Chapter 3: Act 9: My Secret Keeper V
Location: Boy's Bathroom, Hope's Peak Academy 2F
Day: 21
Time: 10:30 AM
Kyoko wasn't a talkative person, that much Akira had sussed out. He had tried to initiate a conversation with her, but she didn't really respond. It didn't leave him with much else but to follow her. She had been looking over her shoulder every so often, making sure they weren't followed. Akira wondered why she was behaving this way but he doubted he'd figure it out any time soon.
She held her hand up after a moment, gesturing for him to stop. She gestured to the camera with her head, causing him to look at it. It had panned in their direction, but where they were standing, they were slightly out of sight. She didn't say anything, gaze locked with the machine keeping watch of everyone. As it started moving in the other direction, she gestured for him to follow, grabbing the door leading into the Men's Room.
"Uh… Kyoko, you do know this is the Men's Room, right?"
"Yes. Don't ask questions." she retorted, stepping into the room.
He quickly went inside, glancing through the crack in the door. The bathrooms were positioned near the center of the plaza, beside the stairs leading up to the 3rd Floor. It had a direct view of the Arcade, as well as Classrooms 2-A and 2-B. He swore he saw something moving nearby, but he shook his head. Looking back, he found Kyoko staring at him, arms crossed, a look of annoyance on her face.
"Aren't you going to ask questions now?"
"You told me not to ask questions."
She breathed deeply through her nose, slowly exhaling it. "Akira, I don't think I've ever met someone who annoyed me as much as you do. It's as though you are among the smartest people here, yet are just as dumb."
"Damn, thanks for the backhanded compliment," he replied, face becoming firm. "Alright then, Miss Kirigiri, I'll ask a question then. Why are we chatting in the Men's Room?"
"Because it's one of the few places where we can meet out of sight of the cameras. Not only that but it's also got something important," she said, turning around. She opened the supply closet door, stepping inside.
"What the hell…? You suddenly feel like mopping?"
"Just get in here."
Shrugging his shoulders, he followed after her, eyes widening when he saw the back wall was opened inward. He moved over some cleaning supplies, walking into the room behind the wall. He was taken completely aback, jaw-dropping as he looked around, noticing the shelves filled with books and files.
"What is this?"
"A secret room. It doesn't appear on the school map given to us by Monokuma. I stumbled in here only recently during my investigation. It contains a trove of information, a lot of information I'd like an opinion on." she said, gesturing to the file on the table.
The Ultimate Lucky Student walked toward it, seeing it was already open. He flipped one of the pages, seeing what looked like a Student profile. Looking closely at it, he saw it belonged to a student named Yukari Amamiya. He started reading, seeing she was the Ultimate Nail Technician. As he made it to the bottom of the file, he noticed the word Deceased had been stamped on it. He flipped to the next one, seeing it was the profile of Yukino Amamiya, Yukari's twin brother and the Ultimate Podiatrist. He was also stamped the same, Deceased.
Every single profile was stamped the same. He looked up at Kyoko, a firm look on his face. "What exactly is this?"
"The student profiles for Class 78-A of Hope's Peak Academy. I wasn't sure what happened, but seeing this, labeling them all as deceased, it made me wonder if this was the Student Council that Alter Ego mentioned."
"Right… the Student Council, the ones who participated in a killing game before us." he softly replied. He turned the final page, seeing a sheet of paper with the name "Class 78-B" written on it. As he started reading it, he noticed several familiar faces. "Class 78-B… Wait, these are some of our friends."
"Indeed, all save four of them. Toko Fukawa, Hifumi Yamada, Mukuro Ikusaba and Sakura Oogami. Furthermore, It seems as though some of our other friends were a part of a different class altogether." Kyoko said, reaching for another file. This one was labeled "Year 77". She opened it halfway, placing it on the table. "Class 77-B of Hope's Peak Academy."
He poured through the file, seeing even more familiar faces. Sonia looked far younger in her profile than she did currently, as did Mahiru and Fuyuhiko. Hiyoko was the one who surprised him the most, as there were two images. One being the Hiyoko he remembered seeing performing online, and one being a picture of how she currently looked. Several students were missing, names he recognized from Chisa Yukizome's Planner. He found that rather odd.
"There's some missing students from here as well. Nagito Komaeda, Akane Owari, Nekomaru Nidai, Teruteru Hanamura, and Gundham Tanaka. Also, that girl that was Hajime's hostage, Chiaki Nanami, is here," he replied, confusion lacing his voice. "Where's Hajime's profile? It isn't here… If everyone else is, shouldn't he be here too? This is his class."
"I asked myself the same thing, but I haven't found any answers. Each class is capped at sixteen, and with that Chiaki girl, Class 77-B is fully loaded. So where does he fit in?"
The violet-haired girl reached for one more file, placing it next to the others. This one had a sheet of paper, labeling the file "Incoming Students/Potential Scouts" . She gestured to it, allowing him to open it. The first page was a list of names, along with "Future Ultimate" being written down. Flipping to the next page, he saw it was an actual profile, his profile. He started reading it, feeling his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. The more he read, the more detailed information he saw written down. It seemed as though the Academy knew exactly who he was, down to the finest detail.
He sucked his teeth, slowly turning to the violet-haired girl. "Are you going to tell the others?"
"Why? You haven't done anything that led me to believe you are a threat. Not only that, but you've never killed anyone. So why would I expose your secret?" she asked, crossing her arms, a frown tugging at her lips. "Here I thought you trusted me."
"I do, but sometimes I wonder if you trust me. That's the only reason I asked."
"That's beside the point. Did you notice how you are the only confirmed student of Class 79? The scouted students were never indicted into the academy. That means you were the final student scouted before the closure of Hope's Peak Academy as a learning institution." Kyoko said, looking back down at the files. "Notice anything else?"
"The fact that there are three classes mixed together? We got students from 77-B, students of 78-B, and then the only outlier, me. The sole student of Class 79-A." he said, looking around for a moment. "Wait a moment, why isn't Hikari here?"
"Because he's the sole student of Class 78-C," she responded, grabbing Year 78's file. She flipped it to the beginning, finding Hikari Yoshitsune's profile. "Unlike 78-A, 78-C seems to be missing."
She paused, gathering her thoughts for a moment. "I started to wonder, what could have happened that made the Mastermind choose us. Students of 3 different classes. What did they do with the others? Chiaki Nanami is Hajime Hinata's hostage, but he's not a part of any of our classes. There's something else too…"
Akira watched her flip through Class 78-A, stopping on one profile, which she showed to him. His eyes scanned it, his eyes growing wide as he read it.
"Natasha Chemovsky, Ultimate Physicist, recruited from St. Petersburg, Russia. Age: 16, Former High School: St. Petersburg School for Girls, shows great capabilities when it comes to physics. Has shown a great aptitude when creating special mechanisms. At the age of 13, Natasha was able to invent a machine that helped lessen the radiation within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. She has received commendation from the Russian President as well as the United Nations for her exemplary work. Koichi Kizakura discovered her when she was on a tourist trip in Hokkaido.
Miss Chemovsky continued to improve the well-being of various peoples across the world. She invented and patented a new type of purifier, funded and built by the Towa Group in conjunction with Togami Corp. Before the closure of Hope's Peak Academy, the Steering Committee funded and requested an air purifier to be built within the 3rd Floor Physics Lab of the Old School Building. Unfortunately, Miss Chemovsky perished during the Tragedy."
"The Ultimate Physicist… the one who created the air purifier on the 3rd Floor," he said, focusing on the final line. "Unfortunately, Miss Chemovsky perished during the Tragedy. The Tragedy… Shit… she was part of the Student Council?"
"No. I poured through some of these files, but it seems as though the Student Council isn't present among them. The previous files show the students belonging to past Councils. Back to Year 71. Class 76-A seems to be missing in its entirety." she said, removing another file from the collection. "See? Only 76-B and 76-C are present. The Ultimate Physicist died during a Tragedy, but she was clearly not a part of the Council. That begs the question, what Tragedy did she die in?"
Akira swallowed hard at her question, feeling a bead of sweat forming on the side of his head. He reread her profile, feeling his throat tightening up. "If she wasn't part of the first killing game, the one where the Council died, then how did she die?"
"The Student Council profiles are missing, Students of Class 77, 78, and 79 are locked in Hope's Peak, 10 total students have been removed from two classes, Hajime Hinata isn't in any of the classes here, and the coup-de-gras, the Ultimate Physicist died in a Tragedy. A Tragedy that doesn't relate to the one Alter Ego mentioned to us before."
"There's something that's missing in the middle though," he said, reaching for his notebook. He pulled out the blue ribbon he had been using as a bookmark, laying it out on the table. "I've started a sort of timeline. Thanks to Alter Ego's information, we found out Hope's Peak Academy suffered a Tragedy, that being the Student Council Killing Game. The Academy tried to hide it, but someone hacked the network, found the video, and posted it online. The Students started protesting, they decided to call it "The Parade" to lessen the attention. But then it got out of hand and Hope's Peak was shut down."
"Correct, that's our assumption so far."
"Right, but laying it out, everything happens far too fast, don't you think? The Council Dies, they hide it, they get hacked, the students protest, the school shuts down. When did the Ultimate Physicist make the purifier? What happened to Class 78-A that made them get labeled as Deceased? Why is Class 78-C missing and only Hikari is here with us? Did the Steering Committee order the school to be boarded up or did the Mastermind do it?"
"Too many events happened far too fast for it all to have happened a year ago. If we go by what that letter in the library states. There's no way the students protested for a year. There's also the Ultimate Lucky Student draw. I read up on it thanks to some historical files." Kyoko said, leaning against the table. "The lottery was implemented by the Headmaster of Hope's Peak, after meeting a student who had equal amounts of Good and Bad Luck. Nagito Komaeda was that student, the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 77-B."
"So Class 77 had a Lucky Student too. When was he chosen?"
"It doesn't say, but if we go by Class 78, then it had to have been the year before. Class 77 consists of our upperclassmen. Alter Ego said Sayaka was issued her laptop on April 15th, 2014. Makoto Naegi was the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78, and if the lottery is held yearly, we can deduce Nagito Komaeda was given his title one full year before him."
"2013… then that would mean I was chosen in 2015? But that doesn't make any sense?" Akira said, scratching his head. "How does that even work out?"
"Let me ask you another question. When you got here, what was the date?"
"The date?" the boy asked, narrowing his eyes. "The date… 21 Days Ago… I remember getting here at 7:25 AM but the date was… Thursday? No… it was Wednesday. No that can't be right either. The school year in Japan starts in April, so it had to have been April, right? The sakura trees were in bloom."
"You aren't sure, are you?" Kyoko asked, crossing her arms. "Don't worry, I don't remember the date either. Oddly specific if I do say so myself. We all seem to have parts of our mind that are missing. The pictures you've found serve to confuse us, all of us assume they're fake, but are they really? What about the sense of deja vu all of us have? The familiarity we have with each other? Your closeness with Sayaka… doesn't it elicit some sort of emotion in you?"
"It… elicits a feeling of longing. As if there's a hole in me that's missing. Sometimes, when I think about those we've lost, there's something foggy in my mind. I wanna reach for it, to grab it, but my fingertips never seem to reach it." he admitted, glancing back at his notebook. "It's as though I've known them for a long time, and yet, they're still strangers to me."
"Yes… that's the feeling I seem to have too. When I look at you in particular, I feel something stirring within me. This vague closeness, as if we were close at some point. But knowing me, there's no way someone managed to break through the defenses I've set up for myself." she admitted, looking away from him. "I'm… someone who doesn't trust easily."
"Yes, I was able to sniff that out."
"Yet despite that, whenever I'm near you, I feel like I'm close to grasping who I am. What I am. I-" she shook her head, her face becoming stoic again. "You are right though, we're missing a huge chunk of information. Hopefully, Alter Ego can fill in the gaps we are missing."
"Same here. Thanks for bringing me here, Kyoko. With all of this information, I'll be able to come up with a solid theory about what's going on. It's been difficult enough already, gathering notes and investigating this place without drawing attention to myself. I guess I get why you disappear from time to time." he admitted with a small laugh.
"Just make sure you stay hydrated and bring some snacks if you wanna stay here for long periods. Also be careful, if you stay for too long, the Mastermind will grow suspicious. We have to assume he doesn't know about this place while also assuming he does."
He gave her a languid blink. "I am confusion."
"Just be careful, okay?"
"You got it," he said, pulling the chair out.
He clicked his pen, turning to a blank page, where he started jotting down Natasha Chemovsky's profile. After he finished, he wrote down a few other things, regarding the missing students as well as Hajime's profile being absent from Class 77. He wrote down the names of the missing students as well as a few other things. Kyoko watched him quietly, vaguely amused with him. Despite him writing so fast, she was impressed with how neat he managed to keep his handwriting. He didn't even slow down as he spared a glance at her.
"You want to ask me about it, don't you?"
"I do. But before we speak about that, I think we should address our eavesdropper."
Akira paused mid-sentence, glancing back toward the entrance. He looked back at Kyoko, holding back the urge to laugh. "You know I was wondering when you'd point that out."
"Oh, so you knew about them?"
"I had my suspicions," he said, finishing what he was writing, closing his notebook shortly after, rising to his feet. "Alright, you wanna join us, Sayaka, or would you like to continue standing there?"
The Ultimate Pop-Sensation stepped into the room, a sheepish smile on her face. Her cheeks were bright red, an embarrassed look on her face. Kyoko sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "Did you at least dodge the camera?"
"Of course I did. I can be sneaky when I want to be, you know," she replied.
"Not sneaky enough considering I saw you following us. Where's Casper?"
"With Peko. Don't worry, she'll make sure he spends all of his energy," she said, her tone becoming serious. "I heard everything you two were talking about. This is some serious shit. I take it you aren't sharing this?"
"No, we're not. This one is far riskier than the laptop. We're not sure who it was that hid all of this here, but it's information that is vital to us. I'm still pouring through all of the documents here." the violet-clad woman said, shifting her gaze toward Akira. "The only reason I brought Akira along was because he takes a lot of good notes and, aside from Byakuya and Celeste, seems like one of the few smart people here."
Sayaka glared at the girl. "One of the few smart people here? I'm insulted, Kyoko."
"My apologies. I didn't mean to insult you."
She merely rolled her eyes. "I'm joking. While I am a smart girl, my smarts are different from the two of you. Still, it seemed as though you were going to discuss something else, and judging by the atmosphere, it's very serious."
Kyoko turned to Akira, who remained silent. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking his options over. "I wasn't expecting Sayaka to follow me. She means the world to me but if I talk about that life, I might lose that. Kyoko already knows, she probably just wants confirmation. But still… shit what a bad hand to be dealt."
"Well?"
He was snapped out of his musings, taking a deep breath. "Alright, I'm gonna share with you something about my past. The truth behind who I am. But I want you to keep an open mind, okay?"
"I will. I trust you, Akira. It's like I said before, my intuition tells me you are a good person." the blue-haired girl responded. She gave him a warm smile, which helped him calm down slightly.
"Okay, here goes," he replied, letting out the breath he'd been holding. "You know how I said I was an orphan?"
"Yeah. You said you were in an orphanage for a few years before you were finally adopted."
"That's right, but only partially. I wasn't really adopted by my foster parents, I was actually placed in their care. To make me seem less conspicuous." he said, rolling his shoulders. He leaned back against the table, chewing on his lip. "The orphanage I was taken to by my original parents was affiliated with an organization known as the Ruska Roma. They are a Familia working for an organization known only as The High Table."
He gauged her reaction before continuing. "From the outside looking in, it operates as a normal orphanage. But once you become old enough, you get whisked away. My sister and I were chosen among the kids, as we were the oldest and the strongest. We were put through two full years of Martial Arts Training. I was taught Tae-Kwon Do while my sister was trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Capoeira. We spent another year after that being trained in weapons, from blades to firearms, another year after that was spent learning other skills we would need. How to drive, how to hotwire cars, things like that."
"Why would you need to learn that kind of stuff? What kind of organization is this?" Sayaka asked, taken aback by his words.
"He's part of a secret society that controls how the world runs. 14 of the biggest and most important families gather in a secret location. Essentially, they run the world."
"Correct. Each family has its own professional army, they have politicians and bureaucrats in their pockets. They can virtually do whatever they want and face no repercussions. That was the world I was dropped into, the world me and my sister were dragged in. At the age of 12, we were given our first assignment. That's when we truly became Assassins." Akira replied, earning a wide-eyed look from the idol.
"A-Assassin? You?"
"Yes. Technically, that's what I am. I can easily kill anyone I want, and am forced to keep my skills sharp. But I've never taken a life. I don't exactly agree with the Ruska Roma, and I decided I wasn't going to be another one of their soldiers. I decided to take down my targets with blunt force, shake them up, and give them a warning. The High Table found out, and ordered me to finish the job. Refusing means you would get punished. So my sister stepped in and proposed that we start working together. She's the one who handles what I refuse to do."
"You knock them unconscious and she finishes them off?" Kyoko asked. He shook his head.
"No. I do fight my targets, but after a while, I read them the riot act and leave. Maki follows after me like a goddamn shadow, and finishes the job. We were paid handsomely by The High Table, which was how I was able to afford my Reserve Course tuition. Eventually, I got sick of that life and elected to quit. But you don't just quit The High Table. They make you a slave for life, the bastards give you an impossible task." he continued, glancing away from the pair. "My impossible task was to murder Byakuya Togami's uncle, Tokiomi Togami. If I wanted my freedom, I had to take a life, but it went against my beliefs. So instead of killing him, I spoke to him, gave him a warning. I decided to help him hide instead, I would become his bodyguard for the time being until he was hidden."
"It wasn't that easy, was it?" Sayaka asked, causing him to sigh.
"No. As expected, the High Table sent my sister, to ensure that I killed my target. We fought that day. I ended up tying against her, and this time, she agreed to help me. She mutilated a corpse, and took one of Tokiomi Togami's fingers as proof that the deed was done. With that, we cut ties with each other. My foster family became my only family, and I continued going to Hope's Peak Academy's Reserve Course as normal. Until the bastards raised the tuition fees."
"Hm… so that's the truth then? You're an assassin who's never killed anyone. The Ryouma and Oryou files only detail the crimes of your sister. But there's a file on you because she's always present."
"That's right, Kyoko. I managed to get access to those files as well, and each one, the victims show signs of bruising and blunt force trauma. That's because I disarm them and knock them unconscious. Maki goes in and finishes the job. They have this twisted version though, claiming I scout and she kills. It's just not the case."
He turned to Sayaka, giving her a firm look. "So, do you believe me?"
He received silence for a moment, followed by a nod. "Of course, I believe you. I can tell in your tone of voice that you are telling the truth. Plus it's like I said, I know you would never hurt anyone, at least not intentionally. There was never a doubt in my mind. Though I guess now I know why you are always so cautious, walk with silent footsteps, and pay extra attention to detail."
"It's interesting knowing the other half of the story. Byakuya hates you because he believes you killed his uncle."
"Well, he has to believe that, because if the High Table finds out he lives, they'll come for me. I don't want to take any lives. I want to protect them if I can. Even the lives of criminals. I believe the justice system should handle them."
Sayaka nodded, her smile dropping a bit. "Well, if we're sharing serious secrets, I suppose I can share mine with you. I had to do some awful things to become an idol. The industry is savage, and people will always leverage their power to get what they want. The Summer Catalog was one of those things."
She grabbed a hold of her skirt, squeezing it so tightly her knuckles turned white. "This bastard wanted me to sleep with him in order to get to the top. I refused, saying I had more integrity than that. He said it was either that or he'd make sure I never became an idol. I wanted to be an idol by any means necessary, but I just couldn't. I valued myself too much. This vile excuse of a man told me there was another way, since he had more idols that would sleep with him. I had to knock another idol out of the top spot so that my group could get what they wanted."
"Bitter competition, then…?"
"Worse than that, Kyoko. That group was legendary, they were the same group of idols that inspired me to be one. They were a lot older, part of an older generation. Companies wanted them out, but they made a lot of money. If I wanted to become one, I had to take them down. So I used some dirty tactics to get what I wanted. Catfishing, doxxing, false allegations, accusations, even contacting exes."
The young woman stayed quiet for a moment as she held back tears. "That group started losing popularity, but the lead singer had it the worst. She had such a beautiful smile, one that inspired hope in me. And I destroyed it. The internet believed everything I had cooked up, and the people I hired kept feeding it too. Eventually, it all came to an end. That woman held a livestream, apologizing to all of her fans, saying that she took a leap of faith as an idol and soared to new heights. But that it was time to take a leap, to end her career. She… ended up jumping off of a 15-story building in Tokyo."
"Jesus Christ," Akira said softly, taken by surprise. "Sayaka, you…"
"Yes, I caused a famous idol to commit suicide. And in the wave of that, Butterfly Heart replaced them, and I earned the title of Ultimate Pop-Sensation. My career, my music, the thing that I love the most, is all built on a foundation of lies. Off of the suicide of one of my oshis."
Akira didn't say anything, rather, he hugged the girl tightly, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. He rubbed her back, soothing her quietly. "Hey, it'll be okay. You were coerced into doing that, it wasn't fair to you, or her. We're… the same, you know? I didn't really have a choice in becoming an Assassin. And for you, you didn't have a choice but to do as you were told."
"But I did have a choice, I could have just left."
"And give up your dream? That isn't fair to you. Honestly, you should have gone to the authorities instead. That's easier said than done though, knowing the vile leeches in the idol industry. Whatever the case may be, you aren't at fault." he said, glancing at Kyoko. She gave him a nod, placing a hand on Sayaka's shoulder.
"He's right. It was either do that or get blacklisted, and neither were fair to you. While I do not particularly like what you did, you clearly show remorse. Just as long as you don't do something that awful ever again."
"I never will! I made a promise to myself. This is a secret that I'm taking to the grave. I just hope whoever got my secret keeps it to themselves." Sayaka said, sniffling a bit as she pulled away from Akira's grasp, fanning her face. "What about you, Kyoko? Don't you have a secret?"
Rather than answer, she stepped away, heading toward the door. She paused for a moment, as if thinking something over. She turned back to them, tugging at one of her gloves until she had taken it off, holding her hand up to them. Sayaka gasped in surprise.
"What?"
"I'm the Ultimate Detective. Sadly, I don't have any memories of ever becoming a detective or coming to this school. I also do not know how this happened to me." she said, placing her glove back on, tugging it back into place. "Don't make me regret trusting you."
With that, the Ultimate Detective took off, leaving the pair on their own within the secret room. Akira turned to face Sayaka, slowly taking her hands into his own, looking into her eyes. "Listen, what I shared with you two is very serious. I know we haven't opened our envelopes, but if it turns out that we got each other's secrets, we should tell them."
"They'll hate us."
He remained silent at her words. She squeezed his hands tightly. "Everyone will suspect you, even if you explain to them the truth… they'll still blame you. Heck, some people already suspect you."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take. I'm not lying when I said I was the Ultimate Lucky Student. I earned that title, and the proof is in this room. It's a card we'll have to hold closely. Besides, as long as I have you and Kyoko trusting me, I'll be fine."
She looked away for a moment, slowly pulling him into a hug, holding him tightly. "I can't tell anyone my secret, Akira. It would ruin my career. I deserve it, especially after what I did. But I don't want to disappoint my fans. I know it's safer to reveal our secrets, but I can't. I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sorry. Suggesting that was dumb of me. Both of our secrets are far too serious to be shared willy-nilly. I suppose I'll have to rely on my luck to keep the both of us safe. Monokuma will get bored eventually. We'll make it out of this one, together."
The Ultimate Pop-Sensation nodded, kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you, Akira. If anyone else had listened to my secret, they'd probably be disgusted with me. But you gave me a chance, that's more than I deserve."
"You have nothing to thank me for, Sayaka. I made you a promise, didn't I? That I would protect you. I will. I intend to keep that promise until we get out of here and beyond. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't keep my girlfriend safe?" he asked, smiling at her.
She blushed brightly. Ever so slowly, she leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. He eagerly returned it, placing his hands on her hips, pulling her closely. They pulled away for a quick breath, both eagerly kissing each other back, this time a bit more intimately. He followed her delicate movements, cheeks growing hot at her little moans. He found her scent, her taste, her presence to be intoxicating. They pulled away after a while, both panting softly. Sayaka leaned in for a hug, closing her eyes, a smile on her face.
"You're a good kisser."
"Really? It was my first," he admitted, face still hot. "I'm glad you liked it."
"You wanna know something? It was my first one too," she said, licking her lips. "I want more."
"Later, we need to tidy up here and leave without being seen by anyone. We can't risk the Mastermind finding this place. We have to assume he knows and assume he doesn't know. It's why I gotta document as much as I can, in case the bastard takes this shit."
"Do you need any help? I can take notes again."
"Sure, you have pretty handwriting, and I could use a break. My hand isn't as good as it used to be," he said, stretching his arms. "We need to be quick, we've spent a lot of time here already."
"Alright, you tell me what you need and I'll jot it down."
"Then let's get started. I'll make dinner for you later as payment." Akira said, a small smile on his face. He relaxed a bit, finally feeling like he could breathe after holding onto his secret for so long. He only hoped things would go smoothly from here on out, but something told him it wouldn't be so easy.
Location: Rec Room, Hope's Peak Academy 3F
Day: 21
Time: 12:30 PM
Celeste set her cup down, her eyes reading the words in front of her. Grand Bois Cheri was sleeping on her lap, purring happily. The Rec Room was quiet, it was just as she liked it. The Arcade downstairs was a great way to kill time, but the noise of the arcade machines could become grating. She wasn't a big fan of video games, so she often stood around watching others play pool. The Rec Room had games more for her style, though she didn't have many people to play with.
The magazines at least kept her distracted. There were plenty to read, so she knew she would be entertained for a while. At least Monokuma had decided to purchase the recent issues of Gothic and Lolita Bible, giving her a lot of fresh ideas for future outfits. As she flipped to the next page, however, she heard the Rec Room door open, causing her to look up. Her lips curved downward as she caught the cold eyes of Byakuya Togami. He looked at her as though she were a bug, visible hatred written on his face.
Though they held each other's gazes for a pair of seconds, they looked away, finding other things more interesting. Her hand fell onto Grand Bois Cheri's head, giving the feline a few loving pats. He stretched out a bit, flexing his toes as he sought a more comfortable position on her lap. She had to admit, her boy had gotten quite heavier since she had last seen him. Perhaps it was time for a diet. The last thing she needed was for him to get sick or worse, and the vet had already been tough on her.
"Perhaps I should begin cooking his meals again. I know it's easier to give him dry cat food, but he really does need to lose some weight. What were they feeding him?" she thought to herself, a pensive look on her face.
"Thinking about future plans?"
She looked up, noticing Byakuya was standing by the billiards table. He had a cue stick in his grasp, having already racked the balls. She stifled a laugh, a mischievous look on her face.
"Perhaps."
"You aren't going to get lucky again, Taeko. You know that just as well as I do. I'm still particularly pissed off at you. What you did during the roulette game… that was not wise of you."
"And why would that be? Are you disgusted by me?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "You have to understand things from my perspective. I had the life of someone on my shoulders, and I had to make a choice. Why not try to make a bit of profit on the side? Especially when the one paying it has a lot of it to spare."
"People's lives aren't things you can barter for, like some common table salt."
"Since when do you care about the lives of others? I thought you were the Alpha and the Omega, the chosen among the chosen?" said Celeste, a playful look on her face. "Could it be that you feel remorse for what you did in your past?"
"Tch… Remorse? Me? I do not feel remorse." he returned, striking the cue ball.
"Is that so? Here I thought you did, considering what you did to your siblings." the gambler said. She watched his face, seeing anger flashing across it for a moment. He turned away from her, lining up his next shot. "No acknowledgments there, Byakuya?"
"I have nothing to say to you regarding that."
"Yes you do. You know as well as I that you are full of remorse for what you did. After all, your family's competition ended with you being the superior Togami. You sentenced your other siblings to a meager living. Working themselves to the bone, ignored by their father. That is a fate worse than death."
"That has nothing to do with you."
"It has everything to do with me, darling. After all, it's the secret that I was given," the ravenette said, smirking at him. "Let's just say, I have quite a bit of leverage on you, and would like to propose a deal."
Byakuya struck the cue ball with so much force that it flew out of the table, slamming into the dart machine across the room. It caused Grand Bois Cheri to shoot up, almost scratching his owner from the sudden loud noise. She placed a hand on his head, soothing him quietly, her crimson eyes firmly locked on the affluent progeny. He slowly straightened up, adjusting his tie as he gave the woman a look.
"Pardon my French, but fuck you."
She gave him a smirk. "How eloquent of you."
"Do you actually believe I'd be stupid enough to fall for your ploy a second time? You held the life of my butler over me for 20 million yen, and I will pay you what you are owed. But I am not going to make deals with a guttersnipe like you."
"A guttersnipe? Darling, you don't know who I am."
"Oh I know exactly who you are, Taeko Yasuhiro. You are the daughter of a businessman and a housewife. You were born in Tochigi, to a completely normal life. Everything you are, everything you have earned, everything you will ever be, is a tissue of lies. A tissue of lies hidden behind a good name. What do you think would happen if people found out the truth behind the Queen of Liars? What do you think those men and women you cheated out of house and home would do when they learn who you really are?"
"They would do nothing. I won against them fair and square, for I am not a cheater. You act like you know me, but you know nothing of me or my struggles. You were born into a life of opulence while I had to work my way to where I am. Through blood, sweat, and tears, I learned everything to become the Gambler that I am." she replied, going as far as dropping her accent. Her eyes were filled with fury. "Do not threaten me, Byakuya Togami, because I have enough power in my back pocket to make your life a living hell."
"Do you now? I have more money than you can imagine. Pay the right people the right amount and they'll do anything. So how about you and I make a deal, hm?" the man asked, smirking at the woman. "I'd like for you to form an alliance with me."
"An alliance? Oh, this ought to be good," she replied with a laugh, hand on Grand Bois' back. She gestured for him to continue.
"You know as well as I do that there is a threat among our group. A threat that we need to expose to everyone else. It is imperative that we do, because that person is likely going to use his skills to end us all." the man said, arms crossed as he looked at her. "My proposition to you is to oust him. Put him in a situation where he cannot win. If he loses the trust of everyone around him, then he will have no one to come to his aid. Everyone will suspect him, and all of us will sleep easier at night."
"What exactly do you think I can pay you with, hm? Ah… I see… this is likely a revenge plot. You want to get out of paying me, and by agreeing to team up with you, I'd have to abandon our former arrangement. Very clever."
"Close but no cigar. You lost a finger for my cherished friend, so consider that 20 million yen a personal gift. You don't have to pay me, nor am I asking for money in return. After all, I have plenty of it. What I want from you is assurance."
"Assurance? Assurance that I won't team up with him?"
"You know as well as I do that you have a certain sway when it comes to luck. Yours cancels his out. I've seen as much, especially when it comes to games." he replied, smirking. "What? Did you think all I did was hang out at the library?"
"Of course not, darling. I know you were keeping a close eye on him. But I want to know why… Why are you so invested in ousting whatever thing he's keeping secret?"
"Because the bastard took something from me that can never be returned. The man that raised me, my true father. That man and his vile excuse for a sister took him from me. And I intend to collect. Every. Single. Yen. I am not to be trifled with, Taeko. When someone owes Byakuya Togami, they will pay for it, in blood, if need be."
Celeste paused for a sip of her tea, which had gone past lukewarm by now. She held back the urge to spit it out, swallowing it and setting the cup down. "And you believe my luck is enough to guarantee that? We don't know the truth of who or what he might be. For all we know, we could be dead wrong."
"I'm not. I've read those files and I have seen the camera feed. I confirmed with my own eyes his identity. An assassin walks among us and everyone just acts and behaves like normal. But he's here, gathering information, learning things behind our back, making plans against us."
"Byakuya, you are overthinking things. Akira is not like that. He isn't planning anything, of that I am certain. The only thing he's planning is how to get us out of here." she said, crossing her arms. "Why would he have convinced Chihiro to show us his pet project if he didn't trust us?"
"It's all a ploy, he's been pulling the wool over everyone's eyes since moment one."
"Then why hasn't he killed anyone?" the gambler asked, brow quirked in curiosity. "If he's this deadly assassin, responsible for killing thousands of targets, why hasn't he killed all of us? There's no rule against killing more than one person. He could easily slit our throats in the darkness of the third floor or anywhere else and walk out of here. Yet he hasn't done that. Why? Explain that to me, Byakuya, and maybe I'll consider this deal."
He remained silent, not knowing how to respond. Celeste merely sighed, scooping her cat into her arms, standing from her seat. "See? You are driven by anger and hatred. I can tell you didn't have time to grieve and process your emotions. Perhaps he killed your uncle, perhaps not. But something tells me Akira isn't the type of man who would take another's life. If he was, he would have done it already."
"Tch… It's too much of a risk. Too many people here, he would be stopped."
"A group of people who don't know a lick of fighting, take down an assassin who's supposedly so dangerous people head for the hills when they see him?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "I find that inconceivable, darling."
"He's holding himself back. He's likely looking for the proper chance." Byakuya replied, adjusting his suit, once again crossing his arms. "When he stands over you, staring at your face as you slowly bleed out, you'll remember my offer. You'll have to make peace with your choice."
Celeste let out a laugh, a boisterous laugh that echoed off the walls. She held her cat closely to herself as she covered her lips, her face turning into a glare. "You truly believe I would let myself die here, Byakuya? Clearly, you haven't met me. So allow me to remind you. My name is Celestia Ludenberg, and I am the Ultimate Gambler."
"Keep telling yourself that, Taeko. It seems coming to you was a poor choice, that's what I get for believing in you."
"Believing in me was not your mistake, your mistake was how you approached me with your deal. Why would I take a gamble against someone who I know likely won't do anything? To do what? Expose his secret? What will we get with that?"
"Safety, of course."
"Safety? Byakuya, exposing someone's secret will get us nothing. None of us are safe here. The illusion of safety was shattered when Leon decided to rape Sayaka. Until we defeat the true threat, the Mastermind, none of us will be safe." she said, walking past him. "So expose all the secrets you want, shatter their trust, if you can, but nothing will change the status quo. You just have to accept how things are. We must adapt to-"
"Shut. Up." he hissed, glaring at her. "You keep spouting that bullshit about adapting but I know there's no one who wants to leave more than you. I can see it in your eyes."
"Darling, I've wanted to leave since day one. In order to do that, I've decided to play the long game. You see, you want to expose something that I believe should be kept secret. Everyone around us is a pawn. You have to know which piece to use when." Celeste said, a frown on her face. "You call this a game and yet you don't even treat it as such. You have to make use of the tools you are given, Byakuya. That's how you win."
"Is that so? I take it you've used him in the past?"
"How do you think I was able to free our hostages, hm? Do you actually think I could sit back and let my darling Grand Bois Cheri suffer? Of course, I couldn't. Ultimate Luck is unpredictable, but if you learn how to make use of it, you can achieve a great many things," the woman said, turning back around. "Make no mistake, Akira may be an assassin, but his Luck is his true talent. Of that I am certain, and exposing his secret gets us nothing."
"So you claim, I think the opposite. You do make a good point though, I haven't truly been playing this game. I supposed it was beyond me to avoid interacting with these fools. I'll have to play nice to make use of them."
"Hardly. If you had been on good terms with the others, you likely would have gotten much more done. But you didn't. You had to be a douchebag from moment one. You crossed the line doing what you did to Fuyuhiko. I doubt they'll trust you. Meanwhile I… I have earned their trust." she said, holding her hand out. "After all, I sacrificed my finger for your hostage."
"And you cemented yourself as a good person among the drek gathered here. All while humiliating me and ensuring Akira's luck was tested… and you did all of this for a cat?"
"Oh, I did for much less than that, Byakuya. After such a long time, I think I am almost ready to make my attempt. Who knows? You might become my unwilling victim. I'd watch my back if I were you." she said, opening the Rec Room door open. "Such is the fate for those who piss off Taeko Yasuhiro."
With that she left, leaving the Ultimate Affluent Progeny with much to consider.
Location: Gymnasium, Hope's Peak Academy 1F
Day: 21
Time: 1:00 PM
Monokuma had a look of annoyance on his face as the 17 students returned. He had been pacing the floor when they started arriving. After they had, he turned to face them, arms crossed. "You know something, I would have thought the lot of you would have started doubting each other. Going behind each other's backs, scheming. Some of you have, actually! Some fun things are going on. But it is all so boring!"
"We ain't your circus monkeys, asshole. None of us are going to do shit just because you expect us to." Mondo said, glaring at the bear. "An' stop lying to us too. Who the hell would be planning against us?"
"You'd be surprised, bud. You all tend to forget, I have eyes and ears all over the goddamn place. But that's enough of that. Let's get this shitshow over with, I gotta catch up with my Soaps!" the monochrome bear cried.
Much like the previous times, the animatronic bear gave the wheel a spin. The looks of apprehension had swiftly returned as everyone watched. Sonia and Chihiro's images had been removed, leaving 16 portraits. As the wheel began slowing down, it ticked loudly until it finally stopped on Sayaka's face. She immediately stiffened, grabbing a hold of Akira's hand, squeezing it with all her strength.
"Akira Yoshikawa! Looks like you're up!" Monokuma said, giving the young man a smirk, chuckling. "So much for the Ultimate Lucky Student, you seem to be the unluckiest person in the entire world!"
The raven-haired boy took a step forward, only for Sayaka to grasp his wrist. He turned to her, giving her a small nod. She already knew that he wasn't going to share the secret in his possession with anyone. The girl squeezed his hand tightly before letting him go, allowing him to stand in front of the others, hands shoved in his pockets.
"Akira here is in possession of the secret of one Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Pop-Sensation. Originally, I was going to use my trusty wheel to choose who I handed secrets out to. But I paired these two together for another reason. Even before, they just made me sick." the animatronic bear said, a sickly sweet smile as he looked at the idol. "I lose respect for the kinds of people who do what you did."
"Focus on me, asshole. You don't talk to her that way,"
"Oh? Did you forget who's in control here, Akira?" he chortled, looking up at the man. "From where I'm standing, you are the one who's beneath me. So I'd watch my tone with you."
"What could Sayaka be hiding if Monokuma reacted that way?" Hikari asked, a curious look on his face. "Are you going to share it with us, Akira?"
"Yes, if you don't, you'll be punished. I'd think about my options, my friend. The last thing you need is another injury as serious as the acid burn on your hand." Kiyotaka said, clearly concerned for the boy.
"They wanna know Akira. Are you going to-"
"No, I'm not," Akira replied, crossing his arms. "This is something I am keeping with me, until the day I die."
"Wow… how noble. Sayaka must have done some really disgusting shit." Hiyoko said, glancing at the blue-haired girl. "You know, I did hear rumors on the internet about her before all of this. How was it that she managed to become so popular? She must have slept her way to the top."
"I did not! I would never consider selling my soul like that. I became an idol through hard work, not by using my body. Don't you dare insult me like that, Hiyoko." Sayaka hissed, a furious look on her face as she shot daggers at the dancer.
"Whatever it is, it's clearly serious, judging by that reaction," Mahiru said, shaking her head. "Just get it off your chest, it can't be that bad."
"We're not going to share it with anyone," the Ultimate Lucky Student reiterated, glancing at Monokuma. "Whatever you wish to do to me, go ahead and do it."
Monokuma shifted his gaze toward Akira, shifting back and forth between him and the idol. He found himself tapping his chin. "I see… I bet you guys already discussed this little plan. You know I saw the two of you coming out of the Boy's room on the second floor. Sealing the deal, I presume?"
"What happens between me and Sayaka is of no concern to you, Bear."
"You are right about that. Honestly, I would have expected you two to get together a lot sooner, but color me surprised. Maybe the haze wasn't thick enough." he replied, almost absentmindedly as he walked around the idol.
"Haze? What haze are you talking about?" Hikari asked.
"Whoops, I shouldn't have said that, hehe." the mechanical bear said, ignoring the graphic designer. "Well, I guess we're gonna have our second punishment of the day. I was so excited! Especially because the last one was sooo boring~"
Pausing for a moment, he looked between Sayaka and Akira, a devious look flashing onto his face. Akira tried not to look disturbed by this, his face as neutral as he could keep it. Inside his mind was racing, wondering how he would get out of this one. He knew it was futile, but he couldn't help but think about these things.
Monokuma reached for a controller, pressing the button on it. From beneath the stage, two more Monokumas emerged, pushing a familiar-looking table. On it was a rolled-up brown whip. Akira stared at it, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Step right up, Sayaka, you are going to be our beary special participant today," he said, beckoning her over. She looked at Akira, who merely nodded. She took a few shaky steps forward, shuddering a bit as she saw the whip. "Are you religious, Sayaka?"
"Not anymore. I lost my faith the first night I spent here, I realized praying to the Gods wouldn't do anything. After all, people still died. What's the point of wasting my breath praying to higher beings that don't do anything to ease human suffering?"
"Wow… guess that's another sin for the collection," he returned, grabbing a hold of the whip. He unfurled it, looking it over with a close eye. "Jesus Christ was flogged before he was crucified. According to Roman Law, it was done to those about to be executed. It is believed that they did it in order to make people understand the pain they caused for their crimes. Ordinarily, I would have had you be on the receiving end of this, but those who willingly choose to hide the sins of others aren't exempt from punishment."
He held the whip to the idol, looking into her eyes. "Five lashes will do."
"W-what? I'm not going to do that!"
"Yes, you will! Because if I do it, I'll make it hurt. You know whips were designed to tear flesh from bone. You've already seen firsthand the kinds of punishments I give." the bear said, the grin on his face ever-present. "This was designed to be more painful to you than it is for him~"
"You're sick, you know that?" Mondo hissed, glaring at the bear. "Why the hell would you have her do that to him, huh?"
"Akira, think about this. Whatever it is Sayaka is hiding is negligible compared to what you'll be getting. Don't let them win." Hajime said. Akira didn't say anything, staring up at the ceiling, narrowing his eyes for a moment.
"Ned Kelly's final words as the hangman slipped the noose around his neck were, Such is Life. Such is life… can you imagine the acceptance, the defiance?" he asked, adopting a smile as he looked at the others. "I've done a great many things in my life, things I'm not proud of. Things I will carry for a while longer. But even those who run from their sins cannot avoid them forever. This is my punishment, and I will accept it."
"I'm quite impressed by you, Akira. Not only did you face unimaginable pain to free hostages, hostages you've never met, but now, you are willing to accept this?" Celeste said, looking rather surprised. "Why is that? Why accept it?"
"Because I have faith that this will lead us forward. After all, this is just another ploy by the Mastermind. Another way to humiliate us. These secrets are life-changing, we can't expose them all willy-nilly just to save our own skins. I will heal, but secrets once unleashed, cannot be taken back." he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe that's why Ibuki wanted to keep Chihiro's secret."
The Ultimate Programmer bowed his head slightly, a hand over his heart. "You aren't… wrong about that. Ibuki's secret is a serious one. She felt the need to protect it, and the people it involved. I see that's what you are doing now. You want to protect Sayaka, don't you?"
"I do."
"And you have faith in her?" Byakuya asked, clicking his tongue. "Honestly, even I am surprised by this."
"Faith and Trust is what we can have, Byakuya. Perhaps a little sprinkle of hope as well. When I came to this academy, I had no hope for the future, I realized that when this game started. But the more I spent time here, the more I realized I belonged here. In this game, because I did some terrible things in my past. Monokuma is right in one thing, I might be the Ultimate Unlucky Student, but it's up to me to use that bad luck against him." Akira said, chuckling as he gave the blond a smirk. "After all, a real man makes his own luck."
"You have the unshakable faith of David, Akira, but I would seriously reconsider this. What you are about to face will not be pleasant." Peko said, earning another shrug from the boy.
"Such is life."
"Well, Sayaka? Are you looking forward to this? It will no doubt cause him an unimaginable amount of pain. But hey, it's all for you~" Monokuma said, chuckling. "You aren't the one in pain after all."
She merely scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm in pain every day of my life. Every day that we spend here, is a day that we lose out there. I've lost friends, and seen such awful things. Akira has faith in me so I'll have faith in him. If this is his punishment, then it falls on me to dish it out. After all, this is the least I can do for the person I've chosen to give my heart to. This is my punishment as well."
"Such bravery, such tenacity! Such loyalty! What a truly beautiful woman!" Kiyotaka said, a look of joy on his face. "I've never had the pleasure of meeting someone quite like you!"
"Dude, that's so fucking creepy," Kazuichi said, shaking his head. "But she does bring up a point. She's the one being punished, not us. So to hell with it, no skin off my nose."
"That is unbelievably cruel, Kazuichi. I'm disappointed in you." Sonia said, looking away from the pink-haired mechanic. He looked a bit hurt, but continued on, shifting his gaze in a different direction.
"She's right, don't you care about your friend's well-being?" Mahiru asked, hands on her hips as she locked eyes with him. "Well?"
"Of course I do, but I also care about myself. Better her than me." he shrugged, glancing at Akira. "You said those words before, right?"
Akira didn't respond to him with a response. Hiyoko looked between the pair, hands on her hips. "Whatever it is you two are hiding has to be serious, especially if she's choosing to keep it. Look what they did to Ibuki, is that what you want? You remember what they did to me, what Akira had to do to free our hostages! Are you seriously okay with this?"
"I already decided, Hiyoko. I'm keeping her secret with me," he said.
"Whatever she's done can't be worse than what Monokuma is doing." Hajime boldly said, standing firm before the psychotic bear. "Especially now!"
"I have to agree with Hajime. It doesn't matter what she's done, we'll be fine. Sayaka, Akira, you should share this secret. It'll be much better than what'll happen to you." Hikari said, a look of worry on his face. "Think about it."
"I have thought about it, me and Sayaka both have. Talking about it is just delaying the inevitable," he said, giving the graphic designer a grin. "It's alright. I have made peace with everything. We cannot let our hope be washed away, instead, we should embrace each moment. Take them as a learning experience, and not give the bastard in charge the satisfaction."
"I don't know… this is all just so awful." the Ultimate Nurse said, shuddering a bit as she looked away. "Those scars will cut deep, and will be extremely painful. I'm worried for your well-being, Akira. Especially after you finally healed from your other wound."
"You have nothing to worry about, Mikan. No one has to worry about a thing, if anything the one who will suffer the biggest amount of pain is Sayaka. She's the one being forced to do it." he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'll be just fine."
"Damn, dude… I wish I had the balls to accept that kinda shit." Mondo said, impressed with Akira's tone.
"Enough talk! Sayaka, no more dilly-dallying. Either you get to it or I do!"
"Akira." she softly said, a frightened look on her face. He didn't say a word, rather he just turned away from her. He reached for his collar, undoing the buttons, slowly unbuttoning his shirt, allowing it to fall to the ground.
Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the tattoo on his back. It was a stylized cross, along with a pair of hands clasped in prayer. The phrase "Fortis fortuna adiuvat" was written above it. The Ultimate Pop-Sensation swallowed the lump in her throat as she shakily took the whip in her grasp, ignoring the look on Monokuma's face.
"5 lashes will do. Make sure you flick your wrist, aim for the center of his back, puhu~"
"Shut the fuck up, you asshole," she growled, glancing back at Akira. "I'm sorry, Akira."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Just do it, think of it as… an act of compassion." the young man said. Sayaka merely nodded, staring at the whip in her grasp, slowly pulling it back.
She swung it with all of her strength, a loud crack echoing through the gym. Akira didn't even flinch as it struck the center of his back. She looked away after a moment before lashing him again. No one said a word, looks of shock and pain written on their faces. Even Byakuya looked squeamish with every lash the black-haired boy received. The second he got his final lashing, Sayaka dropped the whip, closing the distance between them. She grabbed a hold of the young man, keeping him from falling.
"I'm sorry, Akira. I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright." he stammered, teeth grit as he hissed in pain. "It wasn't that bad."
"Puhuhuhu~ That was wonderful! The look on your faces was so great! I was expecting Akira to fold like a little bitch, but man he actually stayed standing. You've definitely earned my respect, kiddo. Go pour some rubbing alcohol on that and walk it off. You'll be fine."
"Would you fuck off already? God Dammit man, why the hell do you keep making us go through this shit?!" Kazuichi shouted, eyes burning furiously as he shot the bear with a venomous look. "You fucking bastard!"
"Yawn… god you are so boring, Pinkie. It's the same shit with you, here I thought you would have gotten it by now. I'm not even gonna bother. Get outta here, but keep an eye out for the next assembly. Maybe after the next one you'll finally understand what I want and give me a cold one, hehehe~"
Once again, the bear left, leaving behind the 17 stunned students. Akira took a deep breath as he forced himself to stand, grabbing his shirt from the floor. "Whelp… that sucked."
"We need to get you into the Nurse's Office right away. The faster we stop the bleeding, the better."
"That's alright, Mikan, I'll take care of him," Sayaka said, wrapping the man's arm around her shoulder, allowing him to rest his weight on her. "Come on, Akira, let's go."
"Sayaka, I think you should-"
"I said no. I'll take care of it," she said, glaring at the man. "I caused this to you, it's my responsibility, no one else. Understand? Now walk, or I'll drag you."
The Ultimate Lucky Student merely sighed, a dry laugh leaving his lips. Though his body hurt, he managed to walk at a steady pace. The others were left behind, watching the pair leave the gym. Hikari looked at the others, shuddering as he looked at the whip.
"What the hell could she be hiding that he'd willingly keep it for her?"
"I would never let myself get lashed for a secret. Must be some seriously heavy shit." Mondo said, sweat pouring down his face. "Christ… I don't think I'll be able to sleep well tonight."
"You and me both," Mahiru said with a shudder. Hiyoko sniffled a bit, wiping her stray tears away with the back of her hand.
"Can we go? I don't know how much more of this I can take."
"You should all be careful," Byakuya said, sharing looks with the others. "Those two shared their secrets with each other, and Akira went the extra mile to keep her's hidden. No doubt she'll do the same for him."
He adjusted his glasses, giving the others a firm look. "His secret is the most dangerous, for all of us. You saw Akira's willingness to keep hers, Sayaka will no doubt keep his. That makes them both dangerous."
"Why should we believe you? Huh? Weren't you the one who gutted Fuyuhiko like a pig?" the mechanic said, sizing Byakuya up. Peko glared at the mechanic, but it went completely ignored by him. "You've been harking on this for a while now. The way I see it, you must be hiding some serious shit too."
"Hardly. It's as I said, I do not care if my secret gets revealed. I deduced who has mine, and I will readily reveal theirs the moment they reveal mine." he returned, briefly meeting eyes with Celeste, who merely smiled at him. "Heed my warning, if you ever find out what he's hiding, you'll realize I was right."
"Then tell us."
His head snapped around, locking eyes with Kyoko. "You keep mentioning how dangerous Akira is. If you know something, why not tell us?"
"Why should I? What have you done for me?"
"Getting defensive, aren't you? I don't know why you dislike Akira so much, but making such accusations without backing them up is pointless. To me, it seems as though you are wanting to push him into a corner."
"Perhaps I am. What's it matter to you, Kyoko? Why do you care so much about him?"
"I don't, I am merely making an observation. People who make baseless accusations without proof are nothing but a waste of time. I only deal with the facts. And the fact of the matter is, Akira is not a threat." she claimed, swiveling on her foot. "If you people took the time to get to know him, he'd likely be more open. Let's not forget one very important thing, every one of us is dangerous. All of us were given the same incentive on Day 1, murdering someone and getting away with it begets our freedom. It's pointless to expose someone's secret, it changes nothing."
"It changes one thing, who on school grounds is the biggest threat, so they can be isolated and watched like a hawk. Make no mistake, Kyoko, I am not going to remain idle while dangerous individuals move around freely. Of that, you can be certain." he said, adjusting his suit as he walked toward the exit, swiftly leaving. The violet-haired girl shook her head.
"You poor arrogant bastard,"
"Um… Kyoko?"
She turned to Chihiro, who had a look of concern on his face. "About Akira… do you know more about him than the rest of us?"
"That's not for me to say. All you have to know is that he isn't a threat. You can choose to believe me, or not. What you do has nothing to do with me. I will continue my personal investigation and ensure I have all of the details behind why we are here. That's all that matters to me at the moment."
She took her leave, the gymnasium falling silent again. Hina held onto Hikari's arm, eyes red and puffy from crying. "Do you think this will end soon?"
"I'm sure it will. It's as Akira said, we have to remain positive, it was foolish of me to doubt him. He's our friend! He's been a massive help in class trials and cares about us. We need to follow his words and work together!"
"Indeed, I agree with Hikari. We cannot continue keeping our secrets, but it's clear that to some, they are very important. Ibuki is incapacitated and Akira has been greatly injured. We must tread carefully if we wish to beat this motive." Sonia said, a smile on her face. "We'll get through this!"
"Sonia is right! Come on everyone, let's just keep doing what we were doing before! It's as Celeste once said, we must continue to adapt and live our lives as normal. We've made it this far, we'll make it to the end!" Kiyotaka added, clapping his hands.
It wasn't long before everyone slowly returned to what they were doing. Hajime and Sonia were among the last ones to leave the gym, walking rather closely to each other. The Ultimate Princess waited until they were fully alone to grab his hand, holding it tightly.
"Hey, are you okay?" he softly asked.
"Honestly, not really. I put on a brave face back there, but seeing someone being lashed in front of me… it is awful. Such pain and suffering, and we can do nothing but take it. It's so disgusting." she said, fanning her face as she held back the urge to cry. "I just wish for this to be all over."
"So do I," he said, arms wrapped around her shivering frame. He held her tightly, placing a kiss on her cheek. "How about we go for a walk, eh? Take a trip through the scenic 3rd Floor?"
"Pfft… scenic, half of that floor is dark," she said, eyes sparkling a bit. "I would love to, Hajime. It would be an honor to go on a walk with you. Should we prepare some snacks?"
"Snacks? Why?"
"Isn't this a date? Though I suppose walking around the school isn't really a date. Not like we have any places to relax in."
"W-we can make some snacks if you'd like. Or we could take a walk and then head to the Arcade for some pizza and wings? We'll do some karaoke too, how does that sound?" said Hajime, smiling. Sonia clasped her hands tightly, bobbing her head up and down.
"Yes! It sounds like a wonderful time. Shall I go prepare our snacks?"
"Sure! I can help if you'd like."
"Mmm… nope. I'd like to do this by myself! I can make some traditional Novoselic Snacks. We'll share them during our walk and then make that pizza at the arcade." the blonde girl said, giving him a bright smile. "I'd like to prepare them alone. Why don't you head upstairs and wait for me at the foot of the stairs to the third floor? I won't take long."
"Okay, if you are sure." the young man replied. He looked around for a moment before placing a soft kiss on her lips, much to her surprise. She kissed him back, an eager grin on her face as they separated.
Sonia headed back to the dormitories, a spring in her step, heart fluttering happily as she walked. She was humming a song, replaying the kiss in her mind. She grabbed her key, entering her dorm. "Alright, time to find that Novoselic Cookbook I grabbed from the library. I believe some sweets will do."
She heard something crinkle under her foot, looking down. She knelt down, picking up a white envelope from the floor, seeing her name written on the front. She looked around for a moment, tilting her head in confusion. "I wonder what this is?"
As she prepared to open it, she glanced at the back shelves, spotting the cookbook she had come for. She looked at the envelope for a moment, placing it in her pocket. "I'll open this later, for now, I have a date to prepare for. I believe I will dress up a bit."
The Ultimate Princess sighed happily. Though it was nothing more than a walk through the school, to her, it was completely different. She had never been on a proper date, at least not one that was planned by her. She felt her excitement returning, allowing her to forget about what she had experienced in the gym, at least for the time being. She only hoped things would get better soon, and Monokuma's game ended. But she knew it would take more than just hope to make that a reality.
A/N: Not much to say here tbh. I usually add my little quips on Ao3. You should check the story out there, it's always one chapter ahead of this one. Later.