DING DONG BING BONG
"Up, up up!" Monaca giggled as she greeted the students. "Get excited for an all new day of murder, and fun, and murder and fun!"
"Yeah, hopefully you all slept well," Nagisa said. "It'd be bad if all of you were tired for this,"
"We have a very important announcement for when you all get to the cafeteria!" Monaca cheered. "That's what Monaca and Nagisa doesn't want you to be tired for!"
"Right…"
Kaede let out a yawn as she woke up, Tsumugi still laying on her chest like the last time they had… slept in the same bed together.
"Hey Mugi," Kaede said. "How are you this morning?"
Tsumugi let out a quiet yawn as she sat up on the bed. "I-It's better than yesteryday now, ehehe…"
"That's good!" Kaede smiled. "I… am still a little worn out from that, but I'm also more hungry than I am worn out, so I'm gonna go to breakfast,"
"M-Me too,"
"You're just saying that cause I'm getting up, huh?" Kaede giggled as she kissed Tsumugi on the cheek, making the cosplayer blush.
"M-Maybe!" She smiled.
"Ehehe, you're so cute Mugi," Kaede complimented with an earnest smile. "Now let's go get food,"
Tsumugi nodded, and the two walked their way to the Dining Hall, taking their time and holding hands together… Kaede noticed her girlfriend blushing up a storm and… elected to just look at the cute sight as they entered the Dining Hall and took their usual spot next to each other.
Everyone was in the Dining Hall excluding Angie, and… including Korekiyo, who was standing in one corner in an attempt to avoid the others in the room… Kaede noticed how few people were in the Dining Hall now, it felt quiet without the boisterous voice of Tenko, or the caring cooking of Kirumi, or the announcements Angie and Himiko would make whenever they planned something new…
"Where's Angie?" Kaito asked, everyone's eyes turned at the Anthropologist in the corner, glaring at him with suspicion.
"I had nothing to do with it," The man declared calmly. "It is unwise for me to attempt to escape right now, I'd be the prime suspect,"
"Ya say that like it ain't fucken' deserved!" Miu yelled at the man.
"I'm not saying it isn't," Korekiyo said. "This may be hard to believe, but I do regret my actions,"
"You regret them cause they didn't let you escape," Kotoko stared down the man. "You can't trick us,"
"Kehehe… I suppose it makes sense to think so low of me," Korekiyo let out a breathy chuckle.
"Weirdo," Maki sighed as she continued to glare at the man.
"You talk like you haven't done what he's done a hundred times over," Kokichi said, turning his head with a smile. "Which uh… the Ultimate Assassin one hundred million percent has!"
"Kokichi, please no get into this," Gonta said. "We all had a hard day yesterday,"
"I know? I was there too!" Kokichi pouted. "I'm just saying if we're gonna be inconsiderate of one murderer's feelings, maybe we shouldn't be as considerate to the other two murderers in the room!"
Tsumugi quirked an eyebrow. "Other two…?"
Kaito stared the Supreme Leader down as he uncharacteristically quietly walked towards the boy.
"Kotoko and Maki of course! Nishihi~" Kokichi giggled. "I say, we use that whole first come first serve rule, make the two of them battle to the death and kill the third murderer that remain-"
WHAP
Kokichi clutched his cheek, the part of his face red after Kaito punched him right in it. He didn't turn around to stare at his attacker, or even come up with any kind of comeback… he just stared at the wall he was now facing.
"Quit being an asshole, Kokichi," Kaito grumbled. "You're pretty shitty normally, but this is weird even for you,"
"Kaito!" Keebo scolded. "Even if it's Kokichi, you can't just hit people,"
"Yeah, Kaito, don't do that," Kaede casually scolded.
"Ah c'mon, he had it coming,"
"I'm inclined to agree," Maki said.
"Duh duh duh ditto!" Kotoko cheered.
"You're just saying that cause I'm not insta-forgiving you for what you've done, hmpph!" Kokichi seemed to bounce back from getting punched quickly, back to his usual jokey persona and tone. "Such hypocrites, all of you!"
"Oh, you're one to fucken' talk," Miu rolled her eyes. "Lyin' little shithead!"
"H-Hey uhh… shouldn't one of us go get Angie?" Tsumugi brought up with a stuttery voice. "Monaca s-said something about an announcement, I-I think all of us need to be here for it,"
"Why worry about it?" Maki asked. "It's probably just another motive,"
"No, no," Kaito shook his head. "Even if it just a motive, if we all hear it together, we'll all be able to combat it together!"
"You actually think that?" Kokichi turned his head. "Cause from what's happened the last four motives, I think that's impossible,"
"Course I do ya little shit!" Kaito chuckled. "The impossible is possible, you just gotta make it so!"
"Gonta agree!" The big smiled. "We gotta work together to escape killing game together, to stop any more death from happening!"
Kotoko gave a smiley pout. "Ugh, that message would've resonated with me more if it wasn't hidden behind some cringey catchphrase!"
Kaito chuckled. "Oh c'mon it ain't that bad,"
"It was beautiful!" Korekiyo praised the line as if it was delivered from the greatest general of all time. "You still hope and lead even under these… terrible conditions,"
"Conditions half caused by you, yeah," Kaede sassed.
"Kehehe…,"
"Ugh… I'm just gonna go get Angie," Kaede said as she got up from her seat. "Anyone wanna come with?"
"Gonta come with!" The titan smiled as he practically bolted towards Kaede's general area. "Gonta want to cheer Angie up!"
"Yeah, she's probably feeling pretty down," Kaito shook his head. "It'd do her some good to give her some of that good ol' fashioned Kaede encouragement,"
The Pianist scratched the back of her head. "Ah, well, glad that works on someone,"
"I-It works on a lot of people!" Tsumugi yelped, then chuckled with a blush.
"Ugh, gayyyyyy!" Kokichi pouted.
"Oh, you're one to talk," Kaede rolled her eyes as she and Gonta left the room.
"Nishishi~"
"Ugh, that guy is unbearable sometimes!" Kaede complained as she and Gonta began to move through the halls of the academy.
Gonta shook his head. "Sometimes, but sometimes Kokichi can be very nice!"
"Really?" Kaede quirked an eyebrow. "Guess he hung out with you a lot before you joined the student council,"
"Yeah, Gonta… actually excited to talk to Kokichi again," The man chuckled.
Kaede shrugged. "Well, everyone has their tastes," Then looked around the halls they were aimlessly wandering through. "Where… is Angie by the way?"
"Ah, Gonta think she in her lab, is where she felt the most comfortable," The big man nodded.
"Guess you spoke to her a lot too, makes sense you'd know," Kaede smiled. "Well, let's head there,"
"Of course! Let's go help Angie!"
And so the two ran up the stairs to the second floor, and then the third floor, and then the creepy, wooded fourth floor where they quickly walked up to the front door of Angie's Lab and tired to open the door…
"It's locked…" Kaede said, getting a flashback to when she… discovered Tenko's body, she let out a deep sigh to remind herself that there wasn't anything to be scared of this time… there wouldn't be anything she wouldn't expect in there.
"She definitely in there," Gonta nodded, then knocked on the door. "Angie, it Gonta, open up please!"
The two then heard Angie's voice, though instead of the joyful, sometimes manipulative confidence it usually had it sounded… meek and depressed.
"Why…?" Angie asked from within the room.
"Because… because we wanna know that you're okay," Kaede reassured.
"I'm not…" She mumbled. "That should be quite obvious by now,"
"It is… Gonta not good at reading people, but even he know that it is," He said.
"You need to open up, Angie, you're never gonna get better if you say locked in here!" Kaede raised her voice, not to project anger, but to project passion.
Angie let out a deep sigh. "…Okay,"
And with a few hasty, stumbled steps, Angie opened the door and let Kaede and Gonta into her freshly cleaned lab… cleaned from the… incident.
Angie didn't look great to say the least, her hair hadn't been brushed since the morning, and she was holding her right hand in her jacket sleeve… the hand she had burnt trying to save Himiko.
"Angie, do you need anything?" Kaede asked earnestly.
"We always hear to help," Gonta reassured. "Because that's what properman and friend do!"
Angie sighed. "I-I… I'm still so alone…" The Islander sniffled as she took her hand out of her pocket… it was a gruesome sight, the dark flesh burnt and scarred from its time spent in the fire.
"Well, you no need to be alone," Gonta smiled at her. "You more alone in here than out there, Angie,"
"That's right!" Kaede pumped her fists to emphasise Gonta's point. "If you wanna get better you're gonna have to come out here,"
"I-I" Angie cut herself off… and barrelled directly towards Gonta, she wrapped her arms around him and let out quiet sobs into his muscular chest.
"Thank you… thank you for being after all I did…" Angie sniffled. "Gonta and Kaede, thank you so much,"
"We friends, Angie, what are friends for?" Gonta smiled.
"Yeah, and everyone deserves a second chance," Kaede smiled as Angie released herself from Gonta's chest and stared up at Kaede. "You did some bad things, but you can't let the bad things you did define you forever,"
"Y-Yeah!" Angie's smile returned, bright as ever. "That's correct, I-I won't let it define me, I will make amends with all of you!"
"That's the spirit!" Kaede smiled.
"Well then, let's head over to the Dining Hall, shall we?" The Artist said. "I have a feeling you were sent up here to ask me to do that, nyahaha!"
"U-Uhhh…"
"M-Maybe," Gonta smiled.
Angie proceeded to skip her way to the Dining Hall, the other two people with her elected to walk.
"Well, guess she's back to normal," Kaede smiled.
Gonta chuckled. "Hopefully,"
The group of three quickly made it back to the Dining Hall.
"There ya are!" Kaito smiled, giving the artist a firm handshake as she entered.
"Achk!" She winced in pain as she instinctively shook with her burned hand.
"Ah shit! Sorry Angie!"
"No, no," She waved her hands. "It's quite alright, you did not mean to, after all,"
"Jeez, that's two traumas you've accidentally reawakened," Kotoko chuckled.
"Hey, accidentally!" Kaito reminded with a chuckle. "Key word there,"
"Well, everyone's here now," Maki said. "It's only a matter of time until-"
As if on cue, Monaca wheeled into the Dining Hall, alongside Nagisa. The two stood next to each other as Monaca smiled and began to speak.
"Hello hello all of you!" Monaca giggled. "Mr. Monokuma called in sick today, so we're presenting the motive all by ourselves!"
"M-Motive!?" Miu shouted.
"Called it~" Kokichi called out.
"Mhm," Nagisa nodded, nervousness clear in how his body was shaking around Monaca. "Wh-Why don't you do the honours, Monaca?"
"Awwww, thanks Nagisa!" Monaca gave the boy a cute smile. "The motive today is very, very simple… among you, there is someone working with the mastermind of this very Killing Game!"
"Wh-Wha?" Keebo yelped.
"Th-That's not-"
"Sounds bullshit," Kaito stated.
"Hm?" Monaca turned her head. "But we haven't lied to you before,"
"Doesn't mean ya can't lie now," Kaito squinted at the Socialite. "And I say you're bluffing,"
"Of course! I agree too!" Angie smiled. "This so called traitor is another ploy to get us to kill, we cannot fall for it again!"
"No shit we won't!" Miu smiled confidently. "With what I've started cooking up in the computer room, we'll have a whole as world free from Monokuma's control,"
"Such a divine idea!" Angie smiled. "You simply must let me see!"
"C-Calm your nonexistent tits! I-It ain't close to bein' done yet!"
Monaca sighed. "Typical… anyways we're also here for another announcement,"
"More areas of the school have opened up, notably the fifth floor, and an area attached to Ms. Iruma's Lab," Nagisa explained.
"Oooo, Ms. Iruma," The Inventor flicked her hair confidently. "I like the sound of that!"
Nagisa sighed again.
"Well, we're gonna be going now!" Monaca smiled as her and Nagisa left. "Have fun finding that traitor!"
"Heh, how are we gonna find something that doesn't exist?" Kaito chuckled.
"Well, don't be delusional now, Kaito," Kokichi said. "There's some pretty good candidates for traitors here,"
"Kokichi, don't start with this," Kaede sighed.
"Korekiyo and Kotoko!" He yelled. "The double K Killers! The most obvious traitors in the world!"
"If I was a traitor, why would I put my life at risk?" Korekiyo whispered.
"Alright ya little shit, get over here!" Kaito shouted as he began to chase the small boy down once again, Kokichi screeched and ran down the hallways…
"Well, they're not exploring, I'm gonna go search the fifth floor…" Maki said in her usual gloomy tone as she left.
"Heh, me n' Keeb are gonna, d-do stuff in that new area near my lab!" Miu blushed as she dragged the also blushing Keebo by the hand out of the Dining Hall.
"Sh-She means maintenance!" The robot squeaked.
"She totally doesn't," Kotoko crossed her arms. "We should all probably go explore though,"
"Y-Yeah," Tsumugi mumbled.
"I shall remain in my lab if you need me," Korekiyo said as he exited the Dining Hall too. "I do not wish to cause a fuss,"
"Well that good of him!" Gonta smiled. "I can carry anyone who needs it, by the way!"
"Ooo me! Me!" Kotoko cheered as she practically jumped onto the giant's back, he lifted her with utter ease and chuckled. "I'm the queen of the castle now!"
Kaede chuckled at the sight… everyone seemed to be on better terms than yesterday, so that was good!
Everyone poured out of the Dining Hall eventually, including Kaede, who had also decided to explore the elusive fifth floor by walking up a newly created flight of stairs in the hallway between the Anthropologist's Lab and the Artist's Lab
The Fifth Floor was… beautiful to say the least. A huge, long chapel looking room with pillars on the walls, large, stained glass windows of Monokuma on one end of the room, and an Angel Monokuma and Devil Monokuma Statue on either side of the stairs.
"Woah…" Kaede mumbled. "This place is-"
"Making my eyes hurt…" Maki grumbled as she rubbed her eyes.
"I was gonna say pretty, but… I guess it is a little too bright compared to the last floor…" Kaede chuckled.
"This feels like a chapel," Maki stated.
"I guess that's what this floor is themed after," Kaede shrugged.
"Nyahaha!" Angie laughed from behind the Pianist, causing her to let out a tiny yelp. "This is a chapel indeed! It would be perfect for me if it was anywhere but here,"
"That makes sense," Kaede said.
"Well, I'm gonna explore around the chapel," Maki shrugged.
"I will join you!" Angie smiled as she began to follow the assassin, much to her annoyance.
Kaede chuckled as she wandered away from the scene towards a door themed after a mishmash of various anime (animes?)… it was painfully obvious who's lab this was. Kaede smiled as she walked into the room.
"Hm? Oh, hi Kaede!" Tsumugi gave a small wave as Kaede entered the room and looked around… it was more or less a giant warehouse with a bunch of colourful clothing lined up on mannequins, alongside a bunch of premade sets, including a bar.
"Heya Mugi!" Kaede smiled as she walked towards the cosplayer. "This is your lab, right? It looks pretty sweet!"
"Yeah, pretty good for trying out cosplays," Tsumugi sighed. "It's a bit… boring though,"
"Heh, sorta, but… doesn't that make it perfect for making up whatever set you want?" Kaede smiled at her girlfriend.
"That's a good point!" Tsumugi smiled back. "I could probably- ooo a bar setup!"
Tsumugi ran towards the bar, quickly taking the place of the bartender, Kaede walked towards it too.
"What's got you so excited about it?" Kaede smiled.
"Well, I used to work part time as a bartender!" Tsumugi nodded. "A-And I wanna try something with you…"
Kaede giggled. "What is it?"
"U-Umm…" Tsumugi blushed like a madwoman, surprised that Kaede actually accepted her offer. "C-Can you sit on one of the st-stools?"
"Oooooo roleplay?" Kaede teased, making Tsumugi blush even harder than she already was. "Sure Mugi,"
"O-Okay good!" The cosplayer squeaked, then let out a deep breath in prepartion for what she was going to do next. "H-Hey ma'am, wh-what would a pretty girl such as yourself wanna order?"
"Ehehe, hmmm, I dunno…" Kaede put her hand on her chin as she leaned into the "bartender" in front of her. "Could I order a kiss from the cutie in front of me?"
"Eep!" Tsumugi yelped, as the blushy, embarrassed smile on her face grew wider. "I-I suppose i-it wouldn't cost you that much-"
Kaede interrupted the cosplayer by giving her a quick smooch on the lips. "Wh-What's it gonna cost then, bartender?"
"U-Um, u-uhh…" Tsumugi trailed off as she got redder and redder and then she practically slammed her lips into Kaede's, the Pianist blushed before leaning into it herself…
The kiss ended the moment Kaede and Tsumugi ran out of breath.
"Was that the cost, Mugi?" Kaede giggled.
"Y-Yeah!" Tsumugi twiddled her thumbs. "A-And the next t-time you order a kiss, I'll make you pay d-double…"
"Well, guess I'll be ordering a bunch of kisses from you, huh?" Kaede said as she got up from her seat.
"Eep!"
"Dork~" Kaede winked. "…I should probably get going now, I got more stuff to explore,"
"Th-That's fair!" Tsumugi said as Kaede waved at the cosplayer as she walked out of her lab. "I-I had fun by the way, Sweetheart!"
"Me too Mugi, see ya!" Kaede and Tsumugi gave each other a final, wide smile as Kaede left her girlfriend's lab, preparing to explore the rest of the fifth floor.
"Onward! Onward Noble Gonta!" Kaede witnessed Kotoko cheering as she rode upon the Entomologist's back. "Onward, and we shall conquer this Earth!"
"Ah, Gonta no wanna do that!" The man said with a smile.
"Ugh, fine! We'll only conquer this school," Kotoko pouted. "I'm not going any lower!"
"Well, Gonta know you be careful with all of our friends!" The man said as he carried Kotoko around the chapel. "So Gonta help you with your conquest!"
"Yippee!" Kotoko cheered. "You're the best accomplice ever in the whole world!"
"G-Gonta glad! He thinks," The man said. Kaede let out a giggle as she moved past the two, who didn't even seem to notice her as she walked into a hallway at the top left of the chapel.
The hallway led to another large, pillar-accented room with a singular door at the north western corner of the room, it was decorated with a noirlike pattern and a magnifying glass… this would be Shuichi's Lab. Kaede took a deep breath and entered the room…
It had a rustic, almost 1870s Victorian vibe, with the piece de resistance being a wooden rocking chair next to a roaring fireplace, there was a rack with a bunch of hats on it next to a cabinet filled with a bunch of bottles… as Kaede walked closer to it, she realised what they were.
"Poisons," Maki explained from behind her, Kaede didn't yelp this time. "They're a bunch of poisons, some are quick, some are slow, most have different symptoms.
"Well that's freaky," Kaede sighed. "We should probably keep an eye on this place,"
"Obviously," Maki scoffed.
"Poison aside, this place seems pretty cozy," Kaede said as she scanned through a bunch of books, all of them about true crime cases. "It'd be nice to snuggle up here,"
"I guess… I wouldn't know much about that," Maki said.
"Oh, sorry!"
"It's fine," Maki said. "Trust me, other people here have said way worse,"
"I already know who you're talking about," Kaede chuckled. "How do you think Kokichi is doing right now, anyway?"
"Well, I assume Kaito caught him by now," Maki smirked.
"You'd be surprised, Kokichi's strong for someone who barely reaches my chest," Kaede said as she walked towards the door.
"I would be," Maki smirked. "Goodbye Kaede,"
"See ya at training, Maki!" Kaede waved as she left the room, she soon left the fifth floor and made the long trek to the courtyard to check out whatever was attached to Miu's Lab…
She entered the Inventor's seemingly empty lab, then noticed a new, blue coloured sci-fi-esque door, if Kaede had to guess she'd assume it was Keebo's lab…
What would even be in there? How do you improve in being a robot? I guess there's only one way to find out…
Well it was a kind of expected sight. A very sci-fi, robotic feeling bright blue and grey lab. With a bunch of spare parts and blueprints on a bench, the most notable thing was what looked like a circular pad with a mechanical arm seemingly for upgrading Keebo at any time.
"Ooooooo~" Miu moaned as she looked around the room. "Oh yeah, yeah this stuff is good, real good~"
"I-I appreciate the sentiment, I think," Keebo mumbled as she began to blush profusely. "B-but do you need to appreciate stuff relating to me like that?"
"Course I do Keeb!" Miu shouted as she ran up to the robot and wrapped her arms around him. "You're my totally fucken' awesome boyfriend, Keeb!"
"Awwwww…" Kaede cooed.
"GAH!" Both Keebo and Miu screeched as they both fell to the floor, Keebo with a loud, metallic thump.
"Th-The fuck are you doing here B-Bakamatsu!?"
"I-It's not what it-"
"I-It IS what it looks like!" Miu boisterously reassured. "Me n' Keebo are fuckin'!"
"Umm… I have no sexual organs… or any organs for that matter," Keebo mumbled as the two got to their feet. "So no, we aren't,"
"Yeah that tracks," Kaede chuckled as she walked over to inspect the bench.
"F-Fuck's that mean!?" Miu yelped. "I-I ain't no virgin!"
"Didn't Keebo already confirm that you are awhile ago though?" Kaede smirked at the Inventor.
"Ugh, you're such an asshole, Bakamatsu!" Miu grumbled.
"Teehee, I know," Kaede said as she felt through a bunch of blueprints, before coming across something strange.
"Huh, an antenna that lets you send messages directly to someone's brain?" Kaede shivered at the thought. "That's some scary sc-fi stuff,"
"Before you say anythin' I wouldn't EVER do that to Keeb!" Miu shouted as she wrapped her arms around a once again blushing Keebo.
"W-We know!" The robot yelped.
"Well, that's nice of you, Miu," Kaede chuckled. "Not mind controlling your boyfriend n' all,"
"Hell yeah it is!" Miu put her hands on her hips proudly. "Now get the hell outta here, I gotta see if I can attach a gun to Keeb's arm,"
"Yeah, that's not surprising, see ya!" Kaede waved goodbye as she left the Lab.
"I uh… guess that's fine…" Keebo mumbled as he stood on the circular pad machine.
Kaede was finally done with exploring, so she elected to spend the rest of her time finding something to do… Kaede found herself wanting to talk to Angie, so she went to where she was most likely to find the Artist, her lab. She walked to the fourth floor and knocked on the paint splattered, white door and knocked on it.
"It is open friend!" Angie said jovially from the inside.
Kaede opens the door into the Artist's Lab and enters to see Angie painting on a canvas held up by an easel.
"Hey Angie, what are you working on?" Kaede asked as she walked up to watch the artist at work.
"I'm painting murals of all the friends we have lost… I think they all deserve to be remembered," Angie said wistfully, still staring at her painting.
"That's… really nice of you, Angie!" Kaede said encouragingly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Ah well, when I'm done it would be divine of you if you could grab me a new canvas once I finish this one!" Angie smiled at the Pianist. "I do not want to trip over my paint after all,"
"Right, I'll do that for you then!" Kaede smiled as she sat next to the Artist to look at what she was painting… it was a beautiful picture of Tenko and Himiko posing for a picture with smiles on each of their faces, Angie's signature was in the corner.
"W-Wow this looks really good!" Kaede beamed. "I-I'm sure they would love this,"
"I know, I know!" Angie nodded with a smile. "That is why I drew it, nyahaha!"
"I guess that's fair, heh," Kaede chuckled.
Kaede watched Angie paint the beautiful paintings for the rest of the day: one for Shuichi, one for Rantaro, one for Ryoma and one for Kirumi… all were beautiful, happy paintings, and Kaede did her very important (if incredibly easy) job of handing Angie new canvases whenever she had finished painting a mural.
"Nyahaha, these are all beautiful!" Angie smiled and nodded. "I think it's my best work yet!"
"Yeah, anything else you need me to do, Angie?"
"No, no, you are free to rest!" Angie smiled. "I will set these up in the Dining Hall on my own!"
"Alright, good luck Angie!" Kaede smiled as she left the Artist's Lab for her own dorm. "Have a good night!"
"Nyahaha! May Atua bless your night too!"
She seems to be in a better mood than she was this morning, that's good!
DING DONG BING BONG
"Hello everyone! It is now 8:00 AM!" Monaca smiled. "It's time for you to go to bed!"
"We don't want you tired for tomorrow," Nagisa said nervously. "W-We have something else to show you,"
Monaca giggled. "Yeah, something reaaaallly special!"
"Probably nothing good though," Kaede sighed as she plonked herself onto her bed, waiting for Kaito to ring her doorbell.
DING DONG
Speak of the devil, Kaede quickly opened the front door, revealing Kaito, Maki and Kotoko as usual.
"Took you long enough," Kaede chuckled.
"We got like, the instant it became nighttime, impatient much?" Kotoko pouted, then giggled.
"She's right," Kaito shrugged. "C'mon, let's head over,"
"Let's just get this over with…"
"Don't act like you don't enjoy training with us, Maki," Kaito smirked at the assassin, who's face gained the faintest blush.
"Do you wanna die?"
"Eh, not really," Kaito chuckled with a shrug as the group of four reached their usual training spot.
"Awww… what's poor Maki to do now that her threats aren't working?" Kotoko giggled at Maki's expense, which made the assassin glare at her as she sat down on the ground waiting for Kaito to instruct them.
"Alright, alright leave her alone," Kaito chuckled. "Fifty pushups from all of ya,"
"Really? I would've thought you'd do more considering we're only just getting back to training," Kaede said as she and the rest of the group plopped onto the floor to do their pushups, with a lot more ease than before.
"Don't tell him that!" Kotoko pouted. "I need these arms to be usable!"
"Heh, nah, I didn't wanna overwork the hell outta you guys just yet!" Kaito let out a confident laugh.
"That's good for the rest of you, I guess," Maki smirked as she finished her pushups.
The other trainees talked for a bit as they finished up their pushups, with Kotoko finished last panting and covered with sweat.
"Alright, Maki, I wanted to ask ya somethin'" Kaito said as he looked down at the smaller woman, who let out a small "hm?" as a response.
"Well, you're an assassin, right?"
"It's… that's the dumbest question I've ever heard," Maki shook her head. "Yes,"
"Where are you going with this, Kaito?" Kotoko asked.
"Trust me, trust me, I'm not just being stupid," Kaito waved his hands. "I wanted to ask how you got into it,"
"That's a very sensitive question…" Maki glared at the Astronaut.
"I know, that's why I'm asking it," Kaito smiled. "I can tell, you weren't a murderer from birth… so I wanna know how you ended up becoming an assassin,"
Maki sighed. "You're not gonna let this go, are you? Kaede, can you get him to stop?"
"I uhh… actually think this would help you, Maki," Kaede gave a smile to the assassin who let out another sigh. "So, no,"
"Well Kotoko's not gonna help either… fine, I'll give you everything…"
"I was abandoned pretty early at birth left at an orphanage by my parents… some cult took me from the orphanage one night and began training me…"
"From that day forward, I got given jobs, and then I completed them… I felt terrible at first, but… I guess I got over it at some point,"
"There," Maki finished her story. "That's it, what was the point of that?"
"Alright, now that's laid out on the table," Kaito looked at Maki with one of his more serious looks. "But I can tell you're leaving something out, Maki, I can tell you still feel terrible about what you've done,"
"Most people would…" Maki grunted. "I don't like Kokichi, but he still has a point, I have killed people before, I am used to it and if-"
"Who cares?" Kaede butted in.
"What?"
"You heard her, who gives a shit?" Kaito put his hand into a fist. "Who says you can't get better? Who says that your regret ain't the biggest indication of that?"
"I think you might be blind, or stupid or something, but… it is impossible for me to repent for what I've done," Maki began to pace around the court. "I've hurt so many people… killed so many people I-"
"Everyone deserves a second chance-"
"This would be my hundredth chance!" Maki yelled. "Even if it wasn't impossible, I-"
"Tch, can't believe my sidekick would forget what I said this morning," Kaito interrupted the assassin by putting his hand on her shoulder, she jumped a little, but managed to hold back the urge to hit him in the face. "The impossible is possible, you just gotta make it so, Maki, you just gotta take the first step!"
"His catchphrase is still cringey, but he's right!" Kotoko smiled, Kaito let out the tiniest of snickers at her comment. "Plus, if I'm able to become a better person, you definitely are!"
"Maki, you deserve to be happy," Kaede encouraged with a serious look in her eyes. "And the only way you're gonna do that is if you're able to realise it,"
"I-I…" Maki trailed off. "You're all stupid… but, I guess if it makes you shut up about it I'll try,"
"Well, it's better than nothing," Kaito shrugged. "I'll get you outta your shell one of these days,"
Maki gave a smirk and a chuckle at that, Kaito chuckled right back, and Kotoko and Kaede gave eachother knowing looks…
"Welp, it's getting late," Kaito announced.
"Yeah, I should sleep…" Maki mumbled.
Everyone waved eachother goodbye as they all returned to their respective dorm rooms… Kaede plopped down on her bed, happy that everyone seemed to be in a better mood than yesteryday…
Well, except maybe Korekiyo…
Tomorrow is another day.