To say Shuichi and Kaede were terrified and confused would be a massive understatement. Both of them had just woken up in some strange, run-down academy, The Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles, and they both had come stumbling out of lockers when they first had awoken. They both remembered that they had been kidnapped, both having been shoved into a car before their memories cut off.
Now they were here, trapped in the Ultimate Academy, with seventeen other Ultimates.
Those strange creatures calling themselves the Monokubs had ordered everyone to investigate the school grounds. So, they all did exactly that. They investigated all six floors of the academy, as well as everything out in the courtyard. Everything except that strange building the kubs called the hanger. They weren't allowed inside for some reason. Either way, the investigation did not bear any fruit. The only good that came from it was now they all had a lay of the land, and now they had all introduced themselves to each other.
But right as they finished their investigation and introductions, that's when a ding dong bing bong rang out, causing the monitors scattered throughout the school to flicker on. The Monokubs appeared, sitting on a couch in a room with little dolls of all seventeen students hanging on wires or lying around the room. The kubs then made an announcement: everyone was required to gather in the gym for some 'opening ceremony'.
Shuichi was more than a little nervous, and so was Kaede, but Kaede knew that they probably had no choice in the matter. Everyone had to show up to the gym, or who knows what might happen. Shuichi was forced to agree, despite his trepidation. And so, everyone met up in the gym.
"All 17 of us have gathered…" Kirumi noted.
"Hmm, it's pretty spectacular seeing all 17 of us Ultimates gathered together," Kaito gave a smile as he scanned over everyone with his eyes.
"Umm… it's actually you 16 Ultimates gathered together, with me added to the side." Rin said dejectedly with a weak, self-deprecating chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"C'mon Rin. Don't be like that." Kaede said, trying to cheer him up.
"Kehehe… You may not be able to be so easygoing for much longer…" Kiyo said ominously.
"In this situation, it's no use thinking about things. So eventually, Tsumugi stopped thinking." Tsumugi said like a narrator, probably as a joke.
"Nyeeeh… What's gonna happen to us? I bet it'll be a big pain…" Himiko whined slowly.
"Hmmmmm…" Tenko began to stare at Himiko, much to the magical girl's displeasure.
"What? What are you looking at?"
"Um… Himiko, you can use amazing powers, right!? Cuz you're a psychic and stuff, right?"
"I'm not a psychic… I'm a mage."
"Whoooa! That's amazing! I definitely wanna incorporate that into Neo-Aikido!" Tenko cheered. "Hey, what sorta training did you undergo to gain your awesome powers!?"
"Talking about it is too tiring…"
"You're pretty lazy," Kaede said while placing a hand on her head.
"Pardon me, but… we need to be on our guard. We do not know if and when danger will strike." Keebo said sternly.
"D-Don't say that… I'm so scared… I don't know what to do…" Kokichi said, water building up in his eyes.
"There is no need to worry. Atua will protect us." Angie states happily.
"Phew! That's a relief!" Kokichi said, any tears that might have been forming now sparkling with joy in his eyes. Despite the tension in the room, a handful of the others started chuckling.
"Is your brain full of weeds or something? I'll whack 'em outta that skull of yours!" Miu yelled, ruining the lightened mood that had formed.
"Geez. Just relax, Miu. Don't get mad at us just because you're scared." Rin sighed as though he was scolding a child, causing Miu to freeze and tense at his words.
"Don't worry about it! Just leave it to me!" Kaito said as he gave us a thumbs up. "If those teddy bears show themselves again, I'll kick all their asses!"
"I highly doubt that," Rin mumbled under my breath, once again looking more like an adult who was forced to speak with a child.
"...Huh? What that?" Gonta asked, causing Rin's eyes to widen as he slowly turned his head upward and stared at the ceiling with terrified eyes.
"Hm? What's wrong Gonta? And Rin, why are you staring at the ceiling?" Ryoma asked.
"Listen… Hear that?" Gonta stated as Ryoma followed Rin's gaze upward, his eyes widening when he did.
"Ah, I think I hear it. It sounds like an engine from a robot anime-." Tsumugi tried to say. Before she could finish, all of the Exisals fell from the ceiling and immediately surrounded the students.
"Yoo-hoo! Rise and shine, ursine!" The Monokubs cheered from inside their Exisals.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!" Tsumugi screamed, along with a few others. Rin instinctively moved in front of the person beside him, Tsumugi, and placed himself between her and the robots as he glared nervously yet defiantly at the massive robots in front of him.
"Everyone, behind Gonta!" Gonta commanded, rushing to the front to protect the group just as Rin had.
"Wh-What the heck are these...monsters!?" Tenko screamed as sweat poured out of her.
"Whooooooooooaaaaa! So coooool!" Kokichi called out, though if one listened closely, the cheer in the boy's voice might have seemed a bit forced.
"They're Exisals-highly mobile, bipedal weapons platforms! They got lotsa hometown pride, too!" Monokid said.
"...I can't keep track of these backstories." Monosuke groaned.
"Wh-Whatever they are, they better kill off the uggos and save me for last!" Miu screamed.
"Run, Himiko!" Kokichi called out immediately after.
"Why are you concerned about me all of a sudden?" Himiko asked nervously.
"He's being very rude right now. Don't worry about it. You'll be fine." Rin reassured her as he shot Kokichi a disapproving look. The Supreme Leader only replied by sending Rin his usual playful smirk.
"Hm, didn't someone say they would 'kick all their asses'?" Maki questioned while giving Kaito a dirty glare.
That got Rin to laugh, though he quickly stifled it as he forced back his smile to return to looking like the mature, responsible adult he wanted to look like.
"Wh-What the hell!? Nobody told me about these!" Kaito said as he made a terrified expression.
"Alright, chill out, no need to panic… We're probably not in any danger." Rantaro said calmly. "If they wanted to kill us, they'd have done it by now."
"Agreed. Don't freak out, guys. We'll be fine. I promise. Everything…is going to be fine. I won't let them hurt us." Rin reassured them as he held his ground in front of the group glaring at the mechs, yet even in his tone, there was a slight twinge of worry as sweat visibly formed and trailed down his face.
With that, Rantaro began to just walk up to the Exisals as casually as he could. As he passed by Rin, Rin shot the lime-haired boy a concerned look, but Rantaro's 'older brother' 'I can take care of this' smile he flashed caused the older man to hesitantly give Rantaro a nod. With that done, Rantaro walked up to the mechs and began to speak.
"So… what do you want from us? You clearly want something, that's what the guns are for, right?" Rantaro gestured to the very obvious deadly weapons attached to the mechs. "Let me guess. You're gonna force us to do something, and if we don't we get hurt."
"You already gathered us all here, so there's not much point in waiting around watching us flail about in a panic just for your own amusement. Get on with it already. " Rin added from his spot as the group's defender alongside Gonta. "I already have a few ideas, but just to confirm, what do you want from us?"
"Huh. Well, aren't you both a couple of wise guys?" Monosuke sighed.
"I'll start us off! Listen up! Here's what we want you punkasses to do." Monokid said excitedly. "… Hahhhhh! My heart's goin' 100 miles per hour! I'm gonna say! You ready!? Hell yeah! It's a-!"
"KILLING GAME." Monodam interrupted.
"...What?" Kaede said quietly, trying to process the words.
"M-M-Monodam! How DARE you upstage me!" Monokid screamed angrily.
"W-Wait a second. What did you say?" Tenko asked, wanting to make sure she didn't hear that horrible phrase everyone heard clearly.
"I-If I heard him correctly-." Keebo began, but before Monodam could repeat himself, another voice rang out.
"No, that's not happening." The voice stated in an overly cutesy tone.
"H-Huh?" Kaede gasped as she and the others scanned the gym for the source of the strange new voice.
"It's…not?" Rin muttered with a surprised look on his face, as well as an overwhelming amount of relief that was mixed with a healthy dose of doubt.
"My cute little cubs…I'm canceling this killing game…" The voice explained.
"Oh! That voice!" Monophanie called out happily.
The cubs all leaped out of their Exisals as they rushed to the gym's stage, like little children running over to open their presents on Christmas day.
"Father!? Father, is that you!?" Monotaro cried out.
"Papa Kuma! Papa Kumaaaa!" Monokid bellowed as loudly as he could.
"Daddy!? Where are you, Daddy!?" Monophanie asked.
"D-Daddy!?" Kaede asked.
At that moment, all the lights in the gym suddenly shut off, save for a few shining on the gym's stage. When the students all looked at where the lights were shining, another larger bear with wings jumped up from behind the podium that was up there and floated down to take a seat in front of the microphone. As he sat down, the wings fell off him.
This bear, immediately, was far different from the kubs. He was half white and half black, the white half cute like a normal teddy bear, while the black was sinister with a red lightning bolt eye and a sharp grin like the kubs' colored side. This bear…they all could feel it. It enjoys our suffering and despair. Its malice is swirling around it like some kind of sinister aura, causing everyone's expressions to shift into those of dread.
"I am the god of this new world and the headmaster of this academy! The one and only Monokuma! Nice to meetcha!" Monokuma introduced himself with a proud shout.
"Mono...kuma?" Rin repeated, a hint of fear and trepidation in his voice as he took a fearful step back.
"Another teddy bear appeared…" Tsumugi noted as she held her hands tightly, so much so her knuckles were turning white as her face paled.
"Yes, but that is no ordinary teddy bear," Kiyo warned with a dark look as he stared the evil bear down. "I can see it. The despair and madness swirling around that cursed thing…"
"Woah… first of all, I'm no teddy bear. I'm Monokuma. And show some respect! I'm the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles!" Monokuma growled as he showed his claws.
"Headmaster?" Maki asked, disbelief in her tone and expression at the, frankly, absurd statement made by the talking stuffed animal.
"It appears to be some sort of autonomous robot with a built-in A.I., like me…" Keebo explained, looking a little sad to have any kind of relationship with the bear.
"Dong dong dong!" Monotaro chirped, though probably he meant "ding ding ding".
"Exisals are different, though! They're brainless buckets of bolts!" Monosuke added.
"They're mindless pretty killing machines that can only be controlled by us, the Monokubs," Monophanie explained.
"Autonomous robots piloting weapons platforms… This is certainly turning into quite the story." Ryoma said as he pulled his hat down.
"Well that may be, but what I'm worried about is this 'killing game' you mentioned. What exactly does that mean?" Rantaro asked cautiously, keeping his focus on what was truly important.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I've decided to cancel the killing game." Monokuma repeated simply, as though the words 'killing game' weren't alarming in the slightest.
"C-Cancel!?" Monotaro shrieked in confusion. "Did the stress of milking this series finally make you snap, Father!?"
"Series?" Rin repeated, his expression now showing pure horror at the implication, though the others didn't seem to catch the same meaning Rin got from that throw-away line.
"Don't worry, Papa Kuma! I'll help you relax! By makin' a Monodam sandbag!" Monokid proudly declared as he snapped his guitar in half due to his enthusiasm. Poor Monodam looked dead as he stood there, frozen still to such an extent his colors seemed to fade away from him.
"I don't like violence or gore, so I don't really mind if it's canceled…" Monophanie muttered off-handily.
"P-Pops must be lyin'!" Monosuke reasoned desperately as he tried to understand this change to the script. "He must have a glitch! That's bound to happen when ya get to be his age!"
"Nope, your father has never had a single glit—" Monokuma tried to speak, but suddenly, he froze up, becoming disturbingly rigid as he began to twitch. "Glit-glit-glit-glit-glit-glit-glit—" Suddenly, Monokuma became super buff before he shot out an energy beam between his paws, sending his 'precious' children flying. "Glit-glit-glitch in my life!"
"You're like a kid covered in frosting who swears he didn't touch that cake!" Monotaro noted as he flew off from his father's signature kuma destruction wave attack.
"Classic Pops! His pride is higher than the Eiffel Tower!" Monosuke proclaimed proudly.
"Anyway," Monokuma huffed as he dusted off his fur coat. "I've decided to cancel the killing game! And I've never glitched! I'm a professional, dammit!"
"So…your twisted game is really canceled?" Rin asked, hoping his question wouldn't provoke the violent bear.
"Oh yes. Most certainly! After all, we've had a few unexpected issues while preparing for this killing game." Monokuma grumbled with annoyance. "Unexpected intruders, script rewrites, redesigned the academy and the dorms to accommodate… It became too much to bear! And…we ran out of our budget!" Monokuma cried in defeat. "Dammit! I knew we shouldn't have spent so much on those morphenomenal trial grounds! People loved the classic trials anyway!"
"...So what are we supposed to do, then?" Rantaro asked hesitantly. "There's no way you'd just let us go after all this."
"Puhu…puhuhuhuhu…" Monokuma giggled as he covered his mouth in a cute manner, though when it came to Monokuma, it was far more unnerving than cute.
"What is so amusing?" Kirumi questioned with a slight frown on her mature, professional face.
"It's just…when I said it again, I kinda just phoned it in and now I feel awkward…" Monokuma admitted, actually sounding a little embarrassed with himself at that moment. "There's only one thing I want you to do in this mode. In this mode…I just want you to have a fun time living at the academy."
"...Huh?" Shuichi couldn't help but gape at the sudden strange and…seemingly harmless demand from the evil-looking bear.
"Mode…?" Tsumugi repeated the part of the bear's words that confused everyone.
"Oh, don't worry about that. It's an inside joke. Those who know…know." Monokuma chuckled. "Anyway, as long as you guys have a fun life at the academy, that's alright by me. You're all at that special age where it doesn't take much to get your hormones raging."
"...Gross." Rin scowled as he and several others, who understood what Monokuma was trying to imply, looked sickened. Others who also understood averted their eyes as their faces turned cherry red. The ones who didn't get it, though, just looked confused.
"Umm, I don't get the point," Himiko spoke up in her weak, lazy voice.
"We have all the ingredients for a reality dating show, y'see?" Monokuma smiled cheerfully. "There's always one show like that on the air at any given time, y'know? Like a buncha guys and gals livin' under one roof, gettin' the hots for each other…" Monokuma then started laughing as a blush adorned his plushie body. "The audience just eats it up, watchin' to see who's gonna end up with who. That's what I want for you guys. I want you to star in your own reality dating show."
"You're…really going to record a bunch of minors that you're forcing to play along with this 'reality dating show'? A show you're implying will have…far more than dating in it?" Rin pointed out, shock and disgust on his face. "Y-You…You do realize these are high schoolers you're dealing with here, right?"
"Yes, but I'm not worried. After all, people love a good high school romance, no matter what age the targeted audience it's for." Monokuma smiled at the older man. "In fact…the only one I'm worried about is you, Mister Wakuri. After all, you're the only adult on site here. I think I'm the one worrying about whether you're gonna get any funny ideas here."
"Don't change the subject, and don't be ridiculous." Rin rolled his eyes as he palmed his face, looking appalled by what Monokuma was trying to insinuate. "As if I'd be interested in stuff like that while trapped in a horrible place like this with a bunch of kids."
"Yeah! Quit screwing around! Why do we gotta do that!?" Kaito shouted as he clenched his fist angrily.
"Yep, that kinda stock reaction is to be expected…" Monokuma sighed. "But if you've looked around the academy, then you already know, don't you? The academy is surrounded by a huge wall. You can't escape to the outside world, and as long as we have the Exisals, you can't defy us."
"So do what you say if we don't want to die, is it?" Rantaro sighed as he summed up the precarious situation he and the others were now in.
"Y-You gotta be kidding me! Why do we have to do such a thing!?" Tenko yelled as she tried to glare at the bear, but the threat of death now hanging over her hindered that glare, turning it into the frightened look of a child.
"Quit shouting. This is way more mild than what I originally had planned for you." Monokuma growled. "Plus, I'm not saying you gotta live here forever."
"Does that mean…you'll let us out of here?" Kaede dared to hope.
"Weren't you listening? I said this is a reality dating show, and just like those shows promise, the couple who ends up together gets to graduate." Monokuma explained the rules. "But, uh, try to be quick about it, okay? Audiences get bored fast these days. If no one ends up together after ten days, this show will be forced off the air."
"Hang on…aren't there only seventeen of us here? Doesn't that mean one of us will be left out since they won't have anyone to 'couple up' with?" Rin asked.
"Well, if that happens, I guess that unlucky person will be trapped here for the rest of their life!" Monokuma answered. "However, couples aren't limited to just two people, y'know? Polyamory is A-Ok here at the Ultimate Academy, so shack up with whoever and however many people you desire!"
"...Again, gross." Rin spat out like venom.
"And what will happen when this show ends?" Kirumi questioned cautiously.
"Maybe that's when he'll make us do the killing game?" Angie hummed. To most, it would have sounded as though she did not care about the threat of a death game, but her slightly narrowed eyes proved otherwise.
"Nyah-hahaha!" Monokuma bellowed with heavy laughter. "Kids these days… Always worrying about the future as if failure is a guarantee. Take chances, get messy, make mistakes! Worry about failure when it happens."
"A reality dating show… That sounds so exciting!" Monophanie cheered.
"Papa Kuma is on the pulse of society's trends!" Monokid added as he pulled out a new guitar and started strumming the strings wildly.
"Pops is such a great capitalist! There's no idea he won't rip off to make a profit!" Monosuke flashed a sleazy smile.
"Oh, by the way, I know I said you guys just need to have a good time living here, but the romantic sparks won't fly if you guys just do whatever you want. The audience won't know who to watch if all seventeen of you are just milling about."
"Hey, what the hell are you talking about!? Telling us to fall in love or whatever? What do you want us to do!?" Kaito demanded to know furiously.
"Calm down, I'm about to explain." Monokuma snapped before he recollected himself and pulled out some kind of special ticket. "When you wanna 'spend time' with another student, or in other words, when you wanna 'go on a date', please exchange a Date Ticket. What's that? How do you go about obtaining one of these tickets? I never said these tickets were free, did I?"
"He really is treating this like some kind of show…" Rin sighed.
"Wanting something gives it value—in other words, you gotta shell out cash for 'em." Monokuma continued, ignoring the amnesiac's interruption. "You guys have already seen a place on campus where you can earn cash, haven't you?"
"...Earn cash?" Monokid tilted his head in confusion.
"I know, I know! I bet he's talking about the casino!" Monophanie shouted the answer.
"...SPOILER WARNING," Monodam warned.
"...Oops!" Monophanie yelped as she realized her mistake.
"Uh-oh…Monophanie's gonna get punished by Pops-" Monosuke began to say, but Monokuma's flaming paw slapped all the cubs right at that moment.
"In a democracy, everyone shares the blame! Don't you know how majority votes work!?" Monokuma shouted angrily.
"Nrghhhhh! I feel so bad! This is all my fault!" Monophanie cried.
"No, it's democracy's fault! I hate majority votes! It treats us minorities like helpless sheep!" Monosuke argued.
"Majority votes…I feel like that means something…" Monotaro muttered. "Wait…isn't that just like Your–"
"No! Don't say it! We aren't allowed to mention rival franchises on air!" Monosuke shrieked.
Monokuma once again cleaned himself up before turning back to face the students. "Now then, I can't wait to see what kinda hot-and-heavy hijinks you get into! Ah-hahahahaha!"
That's when Monokuma and the Monokubs began to laugh violently—hysterically, even. The students were all forced to stand there and endure the cruel laughter directed at them and their situation.
They all stood there dumbfounded and terrified, with that maniacal laughing ringing in their ears. Everything here was maniacal and twisted. A school surrounded by a giant wall, seventeen imprisoned Ultimates, these bizarre stuffed animals armed to the teeth, and now, on top of all that, some kind of reality dating show they were all being forced to play a part in…
Without even a moment of respite, they all became the cast of this twisted story.
Day ? (Kaede's Side)
Kaede sighed as she wandered through the Ultimate Academy. She and the other students had already spent several days at this strange place now, and they were doing exactly as Monokuma demanded: They were getting to know each other and hanging out.
Kaede couldn't lie. It actually was a lot of fun. Kaede had a handful of friends back home, but getting to spend time with all these other Ultimates was an experience she couldn't fully describe. She could honestly say to herself that she loved these new friends she made, despite the situation they were all in. If they weren't trapped in here being forced to play in this dating show game, Kaede would be enjoying herself way more.
Stupid reality dating show…stupid killing game…stupid Monokuma and Monokubs…
Kaede sighed as she continued walking through the school. She eventually pulled out her Monopad as she looked at her 'progress'. Monokuma, like the freak he was, gave them all tablets with profiles of all the students for everyone to see. Personal information was just out there in the open now, which made Kaede feel very uncomfortable. Even worse than that was the app on the tablet Monokuma made to show them their 'romance progress' with the other students. Kaede hated to treat her relationships with her friends like progress meters in a game, but she had no choice if they all wanted to escape.
So, she looked at her progress as she thought about who she should spend time with next. She already spent a lot of time with Shuichi, Kaito, Tenko, and Miu, and she was getting around to hanging out with Kokichi, Keebo, Himiko, and Maki. That left about half of the students Kaede hadn't spent time with yet.
So who should be next?
"Oh?" Kaede looked up, and that's when she saw Rin, standing there in the hall, his eyes closed as he thought deeply about something. Seeing him standing there made Kaede think for a moment.
Rin Wakuri, the only adult at the academy. Just like Rantaro, he claimed he couldn't remember his Ultimate Talent, but more than that, he seems to have completely forgotten everything about himself aside from his name. He also seemed to believe that he wasn't an Ultimate at all, not being able to recall ever having a talent or anything like that, but Kaede had to agree with the Monokubs when it came to Rin being an Ultimate. There was just something about him that was just like the other Ultimates, after all.
Aside from that, Kaede's first impression of the man was of someone mature and responsible, yet also a bit forceful with his thoughts and beliefs. He was sort of like Kaede in that regard. Rin seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, being an adult and all, but Kaede couldn't help but also feel like he was hiding something from everyone else. It was almost like he didn't fully trust them.
With that thought, Kaede smiled as she realized who she wanted to spend time with.
Walking up to the man, Kaede narrowed her eyes as she saw Rin was still standing there with his eyes closed, thinking deeply about…something. Kaede smirked. This would be just like when they first met. Without much hesitation, Kaede gently raised a finger…and then pressed it into Rin's cheek, poking him with her dainty finger as she held back giggles.
Predictably, Rin's eyes opened shortly after, and Kaede nearly burst out laughing right then and there as, just like before, Rin slowly turned to face her, her finger still pressed up against his cheek as the two stared at each other in silence. After a beat of silence, Rin, just as he had done before, let out a yelp as he stumbled back, though this time, he did not trip over himself, having caught himself before he could fall once again.
"K-Kaede?" Rin gasped as he placed a hand on his rapidly beating heart, his face now adorned with an embarrassed blush as he realized what just happened to him. "A-Again with this!? Why do you always gotta do this to me!?"
Kaede giggled as she brightly smiled. "Sorry, but you just make it so easy when you stand there all vulnerable like that. You shouldn't be so careless, Rin."
"Right, right. I guess I have a habit of getting stuck in my own head." Rin fiddled with the headphones around his neck. "So…did you want something? Or did you just come here to mess with me? Have you been spending too much time with Kokichi?"
"Oh, nothing like that. I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out." Kaede proposed as she smiled cheerfully.
"Huh? You want to spend time with me?" Rin asked with wide eyes. "Are you sure? I'm sure there are plenty of other people who you'd enjoy being with aside from me. I'm not that interesting. To you all, I must be like a boring old man."
"You're not that old, Rin. Geez, I don't like it when my friends talk about themselves like that. You and Shuichi both need to think better of yourselves. I just got Shuichi to take off that hat of his. If you've got something like that, too, then I'll help you out with it, too!" Kaede declared.
"You were the one who helped Shuichi out of his shell? I thought that was Kaito…" Rin hummed. "But sorry. I don't got anything like that. I'm just being honest. I mean, I can't imagine spending time with a guy who doesn't even know who he is would be fun."
"...Rin," Kaede frowned as she took in the older man's words. "Have you…been ignoring everyone here? Do you really think no one would want to spend time with you?"
"N-Not exactly." Rin sheepishly replied as he averted his eyes. "Actually…a few people have dragged me around these few days. Angie, Kokichi, Kaito, Tsumugi, Kirumi, even Miu and Rantaro of all people. I'm starting to wonder if they've got nothing better to do."
"That just means they like you and want to spend more time with you." Kaede frowned. "And so do I! Come on, Rin! Let's hang out."
Rin thought for a moment, eyeing Kaede with a suspicious glint in his eyes before finally sighing.
"Alright. Not like I've got anything better to do." Rin finally smiled as he relented. "I guess all this is just throwing me off. Amnesia, this reality dating show, killing games. It's all just giving me a headache." Rin raised his arms defensively quickly after saying that though. "Don't get me wrong, though. I much prefer this to any kind of death game, but I can't help but be on edge. I'm worried Monokuma might be planning something while we're here lowering our guard."
"That's okay. It's only natural to be worried. We all are, and you're in a worse spot than most of us." Kaede reassured him with a kind smile. "But if we work together, then I'm sure we can get out of here together! We just got to believe in each other!"
"Is that so?" Rin asked before a playful smile formed on his face. "Then does that mean you're gonna follow Monokuma's advice for graduation?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kaede asked.
"Well…he did mention how Polyamory was allowed here." Rin began as his eyes took on a teasing glint. "So, you saying that we can escape by working together makes it seem like your goal here is to form a harem of sorts. Sooooo, guys and girls are on your radar, huh? Don't worry, I don't judge."
"W-What!?" Kaede shrieked, her face now violently red. "N-No! I-I would never! I-I–!"
"Ha ha! See? Not so funny when you're the one embarrassed." Rin smirked victoriously. That's when Kaede realized Rin was just teasing her, so, puffing out her cheeks, she punched his shoulders with just enough force to teach him a lesson without actually hurting him.
"That was just mean…" Kaede huffed as Rin kept laughing.
And so, as they continued to tease each other, Kaede spent some time with Rin. Kaede believed she and Rin grew a little closer.
Rin-Kaede Free Time Event 1
"Hmm…"
'Lost in thought again, huh? Rin really does let himself get stuck in his head like this often, huh?' Kaede thought to herself. 'I can't blame him, though. Not with our current situation, as well as his own…'
"Rin? Is something the matter?"
"Huh? Oh. Sorry. I've been getting lost in my own thoughts a lot lately." Rin frowned as he admitted that. "I just…can't stop thinking. About everything."
"I can't blame you. Our situation is pretty bad." Kaede tried to smile, but it only came out as weak and vulnerable.
"I shouldn't be worrying you like that. I'm the adult here, so I should be able to reassure you guys. As the oldest one here, it's sorta my duty to make sure you guys are okay, right?"
"You don't have to see it as an obligation. We all don't expect you to carry the burden of this by yourself. You might be the only adult here, but you can rely on us, too." Kaede told him.
"I know that. Honestly, maybe me feeling like this is just me trying to compensate. I mean, you all are already plenty capable on your own since you're all Ultimates. By contrast, I'm…" Rin muttered that last part as he looked down at his hand disappointedly.
"Hey, none of that. I told you, you gotta believe in yourself." Kaede told him. "Even if you don't think you're anything special, the fact that you're here must mean you are, right? W-Well…not that being here is a good thing." Kaede corrected herself at the last moment.
"I suppose…" Rin relented.
"So…have you made any progress on remembering who you are at all?"
"None. It's like there's a thick layer of grim over me that's blocking everything out. What little I can remember is too hazy to understand. Vague names, places, things–I sometimes recall them, but right now, they're just white noise to me. I'm starting to get worried there's some permanent damage here."
"Don't say that. Look on the bright side. At least those memories are still there, right?"
"Right…still there…" Rin muttered, a dark look of gloom spreading over his face before he tried to force it back to a more normal expression, though with the way he was biting his lips, it didn't seem to work out entirely.
'He seems…really stressed out now when he's not trying to hide it.' Kaede realized. 'When he's like this, he seems…old. Not old as in age, but just…tired and overwhelmed like some adults I know. It's easier to just see Rin as just like us, but when he's like this…the difference is really clear.'
Eventually, Rin managed to find the words he wanted to speak with as he forced a nervous smile back onto his face. "Hey…Kaede. Got a question for you. Mind humoring me a little?"
"Oh? I don't mind. What's up?" Kaede asked while tilting her head questioningly.
"Well…what do you think is the most important part of a person?" Rin asked, a weak smile stuck on his face as he looked back at the pianist, though his eyes wavered ever so slightly.
"The most important part of a person?" Kaede repeated as she placed a thoughtful finger on her chin as she thought. "I suppose that would have to be…"
A. Personal Experiences
B. Bonds with Others
C. Surroundings and Upbringing
Option A
"It'd have to be the personal experiences everyone gets during their life, right?" Kaede answered confidently. "Throughout their lives, everyone experiences different things. They learn to like and dislike things, they learn what interests them, what they're good at, what they want to do, who they want to be—all of that's gotta be the most important part of a person, right?"
"Good answer. That's probably what most people would say. A person's experiences do shape them into who they become later on in life." Rin smiled at the answer as he nodded, but he then placed a hand on the back of his neck as he shook his head. "But that's not what I think. I think there's something more important than experiences a person gets during their life."
Option B
"It's gotta be the connections and relationships people make throughout life, yeah?" Kaede smiled sweetly. "I know I wouldn't be the same person without everyone who I've met in my life. My family, my friends, my teachers—they all helped me become who I am. That includes everyone here, too. So the answer has gotta be the bonds we make with others."
"That's a cheesy answer, but not entirely wrong," Rin admitted with a laugh. "You could certainly make that argument. I do agree that a person's relationships do help forge them into who they become in life. Other people can be a massive influence on someone after all. But that's not what I think is the most important part of a person."
Option C
"You must be talking about that whole 'nature versus nurture' argument, right? A person's upbringing is a key part of who they are and who they become. How they were raised, who raised them, the place they grew up in, the customs and traditions they were exposed to and taught because of all of that—they help make up a person and put them on a path for who they will become." Kaede snapped her fingers once the idea came to her. "I know I wouldn't be who I am right now if not for my parents and how they raised me. It's thanks to them I grew up in a home that let me be surrounded by instruments like the piano. So it's got to be that's the answer."
"That's true. Upbringing is a crucial part of a person. How they were raised, who raised them, and where they grew up all play important parts in making someone who they are. It's obvious when you compare different cultures, considering one group of people learned and made their traditions based on where they lived and how they were taught, while another's differ due to the same factors of where they lived and what they were taught." Rin nodded at the answer. "However, that's still not the most important aspect of a person, I believe. There's something even greater than that."
"Really? Then what do you think the answer is?" Kaede asked. "If that's not the answer, I can't think of any other that might be what you want to hear."
"The answer, I believe," Rin began as he pointed to his head. "Is a person's memories."
"Their memories?" Kaede repeated, a slight frown coming to her lips.
'That…is true.' Kaede thought to herself. 'But…why am I getting this sinking feeling about what Rin is trying to say?'
"Yeah. A person's memories are a person's core. Everything about them can be determined by their memory, after all." Rin explained as he held his finger up like a teacher as he explained. "Think about it. What do memories store? Practically everything. Memories are what holds a person's experiences, their beliefs, their interests, their relationships and how they were made, their upbringing—everything that made them who they are is kept within memory."
Rin then sighed as he crossed his arms. "That's why…my amnesia is a troubling thing. I mean, the memories I had before might still be inside me, but…at this point, where I can hardly recall any of it, can anyone honestly say that I'm still the same person I might have been? Everything that might have made me who I am is either gone or suppressed by…something. If I can't remember anything, then…doesn't that make me someone different from who I was?"
"That can't be the case. Just because you can't remember anything doesn't mean you don't have those memories. Not being able to remember your memories and not having those memories at all are two completely separate things." Kaede pointed out as she flashed a deep frown at Rin.
"Maybe, but…I don't think I feel the same. There's something about all this that just…bothers me." Rin confessed as concern laced his expression. "Ha…at this point…I wonder…can I even be considered a person at the moment without my memories, the thing that made me who I was?"
"H-Hey! Don't say stuff like that! Of course you're still a person. Feeling like that at all is proof. Only people can have feelings like that!" Kaede scolded, anger emanating from her face as she did.
"Maybe…" Rin replied half-heartedly, as though he couldn't fully convince himself to buy Kaede's words. "...Sorry. I brought down the atmosphere, didn't I? I think…I should probably go now. Let's talk later, Kaede. I like hanging out with you. Something about you…"
"Rin…" Kaede muttered, but Rin never finished.
"...Sorry again." Rin averted his eyes as he left.
'Rin…Isn't there some way I can help you? Won't you…at least let me try?' Kaede couldn't help but think as the man she wanted to befriend walked away, ashamed of himself.
Obtained Friendship Fragment!
Rin's Report Card has been updated based on your experience with him.
Page 1: Rin is really troubled by his amnesia. He spoke to me about how what little he might still remember feels hazy to him. He then wondered if, without his memories, the thing he believed to be the most important part of a person, he's still the same person he was before coming here. He even wondered if he was still a person, which I told him he was. My words didn't seem to cheer Rin up as he apologized for bringing down the mood. I wish I could help him, but…something about how he acts is almost distant. Like he doesn't fully trust me…or himself. Does he not want help?
'...' After spending time worrying about Rin and what she could do to help him, Kaede eventually found her way back to her dorm, saddened by the expression of underlying sadness she saw moments prior.
"Hey, Rin!" Kaede called out, smiling brightly as she waved over the mysterious adult she spotted.
Rin was trying to be all sneaky, lurking about the boiler room and all that. Kaede couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Rantaro might have been the one who made himself seem most suspicious just by how he talked, but Rin did the same through his actions, it seemed.
"Ah!" Rin flinched a little before he turned to Kaee, his nervous, cautious face shifting to relief as a smile found itself forming on his lips. "Kaede. Good to see you."
"What are you doing, sneaking around like that? You're going to make yourself seem suspicious." Kaede pointed out in both a worried and exasperated tone.
"Well, I was trying to find the hidden cameras here," Rin explained quietly as he leaned toward Kaede. "This place has got to have some kind of way to monitor us, right? I mean, Monokuma mentioned how we were being broadcasted, right? Whether it's for the dating show or the killing game, it seems this is being shown to people. I'm trying to figure out how and, hopefully, avoid being caught."
"I see…" Kaede hummed. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"You can be a bit quieter for one." Rin let out a small laugh as he raised a finger over his lips. Then he hummed as he crossed his arms briefly before giving the pianist a nod. "But seriously speaking, keep an eye out for anything strange. These things are probably small enough to go unnoticed at a glance, so if you see anything weird or suspicious, let me know."
"Got it." Kaede gave a mock salute as she got to work.
Kaede spent time with Rin, helping him look for the hidden cameras, though to no avail. Kaede believed she and Rin grew closer after hanging out like this.
Rin-Kaede Free Time Event 2
"Hey, Kaede. Let's go to the dining hall real quick." Rin suddenly said. "I have something to give you there."
'And that's how I found myself here, sitting down at the dining hall as Rin pours me a cup of tea.' Kaede thought to herself. 'I never thought I'd see Rin doing any of this. This seems more like Kirumi's field of expertise. Rin's even got the fancy tea cup and plates to put them on.'
"Here you go." Rin smiled as he placed down Kaede's now full tea cup onto its plate, as well as placing a tray of treats in front of her to go along with it. "And here's some snacks I had prepared, too. I hope you enjoy."'
"Wow, Rin! I didn't know you could make all this." Kaede gasped as she looked at everything spread across the table. "This seems more like something Kirumi would prepare."
'Seriously… To be honest, this seems like a lot just for a simple conversation…'
"Y-Yeah…well, about that." Rin sheepishly began as he averted his eyes. "This was meant to be an apology for the last time we spoke. I said things I should have kept to myself, so I wanted to do something nice as a gesture of goodwill and all that."
"Rin…You don't have to apologize for anything. You're dealing with a lot. I understand that you're worried. You don't have to hide that." Kaede frowned.
"Yeah, well, agree to disagree," Rin muttered. "Anyway, back to the snacks, I thought making something like tea and cookies would be simple to do. The tea turned out great, but…it turns out I have no talent when it comes to baking"
"Huh?" Kaede blinked a bit in surprise.
"Yeah. I'm a total mess apparently. Kirumi came in as I was making a fool of myself, and I don't think I've ever seen her so mortified. Her face crinkled. Her nose flared at the sight of what I was doing. I didn't even know she could cringe, let alone that badly." Rin chuckled, but in a self-deprecating way. "She quickly shooed me out of the kitchen and prepared all this for me. She then banned me from being left alone in the kitchen."
"You were that bad in there?" Kaede gasped, trying her best to not break out into a fit of laughter despite how funny it was.
'No! I-It's not funny! At all. S-Stop it, Kaede. Laughing at Rin for this is mean.' Kaede tried to tell herself, but the way Rin narrowed his eyes at Kaede's barely contained expression showed she was doing a poor job of it.
"You can laugh. It is pretty pathetic, huh?" Rin sighed. "It's not even that I don't know what I'm doing. I followed the recipe to the letter, yet my cookies came out…flat."
"Guess we can safely assume you aren't the Ultimate Baker, huh?" Kaede joked.
"Nope. Apparently not. I don't know whether to be thankful or bummed out at that fact." Rin laughed. "Anyway, again, sorry about last time. I hope you don't think less of me now."
"I already told you I don't. You didn't have to do this, but I'm thankful all the same." Kaede replied.
"Good. I hope you can still rely on me in the future. Just…not for anything baking related." Rin then hummed as he thought of something. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something, Kaede."
"Yeah? What's up?"
'Please let this question not lead to another depressing talk about your self-worth…' Kaede silently pleaded internally. 'If this is another question like that, I'm not gonna be happy with you.'
Thankfully, it wasn't.
"Could you describe how it feels whenever you play the piano?" Rin asked. "You told me how you got started and how you gained the title, but I want to hear more about the feelings you put into it."
"The feelings, huh…" Kaede repeated before smiling widely. "There's a lot of feelings I get whenever I play piano. Joy, excitement, nervousness—those are just a few of the emotions I get whenever I'm about to perform. It's honestly hard to describe it all."
"I see. Then it would be correct to say you feel very passionate about playing piano?" Rin asked.
"Of course! I need to be passionate about it, or I wouldn't have become the Ultimate Pianist!" Kaede smiled.
"Just as I thought then. The others pretty much collaborated the same thing, though there were a few exceptions." Rin hummed.
'Ryoma and Maki, probably.' Kaede took a guess.
"I wonder…what is the thing that I'm most passionate about then? Could that be the key to figuring out who I am?"
"Ah, I see what you're trying to do! Yeah, I think you're on the right track." Kaede encouraged. "There's got to be something you're really passionate about, and once you find that, you can start piecing together the kind of person you were."
"Maybe. But I haven't found anything I'm passionate about. At least not to the level you have with your talent." Rin frowned as he placed a hand on his chin. "I'm starting to get concerned. I mean, I don't think I had many hobbies before coming here, but there had to be something I enjoyed doing. But I just can't remember it. Will my missing memories affect how I feel about whatever I used to do? Will I still feel the same way about it now as I did before I lost my memories?"
"Jeez! You're overthinking things again!" Kaede groaned in annoyance. "There's no way your feelings could change so easily. Even if you have lost your memories, if you were really passionate about something, there's no way your heart would forget it! And even if you did lose that passion, that doesn't mean you can't be passionate about something else. You just need to go out and see for yourself just what kind of person you are and what you like. You're way too scared about trying."
"Maybe that's true," Rin admitted. "But…I just can't imagine what it might be. Everyone here is so passionate about what they do. What they've worked so hard to achieve. Not everyone can do that, and I don't get the impression I'm one of those people."
"But you don't know that." Kaede shot back. "Also, not everyone here is passionate about their talent. Shuichi seems more nervous in regards to his and his title, and Maki is…well, Maki."
"That's true." Rin cracked a smile. "I guess maybe passion isn't the key then. But then…how can I figure out who I am?"
"Well, you'll never know if you don't try." Kaede pointed out. "It's like I just said. Your problem, Rin, is that you're afraid to try new things. I think you're afraid of what you might find if you try to look. But you can't be afraid of that! If you let your fear control you, you'll never learn anything about yourself! Life is full of chances, and sometimes you need to take some risks and take a leap to reach those chances! I didn't become the Ultimate Pianist by just waiting around. I reached out for it and grabbed it myself, and that's what you must have done in your life before you lost your memories. You're an Ultimate, after all, even if you can't remember it or if you're an ex-Ultimate now. That means you must have taken life by the reigns, too. You don't seem like the type to just let things pass you by, so come on! Be more confident in yourself!"
"..." Rin stared at Kaede with wide eyes after she finished speaking.
"W-What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, it's not that. It's just…I found myself speechless. You're really something, you know that?" Rin smiled warmly, with a fond gaze as he looked at Kaede with a much more genuinely cheerful expression. "You're right, too. I am scared, but I can't let that stop me. Life is full of risks. I can't just avoid them all, or I won't get anywhere. Ultimate or not…I've got to that that chance."
Rin then flashed Kaede a toothy grin.
"Thank you, Kaede. I really needed to hear that. I think…I will go searching. For whatever it is that I'm passionate about. Once I do that, then…maybe I'll start being about to put together the pieces of the puzzle that is my life."
"Good. I'm happy to have helped you." Kaede replied with her own bright smile.
"Y'know something? I think you remind me of someone I know." Rin suddenly mentioned as he turned his head a little, seemingly lost in thought.
"Uh? I do?" Kaede gasped. "Did you remember something?"
"Not really. Just a feeling of nostalgia whenever I speak to you sometimes. You have all that passion, kindness, and straightforward optimism." Rin began to mutter. "You both look a little similar, too, I think. The more I look at you, I feel…and your connections with music…"
Rin hummed a little before he nodded.
"Yeah. That's how I know you're a really amazing person. If you're like that person, the person I only remember for their brightness, then you're something special. I'll be following your lead, Miss Leader. If you need anything, just let me know. Just…don't do anything reckless. You've got people around you willing to help you, so make sure you come to them if something happens. I know I'll be there, right at your side, ready and willing to help if you need it, though I'm not sure what someone like me can do to help you."
"O-Okay? I appreciate that, Rin. I'll be counting on you, then!" Kaede answered, happy to have so much of Rin's trust in her, but also…a little confused by what he had just said.
'What…was all of that? Those things Rin said at the end there…does he…know something I don't? That felt more ominous than just a simple warning of being reckless…' Kaede realized. 'And what he said about me reminding him of someone…someone bright he said who also has something to do with music… I wonder who they are. I'd like to meet them if I can. Maybe once we get out of here.' Kaede gave that hopeful thought.
Obtained Friendship Fragment!
Rin's Report Card has been updated based on your experience with him.
2. I had tea and snacks with Rin that he prepared, though he claimed he was bad at baking. He then asked me more about my talent, specifically about the feelings and passion I feel for it. He figured that if he found something he had similar feelings and passion for, then he might discover his talent and piece together who he was. However, he was worried that he might never find anything he had that level of passion for. I told him he was just scared of trying new things and that he had to be willing to take chances and take risks if he wanted to get anywhere. He cheered up afterward, and he mentioned how I reminded him of someone he knew, though he couldn't remember much, not even the person's name. He then gave me this strange warning about not being reckless. Why does it feel like he knows a lot more about me than I do?
Kaede continued talking to Rin about talent and passion, laughing at his lack of it when it came to baking some more, as well as trying to press answers out of him about his warning and whoever it might be she reminded him of, though he never gave any good, concrete answers for those.
A/N: Help. I can't stop writing stuff with Rin in it. I keep trying to write something for Bit by Bit and Draw of the Cards, but I keep coming back to Rin Wakuri! I keep switching from writing random one-shots like these free time events, an interaction between Rin and my favorite Eden's Garden character (Eva my beloved) with maybe Wolfgang in the future too, and writing Rin and co as the cast of FF7 Remake since I've been playing Rebirth, then I move on to rewriting the prologue, and now I find myself back at my original Fangan story Shattered Reality and touching up that to post eventually.
I've been dragged back into Danganronpa and Project Eden's Garden, and I can't get these murder mysteries out of my head. And now Tribe Nine and The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy are coming out, and suddenly I have Kodaka content again! I feel like I'm drowning in it. MORE PLEASE!
God, I love this series and this fandom.