What exactly was going on?

Why were we here?

Who put us here?

Were we in any danger?

All those questions rambled around my mind whilst observing our situation. What stood between said questions, and possibly the answers, was a door. A door I could easily open... So why did I felt restless? As if I knew an obstacle of some kind would pop out in response the second I opened the door.

Anxiousness.

Confusion.

Fear.

I couldn't shake them off. The dam that was my head stood fast against those overflowing negative waves as best it could. I had no idea what happened nor what might happen... But that showed exactly why I couldn't just idle about letting those negativities take over me!

No matter what hid beyond the door, I'd stay hopeful. I'd stay determined. I'd make sense of everything, ensuring he and I escaped! Yeah! Awaiting me was a future filled with wondrous joy and illumination!

And so, with no hesitation, I slid open the door.

Prologue: Suppression

I gulped down my dried saliva; erasing any remnants that held my fears and doubts. I moved forward carrying a sense of ease and confidently looked ahead to face what laid beyond the sliding door. What I found... was an immediate counter against my undaunted attempt!

The moment we left the room, we found ourselves in an empty, long, and dim school hallway. Our only light source were the moon's rays shining through the windows at the end of each side of the hallway - near the staircases leading downward or up. Even then, they were way too far from us; enough it made me stop dead in my tracks and stood still as I stared off into space...

Heh, funny. I just given myself a whole internal monologue to motivate me, but-

"AH!"

WHAT WAS THAT?! OH GOD, SOMETHING TUGGED AT MY ARM! NOOOOOOO! PLEASE STOP! LET ME-

"Are you moving or not? We don't got all day."

Wait! That voice. I turned toward its source, and my eyes met with the owner's intense, burning glare! I jumped, but then relaxed. Thankfully, the attempt proved successful, as my vision stabilized and became clearer, allowing a better examination of the owner's head who comprised a short and clean hairstyle with small, scarlet spikes stuck upwardly out beneath each side of his black scally cap. His white clear framed glasses were like barriers which prevented the intensity of his blazing red eyes from radiating any further.

After a good look, the choking beats within my heart calmed themselves. With quivered lips, I responded:

"K-Kuroki…?"

An awkward silence settled in between us. I tried to break the ice, but no words would form. From fear or embarrassment? Maybe a mix between the two. It was only until Kuroki's irked sigh broke the silence, subsequently snapping me out of my sheepish thoughts.

"This is why you should think before you act, Hanako. You become more vulnerable to life's swift surprises."

"S-Sorry," I instantly looked down at the ground with my face risen as hot as our resting sun. All I could see now were Kuroki's silky pure black men's dress shoes.

"Hmm... How strange."

Kuroki, breaking the silence once again, caught my attention as I rose back up at him; my eyes quickly skimmed the formal buttoned up black business suit and red stripped white necktie he always wore. Kuroki turned his head left and right, then glanced behind the classroom we exited from.

"What's strange?" I asked.

"This hallway. It's very much like the classroom behind us, wouldn't you agree?"

I tilted my head to check behind Kuroki and compared the classroom with the hallway we stood in. And so - a clear deduction gained by my genius observational skills - I concluded...

"Y-Yeah, you're right. There's definitely something off about them, huh?"

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" Kuroki's lowered eyelids sent me a lazy, disappointed stare.

"U-Um..."

I couldn't help but put up an awkward smile and an averted glance. Kuroki sighed, accepting those signs as a resounding no.

"The lights," he finally said.

"The lights? Oh, I get it! You're pointing out that both the classroom and hallway lights are off, right?!"

"I swear, you have no boundaries to that density of yours," Kuroki remarked, face palming.

"Come on! Am I right or not?!"

"Yes, you are."

"Then just say it, geez! I'm not perceptive like you are, Kuroki!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought something so obvious would be enough for someone as simple-minded as you to catch on."

"Hey! Rude much?! Still, why are all the lights off?" after a short ponder, the answer I conjured up spouted a gasp out of me. "Don't tell me… Were our naps so long that the school accidentally locked us in?!"

"If we were ghosts, maybe."

"D-Don't say that! I'd rather NOT have anymore unsettling ideas, thank you!"

"It was a joke. No way our school's staff is that incompetent. So calm down."

Calm down? CALM DOWN?! How did he expected me to remain calm?! We suddenly woke up inside our school with every light completely shut! What else was I supposed... Wait, I should calm down! This was an easy fix!

"We need a light switch! There has to be one nearby, right?!"

"Heh. That's the most rational thing you've said all day," Kuroki smirked.

"Oh, shut it! Let's hurry up and find-"

Without warning, my ears twitched a little. I suddenly heard a chilling, mundane, and gradual sound echoed throughout the hallway, which immediately froze me in place. The sound continued as if on repeat, growing louder each time.

"W-What's that?" I whispered.

"I don't know, but they're most definitely near us," Kuroki whispered back.

"N-N-Near us?! Are you sure?!"

"Positive. That or the owner has some really oversized feet."

Feet? I listened to the sound again. Yeah, without a doubt, those were footsteps! Wait, could it be...?

"What if it's the others Monokuma talked about?" I suggested.

"That would be the most likely possibility."

"T-Then there's nothing to worry about, right? If they're in the same position as us, they'll likely be friend-"

"Found-"

"You..."

My heart stopped for a split second. The footsteps had paused and replaced by a voice, no, voices we could only assume directed themselves at us.

"Hanako! Over there!"

I whirled my body around; almost believing my entire upper portion had just snapped clean off my hips! I then saw what Kuroki pointed to. There were two shaded figures at the end of the hallway who ominously stood before us like statues. They blocked a window, covering some moonlight as well as the area in darkness. Upon seeing those unknown figures sent a feeling I hadn't felt since my childhood when I thought a monster lived inside my closet! And the final nail in the coffin was when both figures slowly, eerily widened their mouths and smiled at us, causing the feeling to burst out of my body as a-

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"H-Hanako! Get a hold of your-"

The sound emitted from my body sprinting in the opposite direction instantly drowned out Kuroki's words.

"No! We have to go! We have to go RIGHT NOW!"

Before I knew it, I dashed at supersonic speeds toward the nearest staircase and rushed straight down!

1st Floor

I had no idea how long or far I ran. But I didn't care! Not after witnessing the two frightening figures who roamed upstairs; who the heck tossed me into a horror movie?! I had to run! I had to run; I had to run; I had to run; I had to-

"HANAKO! STOP!"

I released a loud gasp and stopped myself with a screeching halt. Stress overcame and bent me over; one of my knees caught my trembled hand. I breathed in and out at a sharp pace, which concerned me because I didn't know whether the act was exactly healthy, but it was all I could do. My legs wobbled like jelly; not sure if I could move anymore. Ironically, that thought sent a chill down my spine. What if I encountered something or someone as scary or greater than the two figures upstairs?! Oh, I wanted to go home already!

"J-Jesus, where do you think you are?! A marathon?!"

I spun around and saw Kuroki, who stood similarly tired but not appearing as drained as me. Seeing him brought me a great sense of relief. Emotions still driving my body, I worked up the strength to rush up and tightly wrapped my arms around him.

"K-Kuroki! Thank god you followed me! I don't know what I would have done if I was all by myself!"

"W-Well, I sort of didn't have a choice."

"Huh? What do you-"

Coincidentally, I glanced over the southwest direction of my vision and noticed a constant occurrence ever since we left the classroom. We… still held hands… Did I already aged billions of years, because my head felt like it was about to explode like - or maybe even rivaled - our sun's inevitable fate?! I quickly pushed myself from Kuroki, consequently detaching our hands. I then cupped both my hands together and slapped them right on my face.

"OhmygodI'msosorryIdidn'trealizeourhandswerestilltogetherI-I-I-I-I-I-I-"

"Slow down! I can't understand a word you're saying!" exclaimed Kuroki.

"I'M SORRY!"

"..."

"..."

And again came the silence. And again, Kuroki broke it.

"Honestly, we'll get nowhere if you continue this trepidation of yours, Hanako! Would you please take a moment-"

"Uh... huuh... Ah, huuh."

"H-Hanako?"

My hands... They ended up becoming a hole for a lake. And it would continue its rise if I didn't keep myself in check, but I struggled. Whatever dam set up to prevent those emotions from seeping out has been completely and utterly demolished. They were endless, as long as the two rain clouds above maintain their constant downpour upon my lake... Wow. What else could be more fitting for a rainy day but a continuous, pitiful silence?

"..."

"..."

Kuroki accomplishing his job quota however severed the silence again with a sigh... But something felt different. Following Kuroki's sighs would usually be another of his snarky remarks. Instead, my body... grew warm? No, more than that. It felt like something pressed against me and simultaneously wrapped itself around me, acting as a snuggly blanket. Did I accidentally move again? Or could it be-

"K-K-Kuroki?"

I raised my head out from the lake and found my wet nose almost nuzzling Kuroki's chest. His hand rested on my head whilst his entire other arm completely wrapped itself around me. In quick consecutive seconds - pauses in between - I felt minuscules of air landed on my head before dispersing into the atmosphere.

"I'm here, okay? I'm here so stop worrying, please."

He... was here. I felt so light suddenly. Like someone had lifted a terrible heavy burden off my shoulders. Could it have been his words? Or maybe the warm and gentle aura his body emanated? Actually, it might be both. Silence came once again, but it wasn't one I'd push away. In fact, I welcomed it. Those might not had been much, but they were enough.

"Are you good now?"

"Yeah… I think so."

Thus, we separated from each other, taking back our individual body heats formerly mixed together to create something... Something-

"Uh, are you sure you're okay?"

"… O-Oh!" I screamed. "I'm sorry, what did you say?!"

"Do you need some rest? You're dazing off."

"No! I'm fine! D-Don't worry about it..."

"If you say so," Kuroki turned his back to me and began walking away. He then stopped. "Be sure to inform me if you ever feel sluggish. I got you."

"Right. Thanks."

Kuroki started walking again, further and further away from me. It was at that moment, I:

"Kuroki, I wasn't kidding, you know!"

Kuroki turned back and faced me again, accompanied by a sound obviously revealing his confusion.

"About what I said; not knowing what I would have done if I were alone. Seriously, if anyone were to be here with me, I'm glad it's you. So let's get out of here together, okay?"

"Heh, how amusing. Was I mistaken in thinking the plan involved our search for the other people who were supposedly here?" Kuroki asked with a smirk.

"Oh yeah! I meant that too," I quickly replied, scratching my head and released a slight laugh.

"While we're on the topic, you really must move past this unbelievable bane. Your fear of the dark will do nothing but slow us down," Kuroki turned back around and sighed.

"I-I know. A hindrance like this is a silly trait for someone my age to have. But I can't help it. Not since-"

"Shh!" Kuroki did a quick turn whilst pressing a finger on his lips.

"Huh?! What?!" I quietly yelled.

"Do you hear it?"

Trying to act similarly as alerted, I listened closely to our surroundings and heard another sound! If I took a guess, they were footsteps again. It must be another person! All right... I braced myself and strutted ahead toward the sound. Kuroki called out my name, but I didn't listen. I refused to be a liability anymore. About time I faced my-

"Agh!"

A light abruptly shone on us, nearly blinding my eyes. They rebelled, however, barely keeping themselves opened. Oh, how unfortunate for the light, because this was an easy feat for someone like me to overcome! After all, I always faced off against a brilliant ball of light above me. Compared to that, the light ahead proved to be nothing more than a practice run!

And so, I successfully caught a fair look at what laid behind the light. What I saw... made me wish I could keep my eyes shut forever! The source of the light was a-a-a...!

"M-M-M-MONSTER!"

A humongous, brolic, and ferocious monster stood behind the light! A brief growl left the monster's mouth as it instantly spun its head and focused on us, flashing - I swore - an emerald glow from within its eye socket. It stomped forward at a shockingly fast pace; beginning the game of prey and predator! My scream must have attracted and angered it!

"NOOOOOOOO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I turned and fled as quickly as a cheetah! This was one light I'd VERY MUCH rather skip out on!

"Hanako, wait! Damn it all!"

"Stop! Hold it right there!"

I panicked too much to pay mind toward either voice! I just ran! And ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran for god knew how long-

"Ouch!"

I banged my head super hard against a solid object; the collision made me fall flat on my butt, which in turn gave me two throbbed areas. I first worked on rubbing my head… But then the rubbing alternated itself into a clutch and I found myself forming a fetal position. Let me out! Someone please save me!

"Hey!" Simultaneous with the shout, someone grabbed my arm, instantly activating my fight-or-flight response again as I struggled myself out of their grasp.

"Stop! Please let me go! I don-I don't want to die!"

"Hanako, relax! It's me!"

"U-U-Uh... Kuroki? W-What about the monster?"

"I think we lost him. He's not after us anymore."

"Or am I?"

Both me and Kuroki jumped and looked behind us. Sure enough, we didn't lose him. The monster slowly made his way toward us in a predominant march. I hurriedly touched the walls to check for another path. Based on what I felt, the structure was narrow, with no extended paths on either side. In other words, a dead end!

"Who are you? Why did you two flee from me?"

Neither I nor Kuroki provided an answer. Probably because we were both stunned, realizing our chances of escape were undoubtedly none. Could we be done for?

"Well? What's your answer?"

"Are you the culprit?" Kuroki quietly asked.

"Hmm?" the monster tilted his head.

"Are you the one responsible for keeping us here and taking out the electricity? What's your agenda here?!"

"Don't change the subject! Answer my question!"

"No. In fact, you should be the one answering our questions! If you know anything regarding our situation, then the least you can do is comply, or else..."

Kuroki coolly reached inside the lapel of his suit... Wait a second! When people did that, doesn't it usually mean they have a-

"Enough," the monster quickly demanded. "Keep your hands up where I can see em! I'd rather not have this turn ugly!"

"The feeling's mutual, I assure you. So I suggest you give us an explanation! NOW!"

Would Kuroki actually go that far just for some answers? Since when did he carry something like that, anyway?!

"I can't..."

"What? Why?! Do you realize what'll happen if you refuse?!"

"Yeah, I'm well aware. But would it make any difference? After all... HA HA HA HA HA! AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

He... laughed? The monster laughed so boisterously and insanely. It was as though he had no fear, even when taking Kuroki's threat into account.

"What do you mean by that?! Answer me!"

"Ha ha, sorry! I couldn't control myself! Hey, isn't it funny we're fighting each other when we're supposed to be on the same side?"

"S-Same side?" I finally spoke.

"You got it, miss! We are - or should be - allies in this peculiar situation!"

The monster brought the light he held up till now toward his face, revealing he... wasn't a monster after all! In actuality, his true identity was a stocky shaved faced human with a matching stocky build. His pearly green eye, creepily shaded within the light, looked straight at us. Speaking of which, a black eye patch depicting a peace sign art concealed his other eye. The rest of his body was a little tough to see due to lacking light around it, but I believed I saw a tight blue shirt accompanied by a large blue neck tie loosely hanging off the collar.

As we stared at him in bewilderment, the stocky man put up an eerily childish grin on his face.

"Y-You mean you won't hurt us?" I asked.

"OF COURSE NOT! What type of man would I be if I hurt the innocent?!"

"We're five feet away from you. There's no need to shout, you ape," Kuroki frankly remarked.

"Ha ha! Sorry pal! This is how I usually talk! Can't do much else about it, I'm afraid!" the stocky man simply laughed off Kuroki's insult. Such a bizarre demeanor, but oddly left me relaxed despite his build. "Anyway, let's call a truce, shall we? Our skirmish will do nothing but waste time."

The stocky man pointed his flashlight slightly downward as he casually walked forward - emitting clomped sounds under those blue oxfords he wore below his blue jeans - and extended a hand out upon reaching us. Kuroki, meanwhile, just stared it down blankly and craned back up at the man.

"How do we know we can trust you? For all we know, this sudden cordiality may be nothing more than an act to ensnare us."

"Outrageous!" the stocky man exclaimed, raising a voice capable of leaving the entire planet shattered. "Do I look untrustworthy to you?!"

"Absolutely."

"Oof! You don't beat around the bush, do ya, pal? Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. People are at first intimidated by my appearance, but one trip to the café later and they realize I'm nothing but a cinnamon roll! Aha ha ha ha ha!"

"I say cinnamon roll's really pushing it, don't you think?"

"Damn, you love digging deep into someone, don't you?!"

A dispirited frown hung on the stocky man's face as he rubbed behind his clear, bald head. I mean, so far he doesn't seem like a bad guy, so Kuroki might be acting overly suspicious here. Then again, I can't entirely say his suspicions aren't unwarranted considering the ominous situation we found ourselves in. If we had someone like him around us, though... Just when the cogs inside my head finally moved again, I felt an alarming leap in my chest as I sensed a quick glance coming nearby. It came from the stocky man. The moment our eyes met, his eyelid softly closed, and what immediately followed was a long, exhausted sigh.

"Oh, well!" the stocky man said, turning around; his head hung low. "It's a shame, but if there's no way for us to work out an alliance, I'll leave you guys be. I wish you both all the luck in the world though - seriously... Goodbye."

With that, and after another sent glance behind him, the stocky man took his first, echoing steps away from our company; one we refused to offer. At that moment, my heart sank deeper and deeper, as though someone was physically pulling it down. Was this really...?

"H-Hold on a second!" I intervened. "Kuroki, maybe we should take him up on his offer."

"Are you serious? Did you not hear what I just said?" Kuroki widened his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah! But what choice do we have? We'll need any help we can get! We can only make it so far on our own!"

"..."

"Even if it does end up being a trap, don't you want to at least try? You can nag me all you want later."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I like that optimism of yours, miss!" the stocky man bellowed, subsequently turning back around.

"More like naivety... However, I suppose you do have a point. Very well. We'll take part in this alliance, for now!"

Begrudgingly, Kuroki walked up and extended his own hand out toward the stocky man. The stocky man clasped it into his own and both gave each other a firm shake. Yes! With someone as tough looking as him on our side, nothing could stop us!

"Neat! My name's Shingora, by the way!"

"I'm Hanako. This here's Kuroki."

"A pleasure to meet you two! I hope we'll be able to cooperate effectively!"

"Same here!" I comfortably smiled.

"Great! Now, if you don't mind, could you please follow me?"

"Huh? Where are we going?" I asked.

"A place I enjoy calling: The Break Room. Shall we?"

Shingora started leading the way toward his "The Break Room". Right before I began following him, Kuroki lightly tapped my shoulder.

"What's up?"

"Are you absolutely sure about placing your trust in this guy?" he whispered. "Isn't it strange the moment we formed an alliance, he wants to take us-"

"Kuroki, stop," I firmly whispered back. "We already discussed this. We can't go back on our word now!"

"Tch… Don't blame me if things go south."

"Like I said, you can nag me all you want later. Also, if anything happens, we have your weapon. Speaking of, why did you never tell me you carried a gun?"

"What are you talking about? He doesn't have a gun," Shingora claimed, who could somehow hear our whispering.

"Interesting. How did you catch my bluff?" Kuroki inquired.

"What?! That was a bluff?!" I exclaimed.

"Mhm!" Shingora nodded. "No way the school's tight security would ever miss a student carrying around a gun!"

"So, can I assume that's your reasoning?" Kuroki asked, again.

"Guess so! Ha ha!"

"Hmm. It's shaky, but I suppose I'll accept it," Kuroki begrudgingly crossed his arms.

"Whether you accept it doesn't matter to me! I'll hand it to you, though! That was a clever tactic for gaining the upper hand in a dire negotiation! Too bad I ended up being your opponent!" Shingora strutted off, still laughing louder than a truck engine.

"Phew! What a relief then," I pleasantly sighed.

"Why's that? Now he knows I don't truly have a gun. We'll be in a pickle if he does end up betraying us."

"I know, but it's reassuring knowing you never involved yourself in anything… dangerous. No, even if you did, I'm sure you'd have a good reason for doing it!"

"Hmph… One thing I'll give the ape is that his assessment's spot on. You're ever the optimist."

Kuroki grinned and leisurely followed Shingora. I, of course, was also hot on their tail.

On the way to "The Break Room"

Fortunately, our journey to "The Break Room" wasn't a prolonged one. Ahead was what I'd call a miracle. Light! Nice, pure, and gentle light seamed out of the two double doors ahead! Finally! Finally, we'd leave the darkness behind and look forward to the harmless light ahead of us!

"There it is. The Break Room," said Shingora.

"Isn't that just the Dining Hall?" Kuroki stated.

"Well, yeah. But seeing how the school - or at least portions we have access to - is so dark, something like 'The Break Room' fits for the only location-"

"A-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! OH MY GOD!"

"W-What the- What was that?!" I yelled.

"It came from The Break Room! Let's go!"

With Shingora still leading the way, we all raced into the Dining Hall. My heart beat along with each brisk step. The pace of the beat got faster as we moved closer toward the light. I had no idea what happened nor what might happen. Would this door bring us a hopeful future? A future filled with wondrous joy and illumination? Or...

"Everyone! What's wrong?!" Shingora shouted as he burst through the doors.

I stopped, but not because Kuroki and Shingora did so too. What I saw was shocking, amazing even. What stood before my very eyes were people in abundance, scattered around the Dining hall. Monokuma wasn't lying! There really were others here! We reached a miracle! Except, said miracle missed one piece here. That piece... was comfort.

I noticed every face inside the room filled with uneasiness, paranoia, and terror. Further away from the group, one person laid on the white-tiled floor, shaking before another door.

"Melissa, are you okay?! What happened?!"

Shingora hurried over to the person laid on the floor. Me and Kuroki followed. Two things I noticed upon reaching them were their green and beige aesthetic, including the beige bucket hat that had leaves embedded onto it in a line - creating the illusion of movement - and the horrified look on their face which grew larger as they shook.

"T-T-T-The Kitchen. T-There's a-a-a-a..."

The girl named Melissa pointed her shivering finger toward the Kitchen door. She seemed undoubtedly ready to collapse; her finger barely stayed up. Right then, Shingora gently held her raised pointer in both of his hands.

"I'm on the case," affirming that, Shingora got up and made his way to the Kitchen.

"Wait! We'll go with you!" I exclaimed.

"All right. Stay behind me, though. We don't know what's waiting for us in there."

I firmly nodded. Luckily, Kuroki didn't protest. Though now wasn't the time to think about doing such action. Shingora slowly opened the door, and we entered...

Kitchen

I saw many worlds today, ever since I opened that classroom's sliding door. Deep, impenetrable horrors hidden in the darkness. A lucid and compassionate stream released by the light. And now... A world of chaotic crimson.

Resting its back against a plastic white bag was a physical human body deeply seated in a foul red pool.