*Ding dong, bing bong*

TK awoke to the sound of the bell ringing throughout his room. He was wiping the tiredness from his eyes when the monitor turned on.

"Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!" After Monokuma finished his message the monitor turned off.

'I guess it's morning… But without any windows, I can't be sure if he's telling the truth,' TK thought. He quickly put on his shirt and vest and started to think about what he should do.

'I should find Sayaka, and we can figure out what the plan is gonna be. She did say she's my assistant,' TK liked that plan. He liked that he already somewhat knew someone here. It's not because he doesn't like the others, they all seem pretty cool with a few exceptions, he just likes a little familiarity that's all.

"I should probably check her room first," TK said after putting on his hat. He left his room to look for Sayaka's, which didn't take long because it was the one right next to his. He rang her doorbell and waited for her to answer.

"Hello…?" Sayaka said tiredly after opening her door. She was still tired from Monokuma's wake-up call.

"Good morning," TK greeted and she seemed to perk up when she noticed that it was him.

"Oh, TK! Perfect timing!" Sayaka exclaimed, quickly erasing any signs of her being tired.

"Huh…?"

"Listen, I have a favor to ask…" she said softly, making sure that no one else but him could hear it.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I was just getting ready to head out. If it's okay, would you like to come with me?" Sayaka asked. "Maybe we could talk.."

"Yeah, sure. Where are you going?"

"Oh… umm…" Sayaka looked over his shoulder and TK followed her gaze. All he saw was Taka standing to attention outside of his room. "I've been thinking that… there might be something around here I could use for self-defense."

"What!?" What she said worried TK. Why would she need something for self-defense? Even though he didn't have the best introduction with some of them, TK didn't think any of them would actually kill someone. And with the nighttime rule they agreed upon, they didn't have to worry about anyone sneaking around at night.

"Well, I mean… whoever's keeping us here could show up and attack us any time. You never know…" Sayaka told him, which made him feel better. She just wants something to defend herself from the person who trapped them here.

"So I just… want to be able to protect myself no matter what happens," Sayaka explained and TK started thinking of anything he saw that she could use to defend herself.

'When we were in the gym entryway, I remember seeing a bunch of stuff in the display case that could be used for self-defense.'

"Oh, the gym? Okay, let's go!" She said, making TK jump.

"You need to stop doing that!" TK told her.

"It's not my fault I'm psychic," Sayaka started giggling to herself. "Come on, I'm just kidding! Seriously, I just have amazing intuition."

'I'm still having a hard time believing that she just has intuition,' TK thought. He and Sayaka started walking to the gym, getting a little lost along the way. They soon made it to the gym, passing by some of their classmates along the way.

"Here we go. I might be able to find something here to protect myself with…" Sayaka started to browse the trophy case for the perfect weapon for her to use for self-defense. "Yeah, I'm sure I'll find something in the display case I can use."

TK decided to help her find a weapon, and also one for himself. What Sayaka said earlier stuck with him, whoever trapped them in here might try to attack them so it would be a good idea for him to have something to defend himself as well. He spotted a golden sword in the corner of his eye and decided to get a better look.

'For a second I thought it was a real sword, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be useful for defense,' TK grabbed the sword by its handle and felt something sticky on his hand. He released the sword and looked at his hand to find gold paint on his hand.

"I guess the paint is still wet. I barely touched it and I got its gold coating all over my hand," TK said and Sayaka looked over his palm.

"Wow, you're right. Your hand is totally gold! Even just for self-defense, I think it's a little…" Sayaka paused and moved her hands around to insinuate what she meant. TK didn't know if she meant that it was useless or overkill.

"At least it's something, right?" TK sighed and Sayaka started thinking.

"You should take it with you! It might help liven up your room a little," Sayaka suggested.

"You think so?" TK asked and the pop star nodded.

"But I guess you'd better be careful taking it. You should wrap it in newspaper or something," Sayaka then turned back to the trophy case for a weapon of her own. "I don't see anything I could really use for self-defense…"

"It's fine and it's not like you need it right away, right? And if anything were to happen you know I got your back!" TK said and Sayaka blushed.

"You'll… protect?" Sayaka said and TK realized what he said, causing him to blush as well. Sayaka soon gave him a small smile and started giggling. "Thank you for saying that. If I've got you on my side, I guess I don't need a weapon after all!"

'Something about her smile makes me feel at ease.'

"Okay, we can stop looking for a weapon, then," Sayaka said after she regained her composure. "But as long as we're here, let's hang out a bit more."

They stood around not saying a word to each other, it was awkward. TK didn't know if he should be the one to start the conversation or not and Sayaka was looking around the room. How do you even start a conversation with a pop idol anyway? She's famous and popular amongst her peers, while he's just some random guy that's contempt hanging around with his small group of friends.

"Umm, I know I said I wanted to talk with you, but now that we're here… I don't really know what to talk about," Sayaka said, breaking the silence. She then looked a little sad. "And I was the one who invited you to come with me, too. Sorry…"

"It's fine," TK told her. "If there's nothing to talk about, then we don't have to talk or we can talk later."

"Huh?"

"You don't have to force yourself. You can just stare off into space and do nothing or find something you enjoy doing," TK said and Sayaka started to mull over what he told her.

"Stare off into space…?" Sayaka repeated what he told her and TK realized what he said.

"Oh, but that sounds super boring for someone like you! Just standing around doing nothing," TK quickly said.

"No, it's not that it's boring. It's just…" Sayaka then looked like she was a mixture of sadness and embarrassment. "I've never really done it before. I don't have a lot of time to just… do nothing."

"Makes sense. You're not a normal high school student like everyone else. You've got a ton of stuff to do every day," TK said. He kind of understands what she goes through, not as an idol but as having too much stuff to do every day. Between his Digidestined duties, school work, and basketball, staring off into space is heaven for him.

"Hey, um… this is kinda out of nowhere, but, TK, do you have a dream?" Sayaka asked out of nowhere. TK was taken back by her question, not expecting someone to ask about his dream. If he was being honest he doesn't have a dream. He likes writing and he hopes one day he could write a story about his and his friends' adventures, but he also likes basketball and being active.

"What about you, Sayaka? What's your dream?" TK asked after not being able to answer her question.

"I… My dream is…" She then smiled a bright smile. "I've always wanted to be a star, as long as I can remember. I grew up without a mother, you know. And my dad worked really late every night. I was always home alone. I was just a kid, ya know? So I was really lonely."

TK could relate to that, it was just him and his mother when he was growing up. Around the time when he started Elementary school, his mother started to work late leaving him to fend for himself. It wasn't bad in the beginning because he had to worry about the Digital World, but as he got older he spent less time in the Digital World. He wasn't entirely alone because he was able to hang out with his friends and brother, but he wished he saw his mother more.

"But that all changed when I saw a pop star on TV for the first time. She was so pretty, like a princess. And she could sing, and dance…" Sayaka started to get lost in her thoughts as she remembered the pop star that inspired her. "But more than anything else, there was her smile. Looking at her smile, I could feel my loneliness melting away. I decided that's what I wanted to be someday. I wanted to give that kind of encouragement to others. Eventually, that became my dream."

"That's amazing. And the fact that you were able to fulfill your lifelong dream. That's really incredible," TK said with amazement, though Sayaka didn't share his enthusiasm. She looked sad and ashamed, but also serious.

"I did whatever it took to reach that dream," she said suddenly. "I mean it. Even some things that… weren't so pleasant."

Sayaka shuddered and TK was worried. He didn't want to know what she did to get where she is as a pop star, and even if he did, he doesn't think Sayaka would want to tell him.

"I honestly believed that as long as you kept chasing your dreams, someday they had to come true. But to do that, you can't take your eyes off of your dream, not even for a second. Even if sometimes it's a bad dream… Whether you're awake, whether you're asleep," she said seriously. "To make your dream a reality, you have to keep your gaze fixed on it no matter what. In that world, if you lose focus for even a split second, you get left behind. You have to keep on swimming against the current, without even taking time to breathe… That's the kind of world my dream lives in."

"That sounds tough and horrible," TK said. He felt bad for her, to go through so many hurdles at such a young age, it sounds brutal.

"Oh no, don't get the wrong idea. It's super fun!" Sayaka reassured him, but he still had his doubts. Her hands started to shake and she had a frightened look on her face. "But… that's exactly what scares me."

"Huh?"

Sayaka took a few deep breaths and her hands stopped shaking. In fact, she looked like she did a few minutes ago as she wore that same exact smile. "I enjoy every single day I wake up and get to do what I do. Everyone in our group is amazing. We're rivals in a way, but they all mean so much to me. We've been performing together since we were young, so they're all like family to me. Without them, I would have given up on my dream a long time ago. To work together, and fulfill our dreams together, has brought me so much happiness…"

Suddenly, she started to shake and she wore the same frightened expression as before. "But that's the thing that scares me the most. If the world gets tired of us, then what happens? What happens to us? Then the dream dies, those wonderful days come to an end, and everyone goes their separate ways…"

'Sayaka…' TK was extremely worried for his friend. 'To work so hard and to sacrifice so much to reach her dream, just to be forgotten must be terrifying. I somewhat understand because other than the die-hard fans, no one remembers Matt's first band. Though he didn't care as much as Sayaka because he just went on to form another band in high school, and when they broke up he decided to become an astronaut.'

"So that's the reason I decided to come to Hope's Peak," Sayaka admitted, gaining TK's attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… they say that if you graduate from here, success is basically guaranteed. Which means I could keep on performing with my best friends, forever and ever," Sayaka explained and TK doesn't know if Sayaka even knows he's even there. "At least, that's what I thought. I really did believe that, but… now we're trapped here, with no way out. They're probably waiting for me…"

Sayaka turned extremely pale and her eyes sunk into her head. "While I'm in here, the world out there is forgetting about me. Minute by minute, we're all disappearing. But still…"

"Sayaka?"

"I can't afford to be stuck in here!" Sayaka screamed, causing TK to jump in shock.

'She sounds desperate. I somewhat understand, to work so hard to achieve your dream only for it to be ruined by something out of your control, it's horrible,' TK thought. I know nothing I could say will make her feel better, but I wish there was SOMETHING I could do!'

"Ah- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to complain," Sayaka apologized after she calmed down. "I kinda killed the mood, huh?"

TK shook his head. "No, not at all."

"I'm really sorry…" Sayaka apologized again.

TK tried to think of what to say next, to forget about what happened. He realized that he hasn't eaten anything yet and since he went straight to Sayaka's room this morning, he assumes that she hasn't eaten anything either.

"Hey, Sayaka, are you hungry? After I put this sword away, would you like to meet me in the Dining Hall for some breakfast?" TK asked. She didn't give him a response right away.

"So…" she gave him a little smirk before it turned into the bright smile that he was used to seeing her wear. "You want me to make us something to eat? I might not look like it, but I'm actually a pretty good cook!"

"Really? What's your specialty?" TK asked with amazement, assuming that a famous idol like her would have someone to prepare her meals for her.

"Chili oil," she said with a straight face.

"Like the condiment?" TK asked with his amazement from before diminishing. She then snickered before she burst out laughing.

"Just kidding!" She continued to laugh and TK couldn't help but smirk.

'She's acting completely different from her mood earlier. I just hope I get to see more of this Sayaka.'

The two left the trophy room and went their separate ways for the time being. Sayaka walked to the dining hall while TK went to his room, both agreeing to meet back up at the dining hall for some breakfast after TK dropped off the sword. He highly doubts that he'll ever have to use the weapon, but TK was happy to have something to decorate his room with. TK placed the sword on the shelf, deeming it the best place for the weapon when he realized he hadn't hung up any of his posters.

He decided to hang them up later and left his room. He made it as far as the end of the hallway when he heard someone call out his name.

"Hey, uh, Takeru, right?"

TK turned around to see Leon walking up to him.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to help me find a way out of this place unless you're busy," Leon said.

"Sure, but I'm on my way to eat breakfast right now so maybe later?" TK asked, but the redhead didn't seem to mind.

"That's fine, just meet me in the A/V room when you're done!" Leon said before walking off to a different part of the school.

TK soon arrived at the dining hall to see Sayaka laying down two plates of pancakes on one of the tables. She smiled when she saw him and waved him over.

"I didn't know what you wanted to drink so I left it up to you. There's milk and an assortment of juices in the kitchen," she said and she gave him a cup. TK took it and went into the kitchen, where he found Hina munching away on a donut.

"Hey, Hina. How's it going?"

She looked up from her donut and joyfully waved at him.

"Hey, TK! I'm doing pretty well," she told him before shoving her face back into her sugary breakfast. TK chuckled when he saw it and poured some coffee into his cup, grateful that someone already made some earlier.

"You really like donuts, don't you?"

Hina nodded her head vigorously as she swallowed her food.

"They're the best! I believe that all the world's problems would be solved if everyone had a donut!" She looked at the clock before leaving the kitchen. "I would like to stay and chat but me and Sakura are going to work out. You should join us sometime."

"I'll think about it," TK told her and she left.

He soon joined back up with Sayaka at their table and started eating his breakfast. The two didn't talk much as they ate, they enjoyed the silence and each other's company.

"That was good," TK said after finishing his food and Sayaka smiled.

"I'm glad you liked it. Having you by my side really makes me feel a lot better," Sayaka said. She soon frowned and sighed. "I hate that we had to meet again under such horrible conditions… I'm relieved you're with me."

"I'm happy you're with me too," TK told her and she started smiling again.

"R-Really?" She giggled. "Thank you for the flattery."

She then brought a finger to her chin and posed like she was thinking.

"But it's kind of strange, you know? I never thought I'd get a chance to really talk to you like this. All throughout elementary school, you never talked to me. In fact, you never even looked at me."

"That's because I was busy with my own stuff…," TK said, who quickly realized what Sayaka just said. "...Wait, how do you know I never looked at you?"

"Because I looked at you all the time," Sayaka revealed.

"Huh?"

"I was always looking for an opportunity to talk to you. I even talked to some of your friends in hopes to talk to you," Sayaka said and TK was still shocked.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

"But you were always so busy with basketball and your computer club, I ended up transferring before we could even say a word to each other. That was one of my biggest regrets," Sayaka said and TK felt bad. He wished he knew that she wanted to talk to him, but just like she said he was busy with basketball and the Digital World, or to everyone else computer club. There was one thing he was confused about though.

"Why me? Out of everyone else in our school and class, why me?" TK asked, making Sayaka flustered. Her cheeks were red and she had a hard time looking TK in the eyes.

"Do you remember that day when your friend Hikari fainted during class?" Sayaka asked and TK nodded. How could he forget, it was the day when his best friend was transported to the Dark Ocean. It was a terrifying day for both of them.

"You called out her name before she fainted and ran to check up on her after the class ended. I also remember seeing you calling out her name to the ocean. I thought it was beautiful how much you care for your friends," Sayaka said and TK couldn't help but blush.

"I did it because that's how me and my friends are, we always look out for each other and do our best to pick each other up when we're feeling low."

"That's so sweet and hearing you say that makes me wish we met again under better circumstances," Sayaka said and TK couldn't help but chuckle.

"I think that would've been better too, running into each other on the streets or bumping into each other on a train would've been better than this," TK said, but Sayaka couldn't help but feel sad. TK patted her back to make her feel better.

"Don't worry, someone will come to save us soon and if not I'll make sure that we all get out of here!" TK promised and it made her feel better, she even smiled a little.

"I believe you! My intuition says so and my intuition always turns out to be right. Cuz I'm psychic," Sayaka giggled and TK smiled, glad that he was able to make his friend feel better. "Kidding, kidding!"


Just like he promised, TK met up with Leon in the A/V room. It was a room full of tables with small screens on them and a small control panel as well. There was also a huge screen on the wall in between two speakers that looked like boomboxes.

The two boys decided to split up to opposite sides of the room to check all the table screens. Leon's reasoning for this was that he thought there could be a button that would open a secret tunnel for them to escape through. TK thought it was highly unlikely for there to be a secret tunnel but seeing how they were being held captive by a robotic bear, anything is possible. They started going from table to table but nothing happened.

"I got nothing over here! How about you?" Leon asked from across the room. TK shook his head and Leon groaned before turning his attention to the screen on the wall. "Maybe there's something behind there? Help me move it!"

The two boys moved to the screen and tried to lift it off the wall. It wouldn't budge and Leon slammed his hand against the screen in frustration. TK knocked on the screen to see if there was anything hollow behind it but it was all solid.

"I'm not even afraid anymore. Now I'm just pissed off…" Leon groaned and hit the screen again. "Why?! Why is this happening to me?! This isn't fair, man! I mean, am I wrong?"

"Yeah, it really is," TK said with a hint of sarcasm. TK agreed that it was unfair that they were all trapped here, and he knew Leon felt the same, but the way he said it made him sound selfish.

"Right?! Totally unfair. Ultra unfair! Just like having to shave my head right before every baseball game!" Leon complained.

"Didn't you choose to do that, right?" TK asked, which seemed to frustrate Leon more.

"C'mon man! Are you against me now too!?" TK shook his head at Leon's accusation. "I didn't even wanna play! But the coach and all the teachers begged me, so I did! And then they made me shave my head, just cuz it's 'tradition'. How's that fair?!"

"You really hate baseball that much?" TK asked. TK understood his frustrations a little, even some of his friends might too. Sure, they were never asked to shave their heads before every game, he knows Tai and Davis would put up a fight, and it doesn't give you any physical advantage. But he understood being forced to do something you don't want to do.

His old basketball coach wanted him to switch positions from being a point guard to a shooting guard because he had the best shot on the team. It didn't work out as well as the coach hoped for because when he switched positions his shooting percentage went down and his replacement couldn't pass the ball as well as he did. When he played at point guard he didn't shoot a lot because he either cut into the lane for an easy lay-up or because he passed to a wide-open teammate for an easy bucket. They also lost a lot of games when he was at shooting guard and it got so bad that his coach was relieved from his duties during their losing streak before he was put back to his natural position.

"Damn straight I do! Who has fun running around on a dusty field for three hours!?"

'Isn't the baseball field a sacred ground for players?' TK thought.

"But it's so not cool! Spending all that time at practice, getting covered in sweat and dirt…" Leon ran his hand through his hair as he thought back on his playing days. "It's just baseball, right? It's easy! Who needs to practice!?"

'Whoever decided to bless this man with his talent might've made a mistake,' TK thought and he felt a little disappointed. To have all that talent and choosing to waste it is saddening because a lot of people work hard and never reach the level that Leon was on. If he wasn't happy playing baseball then TK supports his decision to quit, but he couldn't help feeling sad that he was throwing away a massive opportunity.

"Still… I gotta admit, baseball wasn't all bad. It did have a few things going for it…"

"The feeling of camaraderie between you and your teammates and the euphoric feeling after winning a big game?" TK asked and Leon gave him a weird look.

"Nah, nothin' like that! I can't stand being around a bunch of sweaty guys. So totally uncool!"

"Then what was it?"

"Well, I hate studying, right? But I still got into this super fancy school on a sports scholarship. As long as I kept playing, I never had to study! And besides that…" Leon smirked and had a little twinkle in his eye. "It made me super popular with the ladies! Booya! Ya jealous? I got to third base in more ways than one, if ya know what I'm sayin'! …Just kidding!"

TK was speechless. Well, not exactly speechless, more like he didn't know what to say to the ex-baseball player. Leon chuckled at his little joke to break the silence.

"I got plenty more where that came from! I'll tell ya more next time. Anyway, let's hang out again sometime! Talking to you helps keep my mind off this place…" With a smile on his face and a spring in his step, Leon strolled away, leaving behind TK who was slightly regretting agreeing to Leon's offer earlier.

'I guess Leon likes hanging out with me.'