiki mo
Kyou no doko ka ni aru yo
1-2-3 de tobidase!
Sanzan datte naiteita
Hibi to booru no soto made
"doko e ikou ka?" wa
"doko e datte ikeru" desho?
Ikitsuku hima nado
Nai! (Nai!) Try! (Try!)
Why don't we go?
Ichi. Kotoba o koete
Ni. Kyoukaisen no saki no
Mada minu kimi made
Taoreru nara te o tsuku nara
Mae datte kimetanda
Hi ga shizumu you ni kage nobite
Setake mo kawatteiru kedo
Let's go! Ame agari de nakucha
Let's go! Haremani niji wa nai
Ano hi kara kidzuiteiru."
Kimi wa kimi wa itsu no mani yara
Otona ni nacchainaikai?
Hokori o kabutta borogi no
Migi pokke ni oitekita
Katate ni osamaru bouken
Bokura no subete datta
Ano koro no omoi de ga
Kimi wo sagashite iru yo
1-2-3 de tobikome!
Itsuka egaita mirai ga
Boku no poketto ni aru kara
Doko ka e ikou yo doko e datte tsurete itte yo
Tamerau koto nado
Nai! (Nai!) Try! (Try!)
Let's have a fight!
ichi. batoru o shita nara
Ni. Warau ka naitatte
San de nakama ni narou yo
Ano hi datte kono hi datte
Itsudatte soushiteita
Saki mo mienai
Hate mo shiranai sekai ga soko ni aru kedo
Let's go! Koronde surimuite
Let's go! Nandomo arukidasu tonari
Kimi ni kimeta!"
As the final notes of the song slowly faded out, Akira and Sayaka shared a grin, high-fiving each other. This of course was followed by thunderous applause, coming from a group of their friends, who had all been at the library. The pair flushed a bit in embarrassment, quickly shifting their gazes away.
"Um… you saw all of that?" the boy asked.
"Of course we did, darling, and you both did quite well. Why, I'm impressed with your singing ability, I wasn't aware you were that good." Celeste said, giving him a smile.
"She's right! You were a total natural, Akira! Are you sure you aren't the Ultimate Singer in disguise?" Chihiro asked, causing him to laugh.
"I'm sure, I just got lucky."
"As great as that song was, we must all return to the dining hall. It's almost eight o'clock, and I wish to prepare some more tea and chocolate for us." Sonia said, rubbing her arms.
"We managed to get Monokuma to lift the rule about the assigned dorms. We'll be able to share rooms and hopefully stay warm together." Hajime added. "It isn't much but it's a victory none-the-less."
"I'm gonna take another look at the warehouse to see if there are any more thick blankets we can pass out. I think Taka mentioned there being some sleeping bags too. Those should definitely come in handy tonight." Mikan cheerfully said.
"That should make going blankie mode a lot more comfortable for us," Akira said, earning a laugh from Sayaka, who muffled it with her hand. "Anyway, let's start heading down. Hopefully, the others are doing a bit better."
"I'm sure they are! They all seemed super happy with the tea and chocolate we passed out. It's the little things that will keep us sane. That's why they pack candy in military rations. To give that sense of sweetness and give the soldiers a little bit of hope!" the princess said, grinning. "Now, I might not be the Ultimate Chef, but I'll whip up some Novoselic Style stew for everyone, that'll cheer us all up!"
"Oh, I'll volunteer! I'm a pretty good cook myself. Akira hasn't complained yet."
"Everything you make is delicious, Sayaka. I have no reason to complain." the Lucky Student replied. "Let's go, we don't have much time before we hit that window." He said. Wasting no time, the group started heading back down to the first floor.
xxx
Despite it being cold, Kiyotaka and Mondo seemed rather fired up. Hajime, Sonia, and Sayaka had left for the kitchen to prepare for dinner, while Mikan and Celeste had headed to the warehouse. That left Akira with the task of assisting Taka in informing the others about dinner and to generally check up on everyone, as they hadn't seen half of their fellow classmates since earlier that day. However, the scene before him was completely not what he had been expecting. He didn't even get a word out as the Ultimate Moral Compass had called out to him.
"Aha! Akira, perfect timing!"
"Uh… hey, Taka… what's up?"
"I have a favor to ask!" Mondo interrupted, causing him to look to his right. Akira felt a bead of sweat at the corner of his head, despite the cold.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" he thought, giving him a nod.
"We need you to be our witness!"
"Witness to what?" the boy asked, vaguely interested. Mondo clicked his tongue, angrily pointing to Kiyotaka.
"This guy's been talkin' shit about me since day one! Callin' me a coward and shit like that…!"
"You are a coward! That's why you turn to violence to solve your problems." Kiyotaka said, matter of factly. "That's why you can't do what society asks of you, why you walk around dressed like that!"
"The fuck'd you say?" the biker shouted, glaring at the shorter man. "You dunno shit!"
"You've already lost to yourself, but you're such a coward you don't even realize it!"
"So what, you sayin' you're not a coward? You think you're tougher than me?" Mondo screamed back.
"I know I am!"
"Okay, then let's throw down! Prove you've got what I don't!"
"I accept your challenge!"
The pair turned to Akira, who had been left stunned by the argument. "See? Now you know why we need you as our witness!"
"Um… you aren't gonna just start fighting here, right? It's almost time for dinner and I don't want anyone to get hurt or anything,"
"Tch… you got a point, no use in dragging innocent people into this," he muttered, glancing out of the dining hall, locking eyes with the bathhouse. "There's a sauna in the bathhouse, isn't there?"
"Ah, I see!" Kiyotaka said, crimson eyes glowing brightly. "A simple endurance contest, isn't it? We're going to see who can stay in the sauna the longest, am I right?"
"Goddamn straight!" the biker barked. Within seconds, the three had crossed the plaza, entering the bathhouse. It had been the first time Akira had actually stepped inside it. It was rather large, and very steamy as well.
Though it was warm, somehow, the cold still managed to permeate in the area, causing the steam to become slightly thicker than it normally would be. He cleared his throat, fanning his face a bit as he looked at the two. "Are you guys seriously considering this?"
"Shit yeah! You ain't talking us out of it!"
"He'll be done in a matter of minutes, anyway. People like him are, without exception, all talk!" Taka boldly announced, causing Mondo to crack his knuckles.
"Oh yeah? Bring it on! Let's make things more interesting. Wouldn't you wanna win without a challenge, right?"
"Interesting…?" the Lucky Student asked, greatly confused.
"We're gonna battle with all our clothes on!"
"T-that's idiotic suicide!" The Moral Compass cried out. Mondo only smirked at him.
"What? Are you afraid?"
"Y-you're going to regret this!"
"Shut up and let's do this!"
Within moments, the pair were sitting inside the sauna, which had been cranked to a high temperature. Despite agreeing to Mondo's terms, Taka had stripped out of his uniform, the sweat pouring down his face as he remained sitting in his spot. Mondo however had stayed completely dressed, and didn't even look phased.
"Hey, Mondo?"
"What, asshole?"
"You can take off your uniform, ya know. Go ahead… I won't judge."
"And you can shut the fuck up and mind your own business! I mean, look at you. Your face is all red. What're you, one of those goddamn hot spring monkeys?"
"It just so happens… I was born with a red face!"
You don't have to act big, man!"
"Act? You say? Hahahaha! I'm still plenty good to go! I'm so good, I could eat a steaming-hot bowl of soup right now!"
"Uh, speaking of soup, Sonia, Hajime, and Sayaka are making some. I kinda promised I'd get the others out for dinner. Are you guys gonna finish up soon?" Akira asked, peering through the window.
"Don't you think it's about time you gave up?" Kiyotaka asked, earning a laugh from the biker.
"What about you? You can't even… hardly talk, dumbass."
"Say, wh-whatever you want… I'm still totally… good to go! I'm starting to feel… kinda cold!"
"That's prolly not good."
"Guys? Seriously, I get that you wanna keep proving you are manly men, but this isn't a good idea."
"SHUT UP!"
Akira grimaced a bit, shaking his head with a sigh. "Alright then, I'll be going. Make sure you drink water."
Letting out a sigh, he returned to the plaza, briefly wondering if Kiyotaka and Mondo would be alright. But judging by their attitude, he figured they would be alright. He turned toward the dorms, and began the long process of ringing the bells, since Kiyotaka had been busy. He generally told everyone inside their dorms the same thing, that Sonia, Sayaka, and Hajime were making dinner and that the assigned dorm rule had been suspended for the time being. As he finished his rounds, he arrived back at the entrance to the dorms, ringing the final bell, belonging to Kyoko.
The door opened shortly after, revealing a shivering Kyoko. She was still dressed in her usual outfit, much to his surprise. "Kyoko, didn't you find a coat or something?"
"N-no, the ones in the w-warehouse were too b-big."
"Better big than nothing at all," he said, pausing to unbutton the trenchcoat he had been wearing. He wrapped it around her, pulling her closer to himself. "Sonia, Hajime, and Sayaka are making dinner for everyone. It'll help us warm up."
She didn't say anything, merely stopping to make sure her dorm door was shut. "I wasn't expecting it to be so cold. I was never a f-fan of it."
"I'm the opposite, I love the cold, but persistent cold like this? Yeah no… I'd kill to go to the beach." he said, chuckling. "Metaphorically speaking, of course."
She didn't say anything, but the smile on her face spoke more to him than anything else. Just as fast as he had seen it, it was gone, mostly because they had approached the dining hall. He took one of the thermoses Hajime was handing out, giving it to Kyoko. She gave him an appreciative nod, finding an empty seat.
"I'll be right back, I'm gonna see how Mikan and Celeste are doing," he said.
"Alright, we're almost done in the kitchen, so hurry back."
The Lucky Student nodded, hastily leaving the dining hall. As he turned to the opposite hall, he felt a cold rush of wind smacking him in the face. He paused to look at the ventilation shaft, lowering his sleeve to look at his watch. He noticed it was 8 o'clock, meaning they had hit the second temperature drop of the day. He briefly wondered how much it had gone down, but the cold air made him forget almost instantly.
He blew into his hands as he entered the warehouse, seeing a stack of sleeping bags near the entrance. Celeste had donned a thick fur coat, while Mikan was leaning into a large wooden crate, seconds away from falling in. The gambler looked up at him, giving him a small smile.
"Is everyone else already at the dining hall?"
"Essentially, even Byakuya agreed to leave his room. It's already 8:02, the next drop will be at Midnight, and I'm not sure how much worse it'll get."
"It'll be a rough night, but nothing we won't be able to handle," she replied. He let out a sigh, swearing he saw his warm breath in the air.
He moved toward one of the crates, reaching for some letterman jacket. He put one on over the hoodie he was wearing, pulling his hood over his head. He followed it with one of the fur coats that the girls had managed to find. Mikan hopped back out, dropping the two remaining sleeping bags from inside, totaling 20. She brushed her hair out of her face, shuddering from the cold.
"Well, I found everything we could possibly use. I just hope all of this stuff is enough," she said, donning one of the fur coats, tying it at the front. "There's only so much the human body can take in the cold."
"Don't worry, we'll just have to stay on top of things, make sure our hands and feet are well covered and we have plenty of hot food and drinks," Akira said, adjusting his coat a bit, blowing into his hands. "It's all a mind game, we just have to adapt to our circumstances."
"Good to know my words had meaning to you, dear Akira." Celeste happily said.
"Let's start moving these to the hallway, after dinner, everyone can take one and turn in for the night." the Ultimate Nurse said, grabbing some of the sleeping bags she had found. "I wish Hope's Peak had a fireplace, a roaring fire would do wonders to lift our mood."
"A fireplace, huh? Yeah, that would be a good thing, wouldn't it?" the Lucky Student said, shaking his head. "Can't have everything. Come on, it's gonna be a very long night."
It didn't take long to bring out the last of the stuff they had found in the warehouse. It hadn't been much, but everything had been passed out. If Akira didn't know any better, everyone was getting ready for the fiercest snowstorm of their lives. Instead, it was a psychotic mastermind piloting a robot bear hellbent on torturing them.
No one stuck around after they ate. They just took the thermoses Hajime and Sonia handed out, grabbed a sleeping bag, and headed to their dorms. Mahiru and Hiyoko had agreed to room together, while Hina, Celeste, and Ibuki had agreed to do the same. Chihiro had agreed to stay with them too, far too cold to go against it. Ever so slowly, everyone split into groups or pairs, with Byakuya still deciding to remain alone. Sonia had invited Mikan to stay with them, the nurse blushing brightly at the offer.
That of course, left the final trio, Akira, Sayaka, and Kyoko. The Ultimate Pop-Sensation hadn't said much since they had come down from the Arcade. She had been trying to speak with Kyoko, but she had remained silent, far too focused on her food to reply. Now that dinner was over though, the violet-haired girl had tried to leave, only for Sayaka to take a hold of her hand.
"You aren't seriously going to spend the night alone, are you?"
"Of course I am, why wouldn't I?"
"Because it's dangerous! Everyone else agreed to share rooms with each other. Any other time, it would be alright, but we're at risk of hypothermia here. I'd hate for something bad to happen to you, Kyoko." she said.
"I'll be fine, it isn't the first time I've had to deal with cold temperatures. I spent time in England when I was younger."
"That doesn't matter, we're not going to let you stay in your room by yourself," Akira said, a bit more sternly than he expected. If she was upset, she didn't show, she just nodded, likely finding it easier to agree than to argue.
The Ultimate Lucky Student paused for a moment, briefly glancing at the Bathhouse. He gestured for the girls to go ahead, stepping into the bathhouse. He walked toward the back of the room, thankful that it was still steamy and hot inside. As he approached the sauna, he noticed steam pouring from beneath the door. He peeked into the window, seeing Mondo and Kiyotaka were still at it. He knocked on the window, causing the pair to look at him.
"Uh hey, it's already almost night time, we're all gonna head in for the night."
"Go ahead dude, we're gonna keep at it. I'm nowhere close to giving up!" Mondo cried, voice sounding muffled as he spoke.
"Come on you guys, how about we just call it a tie?"
"In a true competition… there's no such thing as a tie! You win, or you lose. That's… the only thing that matters!"
"Listen to you… you son of a bitch…! Then bring it on! I'll… I'll push you right up to the gates of hell!"
"Seriously, you two are just gonna end up hurting yourselves. This is insane!"
"Yeah, you hear him? Better crawl back to your room. I'll let you know how it went in the morning! Then you can start spreading my legend!"
"Come tomorrow morning… You'll fall down in front of me… down on your knees. I'll show you where to do it!"
"Big talk coming from someone… whose face is about to explode!"
"Right back… a-at ya!"
Akira sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, Good Night, stay hydrated."
He spun on his heel, heading out of the bathhouse, almost yearning for the warmth of the sauna. He reached into his pocket for his key, swiftly entering his dorm room. He noticed two things the moment he stepped in, the first, his and Sayaka's beds had been pushed together, creating a sleeping area that rivaled the largest king-sized beds in the world. The second thing he noticed was the large igloo of blankets that had been made at the center of said joined beds. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"I can see you ladies are taking full advantage of our circumstances."
"Well duh, did you want us to freeze to death?" Sayaka said, voice slightly muffled.
He leaned against the wall, taking off his boots, setting them down next to Sayaka's and Kyoko's. He pulled out the extra socks he had grabbed from the warehouse, placing them on his feet. The thickness bothered him a bit but he didn't care as long as his feet were warm.
"Could I trouble you ladies to make a spot for me?"
"Actually, Sayaka and I had a discussion and we agreed on our sleeping arrangement. She said you'd be alright with sleeping in the bathroom." Kyoko said, causing him to choke on his spit, coughing loudly.
"Haah… wah?"
"Sorry, we had a vote and it was two to one."
"Like hell it is!"
"Relax, we're joking," the idol said, pulling her head out of the mass of blankets, gesturing for him to join them. "Grab that last sleeping bag and get inside it, it's actually pretty warm when you get inside."
"Alright, time to go blankie mode," he said, shrugging his jacket off, grabbing his sleeping bag. Once he had hopped into it, he joined the girls on the bed, pulling all of the covers over himself. Within the igloo, Sayaka was playing Persona 3 on his PSP, while Kyoko was looking through Sayaka's playlist, struggling to find something to listen to. He leaned back slightly, looking over at the game. "Oh… how's Tartaros?"
"It's kicking my ass. Not only that, but I gotta keep going back to the first floor to get healed."
"Yeah that is annoying but it's something you gotta deal with. Try not to think too hard about it," he said with a shrug, shifting his gaze to Kyoko, who had a bored look on her face. "What about you, Kyoko? Having fun?"
"Not really, but it certainly beats freezing to death in my room."
"Yes, it does. I'm just glad the warehouse had all of this stuff and those food and drink thermoses. We shouldn't need to leave unless we need to use the bathroom." he said, settling into his spot, practically nuzzling Sayaka's side. "I hope my stream doesn't freeze, that wouldn't be good."
"Ew gross, I don't wanna talk about pee!"
"It's unavoidable, Sayaka. Peeing is just something all humans go through," he replied, earning a sharp jab to the side. He coughed a bit, groaning. "Dammit, was that your knee?"
She just gave him a grin, not really answering his question. He watched her for a few minutes, but the weight of the day finally crashed on him, and he fell asleep shortly after. Sayaka noticed this, but did nothing as she continued playing.
"You know, I'm surprised by how close the two of you have gotten," Kyoko said, causing Sayaka to shift her gaze away from the screen. "There's a level of trust the two of you have that not many of the others do."
"I guess it's because of what's happened to us. He was there for me when hardly anyone else was. It's thanks to him being there that I'm a bit sane. Keeping myself moving forward is a daily challenge, it'll get worse before it gets better, but at least I know I'm not alone." she replied.
"Hm… I was told never to give into emotions, to always focus on what I was doing, and never to take sides. I have to remain neutral in everything in order to make the most sound decisions." the lavender-haired girl said, glancing at the music player in her grasp. "I don't know who taught me that but… It's something I've disagreed with for a while. Sadly, it's ingrained in me."
"You need to be more open, Kyoko. I understand we're in a situation where we can trust everyone, but we have to. That's how we beat this game."
"You're confident we'll beat this, do you truly believe that or are you saying it to fool yourself into believing it?" she asked. Sayaka didn't answer, gaze locked on her game.
"I don't know what I believe, but what I do know is that I am not going to die here," she replied. She paused her game for a moment, using the system clock to tell the time, before putting it on rest mode. "I'm gonna get some sleep. Feel free to get closer if you get a little cold alright? I don't really like when strangers grab onto me, but I'll make an exception tonight."
Kyoko didn't say anything, she merely turned the other way, still holding Sayaka's iPod. She finally settled on a classical song. She was silently praying this motive ended soon because this much physical contact with other people was too much, too quick.
Location: Dormitory, Hotel Despair
Day: 10
Time: 6:59 AM
It was unbearably cold, that was the first thing that Akira noticed when he had woken up. The second thing he had noticed was that he was snuggling Sayaka. While normally, he would have been embarrassed being so close to a girl as pretty as her, he couldn't afford the embarrassment. He simply wrapped his arms tighter around her, causing to groan a bit as she shifted slightly. He couldn't really see anything in the darkness, but he did brush Kyoko's hand as he moved, confirming that she was doing the same thing he was.
He shakily lowered his sleeve, seeing it was already almost seven. He didn't want to move but he knew he had to. He had to make sure everyone was still alive. Just how much had the temperature gone down? It had started at 65 degrees, but by now, it was likely in the negatives. No amount of running or hot food would solve that issue. Before he could even move, the morning announcement started to play, but he didn't even bother looking at the monitor.
Ding dong dong ding
"Goood morning everyone! It is now 7AM, that means Nighttime is officially over! It's time to rise and shine and get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day! By the way, the current temperature is -30 Degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't want to lose your toes, I recommend getting with it. Hahahahahahaha!"
"A-Akira?"
"Yeah?" the boy said quietly.
"We need to get up."
"I know Sayaka, but I don't wanna let go, it's too cold," he replied.
"I get that… but I really have to pee."
"So do I."
"Me too." Kyoko chimed in. The Ultimate Pop-Sensation let out a giggle, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Okay, let's just get this over with. W-we need to make sure e-everyone else is okay." the blue-haired girl said. Akira nodded, bracing himself for the arctic blast.
It was far, far colder than they had imagined. Sayaka let out a pained cry as she covered herself back up. He forced himself to get up, shaking his arms and legs to get the blood flow going. Thankfully, he didn't have any symptoms of frostbite, but he didn't know how long that would last.
He rapidly put his boots on, doing the same with his fur coat. He shuddered from how cold it was, but helped him warm up again. He pulled his hood over his head, tying it up a bit. He turned to Kyoko, who was busy doing the same. "I hate to ask, but would you help me speak to the others?"
"Sure, once I use the bathroom."
"You got it."
It didn't take them long to get through their morning rituals, it had taken them longer due to the fact they were shivering. The corridor was ten times colder than the inside of the rooms. Perhaps the soundproofing helped insulate it more. Akira didn't really know, all he knew was that it was dangerous to be outside the dorms, but they couldn't stay in there forever.
Thankfully, everyone had made it through the night, but it didn't take a keen eye to see how upset everyone was. It was practically snowing within the Academy, and another temperature drop would definitely make things harder. Sonia and Hajime were already in the kitchen, every single burner turned to max as they started making anything hot. Though, to Akira's surprise, there was a pair of boys who were completely indifferent to the cold, throwing everyone for a loop. Mondo and Kiyotaka were standing close to each other, laughing and looking completely unbothered. He adjusted his jacket a bit as he stepped to them, rubbing his arms.
"Bahahaha! What are you talking about, bro?"
"Kahahahaha! What are you talkin' about, bro?"
"Aren't you guys c-cold?" he asked, causing the pair to look at him.
"Yoooo! Akira, my man! Thanks for being our witness yesterday."
"Yes! I appreciate the gesture!"
He looked between the two, tilting his head slightly. "What the hell… are you friends now?"
"Ugh… they've been like this since we got here," Hina said, looking completely confused at their actions. "It feels gross!"
"Feels gross? Hell no! It feels great, more like!" the biker cried out, making her shudder, and this time not from the cold.
"This… almost feels like sexual harassment, somehow…"
"Forget her, bro. A girl like her just doesn't understand our manly bond." Taka boldly announced, clenching his fist tightly. "Friendship between men is stronger than blood! A woman would never understand!"
"What you just said? Bro, that was cool as shit! I should get a tattoo of it!"
"No, bro, you mustn't." the Moral Compass said, turning to the biker. "Your body is a temple, given to you by your loving parents! You mustn't soil it."
"So um…" Akira began, rubbing his arms. "Who won the contest?"
"Who gives a shit?"
"Yeah! Don't ask stupid questions! What matters is that we both took part in it together!"
"Hm… friendship among men seems… rather simplistic," Peko noted, as she looked between the pair. Hina merely sighed, shaking her head.
"Yeah… no kidding."
"Can we focus on something else? Like oh, I dunno… the fact that it's colder than a butt fucker's dick in a snowman's ass?" Hiyoko cried, teeth chattering a bit. "B-because it f-fucking is!"
"What are we supposed to do? We just have to deal with it, unless someone feels the need to commit seppuku." Fuyuhiko returned, glancing at the dancer. "Why don't you do that for us, you brat? It would save us the trouble."
"Go fuck yourself, Baby Gangsta."
"B-baby wah? You fucking cunt, I'm going to make sure no one finds your corpse!"
"Everyone please, you gotta relax man, keep it chill," Hiro said, holding back the urge to laugh as he hugged himself tightly. "I consulted the spirits earlier today, and they said the cold would be alleviated soon."
"Alleviated? Alleviated how, man? Isn't that just inviting death?" Kazuichi cried out, clutching his head. "God… this is not happening, man!"
"Don't start shouting now. Hiro might be a clairvoyant but he's only right 30% of the time. I doubt this time he's going to be right." Mahiru said, shaking her head. "Still… this is already far beyond the scope of anything I imagined."
"The mastermind is clearly playing the long game. This is classic psychological torture. He wants to see how much we'll take before one of us breaks." Byakuya said, surprising everyone with his voice. "Seems like we'll be testing the limits of the human body in the cold."
"Hypothermia begins setting in rather quickly in Minus 30 degrees. If someone is completely uncovered, they could die in only ten minutes." Mikan said, turning to Mondo and Kiyotaka, the only ones among them not dressed for the cold. "Would you please put something on? I'd hate for you to get sick or worse."
"Don't worry about us, Nurse Girl, our raging hot blood is enough to keep us warm," Mondo said, hugging his friend tightly. "Ain't that right, bro?"
"You are right indeed, bro! We'll be fine, Mikan!"
"Put something on right now or else I'll force you into it!" she shouted, taking the pair by complete surprise. Everyone backed away from her, shocked at her tone of voice.
"Damn… I didn't think the nurse had it in her to scream." Ibuki said. Mikan sighed, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, I don't like to scream either, but this is very serious. The last thing anyone needs is to die of hypothermia. Please… just put something on, would you?" she asked, in a more pleading tone. The pair nodded, grabbing some thick coats from the table, quickly putting them on.
"Bad news guys," Hajime said, as he emerged from the kitchen, pushing a cart full of thermoses. He started passing them out, no one complaining. He had a look of concern as he passed them out. "It's so cold, we're having trouble cooking and heating things up. We have the burners on max and even then it's become a bit hard."
"We'll be able to manage, but we can't keep doing like this. At this rate, we're gonna have to thaw out all of the fresh food. Everything is frozen, even the fruits and vegetables." Sonia said, looking distraught.
"We're gonna die."
All eyes fell on Celeste, who was calmly sipping at her tea. She looked away from her cup, a neutral look on her face. "I don't understand why you are all glaring at me. I am merely pointing out the obvious. The human body can only take so much strain. Negative 43 degrees Fahrenheit is the surface temperature in Antarctica. Do you actually believe we'll be able to survive that?"
"We're gonna have to!" Hikari boldly said, shooting to his feet. He looked around the room, giving everyone a firm look. "We've been through so much already, despite only 10 days passing. We've lost friends, and we have to deal with awful conditions… but we cannot give up."
"B-but can we do? It's s-so cold." Chihiro moaned, hands shaking as she tried to drink her chocolate.
"Hey Kazuichi, can't you build a heater or something?" Fuyuhiko asked, causing the mechanic to look up from his cup.
"I mean, yes I can. But I don't have any parts or tools. Not only that, but even if I could successfully build one, it's far too cold for it to do anything." he replied, pausing for a sip of tea, sighing contently. "We'd basically be pissing in the wind."
"Can't we just start a fire?"
"Oh sure, Hiyoko, that is such a good idea. What do you think would happen if we started a fire here? Hm? Not only would it destroy everything, but we'd likely die because there's no way out." Fuyuhiko spat, shaking his head. "Seriously, do you have a brain?"
"Hey don't talk to her like that, she was just throwing an option onto the table, jackass." the photographer retorted, glaring at the man.
"We need to have an up close and personal hugging party! Share body heat and warmth, that'll make sure we all stay nice and toasty." Ibuki said with a grin.
"How about we roast some marshmallows and make s'mores while we're at it?" Byakuya sarcastically replied, shaking his head. "Honestly, you people are a waste of brain cells."
"If only we had a fireplace. We could heat up an entire room with one and be relatively alright." Mikan said, a dejected look on her face. Akira narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, his eyes widening.
"The incinerator!"
"Huh? Are you alright, Akira?" Mondo asked, greatly confused.
"Of course I am! It might be out of pocket but we could use the incinerator in the trash room as a makeshift fireplace!" he said.
"That wouldn't be possible, it would just burn everything to a crisp, wouldn't it? Can it even hold a fire?" Hikari asked.
"Of course, the burning chamber is enough to contain the flames. We can definitely use it as a makeshift fireplace, and there's nothing nearby that could catch on fire too!" Kazuichi said, shooting to his feet.
"But what are we going to burn, trash? We don't have enough to sustain a flame for a long period of time." Sonia pointed out.
"There's an entire section in the library that's full of tax books! No one wants to read that garbage, so let's burn it!"
Akira reached into his coat, pulling the Trash Room key from around his neck, tossing it to Kazuichi who swiftly caught it. "Get the incinerator ready, Hiyoko, would you mind coming with me to the library?"
"Sure, it gives me something to do."
"Excellent, Mondo, Taka, we're gonna need you too. Hajime, head into the classrooms and start breaking chairs, we can use the wood from those first."
"Can we do that without getting in trouble?" Sayaka asked, a worried look on her face. "Isn't destruction of school property against the rules?"
"Destruction of the school cameras is against the rules, it doesn't say anything about the desks. We don't have a choice, this is a matter of life and death. Let's roll, you guys." the Ultimate Lucky Student said, swiftly leaving the Dining Hall.
"I'll help Hajime with those chairs, Sayaka, do you mind continuing to help Sonia in his place? We still haven't eaten breakfast and something hot would go a long way to cheer all of us up." Hikari said. She nodded, following Sonia back into the kitchen. "Alright people, let's do this! We'll solve our main problem in no time!"
"I sure hope so," Hina mumbled, a look of worry on her face.
xxx
"I found some more economics books, these should keep us all nice and tasty." Hiyoko cheerfully said, placing several thick books onto the cart. Taka and Mondo had been doing the same, pouring through all of the non-important books.
"Normally, I would be against such blatant destruction of important texts, but even I'm starting to get cold," Kiyotaka said, neatly placing some books onto the cart. "That being said, we should take only what we need."
"If things keep going the way they are, we might have to burn everything in here," Akira said, letting out a sigh. It was so cold that his breath made a thick mist around him.
"Goddamn psycho bear, making all of us suffer like this. If I could get my hands around him, I'd-"
"Explode, you'd explode, Mondo. Not everything can be solved with violence, believe me. I've wanted to tear apart that bastard since day one." the Traditional Dancer said, adding more books to her pile. By now, two carts had been filled with books. "Do you think we're good for now?"
"We should be for now, but we might have to come back for more." the black-haired boy replied, adjusting his glasses, looking around the room. "Such a shame, this place must have been really nice in its heyday."
"We're way past that stuff, my friend. Let's get going." the Moral Compass replied, pushing his cart toward the library. Hiyoko darted toward the door, throwing it open for him. The three boys swiftly moved out, practically running down the halls toward the stairs.
Their time was spent working together to get the carts down the stairs without spilling their contents on the ground. Loud thumps could be heard across the school, likely due to Hajime's group breaking apart the chairs within the classrooms. Five minutes later, they had finally made it to the trash room, where Kazuichi had been, cleaning out the incinerator. He hardly waited, grabbing several books, throwing them into the burning chamber. He pressed the on button, the flames roaring to life almost instantly.
It took around a minute, but the heat coming from their makeshift fireplace had done enough to heat the room up, making everyone present sigh with relief. They all crowded around the incinerator, holding their hands toward the flames.
Mondo let out a laugh, clapping Akira's shoulder. "You had a good idea man, thanks for bringing it up!"
"Yeah Akira, that was awesome! I never woulda thought of using the incinerator as a fireplace!" Kazuichi said, giving him a thumbs up.
"It was nothing, honestly we should applaud Mikan for this, she's the one that mentioned a fireplace," he said, turning to the Nurse, smiling at her. "It's thanks to you I even had the idea to use the trash room."
"O-oh… n-no, this was all you. I was just throwing ideas out there, hehe," she said, nervously scratching her cheek.
"We may have come up with a solution, but this only delays the inevitable. How much stuff do we have to burn? How long until we run out?" Celeste said, a frown on her face as she leaned against the wall, head bowed slightly. "We're gonna have to come up with a more permanent solution."
"The more permanent solution is to kill someone!" a peppy voice cried, causing everyone to jump. Whirling around, they spotted Monokuma standing at the entrance to the trash room, a smirk on his face. "I gotta say, you all thought outside the box for this one."
"Tch… what? Are you gonna punish us or something?" Fuyuhiko snapped, shooting daggers at the bear. Monokuma simply laughed, shaking in his spot.
"Of course not! Burning whatever you want isn't against the rules, but the brooding martinet has a point. You'll eventually run out of things to burn, and then you'll have no choice." the bear said with a smile. "So do your best to make me proud!"
"How about you fuck off, yeah? We have enough problems without you being here." Mondo shouted at the bear. "Seriously, fuck off!"
"Alright, I'll do just that, but I just thought I'd give you all a little incentive," he said, reaching behind his back, pulling out another series of envelopes. "I have messages for you! From your darling friends and family."
These envelopes were a lot bigger than the last one, bubble mailers. He passed them out, each one bearing the name of the person they belonged to. Akira looked at his, seeing the letters spelling his name gingerly written on the front. He didn't hesitate, tearing the top of it open. He reached inside it, pulling out a brand new micro-cassette player, along with a micro-cassette. He looked at Monokuma, greatly confused.
"What is this?"
"A message! I asked all of your loved ones very kindly to leave you some words of encouragement! And by words well… I really asked them to beg for their lives. That should put a fire under your asses, hehe. If you don't kill anyone by tonight, well… let's just say you'll be the first people in the history of the world to have to deal with negative 140 Fahrenheit temperatures!"
Just as fast as he had arrived, the mechanical bear was gone. This left the group of 20 completely perplexed as to what to do. Akira shared a look with Sayaka, seeing the look of sheer worry on her face. He forced a smile onto his face, hoping to at least convey to her that she wasn't alone, but he knew that in and of itself wouldn't be enough. Glancing at the device in his grasp, he flicked it open, placing the tape inside it. Hooking the earbuds he had been given, he placed a single one in his ear, hitting the Play button.
"Speak, and if you say anything other than what you've been specified, it's gonna go worse for you than it already is." a stern voice said. Akira squeezed the device, silence filling his ears for a moment, only for it to be broken by the voice of his sister.
"Akira, wherever it is you are being kept, whatever it is you are going through, don't give up. I know you, and I know that you'll be able to get out of any situation. You've been through a lot already. Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine. I know they're using me as some sort of bargaining chip, but don't give in. Because if something happens, if you die, I will dig up your corpse and I will shoot you in the ass, got it?"
The tape abruptly ended, causing him to laugh. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he let her words settle into his mind. "Don't worry sis… I'll be fine."
"Are you okay?" Hajime, the closest person to him, asked. He nodded, forcing a confident look onto his face.
"It was nothing serious, just my sister giving me a pep talk. She told me if I died here, she'd dig up my corpse and shoot me in the ass. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather go to heaven without any extra holes."
This comment alone was enough to make a few others laugh. Mondo, of course, let out a roar of anger as he squeezed his tape recorder, shattering it to pieces. "It doesn't matter what incentive you give us, asshole! You aren't going to win!"
"Hell yeah! You got the right idea bro! These are just words of encouragement from our loved ones, not from the Mastermind! Do not fall for his trap, we'll be just fine!" Kiyotaka said, going as far as to throw his recorder into the burning fire, it was an act similarly followed by some of the others. "Now then, how about some breakfast? Let us eat, drink, and be merry! We'll be just fine!"
"Me and Celeste found some camping equipment yesterday. There are propane tanks and portable cooking stoves. They might not be as ideal as the kitchen, but if we bring them here, we'll be able to stay warm." Mikan suggested.
"Hey yeah! How about I go up to the Arcade and make some pizzas too? That'll cheer us up!" Ibuki said, practically bouncing in her spot. "Anyone wanna tag along?"
"I'll go, I'm not sure how the cold affects the machinery up there so I'll give it a check-up while I'm at it," Kazuichi said. Ibuki grabbed his wrist, practically pulling him out of the room, the pinkette hardly having time to grab his coat.
"Uh… I wanna talk to the spirits real quick! They told me the cold would be alleviated and I was right about that! Maybe it'll show me how we'll get out of here." Hiro said, shooting to his feet. He had a nervous expression on his face, but quickly changed it as he donned his coat. "I'll be heading up to Classroom 2-B, I'll bring some wood while I'm at it."
He hastily made his way out, but no one said anything. Slowly, everyone started dividing up the roles, with a few people remaining in the trash room. Akira was one of those, stepping toward the incinerator. He grabbed several stacks of books, throwing them into the firing chamber, making sure the flames didn't die down.
"Akira, do you think we could talk?" Sayaka asked, causing the boy to turn around. He gave her a nod.
"Sure, what about?"
"Um… in private…?"
He grabbed his coat from the ground and quickly put it on, following the idol out of the trash room. They didn't go far, entering the nearby ladies' room. The second the door closed, she practically burst into tears, hugging him tightly. He didn't ask for an explanation, he just hugged her tightly, rubbing her back.
"Let me guess, you got a message from the girls, right?"
"Y-yes… they were crying, pleading me to stay strong. Hearing them like that, being scared… It breaks my heart. I can't take it, Akira. I just can't!" she said, hugging him tightly. He let go of her, wiping her tears away with his sleeve, taking a hold of her face, looking her right in the eye.
"Look at me… I get that it's hard, I get that they're scared and suffering, but we can't forget about ourselves. We have to keep going, tell ourselves they'll be fine, and then when we get out, we save them. We can't save them if we die." he said. He hugged her again, holding her tightly in his arms. "We'll be fine… My sister… Maki she's… she's tough. She'll be fine. So will Satomi, and Ayaka, Tsubaki, and Yukiko… they're tough as nails, because they're idols just like you."
"Thank you, Akira. I'm sorry for continuously dumping myself onto you. I know you're probably tired of me doing this… but there's no one else I can do this with."
"Hey, I already told you that I don't mind. I'll be your shoulder to cry on for as long as you want. We're friends, that's what friends do." he replied. He reached for the nearby paper dispenser, using the paper to dry her tears. "Though I gotta say, you don't have to worry about me crying on your shoulder, I'm a big boy, I can handle it."
She let out a giggle, sniffling a bit. "No, you can't. You shouldn't hold it in."
"I have to, even if I let out a few tears, it shows weakness to the Mastermind. The day we leave this place safely, is the day I'll cry." Akira said, a look of confidence on his face. "I got an image to protect."
"An image? When did you become famous?"
"I'm not sure, but something tells me when I get out of this place, I'll be really popular," he replied, chuckling. "I've got good intuition, you know."
"Yeah, sure you do." the girl said, smiling. She leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek, much to his surprise. "Thank you, Akira. I'd probably driven myself insane without you."
"G-glad I could help." he said, turning away from her to hide his embarrassment. "You know… I'm sure someone out there will try to kill me if they found out I got a kiss from the Ultimate Pop-Sensation."
"They'll have to make peace with it. I don't give those out lightly, you know. Come on, I'm still super hungry and I'd rather not think about this fucking cold." she said, tossing the paper away, briefly checking her appearance in the mirror. "Good thing I didn't put makeup on today, I'm sure my blush would have streaked."
"It's too cold for makeup, and you look cute without it." he said with a shrug. It was the idol's turn to blush at his words, though he was turned away and didn't see it. She found her smile returning as she followed him out of the bathroom.
"Can we go back to our dorm real quick? I'd like to grab a blanket. Also, I want to see if I can get through Persona 3, I'm having a lot of fun with it.
"Sheesh, you use my PSP more than I do," he said, causing her to pout. He chuckled, bumping her hip with his, changing his direction. "Come on, I'll escort you back to the castle."
"Why thank you, but I'm not the Ultimate Princess." she joked, both of them breaking into laughter. Akira was honestly happy he had met this girl, he'd likely have gone crazy inside his own head if he had no one to talk to.
Though in the back of his mind, there were still lots of worries. It had become far colder than it had been an hour ago, and he wasn't so sure they were going to make it. He just had to keep praying and hoping things would go well. He clenched his hands tightly within his pockets, clenching his jaw tightly so his teeth wouldn't chatter.
"You helped me before, Lady Luck, I don't know why but you did. I'm praying for another miracle. Please, I don't care what it takes. Just help us. Make something happen. We can't keep living like this." he silently prayed.
He leaned up against the edge of the door as Sayaka hurried inside, keeping his head down as he did so. He didn't know if his prayer would be answered, but it was better than nothing.
xxx
Kazuichi blew into his hands, rubbing them together to keep them warm. He added some more books to the fire, the flames roaring back to life as he did so. As the heat started flowing back into the room, he stepped away from the incinerator. He spotted Sonia by herself, a book in her lap. He nodded to himself, and approached her, causing her to look up from her book.
"Hey Miss Sonia, what are you reading?"
"The Glass Slipper, it's one of my favorite fairy tales," she replied, shifting her gaze back to the page she was on. He tilted his head in confusion.
"There's a fairytale about glass slippers? Who'd want to read something like that?"
Sonia's brows furrowed a bit. "Um… have you not read this before? I would have thought a story like this would be in the mainstream media. Even Disney turned it into a movie."
"Disney made a story about glass slippers? Sounds kinda dumb."
"You might know it by its colloquial name. Cinderella. It's a beautiful story about a young, mistreated girl, finding her Prince Charming. I do not find it dumb." she said, sounding very annoyed. He cringed a bit, chuckling.
"Ahahaha… yeah! I actually have watched Cinderella, it's a good story."
"Yes, one that I'd like to get back to. In peace. By myself."
"Oh… okay," he replied softly. He stepped away, focusing on tending to the fire. Hiyoko sat down next to Sonia, snickering a bit as she opened a pack of gummy bears.
"Man, he has a hard-on for you~"
"I'd rather not think about the implications of that statement, Hiyoko."
"You have to be more firm with him. Clearly, you aren't interested, so you gotta tell him," she replied, holding the bag of gummies out. Sonia took a few of them, tossing them into her mouth.
"I know I should, but I just wish to be nice. You'd think he'd get the message after a while."
"Boys aren't the easiest people to talk to when it comes to this. You have to outright say no, if not, they'll keep bugging you about it. What's worse is when we're the ones who are interested, they don't notice shit. Then, two years down the line when they're jacking off, it hits them like a ton of bricks." the dancer said, laughing. "Just the thought of some idiot blowing his spunk in the shower instead of inside someone is hilarious to me."
"Can we talk about something else?"
"Yeah yeah… Oh! If you were stuck on a tropical island, who'd you bring with you and why?"
"Hajime."
"Really?" Hiyoko asked, taken by surprise. "Why's that?"
"Because he seems rather resourceful. Not only that, but he's been very helpful when it comes to food preparation. While I make the tea and chocolate, he washes out all of the thermoses. He also follows my orders when we make dinner and listens to me. He's kind, caring, and quite heroic if I do say so myself." Sonia said, a genuine smile on her face. "Why, he matches a famous Novoselician Legend! It tells of a tall, average-looking hand, with hair that resembles an antenna! The legend says he'll save the kingdom with a mighty sword, and at the end, he and the princess shall become King and Queen and rule until the end of time."
"Jesus Christ, that sounds like something I'd see on the Disney Channel. Is that a serious legend in your country?"
"Mhmm! It's told to everyone as a bedtime story. In fact, it's that very story that led to my father and my mother getting married. He too possesses the mystical hair antenna!" she said, eyes glittering in the firelight. "Oh, my Mother and Father are just the best couple in the world. They're the most loving parents I could ask for, even if they're a little strict."
"And you think Hajime fits the bill? What about Akira? He's got a hair antenna too."
"He's super nice too, but he's clearly into Sayaka," she said, glancing across the room at the two, who were laughing at some joke. The two were sitting very close together, sharing a bag of candy between them. "Besides, me and Hajime have quite a lot of things in common. If it turns out he's the hero of legend, then it shall be up to me to conquer him! I shall have to search the jungles for the finest Golden Makango and then we shall become King and Queen."
"What the fuck is a Makango?"
"A creature found only in Novoselic, they're quite adorable. However, they multiply when they are frightened. So they're all over the place. I wish the history books here had pictures, I'd love to see your expression when you see one." Sonia cheerfully said.
"Not gonna lie, that Golden Makango thing just sounds like a Shiny Pokemon," she said with a shrug.
"Perhaps, perhaps." she returned, giggling. "What about you? Who'd you take on a tropical island?"
"Byakuya."
Sonia's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Why him?"
"Because I'd love to see the look on his face when he realizes his name means nothing on a tropical island. Just seeing that look of shock and despair would be so funny! Imagine being on an island with no money, no phone, and no way out. He'd probably tear his hair out during the first week." she said, laughing.
"You're terrible, Hiyoko."
"Oh I know, I don't hide my true self," she said, finishing the last of the gummy bears. She left all of the yellow ones behind, which Sonia greedily ate. She leaned closer, whispering into the blonde's ear. "Between you and me… I wanna see him naked."
The Princess coughed, almost choking on the golden bears. She cleared her throat, giving the dancer a look. "Wah?"
"What can I say? He's my type! He's a total douchebag but something tells me I can fix him." she said. "All it would take would be a week, and I'll have him eating out of my hand in no time. He probably has a huge stack too. One good blowjob and he'd give me whatever I asked for."
"Jesus Christ."
"I'm just fucking with you, Sonia. You actually think I was being serious? Nu-uh~" she said, hiding her grin behind her sleeve. "So, who wouldn't you want on that island with you?"
"Easy, Kazuichi."
"Why?"
"Would you like a list? If I'm being honest with you, we wouldn't get much done. I'd likely be the one doing everything while he fawns over me. I'm not the type of person to appreciate those who let women do the work. Why, if I was in that kind of situation, I'd fashion a rope out of vines and hang myself off the sturdiest tree on the island."
"Yeesh, that bad?" Hiyoko asked, blanching a bit. "Honestly, I'd just cut myself and let the sharks eat me."
"Why?"
"Because if I killed myself, he'd be alone with my body. I'd be watching him do whatever he wanted to it from the gates of hell. And I don't know about you, but that's probably the worst fucking thing ever."
"I never thought about it that way. You've given me much to think about, Hiyoko."
"You're welcome, I guess? You wanna come with me to the school store? I'm on a personal mission to eat every bag of gummies in there."
"That's bad for your teeth, Hiyoko."
"Hey, if I'm gonna die in this shithole, I'd rather die happy," she said, rising to her feet, holding her hand out. "Come on, Princess! You gotta live on the wild side!"
Sonia rolled her eyes, accepting her hand. Once they had donned their fur coats they left, neither noticing the saddened look on Kazuichi's face. He took a deep breath, focusing on the fire burning in front of him.
