Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. We're now finally wrapping up the casts' reactions to Chapter 4 of the game. You'll see bouts of anger, frustration, levity, and shock within the group of Ultimates. I hope you enjoy.
P.S. I've been hearing some concerning things about p.a.t.r.e.o.n, one of which being the lay-off of their entire security staff. Should I be worried? Looking at alternate sites? Should I just wait and see? Let me know in your reviews or PMs. (And maybe things I could/should do on sites like p.a.t.r.e.o.n, as a creator)
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.
Chapter 85: Watching Chapter 4: All Star Apologies Part 19
"Holy moly!" Monokuma gasped dramatically, "You're super mad! Like, just unreasonably upset!"
That earned angry scoffs, middle fingers, and scathing glares. "Oh, sure. She's unreasonably upset!" Sayaka remarked both dryly and angrily, "Not like no one else would get emotional after seeing their friends die one by one!"
"Fucking bear really know what to say to get under our damn skin!" Mondo growled with clear irritation.
"Okay, time to bring this to a close! Oh, but before that-!" The bear lifted up Sakura's will. "I need to read the postscript!"
If there was ever a point the class would be used to the surprise, it wasn't known. More than a few eyes widened at this.
"Postscript?"
"The bear was holding back more of Sakura's words?!"
"Post script…?" Kyoko repeated in surprise.
"Yeah, there's still a bit more left of Sakura's note," Monokuma answered.
"Huh…?" That had the tearful Hina's attention.
"Why didn't he read all of it in the first place?" Taka voiced in befuddlement, "What was the point in holding back?"
"Monokuma made it clear that he was a dramatic individual, from his lively personality to the trial rooms," Celeste pointed out, "It's likely that he wanted Sakura's true motive to sink into the group, and the postscript, as he called it, would shift the subject."
"But… what else does Sakura have left to say?" Leon questioned, scratching the side of his head.
"We shall hear soon enough," Kyoko stated, putting focus back on the screen.
"Puhuhu… do I have your attention? Okay then, here we go… prepare your ears for the dulcet tones of yours truly!" With that, the bear started reading once again. "...One other thing, Hina. There's something I'd like you to tell the others. Hopefully it will act as a clue to help you unravel the mystery of this school."
'What? A clue…?'Makoto thought with confusion and interest.
That caught the students' interests even further. "She managed to find a clue?" Leon voiced out with some surprise.
"Must've been during the times she was the mastermind's spy…" Celeste mused, placing her knuckles over her chin, "While their mastermind is smart enough not to disclose sensitive information, they must've shared some things with her."
The scene shifted to the flashback of Sakura writing her note. "I've spoken with the mastermind off and on the whole time I've been here, and so I've learned one thing…" she stated in her note, "Which is… the mastermind has done something to us. I think what they've done is-"
Suddenly, the screen went back to the trial room, with Monokuma cutting himself off. "Oopsie daisy! That was a close one! Another word and we would've been hip deep in spoiler territory!"
At this, several more eyes widened, realizing what exactly Sakura had figured out.
"She knew!?" Hifumi gasped, holding his cheeks, "She figured out that our memories got wiped!?"
"That's what it sounds like!" Mondo confirmed, looking just as shocked, "Didn't think she would know that much!"
"But… why didn't she share that info before?!" Hiro exclaimed, looking lost, "Wouldn't that have been good to share?!"
"There wasn't a chance to, fool," Byakuya answered bluntly, "Half of us didn't trust Sakura, let alone anything she said. Would we really believe the idea that our memories were wiped, when the source is from a spy of the mastermind?"
"It's likely that Sakura only pieced together the information recently, right before committing herself to suicide," Kyoko added, "So she didn't have much time to reveal this. And even if she found out before being ousted as a spy, she was still a spy. One who was concerned about the hostage the mastermind has."
"Besides… it's not like she didn't attempt to tell us in the first place," Makoto pointed out, a frown marring his face, "That note was for Hina to read. She didn't expect it to be taken by Monokuma."
That group went silent at this, minds now registering that Monokuma still got the note. And that he cut himself before the survivors could find out about the memory loss.
It's a revelation they didn't take well.
"NOOO!"
"MOTHERFUCKER!"
"Screw that noise!"
"He can't just decide what portion to read and what not to!"
"Yeah, that's Sakura's note, not his!"
"Okay, I don't wanna ruin the surprise, so book club is dismissed for today!"
"Screw! That!" Leon repeated through gritted teeth, "Argh! Why the hell does this keep happening?!"
"No fair…!" Hiro moaned, slumped on the couch, "That's not fair at all, man!"
"It's like every time they get close to figuring out what happened to their memories, something blocks them…" Taka stated, also looking frustrated, "At this point, it's getting incredibly infuriating."
"How do we know that Sakura is talking about their collective memory loss, though?" Mukuro asked, looking a tad pensive, "For all we could know, she could've made a completely different guess, and misled the group."
"Oh, Sakura knew, dear sister of mine," Junko said with assuredness, pretending to gripe with her classmates, "Why else would dear old Monokuma hide it from us in the first place?"
"What?! You can't just stop at the most important bit!" Hiro protested loudly.
"It makes your brain rumble and tumble, huh? It makes you so mad you don't even friggin' know, huh?!" Monokuma questioned cheerfully, "That's the whole point, STUPID! It's to get back at all of you for hardening your resolve!"
"Booo!"
"Get over yourself!"
"Such a sore loser!"
"Don't pout just because we didn't act the way you wanted!"
'Ugh. So childish…'Kyoko groaned in her mind, closing her eyes to hide her irritation. Do all insane and sadistic individuals have such an immature streak to their names?
"Fine, but at least… Sakura's note…" Hina requested tearfully.
"Like I'd ever let any of you greaseballs have it!" Monokuma denied ruthlessly in return.
"B-But…"
"Heh-heh-heh. Sucks for you, loser!" The bear gloated.
"Bastard…!" Sakura growled viciously, every muscle in her body tensed in her fury, "How dare he withhold the note from Hina?!"
"And he claims that he isn't filthy?!" Makoto exclaimed in both anger and disbelief, "If he had an ounce of credibility, he wouldn't be afraid of us having Sakura's will!"
"Honestly? I would be surprised if the damn bear gave the note to Hina…" Leon huffed in irritation, "Still doesn't change that it was a low blow."
"Fucker likes to kick us while we're down…" Mondo grunted angrily, recalling what the bear did to his bro while first looking through the physics lab.
Then something caught the bear's eyes. "...Wait, what's this?"
"What is it now…?" Kyoko questioned warily.
"There's one last line in the note!" Monokuma revealed.
One last flashback of Sakura writing her will was shown. "And let me just say this to the mastermind," she wrote, "I'm not going to lay down and die. I will fight you, you bastard. No matter what."
"...And that's seriously it!" Monokuma concluded, the scene shifting back to the trial room, "Huh. Wow, what a stubborn loser, huh?!"
Her words… sent more than a few jolts down students' spines. "What did she do…?" Hiro asked nervously.
"Uncertain. Her words are extremely vague, so it could be anything," Mukuro mused, frowning in thought.
'Maybe she was just being a sore loser!'Junko suggested idly. Couldn't stand the idea of her suicide being mocked, so she had to throw out some empty words! After all, anything she did couldn't have been missed by her, right?
'She won't lie down and die? She'll fight you…?'Makoto repeated pensively in his mind.
"Well, whatever," Monokuma shrugged non-caringly, "Who cares what some dead musclehead has to say?"
'Something tells me he's going to regret those words…'Kyoko mused with narrowed eyes. She knows Sakura well enough to understand that she doesn't make idle threats such as those. If she said that she's going to fight the mastermind, it's likely that she did something to hurt them in some fashion. The question is, how?
"Okay, I'm outta here! You guys should try to get some rest, ya know? And maybe take some time to reconsider how you approach this school life of yours…" the bear advised, his voice turning more menacing, "Are you sure you don't want to graduate? Can you really cut free from the regrets from the outside world? Puhuhu… think about that. Think long, think hard…" With those parting words, he disappeared once again.
Rather than feeling any trepidation or worry for the future survivors, Makoto actually felt some confidence. "His words aren't gonna work this time…" he said assuredly, "Now that we're actually united, there's much less of a chance any of us would even think of killing somebody."
"And don't forget future me's prediction!" Hiro added, "He said that there would be no more murders, and nobody has murder anybody so far since then!"
"There's… some amount of truth to what he said," Celeste mused, "Technically, Sakura's suicide isn't classified as a murder."
"Wait… does this mean we're gonna see one of Hiro's fortunes actually come true?" Leon asked with a good amount of disbelief.
"It would probably be a pleasant surprise if it would…" Sayaka said, her hope for no murders rising a bit more.
At this, Hiro couldn't help but brag. "Hah! I told you guys my fortunes were the real deal!" he exclaimed jovially, arms crossed, "You're witnessing the power of the Ultimate Clairvoyant! The Supernova!"
"Dear lord, he's never gonna shut up about this, is he…?" Byakuya muttered loudly in irritation. The sentiment was shared by Celeste, whose expression became particularly stony.
'What was that all about…?'Makoto began wondering to himself,'Sakura's final message, her last clue to help us solve the mystery of this school… the mastermind… did something to us?'
'Kyoko said something like that before, didn't she? It was after Celeste's trial was over…'the luckster then recalled. A flashback of Kyoko's questioning of Monokuma was then shown.'The mastermind did something… to our bodies… what are they saying the mastermind did…? What did the mastermind do to us?'
'I mean… did the mastermind plant a bomb in us or something?'A more anxious look entered Makoto's face.'And if we try to leave the school, a sensor goes off… and the bomb explodes?! I've seen stuff like that in movies and comics and stuff, so it's not totally unheard of…'
He then visibly shook those thoughts out.'No…! I feel awful just thinking about it!' he exclaimed in his mind,'I can't afford to acknowledge thoughts like that…'
"He still isn't figuring out that our memories got erased?" Mondo voiced incredulity, "Why the hell not?"
"Like I said, it's not something I can easily believe," Makoto reminded the biker, "Even with all the hints given to me, I can't connect it together without my suspension of belief stretching some."
"Plus, some of the hints that were gathered were dismissed as false," Kyoko added. The fact that her future self had helped in that regard was left unsaid. "It's impossible to use evidence when you dismiss that evidence as false to begin with."
"In other words… they still have some ways to go before they can figure anything out," Leon sighed in resignation.
"Relatively," The detective confirmed with a nod.
"So the class trial is over and Monokuma's gone…" Hiro hesitantly spoke up, "So… now what do we do?"
"What else is there, other than to head back up?" Byakuya asked in return.
"Oh, yeah! Okay, let's get out of here," Hiro agreed easily.
"B-But…" Hina finally spoke up, a guilty look clear across her face, "I, um…" She went silent, unable to think of what to say.
'Hina must still feel responsible…'Makoto mused softly, looking at the swimmer.
"Hina…" Some of the students couldn't help but look towards the swimmer.
While not the crying mess she was before, it's clear that the viewing has affected her deeply. Red, puffy eyes, tear-stained cheeks, and a look of guilt that was worse than her counterpart's.
But none of them really knew what to say. Even Makoto and Sakura struggled to find the proper words to comfort the girl. Saying that it wasn't her fault just doesn't feel enough for either of them.
"Hmph. Dial back that ego a bit, girl," Byakuya scoffed dismissively, "The kind of mystery someone like you could pose is absolutely no threat. I would never have lost to that kind of challenge."
That statement from Byakuya earned several snorts. "Are you serious right now, dude?" Leon asked with some amusement, "You were dead-set on the idea that Hina did it."
"Yeah, it was Kyoko and Makoto that figured it out," Hiro nodded in agreement, "You were looking as confused as I was."
"I would say he looked more panicked than confused, dear Hiro," Celeste corrected slightly, a smile across her lips.
And once again, Byakuya was back to ignoring everyone, his eyes focused on the screen.
"What are you talking about? Kyoko and Makoto are the ones that figured everything out," Hiro pointed out.
"Shut up…" Byakuya growled at the fortune teller.
Even more laughter and giggles from the group. "Embarrassed now, aren't we?" Sayaka asked with mirth, "Mr. I-can-make-no-mistake."
"Really can't take the fact that Kyoko and Makoto figured it out without ya, huh asshole?" Mondo remarked with a grin of his own.
"I think it's the fact that it was Hina, of all people, that nearly tricked him that burns him up the most," Junko joined in on the teasing, for the heck of it. A cheshire-cat-like grin was plastered across her face. "The idea that one of our dumber classmates was so close to killing him is something he can't stand."
"'And I'll happily elude its attempts,'" Leon quoted the Togami heir mockingly, "'Not a person alive would sacrifice themselves for another.'"
"Shut it. All of you!" Byakuya growled in irritation. Unfortunately for him, that merely prompted more laughter from his classmates.
Their bonds may be mending, but that doesn't mean the class won't take enjoyment from the affluent progeny getting severely humbled.
"...Seriously… I'm sorry…" Hina apologized.
"How many times do you plan to apologize?" Byakuya sighed, "How about you make that the last one? I haven't reached a point where I need someone apologizing to me more than once…"
"O-Okay, I see what you mean…" the swimmer conceded, "Th-Then… I'll… try…"
"H… u… h…?" Jill's eyes widened at the interaction, "Th-That totally wasn't normal, right?! Did she just c-capture his flag…?"
She gritted her teeth angrily. "No! No, no, no! I cannot suffer the existence of someone who would disturb the romance between me and Master!"
"WHAT?!" That definitely snapped Hina out of her funk, the swimmer sitting up straight with wide eyed incredulity.
"N-No way! Impossible!" Toko denied furiously, "There's n-no way that idiot swimmer c-c-caught Master's interest!"
And of course, the laughter from the group became even stronger. Leon, Junko, and Mondo fell onto the floor, laughing hysterically, while Sayaka and Chihiro were giggling non-stop. Makoto and Taka found themselves trying to hold back their chuckles, whereas Kyoko and Celeste were clearly amused.
"No! Not happening!" Hina denied passionately, waving her arms around in her denial, "There's no way something would happen between me and Byakuya!"
"Oh? But who knows, Miss Jill may be on to something here…" Hifumi piped up, eyes gleaming in interest, "After all, that previous interaction is a common fla-"
"NO!"
Byakuya, meanwhile, looked positively offended at the thought of being paired with the Ultimate Swimmer. As if he would form a relationship with such a dunce of a girl!
"Wh-What are you talking about?!" Hina exclaimed, eyes wide with bewilderment, "That's absolutely NOT what's happening here! Why would I ever go for a sleazeball like him!"
"Sleaze… ball?" Byakuya repeated incredulously.
"That's right! I called you a sleazeball!" Hina stated firmly, not backing down, "Cuz you are! Sleazeball!"
"HAHAHA! Stop! You're killing me here, Hina!" Leon pleaded through his laughter, now holding stomach.
"C-Comedy gold! Right here!" Junko managed to cheer out, "You tell him, girl!"
"You can definitely do better than Byakuya, Hina. That's for certain," Sayaka said in agreement, an amused smile clear across her face.
"And I can do better than that dimwit," Byakuya shot back.
Hina couldn't help but pout angrily at that. "I definitely stand by future me's words! You are a sleazeball! The sleaziest of all sleazeballs!"
Toko huffed at that. 'They don't know what they're talking about! Master is the best there is!'It's not his fault they have such bad taste.
"Apparently you still have a death wish," Byakuya growled angrily.
"Ohh, more biting sarcasm?" Hina remarked with a sigh, "No wonder you don't have any friends!"
"Hey! Stop fighting with Master! You're making me jealous!" Jill cut in with clear jealousy, "I want the abuse give-and-take! ME!"
Makoto couldn't help but sweatdrop over this.'I guess it's not so easy for everyone to act like friends…'he thought wryly,'Well, that's just how it is for now…'
'Still, it's better than the previous tension before-hand,'Makoto continued for his counterpart, a happy smile across his lips. For sure, there's still lingering issues with several of his friends; but for now, they can actually enjoy a moment of levity.
This felt like an actual win. Even with Sakura's death, as well as the execution of Alter Ego, he felt that hope was rising up.
Sakura shared a similar feeling with the lucky student. An amused, yet content smile was sent upon her lip, turning her gaze slightly at her best friend. This makes her all the more certain that her future self did the right thing; the remaining survivors can now solve the mysteries of this school and escape.
'And we can use their knowledge to stop this future from ever happening,'Sakura thought firmly.
"And so, Sakura's class trial came to an end, and we returned to the world of Hope's Peak Academy," narrator Makoto stated, as the screen turned black, "But the story wasn't even close to over. Time kept marching on. We all went back to our rooms, and before long, night snuck up on us…"
"Nighttime descended, and pulled me down with it, down into sleep. I couldn't remember the last time I'd fallen into such a deep sleep."
"I can imagine…" Taka said softly. The group had eventually calmed down, with the previously laughing students now back in their seats. "With so much death, failure, tension, grief… it must've been difficult for any of the survivors to sleep."
"True that…" Leon nodded in agreement, "We're just watching the damn game, and it's still difficult for me to sleep." The fact that it's due to him being one of the dead students was left unsaid…
"Even so… doesn't that make this even better?" Chihiro suggested timidly, "Because of Sakura's sacrifice… Makoto can sleep better. The others too." His eyes then widened, registering what he said. "I-I'm not saying that it was good Sakura died! I-I just-"
"It's fine, Chihiro. I think we get it," Makoto cut in with a smile, reassuring the petite programmer, "While I wished we didn't need something this drastic… I'm glad a trial ended with more hope than despair. And you feel that way too, right Sakura?"
When he turned to the martial artist, Sakura didn't hesitate to nod. "If I had to die, I'm happy that my death served in helping my friends." Rather than driving further wedges into the group.
"But the night still wasn't over for me."
"...wa…"
That muffled voice caused several to sit up straight, tension rising. "Didn't Mr. Naegi say that he was asleep…?" Hifumi asked in concern.
"He did," Leon confirmed with a worried look.
"That means… someone is in his room while he's asleep," Sayaka spoke the obvious, biting her lips.
"But how?" Taka questioned, confusion and concern laced together, "Shouldn't the door be locked?"
"It should be," Mondo answered his friend, his knuckles tightening.
Hina found herself tightening her hold on Makoto's arm, while the boy himself was noticeably tense.
"...ke… up…"
"...wake up…"
"...Huh?" The screen then lit back up to show Makoto in bed. And standing above him was… "Kyoko…?"
Suffice to say, the reveal shocked the group.
"What?!"
"Kyoko?!"
"She's in his room?"
"But, how?!"
"The door's supposed to be locked, like Taka said!"
"I think the more important question should be why…"
Makoto could only stare with a clearly surprised look on his face. Kyoko, however, remained impassive; merely raising an eyebrow at this particular scene.
"Yes, it's me," the girl confirmed.
"Huh…? Kyoko?" The luckster repeated groggily.
"I said yes…" Kyoko said once again.
"So Kyoko's here…" For a moment, Makoto was about to close his eyes again. But then his mind registered the information. "Wait, what?!"
Despite the confusion, some couldn't help but laugh, much of the previous tension now being released. "Having trouble processing a pretty girl in your room, dude?" Leon teased his friend.
Of course, that brought a blush from the lucky student. "Lay off…" Makoto grumbled. How else was he supposed to react to someone being in his room? One that's supposed to be locked at that.
Makoto then shot up from his bed, wide awake. "Wh-What are you doing here?!"
"I'm here to wake you up," Kyoko answered.
"Oh, I see…" the luckster said lamely. But he then remembered an important fact. "Wait, but my door-!"
"It was unlocked," the girl revealed, "You're unbelievably careless."
"You left it unlocked?" Byakuya questioned in disbelief.
"I left it unlocked?!" Makoto himself questioned in shock.
"Wow. That is reckless," Junko remarked with a raised eyebrow, "The kind of stupid thing Hiro would do."
"HEY!"
"I assume that exhaustion is what caused him to forget…" Celeste deduced, "Assuming he didn't make the same mistake multiple times already."
"I'm sure he didn't!" the lucky student defended his future self. He wouldn't forget to lock his own door, even with how trusting he is towards his classmates… right?
"It was unlocked?!" Makoto exclaimed incredulously, "Are you serious?!"
"Always," was Kyoko's response, "And you don't have to overreact like that every time you're surprised."
"Yeah dude, be more cool when a chick invites herself into your room…" Leon teased his friend, "You don't want to overreact to every little thing she does, right…?"
"Stop making it sound more dirty than it actually is!" Makoto shouted in embarrassment, red in the face. That only prompted the baseball star to laugh harder, with Mondo and Hiro joining in.
Kyoko, of course, was not amused by the jokes. Four other girls were similarly unamused, with Hina subconsciously tightening her grip on Makoto.
"Wh-What time is it…?"
"3 o'clock," Kyoko answered, "In the morning, of course."
"3 a.m.?!" several repeated incredulously.
"Why the hell is she up that fucking early?!" Mondo asked the question on everyone's mind, "Did she even sleep at all?!"
"I'm sure that I did," the girl herself answered, "As to my own guess? I would say it's due to Sakura's last line on her will."
That had the students straightening up, all of them clearly remembering what the martial artist had declared.
'It's 3 a.m.?!'Makoto thought incredulously,'Why was Kyoko waking me up at this hour…?'
"I-It's so late… What happened…?" the lucky student asked hesitantly.
"I have a favor I need to ask…" Kyoko told him.
"What's your favor…?"
"Remember what Sakura said at the end of her note?" Kyoko asked him, "I'm not going to just lay down and die. I will fight you… I want to find out what she meant by that."
"Looks like you're correct, Kyoko," Celeste mused.
"But what could Sakura have done that Monokuma didn't notice?" Mukuro pointed out, "From what I can see, the mastermind is hyper vigilant over anything happening. It's doubtful that there was anything that went past them."
"True enough - and I'm sure Sakura knows that," Kyoko replied back, "So I'm certain she wouldn't have made that declaration if the mastermind could've spotted what she was doing; that they would be too arrogant to think she did something crippling."
That had Junko's thoughts pausing for a moment, considering the detective's words. Could the walking mass of muscles have done something that she wouldn't have seen? That would actually get past her eyes? The thought of it gave her a slight twinge of annoyance… as well as a twinge of excitement.
"Okay, but… how do you plan to do that?" Makoto inquired curiously.
In response, Kyoko leaned over and placed her lips over Makoto's ears, before whispering, "The data center on the 4th floor."
"...What?"
"I'll meet you there." And, without another word, the lavender haired girl swiftly left the room, leaving the bewildered lucky student.
"What the…?" Makoto couldn't help but mutter to himself,'The data center…? But I thought it was locked…'
"Did Sakura break the lock there…?" Taka asked, clearly interested, "Is that what she meant by fighting the mastermind?"
"If so, why the data center?" Celeste questioned, eyes narrowed, "Wouldn't more substantial information be found in the headmaster's office?"
"Maybe she chose randomly?" Hiro suggested unsurely.
"No," Byakuya stated flatly, "If she wanted to make a blow at the mastermind, she wouldn't play the fool and chose a random door."
The scene changed to Makoto on the fourth floor, around the door of the data center. "Kyoko's… not here," he said with confusion, "That's weird. She said she'd meet me."
Of course, that set alarm bells in the student's mind. "Please don't tell me she's using Makoto as bait again…" Leon groaned.
"If she is, I swear…!" Sayaka growled, clenching her skirt tightly.
Kyoko chose not to react, merely waited to see what happened. Makoto was similar, albeit with a worried frown across his face.
"Is she maybe inside already…?" the lucky student put his hand on the knob, and attempted to open the door. But, like last time, it was locked. After another wiggle, he stopped. "It must be locked."
'What was it Kyoko said?'Makoto mused to himself,'The data center on the 4th floor…'
"Oho!" Suddenly, Monokuma popped up. "What are you doing up, mister?!"
"Ahh!" Several students couldn't help but jump in surprise at Monokuma's sudden appearance.
"Damn!" Leon cursed, holding his heart, "I thought we were done with the jumpscares from that!"
"Guess it's been a while since that last happened…" Sayaka guessed with a sigh.
"Gah!" Makoto couldn't help but jump back in shock.
"Breaking into a locked room is incredibly prohibited, don'tcha know?" Monokuma growled angrily.
"Oh, well, I just…" the lucky student stammered, not knowing what to say.
"You're trying to tell me you didn't actually bust in yet, right? But… I can see that, ya dolt!" the bear roared, "Don't waste my time telling me crap I can see for myself! It looked like you might break in any second, so I just thought I'd give you a friendly reminder. Or… are you gonna try and tell me you were sleepwalking or something…?"
"N-No, nothing like that…" Makoto assured him.
"It's 3 o'clock in the morning, for crying out loud! Even I get tired, ya know?!" Monokuma pointed out irritatingly, "Stop being weird and go back to bed!"
"Why is he being so pushy?" Hina questioned with an irritated frown, "It's not like he actually made a curfew for us! We did that!"
"He probably wants to keep tabs on us at all times…" Byakuya mused, "Even when it's nighttime, the mastermind would want to make sure we're not breaking the rules he set up. Or keep an eye out for any murders happening."
"But the mastermind can't stay awake forever. As stated by Monokuma, even they need to sleep," Kyoko continued, a flash of understanding hitting her eyes. 'Is that why…'
"...What's wrong, now?" Suddenly, Kyoko entered the hallway, looking as composed as ever. "Why are you out here making a racket?"
"K-Kyoko?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock.
"And now Kyoko showed up all of a sudden…" Leon said, looking befuddled, "Anybody else wondering what she's doing?"
More than a few hands shot up, namely Mondo, Hina, Hiro, and Hifumi. "Ok. Glad I'm not alone," the baseball star nodded in satisfaction.
Monokuma growled in irritation. "Now you, too?!" he exclaimed, "Whatever! The two of you, just get back to bed! I'm positively exhausted from the class trial!"
"...Sure, you got it," Kyoko complied with ease, "Come on, Makoto. Let's head back."
"What…?" The luckster could only stare in confusion.
"Didn't you hear me? We're leaving," Kyoko repeated more forcefully.
"I have no idea what's going on anymore…" Makoto groaned.
"Don't worry about it," Kyoko assured him, turning to the direction of the stairs, "Let's just go."
"O-Okay…"
"Alright, what's the hell going on here?!" Mondo questioned with clear irritation, "None of this is making any goddamn sense!"
"First she wants to meet up at the data center, then she doesn't show up, and when she does show up, she then decides that they should leave?" HIna listed off, confusion and annoyance showing in equal measures, "I need an explanation for what's going on!"
It was Kyoko herself who answered. "It's likely that my future self… used Makoto as a diversion," she admitted hesitantly, "While Monokuma was focused on him, I went somewhere else while there weren't eyes on me."
That caused Sayaka to turn towards her with a furious glare. "Again? You're using him as bait, again?!"
"A diversion. It wasn't as though he would be in any danger by standing around the data center," Kyoko said in defense of herself, "It's already established that Monokuma wouldn't kill outside the rules he placed. So, Makoto wouldn't have been in any real danger."
Sayaka looked ready to make a biting response, as did Mukuro. But before either could, Makoto spoke up. "It's alright. I wasn't put in any actual danger this time," he said softly, "So let's not argue over this." Tension had only just gone down; he'd rather not have it rise back up because of him.
Neither the idol nor the soldier looked happy. However, they complied with their luckster's wish and held back any hostile words for the detective.
"Yeah! YEAH! Go on, get outta here! Shoo! Shoo!" Monokuma pushed loudly, as the two had back to the first floor.
The scene changed to Kyoko and Makoto at the first floor, with the former continuing to walk to her room. "So. Goodbye."
"Oh, no, no, no!"
"You do not just leave like that!"
"This is still way too confusing here!"
"An explanation is needed!"
Despite the explanation that what happened was a diversion, they still don't know exactly WHY that diversion was needed.
"H-Hold on!" Makoto cried out, causing the girl to stop her tracks. "Listen, what was all that about just now?"
'She woke me up, made me go to the data center - which just so happened to be locked…!'the lucky student thought in aggravation,'And then she shows up late, and we leave without checking a single thing! What was the point of all that?'
"That's what I'm saying!" Hina cried out, throwing her arms up, "We need an explanation here! What was she trying to do?"
"...Don't worry about it," was Kyoko's response.
Of course, her response caused several frustrated groans, palms meeting faces, and even a few banging their heads across the table.
"I thought we were done with this shit…!" Leon groaned, being one of the few banging his head across the table.
"She's very lucky Makoto is such a patient person…" Sayaka hissed, already losing whatever patience she had managed to gather, "Most, if not all of us, wouldn't had the patience to do so."
"Or the backbone to keep reaching out to the girl…" Mondo grunted in admittance.
Makoto chuckled sheepishly, unsure how to respond, while Kyoko kept from reacting to her classmate's words.
Narrator Makoto then spoke up. "I figured that would be the end of our conversation, just like always, but…"
"Well then… goodnight." was again said, as the lavender haired girl turned to head to her room.
"S-Sure…"
As Makoto turned to leave, the narrator version of him continued. "But as I turned to leave…"
"Mukuro Ikusaba."
And just like that, any sense of annoyance, frustration, and anger was dropped. All that left was confusion.
"Wait, wha-...?" Hina couldn't help but say dumbly.
"Mukuro?" Leon repeated in befuddlement, "What does she have to-? Hold on, how does Kyoko even-?"
"What…?" Makoto gasped in surprise. Right behind him was Kyoko, whispering into his hears once again.
"Mukuro Ikusuba…" Kyoko repeated once again, "The sixteenth student, lying hidden somewhere in this school. The one they call the Ultimate Despair…"
"Watch out for her." With that warning, the screen turned black.
"Chapter 4, All Star Apologies." Once again, the red and yellow silhouettes of the cast was shown, with only Sakura's silhouette blackening.
Silence was, once again, the only thing filling the room. Every single student was deathly silent as they processed the shocking, confusing, practically unbelievable, downright contradictory information given to them.
That Mukuro was alive. That she's somewhere within the school. That she's called the Ultimate Despair.
The entire class stood in this long, numbing silence, not even paying attention to the fact that the video ended. But once they manage to regain their senses…
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FU-?!"
"Did I just hear that ri-?!"
"But that's impos-!"
"Everyone, please ca-!"
"GHOOOOOSTS!"
Chaos ensued.
And that's the end. Hope you guys liked this chapter. While I could've continued and made it longer… I couldn't help myself. This just felt like the perfect way to end this chapter. Next up will be the post-chapter break, along with the class making sense of what future Kyoko said. Review, favorite, and follow (And let me know what I should with the p.a.t.r.e.o.n concerns), and I will see you all later.
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