Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's hard to even see what is going on.

She found herself standing in a vast, darkened room, the floor covered in an endless sea of... What looked like red velvet carpets. She could barely make out the silhouette of a massive round iron door, looming in front of her, its cold surface glistening under the dim, unnatural light. It felt familiar yet distant, as if she had seen it before but couldn’t place where or when. It looked like something you'd see in a nuclear bunker or something. Her head throbbed.

The sound of a clock ticking echoed in the distance. Each tick seemed louder than the last, almost as if it were growing closer to her, until she could practically feel the vibration in her chest.

Then, she heard it—a voice. It was soft and distorted, like a radio struggling to pick up a signal, yet the words soon became crystal clear:

"I got to get out... I have to get out... I HAVE TO GET OUT. I HAVE TO GET OUT."

Vision blurred, her legs felt weak, and the world tilted. She clutched her head in agony as fragments of memories flashed before her eyes: figures dressed in rather strange colors, blood splattering against white walls, a silhouette of a girl laughing hysterically, and the massive pool of blood growing in the middle of it all slowly growing from her own feet, her shoes soaked in crimson.

"LET ME OUT LET ME OUT LET ME OUT LET ME OUT"

The ticking of the clock grew louder, unbearably loud.

Her head throbbed harder until—

Thud!

Yukari gasped for air as she suddenly jolted awake, the echo of the dream still rattling her nerves. Her eyes flew open, only to be greeted by a sterile ceiling, harsh fluorescent lights flickering faintly overhead. She tried to focus, but her mind was still foggy. Where… where was she?

She sat up too quickly, her body protesting the sudden movement. The room she was in was plain, almost clinical. It resembled a dorm room as well as an infirmary at the same time - a bed, a desk, a closet, a few cabinets of medication in them, and that was it.

Her uniform, the black and brown blazer she vaguely remembered, was disheveled, as if she'd been unconscious for hours. Her good ol' gray book bag rested next to her.

"How did I get here?"

That was the million dollar question. All she remembered was being excited to go somewhere... She vaguely remembers something about being chosen for something.

That's when it hits her: Hope's Peak. Hope's Peak Academy.

I guess I should introduce myself. Should I?

My name is Yukari Yamauchi. Hope's Peak selected me as the Ultimate Scholar. It means that I've got a lot of good grades in a variety of classes and subjects encompassing many different topics and such! Math? I can handle it. Science? My favorite! Different languages? A bit tough, but I can do it!

My parents are very supportive of me, and I trust that they're proud of me for how far I've come. After all, it's not like you just... Raise a child to specifically become an Ultimate, huh?

They're a bit expectant of me, always expecting me to get the best grades possible at all times, but they just want to look out for my future, right?

Before I could piece together any coherent thoughts, the door creaked open. Standing there, nervously glancing around, was a tall, thin boy wearing a black coat with gray fur lining around the neck. His ruffled silver-gray hair and yellow eyes stood out as he cautiously entered the room.

"Oh! You’re awake," he said, relief washing over his face as he stepped inside. "I was starting to get worried-"

Before he could say anything, I dug through the book bag with horror, and started brandishing a letter opener from my bag like a knife. Who was this guy!? What did he want?!

"STAY BACK! YOU BETTER LET ME GO, OR I'LL-"

The boy started panicking and yelped, closing the door behind himself.

I began to breathe in and out... Calming myself... Alright, my first instinct is that I was kidnapped.

But, that didn't make sense now, did it? I wasn't restrained or anything, the door was unlocked, and the fellow who just came in and ran out had no weapon nor seemed to pose a threat... But I was still wary of him. I don't know the guy or anything.

I opened the door to see the boy in the hall, and when he spotted me, he cringed, almost looking as though he was ready to run as fast as he could. He made me feel bad about myself.

"Relax, relax..." I sighed in both exhaustion and annoyance. "I'm not going to hurt you. Logically, you seem trustworthy, and I still have the letter opener, so if you try anything funny..." I let the words hang in the air, to get the point across.

The boy nervously saluted. "A-alright! I promise I won't do anything fishy!" He let out a nervous chuckle at that... Jeez, this guy was awkward, and it was barely even two minutes interacting with him.

I shook my head, the fragments of my suspicion still lingering in the back of my mind, because how can I really trust him. "I guess I can introduce myself to you. I'm Yukari Yamauchi." I looked at him with confusion. "I'm an Ultimate, the Ultimate Scholar…"

YUKARI YAMAUCHI. ULTIMATE SCHOLAR

The boy gave an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh! Okay! I was worried you were gonna stab me anyway..." He let out a sigh of relief. "I'm Aone. Aone Oka. The... Ultimate Co-Pilot, at your service!" He glanced down, his expression turning a bit sheepish. "Though I’m not exactly good at that either... Hehe!"

AONE OKA. ULTIMATE CO-PILOT

He certainly doesn't seem too threatening, now that I look at him... He looks more like the guy to BE threatened... Also, the hat makes sense now with the whole 'co-pilot' talent... And that nervous chuckle... And his voice... I don't know why, but his voice just sounds so... Friendly? Weird.

I looked at him. "A co-pilot? You fly planes?"

Aone did another salute, "Yep-perino! I can do it A-OK!"

I was fascinated. Planes are very interesting to learn about in my studies. "Really? Could you tell me about it?"

Aone smiled at me...

meanwhile, in Aone's memories...

The scene cuts to Aone flying a plane that is currently going down in the ocean, and him desperately trying to regain control.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

The flashback ends.

"...It's fun!" Aone simply said.

A wave of dizziness hit me, and I involuntarily groaned, clutching my head and rubbing to try and soothe the ache. Aone noticed and quickly moved to help me stand, supporting me gently.

"Hey, take it easy," he said softly. "I just woke up not too long ago too. You... don’t remember anything too recent before waking up here, do you?"

I, sensing he was going to say something important, let him continue. "No, I don't...?"

Aone nodded. "Same here. I woke up in that room like that one. There was no one around, no explanation, just… waking up in this place!" He gestured to the room as if that would clarify anything. "I wandered for a bit and found you, and I got nervous, so I figured that I would wait until you woke up."

My heart began to race. "What is this place? Why are we here?"

Aone sighed and glanced toward the window. "I dunno. I tried looking around, but… we’re surrounded by walls. High, solid walls. It’s like we’re trapped inside some kind of jail..." He paused, his gaze lowering. "There’s no way out. Do you think we got thrown in jail!? Did I do something bad!?"

"I have got to get out…"

Those words struck me like a cold wave. The last remnants of my weird dream crept back into my thoughts. Life was imitating art, it seemed. If you could even call a weird dream like that 'art' to be fair.

Panic swelled in my chest, but before I could lose myself to the anxiety rising in me, Aone's nervous voice broke through.

"Hey, we’ll figure this out, okay?" He forced a reassuring smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He even gave me a nice little hug... Those things were rare for me, considering how oftentimes I'm away from my family.

I took a deep breath, nodding slightly. Aone was right. Panic would not solve anything. But still, the uncertainty gnawed at my insides. Who had brought us here? Why? And more importantly, was there really no escape like this guy was saying?

"Come on," Aone said, offering his hand to me. "Let’s go look around. Maybe we can figure out what’s going on!"

I hesitated but took his hand. As I stood, my legs felt weak beneath me, but Aone’s grip was steady. Together, whe walked out of the room. The hallway outside was eerily silent, and stark white like some sort of hospital or laboratory or something, lined with identical doors on either side. Each door had a small plaque with a pixelated face etched into it. A sinking feeling filled my stomach as they walked. The bright lights that felt like they were aiding in my headache did NOT help either.

The place was too clean, too orderly. It was almost like a prison that someone disguised as a dormitory.

"Do you remember anything else?" I asked softly as we turned a corner. "Anything about how we got here?"

Aone frowned, shaking his head. "No. It’s all… blank. I don’t even know how long I’ve been here." Aone started panicking. "Wait, what if we hit our heads and we got amnesia or something!?"

Actually, a good idea. I promptly took Aone's hat off and started roughly going through his hair.

"OW! Hey! What are you doing!?"

Aone had his hat lazily put back on his head as I explained. "I was feeling for any injuries or bumps that may have transpired from an injury to the head that would cause brain damage like that. Nothing."

Aone straightened his hat, and looked back down at me. "You didn't have to do that! I could've checked myself..."

I started going down the hall, looking for anything else.

"Seems there is 17 rooms, if the pixelated icons represent people." Yukari pointed at all the different pixelated faces on each dorm, looking like out of some sort of old gacha game. "I assume since there are two of us, that might mean the others are meant to be other captives here?"

Aone couldn't argue with the logic, and simply nodded. I guess he did feel somewhat comfortable that his and this strange girl had neighboring dorms.

Another thing... This felt weird. It just seemed like the doors had something else weird with them. But I couldn't place it. The amount just seemed... Off in a way.

I then decide to go off and look for these other people, "Aone, stick close to me. Alright? We should probably find these other people. Maybe one of them knows what's going on, right?"

Aone seemed to agree with that, nodding his head, causing his hair and hat to bounce. "Okay! I can do that!"

That's when we left the hallway. Thankfully, the other rooms seemed to be less bright, so it didn't hurt the headache any longer...

But now... What awaited us in here?

Chapter Text

Eventually, we arrived at a spacious room that looked like a cafeteria. The scent of food, like cucumber or cheese, lingered in the air, though the room was eerily empty. Long tables with attached benches were arranged neatly, and a serving counter stretched along one wall. The food scent in question didn't smell appetizing though. It smelled like prepackaged stuff that you microwaved and left out for an hour.

As we stepped inside, I took note of the lack of decor. It was like the room was just made, and there was no time to decorate, I also noticed two figures seated at one of the tables.

One was a girl in dark teal kunoichi attire and square-rim glasses sat cross-legged, lazily spinning a shuriken on her finger. She was humming a tune and rocking her head gently back and forth as she kept spinning the shuriken. I couldn't recognize the tune she was doing, but I assume it must be some sort of anime theme.

Across from her, a grumpy-looking young man with frizzy ginger hair slouched in his seat, absently tapping a mop handle against the floor. He looked like a stereotypical janitor, of course. And another thing, he was unusually slim... Like, unhealthy kind of slim. This guy didn't seem to take care of himself too well.

The ninja was the first to notice us. She perked up, her sharp teal eyes narrowing behind her glasses before changing to an expression of excitement. "Oh, look, more people!"

"Uh, yeah," I replied hesitantly. "We just woke up." I already didn't like how she was just around with that weapon. I did have the letter opener, but I think a ranged weapon you can throw at someone would be more dangerous than something you have to get up close to someone to attack them with.

"Same here," the janitor grumbled. He had an accent that was Italian, sounds like... His expression was one of perpetual annoyance. "My name’s Ritsu Ito. Ultimate Janitor. I'm not sure what I did to deserve being here, but at least it's clean so I don't have to work."

RITSU ITO, ULTIMATE JANITOR

That accent... He looks Japanese, so maybe he's Italian-Japanese? He also looks pretty annoyed, so maybe talking to people isn't something he likes... I can relate to be fair.

"Ultimate?" Yukari asked, "You're an Ultimate, too?"

Ritsu nodded his head, "Yea, I think we all are, considering the more... Eccentric, types. That's the nicest way I can say it, right?"

"...Janitor? Really? Is Hope's Peak really THAT desperate that they involved a JANITOR as a student?" The ninja girl deadpanned.

"H-Hey! I'm sure being a janitor is a certainly helpful thing!" Aone stammered.

"Hm, I just clean. That's about it." Ritsu said back.

I looked at Ritsu with a look of confusion etched on my face. Most Ultimates are very proud or at least knowledgeable about their talents. How come this guy was so unamused about it?

"And I’m Mei Enomoto!" the ninja girl chimed in, twirling a shuriken before slipping it back into a holster on her thigh. "The great, the mighty, the stealthy, Ultimate Ninja!"

MEI ENOMOTO, ULTIMATE NINJA

...I refuse to believe this is an acceptable Ultimate talent. "Ultimate Ninja"? What'd she do to get that title?? Actually, now that I think about it... Perhaps I better not ask...

"With the power of JUSTICE and super-sneaky-stealth! I will RAIN the pain of DEFEAT upon my enemies!!!" Mei screamed out.

"We're in the same room! Stop yelling!" I yelled back.

"Oooooh... Sorry, I'll use my inside voice from now on!" Mei said quietly.

I stepped forward, forcing a polite smile. "I’m Yukari Yamauchi, the… Ultimate Scholar. And this is Aone Oka, the Ultimate Co-Pilot."

"Co-Pilot...?" Mei raised an eyebrow. "What, not even the Ultimate Pilot or something?"

My expression softened. Poor Aone already got scared from me threatening him earlier, now this random ninja girl was making fun of him? "Cut him some slack. We’re all freaked out, okay? You don't have to make fun of him for his talent. At least he has potential to save lives over a guy who mops floors."

Aone ignored the bickering and scanned the room. "Have you found anything useful? Any clues about where we are or who brought us here? We're looking around for some."

Mei shook her head. "Nada. Just this cafeteria full of food. I might be kidnapped by an enemy clan for all I know!"

Ritsu sighed, leaning on his mop. "If you’re expecting answers, good luck. I’d rather be cleaning floors than playing detective... Heck, hope one of us here is an Ultimate Detective or something, wouldn't that be nice?"

I looked around, the cafeteria looked was very large, but interestingly enough, there was a door to the side that was locked shut.

"What's with that door?" I asked, pointing towards the door.

"That seems to be the door to the kitchen. It's locked right now, so we can't get inside, and I tried kicking it open, but it won't break... My super Enomoto legacy kick cannot bust it open either! It's too powerful!!" Mei made exaggerated gestures as she went on about how the door must be magic or something... I kinda tuned out after "super Enomoto legacy kick", to be honest.

"...But the food seems to be served on the little trays you see right there." Ritsu pointed out a small conveyor belt of random trays. The conveyor wasn't moving, and each tray had a name on it. I looked and saw her name plastered on one of them.

"Well, at least we know they don't plan to starve us or anything." Aone said, trying to lighten the situation up.

Despite the tension, I felt a small flicker of relief at meeting others that had no ill will beyond snarky comments. "Maybe we can figure things out if we pool our info together," I suggested tentatively.

"Maybe," Mei said, though her tone was uncertain.

The group exchanged goodbyes before splitting up again, Mei and Ritsu sticking in the cafeteria, with Aone and I looking elsewhere.

As Aone and I continued exploring the labyrinthine halls of the facility, the sound of a heated argument drew their attention. The muffled voices echoed down the corridor, growing louder as they approached a set of double doors marked with the words "Auditorium" in bold, cursive letters.

Pushing the doors open, they stepped into a vast, dimly lit room. The space was lined with rows of seats that descended toward a central stage. On that stage stood two individuals, locked in what appeared to be a one-sided shouting match.

One of them was a girl with medium-length purple hair that curled outward slightly. She wore a black hoodie adorned with a skull-and-crossbones design, paired with a purple miniskirt and striped socks. A black beanie with a glittery bobble perched atop her head, and a massive railgun - quite large for anyone's size - was strapped to her back. Her sharp purple eyes glinted with frustration as she gestured angrily at the other person.

The recipient of her tirade was a stoic young man with a pale, emotionless face with a curly mustache befitting of a cartoon criminal. His curly dark brown hair flowing down to the bottom of his neck, and he wore a pristine white lab coat over a plain black shirt. His brown eyes were devoid of any discernible emotion, and his arms were crossed as he endured the girl’s rant with an air of complete indifference.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" the girl snapped, her voice reverberating in the empty auditorium. "Do you even care that we’re trapped here?!"

The boy shrugged lightly, his tone flat. "Of course I care. But freaking out won’t solve anything. Unlike you, I would much prefer to conserve my energy for something productive."

The girl’s eyes narrowed, her hands curling into fists. "Oh, I’m the problem here? Sorry if I don’t find your cold, lifeless attitude helpful when we could be in a literal death trap!"

"Your aggression isn’t helping either," the boy replied without missing a beat, his voice eerily calm. "I’d advise you to focus your energy on something useful instead of throwing a tantrum like a child."

The girl looked as though she might explode, but before she could respond, I cautiously stepped forward, both to assert that I was here, and to de-escalate the situation before it got any worse. "Um… excuse me?"

Both heads snapped toward us newcomers. The guy didn't change his expression, while the girl scowled, her grip on the railgun strap tightening.

"Who the hell are you two?" the girl demanded, her tone sharp.

“I’m Yukari Yamauchi,” I began nervously, offering a small wave. "Ultimate Scholar. And this is Aone Oka, the Ultimate Co-Pilot. We woke up here like you and are trying to figure out what’s going on."

The girl studied them for a moment before snorting. "Great. More lost sheep." She gestured to herself with a thumb. "My name is Kagami Fujii. My whole shtick is as the Ultimate Gunsmith. There, happy? Now go piss off. I'm dealing with something here."

KAGAMI FUJII, ULTIMATE GUNSMITH

An Ultimate student who works with guns... That sounds a bit bad now that I think about it. She's also got a temper, definitely trigger happy... I don't want to know what havoc she could cause.

"Uh, guns? In a school environment?? That certainly doesn't sound good..." I voiced my thoughts out loud.

"Pfft, it's not like I'm gonna shoot people willie-nillie." Kagami said. "I make guns. Any. I've made revolvers, pistols, bolt-action rifles, semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, replicas of historical firearms and even bazookas... Don't question that last one."

Kagami rolled her eyes. "Anyways, Captain Emotionless here thinks it’s fine to act like this is just another Tuesday. Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying not to lose our damn minds!"

The curly-haired fellow offered a faint nod. "Benjiro Koyama, the Ultimate Anatomist. Nice to meet you."

BENJIRO KOYAMA, ULTIMATE ANATOMIST

While Kagami is getting upset over a small thing... I can agree with her that his very deadpan reactions and demeanor are off-putting. That paired with a talent themed around study of the human body... Someone here is going to have the thought process that he is a serial killer or something.

"What's an anatomist?" Aone asked innocently. Of course, I knew what it was, but I figured it'd be polite to let Benjiro explain himself.

Benjiro did just that, "Anatomist is a scientist that studies the human body, as well as the anatomy of different things. It also entails the study of various organs and the systems of the human body. For example, your cardiovascular system, being the many veins in your body, or the nervous system, which is nerves in your body to help you feel things."

Benjiro adjusted the sleeve of his lab coat with practiced calm. "There’s no point in panicking. This situation will either resolve itself, or it won’t. In the meantime, I suggest we focus on gathering information and determining a way to survive."

"Gee, thanks for the inspiring words of wisdom," Kagami shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling the tension in the room like a weight on my chest. "Um, maybe we can help?" I offered hesitantly.

Aone nodded in agreement. "We don’t know much yet, but we’ve found a cafeteria and dorm rooms!"

The group stood in awkward silence for a moment before I sighed. "Alright, let’s get moving Aone. Sitting around here is getting us nowhere."

As Aone and I left the auditorium, I couldn’t help but glance nervously at the massive railgun strapped to Kagami’s back. A small voice in my mind whispered that this group I was stuck with was going to be anything but ordinary...

Chapter Text

After parting ways with (getting away from) Kagami and Benjiro, Aone and I found ourselves wandering deeper into the facility, footsteps echoing through the seemingly endless hallways. The eerie silence was broken only by the faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead.

Eventually, we reached a door labeled "Data Lab" in sleek, glowing letters as if it was some sort of cyberpunk aesthetic. The room beyond was a strange fusion of a computer lab and a library. Rows of monitors lined the walls, their screens flickering with lines of code, while bookshelves filled with old, weathered tomes occupied the center of the room. The air smelled faintly of dust and plastic.

Inside, two individuals were already present.

The first was a small girl hunched over a monitor, her fingers flying across the keyboard at an almost inhuman speed. She wore a gray sweater and a black skirt adorned with intricate purple circuitry patterns, the LEDs in the soles of her black heelys glowing faintly as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. Her straight black hair framed her pale face, her gray-purple eyes glinting mischievously as she typed. Strange, cone-like decorations resembling horns poked out from her hair, adding to her strange appearance. She looked like a child, with how short she was.

The other was probably the exact opposite of the small girl; a tall, imposing man standing near the bookshelves. His bright orange hair was wild, with two distinct cowlicks forming loops that resembled an infinity symbol. He wore a gray bulletproof vest and a gas mask that covered the lower half of his face. His muscular arms were currently sharpening a knife on a piece of what looked like rock, and a belt of literal grenades... Hopefully inactive... Hung around his waist. He radiated an intimidating aura, his piercing blue eyes scanning the room with a mixture of suspicion and disdain.

Aone and I hesitated in the doorway, because, to be fair, the big guy was already really threatening. The girl at the computer was the first to notice us, her gaze snapping to us like a horror movie monster seeing people to eat.

“Oooooh!” she said, her voice high-pitched and sing-song. She leaned back in her chair, swiveling to face them. Gosh, she even SOUNDED like a child, and not in a cute way. "New people! New people!"

I offered a cautious look. "Hi, I’m Yukari Yamauchi, the Ultimate Scholar, and this is Aone Oka, the Ultimate Co-Pilot. We’re trying to figure out—"

Before I could finish, the girl cut her off with a loud, exaggerated gasp. "Oh my god, a pilot? That’s so cute! Do you, like, play airplane with your little buddies? Zoom, zoom!" She mimed flying a plane with her hands, her grin wide and childish.

Aone bristled, his hands clenching into fists. Seems already he's gotten tired of people shitting on his talent. "That’s not-"

"Relax, sir," the girl said with a giggle, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands. "I’m Ai Watanabe, Ultimate Hacker. And don’t worry, I totally won’t steal your precious little plane and crash it into a skyscraper. I mean, unless I get bored, but I'll just plead "Oopsie Daisy!"."

AI WATANABE, ULTIMATE HACKER

She's really short, and really annoying... Not entirely sure what her deal is, and she certainly seems eccentric. 

I felt a chill run down my spine. Ai’s tone was playful, but there was a sharp edge to her words that made it impossible to tell if she was joking or if she was actually going to follow through with the crazy things she just said.

Aone cleared his throat as her nervously spoke. "I don't own a plane."

Ai started pouting. "Aww, what kind of pilot doesn't have a plane?"

Aone frowned. "She said "Co-Pilot", not "Pilot", there's a difference!"

"Anyway," Ai continued, spinning back to her monitor, "you two better make yourselves useful. Otherwise, you’re just wasting air around me and us other Ultimates! And trust me, I know all about waste, like all the security for corporations being a waste of effort." She cackled softly, her laughter echoing through the room.

"So, what exactly do you hack, if I even wanna know?" I asked.

"Oh, the usual! Hacking company security just to watch them freak out, making traffic lights change colors when I'm driving onward, putting random images on those electronic billboards on buildings and going into people's computers to see what dirty stuff they're searching up! You know how many people search for boobies so big they're the size of-"

Before Ai could continue, the orange-haired man by the bookshelves turned toward us, his blue eyes narrowing. He had stopped his knife sharpening routine and was now fully paying attention to us.

"You two don’t look like you’d last a day in a real crisis," he said, his voice low and gruff. He stalked toward them, his boots thudding heavily against the floor. "Let me guess. Scholar lady here spends all her time buried in books, and the skinny fuck here doesn’t even know how to defend himself."

Aone stiffened, his yellow eyes wide. "I-what?!"

The man stopped in front of them, towering over Aone. "Yeah, that’s what I thought," he said with a snort, shaking his head. "You’d probably faint at the sight of blood, wouldn’t you, ya twig? Get some god damn exercise, won't ya?"

"Hey!" I snapped, stepping forward to defend Aone from this guy. He looked like he could snap me in half, but I had to trust that he had the human etiquette to not do that. "There’s no need to be rude! We’re all in this together, and insulting people isn’t going to help!"

The man tilted his head, as though considering her words, before letting out a low chuckle. "Feisty. I like that. Tells me you'd do well surviving an apocalypse." He gestured to himself. "The man you are talking to is I, Asahi Sasaki, the Ultimate Prepper. And if you want to survive whatever hell this is, you’d better toughen up."

ASAHI SASAKI, ULTIMATE PREPPER

...Prepper... I've heard of those. Doomsday preppers, those people who prepare for if there's a nuclear apocalypse. Makes the 'apocalypse' talk there make sense, but it doesn't make him any less a jerk. Just because someone doesn't look 'strong' enough to survive a hypothetical apocalypse doesn't mean you can treat them like dirt.

Aone spoke, "Uh... Prepper? For what?"

Asahi spoke. "For the nuclear apocalypse, of course. Don't you know how unstable politics can be? That someone higher up fucking something up could lead to missiles launching and irradiated armageddon befalling us all!? I have just ended up the one who Hope's Peak decided was most prepared."

Ai glanced over her shoulder, smirking. "Oh, don’t mind Asahi. He’s just mad because his bunker buddies didn’t invite him to their apocalypse party!"

Asahi shot her a glare, but Ai only laughed, spinning the chair she's in while letting out a childish "Weeeeee!". Asahi pointed an angry finger at her, "It's Junpei's birthday! Of course I'm fucking upset about that, you failed abortion!"

I sighed, already feeling drained by the chaotic energy of these two. "Well, it’s… nice to meet you both. I guess."

Asahi grunted in response, while Ai gave a mocking salute.

"Good luck, lovebirds,” Ai said, her grin widening. “You’re gonna need it!"

I don't know exactly how I fought the urge to turn back and smack that little gremlin across the face for that line.

We left the hybrid library-computer lab behind, their interactions with Ai and Asahi still lingering uncomfortably in my mind. As we wandered further down the maze of hallways, we eventually came upon another room. The door bore a golden placard that read "Stageworks" in elegant cursive script.

Inside, the room was an odd blend of a stage and a workshop. A grand piano stood in one corner, its polished surface gleaming under the spotlight. Nearby, a half-completed mechanical contraption similar to a vending machine of some kind rested on a workbench cluttered with tools and blueprints.

Two individuals occupied the room, and these two thankfully looked less intimidating.

The first was a young man leaning casually against the piano, his posture relaxed and confident. His slicked-back brown hair glinted faintly under the lights, and his fancy silver suit shimmered as he adjusted the cuffs. Dark sunglasses concealed his eyes, but his overconfidant confidant smirk was plain as day.

The other was a rotund young woman hunched over the workbench, furiously scribbling notes onto a blueprint. Her pink hair was styled into high pigtails, and her pink eyes darted back and forth between her notes and the mechanical parts in front of her. She wore an orange shirt with reflective yellow tape across it, a blue skirt, and a brown tool belt laden with tools that clinked softly whenever she moved.

"Ah, new faces!" the man at the piano said, straightening up with a dramatic flair. He extended his arms as though greeting an adoring crowd. "Welcome, welcome! I’m Johnny Tenma, the Ultimate Showbiz. Surely you’ve heard of me!"

JOHNNY TENMA, ULTIMATE SHOWBIZ

I blinked. Johnny who? "Uh… sorry, but I don’t think-"

"Oh, don’t worry," Johnny said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I get it. You must be one of those intellectual types, always buried in books and missing out on pop culture. I can tell by the boring clothes choice. But let me tell you, I’ve starred in some iconic films. In fact…" He leaned in slightly, his grin widening as though he thought he sounded cool. "I was in a movie with a setup eerily similar to this. A group of strangers trapped in an unfamiliar place, forced to confront their secrets and fight for survival. Creepy coincidence, huh?"

"Uh... Y-yeah, creepy," Aone muttered, glancing nervously at me. I just shrugged because what else can I do?

Johnny nodded sagely, as though imparting great wisdom. "Don’t worry, folks. If this turns into some kind of murder mystery scenario, I’ve got plenty of experience playing the lead role. I’ll keep us all alive." He struck a heroic pose, his sunglasses catching the light perfectly.

"What the heck does "Ultimate Showbiz" mean?" I ask.

"Ah, that's something I can explain! It basically means I'm a top dog actor, a master scriptwriter, and great director all in one! I'm a one-man film masterpiece!" Johnny boasted.

This guy is full of himself... Heck, overflowing at this point. I doubt he actually has the guts to back up those claims of taking the reins.

Before I could respond, the woman at the workbench slammed her pencil down and turned to face them, her expression one of pure irritation.

"Unbelievable," she muttered, crossing her arms. "You don’t know me either, do you? I'm known for a reason, you know!"

Aone and I exchanged a glance.

"I’m Nanami Tokunaga, the Ultimate Engineer," the woman said, her voice dripping with disdain. "You’d think people would recognize the person who’s revolutionized modern engineering, but noooo! everyone’s too busy fawning over people like him." She gestured sharply at Johnny, who raised his hands in mock innocence.

NANAMI TOKUNAGA, ULTIMATE ENGINEER

"I didn’t do anything," Johnny said, frowning.

Nanami ignored him, turning her sharp gaze back to me and Aone. "Let me guess. You’ve met the purple bitch Kagami and Benjiro already, haven’t you? Ugh. Kagami’s a walking temper tantrum with a railgun, and Benjiro’s just… creepy. Then there’s that wannabe survivalist Asahi - probably compensating for something with all those muscles, cuz I for sure know when some guy has a small dick, it's always those guys who wanna intimidate people to feel good about themselves - and that hacker girl Ai, who’s one insult away from a slap upside the head... That Italian bugger Ritsu with that mop... And that showboat ninja girl Mei..."

She really seems focused on everyone's negative traits... Sure, nobody's perfect, but she has nothing nice to say about anyone it seems...

I opened her mouth to respond, mostly about how she was ready to do just that to Ai, but Nanami plowed on. "And now I have to deal with a bunch of clueless nobodies stumbling into my workspace. Don’t touch anything, or so help me-"

"Relax, Nana," Johnny said smoothly, stepping between them. “No need to scare these guys."

Nanami bristled. "Don’t you fucking call me Nana!"

"Whatever you say, Nana," Johnny replied, his grin widening.

I found these two very annoying. One was yelling at us right off the bat, the other was cocky to an obvious fault. It's probably better to just leave them alone...

Aone spoke up, "What do you do as an engineer? Like, I'm curious!"

Nanami seemed to soften up a little, "Oh, you actually wanna know? Wow, uh... Well, I make a lot of gadgets, and I've helped with construction in some things like dam's for hydroelectric power. Stuff like that, not TOO much stuff..."

I looked at her. "What's with the sudden behavior change? Just earlier you were complaining about people."

Nanami bristled again, "Hey, bugger off, redhead... It's just nice to hear appreciation, alright?"

"But, also, I've heard of you! You made that one dam over in America, right? The one that created an entire town from it? You revolutionized hydroelectricity with what you've done!" I gushed over her work, engineering is another thing I've studied, and Nanami Tokunaga was a name you saw in those textbooks a lot of times."

"Ah-! Oh my! I'm... Flattered, really!" Nanami suddenly seemed in a much better mood than before.

After some more chatting, I tugged Aone along. There was more to look around, and I didn't want to stay around this place too long before Nanami got back to being angry.

Chapter Text

Aone and I cautiously stepped into a massive warehouse-like area. The cavernous space was dimly lit by a handful of flickering overhead lights, casting long, eerie shadows across rows of shelves stocked with cans, boxes, and stranger, unidentifiable items. The faint smell of metal and old wood filled the air, and our footsteps echoed loudly as we ventured deeper inside.

"This place is giving me really bad vibes..." Aone muttered, glancing nervously at the towering shelves. A lot of the shelves had boxes with labels like "DANGEROUS" on them.

I nodded, keeping my eyes peeled for any movement. "Actually, yea, I feel the same way."

As we rounded a corner, the faint sound of something slicing through flesh echoed through the air, making us both freeze. Slowly, we crept forward and peered around a stack of crates.

A young woman stood in the middle of the open space, her back to us. She wore a black-and-white plaid dress under a white apron, stained with crimson. Her short white bob cut swayed slightly as she worked, and her bangs completely obscured her eyes. In her hand, she held a large butcher’s knife, glinting ominously under the light.

"Uh… hello?" Yukari called out cautiously.

The woman froze, her head tilting slightly as if she hadn’t realized we were there. Then, slowly, she turned to face us, revealing her pale complexion and an unsettlingly blank smile.

"Oh, hi there," she said in a calm, almost cheerful tone. She glanced at the knife in her hand before casually wiping it clean with a blood-stained rag. "I'm sorry. I didn’t hear you come in. Are you lost?"

Me and Aone exchanged uneasy glances. "We’re… exploring," Yukari said carefully. "Who are you?"

The young woman tilted her head, her bangs shifting slightly but still concealing her eyes. "I’m Uran Kondō. My Ultimate talent is the Ultimate Butcher. If you need anything cut up, I’m your gal!" She gestured at the knife, her tone very casual.

URAN KONDŌ, ULTIMATE BUTCHER

...Does she not realize how creepy she comes off as? That's the only way her behavior here makes sense...

Aone swallowed hard, stepping back slightly. "Uh… no, we’re good, thanks."

Uran’s smile faltered slightly as she noticed his reaction. "What? Did I say something weird?"

I hesitated as I spoke. “No, it’s just… the way you’re holding that knife is a little…”

"Oh." Uran looked down at the knife in her hand, frowning slightly. "I guess this does look kinda bad, huh?" She shrugged, tossing the knife into a nearby crate with a loud clatter. "There, better? I was just chopping up some steak!" She held up a large cut of raw meat, which had been on a wooden cutting board behind her, explaining the loud 'flesh' slicing sound.

"Y-yeah, better..." Aone muttered, though he still looked uneasy.

Uran tilted her head again, her smile returning. "You two are kinda jumpy, huh? Relax. I’m not gonna hurt you or anything. I mean, why would I? The only things I've cut were nice cuts at the shop me and my papa work at!"

"Oh, you and your father work at a shop?" Aone asks.

"Yep! Just me and him! We're very popular in the city!" Uran beamed.

Before either of us could respond, a voice came from the far side of the warehouse.

"Would you all leave already?"

Aone and I turned to see another figure sitting on top of a large wooden crate, arms crossed and an irritated expression on her face. The girl had long, curly dark brown hair that reached all the way to her knees, her brown eyes glaring at us with barely concealed annoyance. She wore a beige winter coat over a white dress shirt and a brown skirt, paired with black winter boots and white socks.

"Uh… sorry," I said hesitantly. "We didn’t mean to bother you." Who is this girl?

"Then don’t," the girl snapped. She waved a hand dismissively. "There’s nothing here for you, so just go away."

I could feel myself frown from this girls behavior. "We’re all trapped in the same place. You don’t have to be so mad that we're just curious about other people."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Mad? I’m not being mad. I’m being honest to you. You’re wasting your time here. Go bother someone else. All of you."

Uran, seemingly unfazed by the tension, glanced between me and other girl. "Don’t mind her. She was like this with me."

The girl shot Uran glare. "Maybe I wouldn’t be like this if people actually left me alone."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. This bitch was getting on my nerves, and I don't use swear words often! "Okay, look, we didn’t come here to pick a fight. We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on, same as you."

"Good luck with that," Tomoka muttered, hopping off the crate. "I'm Tomoka Inoue, The Ultimate Ice Sculptor. Let me know how it goes - actually, don’t. I don’t care." She turned and began walking toward another section of the warehouse, her long hair trailing behind her.

TOMOKA INOUE, ULTIMATE ICE SCULPTOR

"Don’t take it personally," Uran said with a shrug. "Like I said already, she was like that with me, too. Anyway, if you need anything butchered, you know where to find me!"

Aone and I quickly excused ourselves, both of us eager to put some distance between themselves and the unsettling girl and the antisocial mess.

Chapter Text

Aone and I stepped back into the hall, and later into another room... A large greenhouse, a stark contrast to the grim warehouse they had just left. Simulated sunlight streamed through the glass panels above, illuminating a lush, vibrant environment filled with an assortment of plants, flowers, and vines. The air smelled fresh, almost calming, but the occasional rustle of leaves hinted that they weren’t alone.

"Wow," Aone said, marveling at the tranquil surroundings. "This place is actually… kinda nice!"

"Yeah, almost feels out of place with how futuristic the Data Lab was and how old-fashioned the Stageworks were," I replied... Before gasping with amazement. "LOOK!"

I pointed up, beautiful pink plants hanging from foliage... I knew those anywhere from my textbook studies!

"Medinilla Magnifica! Otherwise known as the showy medinilla or the rose grape! It's a rare tropical plant!"

I was about to take another step when a voice called out.

"Oh, hey there!"

We turned to see a girl waving at them from near a cluster of tropical flowers (I studied plenty of plant life). She had tanned skin and sunny yellow hair tied back in a ponytail, her light blue bikini and floral button-up shirt making her look like she had just come off a beach. Her flip-flops slapped lightly against the ground as she walked toward them, her olive-green eyes sparkling with warmth.

"Didn’t think I’d run into anyone else here beyond who I've already seen," she said with a friendly smile. "My name is Mika Saito. And my Ultimate title is being the Ultimate Surfer!"

MIKA SAITO, ULTIMATE SURFER

I smiled back, a little relieved by a more easygoing demeanor compared to the last few. "I’m Yukari Yamauchi, and this is Aone Oka. We’ve been, uh, meeting a lot of people lately."

"Well, you’ve met the chillest one now, and trust me, I've met everyone else already" Mika joked, laughing lightly. "Man, this whole thing is pretty crazy, huh? A greenhouse in a situation like this. Feels like a weird dream."

"Yeah," Aone said, scratching the back of his neck. "You seem to be handling it well, though."

Mika’s smile faltered for a brief second - so brief that I almost missed it. "Gotta stay positive, you know? No use freaking out. Besides, this place isn’t so bad if you focus on the good stuff."

I tilted her head slightly, watching Mika carefully. There was something about her upbeat attitude that didn’t quite add up, but Mika quickly shifted the conversation.

"So, how about you? Have you figured anything out yet?" I asked, crossing my arms. I wanted to change the subject a bit.

"Not really," Mika admitted. "Just trying to piece things together as I go."

"How did you become the Ultimate Surfer?" Aone asked.

"I won a few competitions before, then there was one competition in Hawaii where it turned out there was a talent scout for Hope's Peak there! I just so happened to win, again, and I was given an invitation by that kind lady! Totally simple!" Mika said with a casual air.

Upon conversation ending, we left Mika to her own devices.

There's something off about her. Her kindness is genuine, but that positivity seems forced.

Aone and I followed the path of the greenhouse, almost like we were on tour, but without a guide, eventually spotting a guy wearing a black skeleton hoodie, his dirty blonde hair unkempt and streaked with dark brown. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, muttering to himself and fidgeting with a small object in his hands.

“Hey,” Aone called out cautiously.

The boy looked up, his dark blue-purple eyes filled with a mixture of paranoia and weariness. “What do you want?” he asked bluntly.

“We’re just trying to meet everyone,” I said. “What’s your name?”

“Osuke Tenma-Matsushita,” he said, his voice flat. “And I am the Ultimate Unlucky Student. Or, as I like to call it, Ultimate Disaster. It fits better, wouldn’t you think?”

OSUKE TENMA-MATSUSHITA, ULTIMATE UNLUCKY STUDENT (ULTIMATE DISASTER?)

I just stared. "...I'm sorry. What?"

Osuke stared at her with those haunted eyes of his. "You didn't hear me the first time?! Are you deaf!?"

I was annoyed with this guy already. So much for easygoing demeanors from now on. "No. I heard you, I just don't believe "Ultimate Unlucky Student" is an actual talent."

Osuke just stared to the side, not meeting her eyes. "It's a talent I have, why would I hide what talent I have?"

Aone pointed out. "You could have a dangerous talent! Like Ultimate Assassin or Ultimate Mobster or something!"

I scoffed. "You've been playing too many video games." earning an embarrassed "yea, true..." from Aone.

Osuke sighed and spoke again. "You'll just have to trust me. I don't have the certificate or anything, so I have no proof other than my own word. Besides, if you lived by that logic, everyone is lying about their talent."

That shut Aone up. In fact, now that I thought about it... Anyone could've easily lied about their talent since there is no physical proof, and we would just have to take their word at face value... Whatever. It's not like Hope's Peak would have Ultimates like that.

Aone blinked, tilting his head. "Wait, I just thought about this… Tenma? Are you related to Johnny Tenma, by any chance? We met him earlier."

Osuke’s expression darkened. "Unfortunately, yes. Half-brothers. He’s the ‘golden child,’ the shining star, the one who always gets what he wants. Meanwhile, I’m just… me." He trailed off, glaring at the object in his hand - a coin that landed on tails.

I frowned. "Are you okay?"

“No,” Osuke said bluntly. "I’m cursed. Everything I touch turns to disaster. And before you ask, no, I’m not exaggerating. It’s real. Bad luck follows me like a shadow." He flipped the coin in the air, catching it deftly. "And I wouldn’t get too close if I were you. The curse might rub off."

"That’s not how curses work," I muttered.

Osuke snorted. "You’d be surprised. Go ahead, test it out. Shake my hand, see what happens."

Me and Aone exchanged uneasy glances.

"Uh, alright then!" Aone took one step forward.

Then suddenly he started screaming. "AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGH!"

I rushed over to him, panicking. What happened? And then Aone tore off his shoe, there was blood, SO MUCH BLOOD AND-

"There was a rock in my shoe!" Aone whimpered, taking out a small, bloody rock with a pointy end. That was it?

"Here, I keep these for stuff like this happening to me." Osuke took out some bandages and gave them to Aone, who proceeded to wrap them around his foot. The blood slowly stained the bandages, but it wasn't getting everywhere, at least.

"Okay, well, uh, thanks for the warning," I said awkwardly.

Osuke shrugged, leaning back against the bench. "Whatever. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when something goes horribly wrong."

I forced a smile. "Well, it was nice meeting you. We’ll, uh, let you get back to… whatever you were doing."

As we left the greenhouse, Aone sighed. "I thought the greenhouse would be relaxing... Better than being hostile like that scary apocalypse guy, though!" Aone pointed out, trying to be positive.

"Maybe," I said, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. "I do see a pattern developing. Where are we? Why is everyone we've met an Ultimate student? What kind of kidnappers would have these resources?"

Aone just looked at her with a worried facial expression. "I mean, I wouldn't know..."

I stared him dead in the eyes. "Yea, no shit Sherlock."

Chapter Text

Aone and I entered the grand art gallery, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished marble floor. Large, ornate paintings and abstract sculptures lined the walls and halls, bathed in the soft glow of spotlights. The atmosphere was almost unnerving in its silence, much like other rooms.

“Didn’t expect a place like this here... But by this point, I guess anything can be in these rooms." Aone muttered, glancing around.

I nodded. "Makes me wonder what kind of people would design a building as strangely as this. It feels like a hospital, an academy, and a museum all in one... It doesn't make any sense."

Almost as if on cue, a voice rang out from the far end of the room.

"Well, ain’t this somethin’."

They turned to see a girl leaning against the base of a grand statue, adjusting the brim of her brown cowboy hat. She had ruffled brown hair and chestnut-brown eyes, her outfit a mix of rugged and casual - green and white plaid crop top, blue jean shorts, and well-worn cowboy boots. Despite her laid-back posture, there was a certain sharpness in her gaze, like someone constantly on edge.

She smirked, standing up straight. “Didn’t reckon I’d be meetin’ more folks so soon. Y’all got names, or do I gotta start callin’ ya ‘strangers’?”

I hesitated before answering. "I’m Yukari Yamauchi. This is Aone Oka."

"Well, pleasure’s aaaaall mine," the girl said, tipping her hat slightly. "The name’s Hatsuki Fukuda. I'm the Ultimate Outlaw round these parts."

HATSUKI FUKUDA, ULTIMATE OUTLAW

Aone blinked. "Ultimate… Outlaw?"

Hatsuki chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I know how it sounds. Ain’t like I’m runnin’ ‘round robbin’ banks or gunnin’ people down. But let’s just say, I got some folks out there who’d love to see me behind bars. Kinda makes things excitin’, don’t it?"

I raised an eyebrow. "So, you’re a criminal?"

Hatsuki’s smile didn’t waver. "Maybe by technicality, but I got my own code. No killin’, no harmin’ folks that don’t deserve it. But lawmen and bounty hunters? Yeah, they ain’t too fond of me."

Aone, by this point, was standing behind me. "That’s... hehe... a lot to take in! Hehe!" He then whispered nervously in my ear, "Are you sure she isn't gonna shoot us?"

"Yeah, well, life’s funny like that," Hatsuki said, rocking back on her heels. "What about y’all? How’re ya holdin’ up in this mess?"

I sighed. "Just trying to figure out what’s going on."

"Fair enough," Hatsuki said, then glanced over her shoulder. "Anyway, if y’all wanna chat more, I’ll be ‘round. But if you see a bounty hunter lookin’ for me, do me a favor and tell ‘em to piss off."

Aone and I exchanged glances before deciding to move on, continuing deeper into the gallery. As we rounded a corner, they spotted another, more stubby figure standing before a large painting, hands on his hips, nodding in approval.

“Now this is art,” the man said to himself.

He had a distinctive look; gray-blue hair styled into a mullet, a red mushroom-patterned jacket over a gray shirt, and blue pants. His blue eyes sparkled with an almost childlike enthusiasm as he examined the painting in front of him.

Noticing me and Aone approaching, he turned to them with a wide grin. "Well, hey there! You two admiring the arts?"

I blinked. "Uh, I guess?"

He let out a hearty chuckle. "Ah, no need to be shy about it! Art’s got a way of making ya think, even if you don’t fully get it. Oh, where are my manners? Takeshi Ogawa, Ultimate Mycologist. And you are?"

TAKESHI OGAWA, ULTIMATE MYCOLOGIST

I introduced Aone and myself, watching as Takeshi’s grin remained steady.

"Mycologist?" I repeated. "So, a mushroom scientist?"

Takeshi gave her finger guns. “Bingo! Studied ‘em my whole life. Grew up in a sickly family, so I figured, ‘Hey, nature’s got all these lil’ miracles growin’ right under our noses, why not learn a thing or two?’ Turns out, mushrooms can do some pretty crazy stuff! Cures, poisons, even glowy ones! Nature’s got it all.”

I tilted her head out of habit, just learning about some people is interesting. "So you became an Ultimate for it?"

Takeshi chuckled. "Guess so! Not a whole lotta folks take the time to really understand mushrooms, some find 'em gross even! So I just… made it my thing. And now here I am!"

Aone nodded slowly. "You seem pretty relaxed, considering… well, this."

Takeshi shrugged. "Ain’t much use panicking. If I did, that wouldn’t change a damn thing, now would it? So, might as well roll with the punches, try to keep folks smiling."

I found myself almost appreciating his optimism, but something about his overly relaxed demeanor felt… strange. Like he was used to dealing with situations worse than this.

"Well," Takeshi said, stretching, "if you all ever wanna talk shrooms, or just chat in general, I’m your guy. But if you start seeing weird colors or feelin’ dizzy, don’t eat anything off the ground, alright?" He winked.

I forced a smile. "Duly noted."

As they left Takeshi behind, Aone let out a breath. "You know… I don’t even know what to think about these people anymore. At least we have nicer people."

I nodded. "Same here."

After the discussion, Aone and I went to the next room.

Chapter Text

Aone and I stepped into one of the many classrooms in this place. The desks were arranged neatly, yet the space felt abandoned, like a relic of a time before whatever nightmare we've had found themselves in.

"Perhaps this used to be a school?," I thought to herself. "But that wouldn't really explain half of the things in this place."

At the far end of the room, standing near the whiteboard, was a lone figure. He leaned against the teacher’s desk, arms crossed, staring at the ceiling as if lost in thought.

He had a striking appearance - a red mohawk standing tall against his tanned skin, green eyes sharp despite his otherwise detached expression. His black shirt had red splotches scattered across it, and a patch sewn onto the fabric displayed several flag pins—Japan, USA, Italy, Russia, and China. His shorts were black, his red sneakers tattered and worn from use.

At the sound of our footsteps in a relatively quiet space, he looked up, his gaze flicking between the two of us before he sighed. "Well. Guess it was only a matter of time before someone else showed up."

I took the lead. "I’ll be quick: I'm Yukari Yamauchi the Ultimate Scholar. This is Aone Oka the Ultimate Co-Pilot. And you?"

He adjusted his stance, straightening up a little. "My full name is Jiryu Arakawa. Ultimate talent is the Ultimate Vexillologist."

JIRYU ARAKAWA, ULTIMATE VEXILLOLOGIST

Aone blinked. "Vexillo… what?"

Jiryu sighed. "Vexillologist. I study flags. History, design, symbolism. All that stuff."

I tilted my head once again. "I mean, I guess that makes sense as an Ultimate, but… you don’t seem all that enthusiastic about it. You don't look like you work as a job like that either."

Jiryu let out a short, dry laugh. "Yeah, well. It wasn’t exactly my dream job. More like… a necessity."

Aone hesitated. "Necessity?"

Jiryu rolled his shoulders, looking away. "Long story. Let’s just say I didn’t have much of a choice. Needed to prove something. And I did. End of story." His tone made it clear he wasn’t looking to elaborate further.

An awkward silence settled between us before Jiryu finally shook his head. "Anyway, what do you want? You just going around meeting people or what?"

“Basically,” I admitted. "We’re trying to get a feel for everyone here."

Jiryu frowned slightly. "Good luck with that. Some of these people are weird. And I'm saying that when I look like this."

I let out a small, exhausted sigh. "Yeah. We’ve noticed."

Jiryu studied us for a moment before shrugging. "Well, if you need anything, I’m here. Just don’t expect me to get all buddy-buddy. I’ve got better things to do than play the ‘new best friend’ game."

I nodded. "Noted."

By this point, me and Aone had met all the other people here, and now had taken to exploring the facility.

Both of us entered the stairwell to see if they could access the second floor... And what we saw shocked them.

The stairwell, destroyed beyond usage. It looked as though a wrecking ball had been taken to it, the destruction was that significant.

"W-What the-!?" Aone was the first of them to speak. "What happened to the stairs!?"

"Relax," I spoke, calming Aone down. "We can try the elevator, I saw one a while back..."

I led the way, Aone following close behind. When they made it to the elevator, I realized my mistake.

"Damn it... I forgot it was locked."

"Wait, can you even lock an elevator?"

"Can you see the gate in front of the elevator, Aone?"

"...Yea?"

"That's your answer. They can."

I was left to her thoughts for a moment, and started speaking my thoughts aloud. "Assuming we were kidnapped, I assume our kidnappers must not want us to access the second floor. I assume escape would be possible if we reached that floor?"

"...Either way, no use staying here." I walk away from both the stairway and the elevator, leaving Aone to follow me.

As Aone and I made our way through the dimly lit hallway, I felt the headache from earlier had finally passed. Just when I thought things might be as weird as they could get, the speakers overhead crackled to life with a burst of static.

"Testing, testing! Mic check! One, two, three~!"

A voice - high-pitched, cheery, almost too enthusiastic - rang out from the intercoms, echoing through the facility. At the same time, the television mounted on the wall flickered, shifting from dull static to an eerie silhouette. A shadowy figure, completely unidentifiable, stood in the center of the screen. Their features were obscured, but their body language practically oozed excitement.

“Puhuhu~! Alrighty, now that we’ve got everyone’s attention… why don’t you all do me a favor and get your asses to the gym? I promise it’ll be worth your time! Oh-ho-ho, you don’t wanna keep me waiting! That’d be very rude~!"

The screen cut back to static, and the voice faded, leaving behind an unsettling silence.

Aone and I exchanged looks, a sinking feeling settling in their stomachs.

"...Yeah, that’s not ominous at all," Aone muttered.

I frowned. "We should go."

"Obviously," Aone sighed. "I just hope this isn’t about to turn into something really bad."

Neither of us said it, but they both knew - this was the beginning of something. And whatever it was, it probably wasn’t good.

With heavy steps, we made our way toward the gym, tension thick in the air.

Chapter Text

The gymnasium doors loomed before us, heavy and foreboding. As me, Aone, and the others stepped inside, we were met with a strange sight - a stage at the front of the room, curtains drawn, a single spotlight shining onto an empty podium. The air was tense, thick with anticipation and unease. This felt more better for an auditorium rather than a gym.

Whispers and mutters filled the space as the gathered students exchanged glances, each wondering the same thing.

"What the hell is this…?" Mei murmured, arms crossed.

"Well, dumbass, we're in the gym of this place, which looks lackluster as hell, if I say so myself!" Nanami was the one who said that.

"There was a display on the TV's and a message on the speakers across this place telling us to come here." Benjiro said. "Are we sure this is not some trap set up by our kidnappers?"

"I sure hope not, besides, why kidnap us only to kill us? Why trap us in this strange place? Why all the extra effort?" I put in my two cents on the matter.

"Perhaps this is meant to be some sort of assembly?" Mika wondered out loud.

Before anyone could offer any other theory, the static crackled through the speakers once more.

“Alrighty, kiddos! Time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for!”

The curtains snapped open with a dramatic and somewhat cartoony whoosh, revealing a… thing?

A small, stuffed bear sat atop the podium, its body split into two distinct halves. One side was pure white, cutesy and plush-like, with a beady black eye and an innocent smile. The other half was jet black, with a jagged red eye gleaming menacingly, and its mouth on the jet black side had a grin twisted into something cartoonishly evil.

The bear let out a shrill, mischievous giggle.

"Puhuhuhu~! Welcome, welcome, my dear students, to the Ultimate Talent Training Facility! I’ll be your headmaster, your host, your idol, and maybe even your worst nightmare - Monokuma!"

Silence.

"Yes, I'm sure a few of you might've been waiting for when I'd show up, if at all!" He added.

Then-

"You’ve got to be joking." Hatsuki narrowed her eyes, arms crossed. "We get dragged into this shady place and some... some freakin’ teddy bear starts talkin’ at us?"

“First of all, how dare you! I am not a teddy bear! I am Monokuma, the one and only!” The bear flailed its stubby arms dramatically.

"What's a Monokuma?" Mei asked confusedly.

Ritsu pointed out. "Wouldn't that just mean "Monochrome bear"? It's just a bear."

"I'M NOT JUST A BEAR, EITHER, SUPER MARIO!" Monokuma yelled out.

"Wow, the bear is also a wannabe racist against Italians, apparently." Mei deadpanned.

Jiryu facepalmed, "There's an actual word for that that isn't "racist", Naruto fangirl..."

"Oh, come on! Italians are always in these life-or-death games! The short baker boy, that journalist fellow and his druggie brother, that opera singer guy, those two brothers in that one..." Monokuma ranted.

"What are you talking about? Life-or-death games??" Mika wondered out loud.

“Well I was getting to that! I would recommend you take this very seriously! Because, my adorable little students, you’re all stuck here!”

That got their attention.

I felt myself stiffen. "Stuck…?" I mean, it did cross my mind, but it got scary to consider it fully.

"As in, trapped," Monokuma clarified, spinning in place. "Oh, but don’t worry! This is the perfect place to hone your Ultimate talents! Why would you ever wanna leave?"

"Because this is insane," Asahi snapped, his grip tightening on crossed arms. "You can’t just kidnap people and expect them to play along with... whatever the hell this is."

Osuke sputtered. "B-b-but... We have lives outside of this place! Families, friends, jobs! Last time I checked, none of us agreed to this!"

"Not to mention that we can't really use our Ultimate talents if we're locked in this place unable to contribute to society??" Tomoka added.

Nanami quietly muttered. "Are we all just going to ignore the fact a talking teddy bear is telling us this...?"

"Puhuhu~ But that’s the fun part!" Monokuma’s red eye glowed ominously. "You can leave… if you graduate!"

"What, we just do a few tests, maybe an exam, and we're outta here? That easy?" Ai asked aloud.

"Oh, boooooring!" Johnny said aloud from the back.

"Pfft! As if! Tests and exams are boring! That boring muscle memory crap doesn't work as good these days with you kids and your devices and short attention spans! Besides, there's a different way to graduate from this here training school..."

"Well, what is that?" I asked.

The bear paused for dramatic effect.

“By killing someone!”

The words hit like a bomb. The entire gym fell deathly silent, and everyone's expressions changed. Some turned to fear, their faces paling from shock. Others raised eyebrows out of confusion, others looked angry.

"...What?" Mika’s usual chill demeanor cracked, her body tensing.

"Did I stutter? Murder!" Monokuma chirped. "One little teeny-tiny murder, and you can walk right out of here!"

Monokuma paused, then let out a sinister giggle.

"Of course, you can all just stay here and live a completely normal communal life, honing your talents and living life peacefully here, but if you kill someone in this here Killing Game, then you can leave! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!"

Chaos erupted.

"This- This has to be some kind of joke-!" Tomoka’s usually stoic face twisted in disbelief.

"There’s no way... No way someone would actually-" Takeshi’s voice shook.

"You sick little fuck!" Asahi roared, fists clenched. "You think we’re just gonna start killing each other for your twisted entertainment?! This isn't a TV show!"

Monokuma wagged a paw. "Ohhh, you say that now~! But let’s be real… how long do you think that whole unity thing will last when survival is on the line? Weren't you just rambling about surviving the apocalypse earlier?"

Ai looked up as she heard that, "Hey! Were you listening in on our conversations or something back there?"

"Don't worry, you're not special, missy! I've been keeping my eye on ALL of you! All through the super-secret cameras all over the building!" Monokuma ranted. "Besides, why not take a stab? You barely know these people!"

Everyone felt the weight of those words.

My heart pounded in my chest. This couldn’t be real. It shouldn’t be real. And yet… deep down, something told me... It was. It painfully was. We were trapped. There was no exit, and now we're being told by who we can only assume is our kidnapper that killing someone is our only escape...

"Hold on, should we even trust this bear?" Kagami spoke up, "He says there's no escape, but what if there is and he's trying to gaslight us into thinking there isn't?"

"I mean, it's very convincing..." Aone answered, "There doesn't seem to be any escape from this place, no exits or entrances, no nothing!"

"Hey, fallout weirdo!" Nanami yelled at Asahi. "You got those grenades on your belt, right? Toss them at the wall and we're done with it!"

Asahi pulled a grenade off the belt and pulled the pin.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

A shrill girly scream came from, of all people, Aone.

"...Nothing, see? Disabled and useless." Asahi dropped the dud grenade down.

"Well, that's just one! Why not try the others!?" Johnny desperately pointed out.

"Nope! Those ain't gonna work, I made sure of it!" Monokuma cheerily said, something telling me that his smug tone meant he was proud of it.

"Still confused on why the guy has grenades in the first place..." Osuke muttered to himself.

A resounding click was heard throughout the gym as it silenced so people could hear it, a few more frantic clicks ensued.

"What the hell!?" Kagami started flipping the safety on her railgun on and off, and repeatedly pulling the trigger, checking the ammo... Nothing seemed wrong with it, it just wouldn't shoot.

"Yep! Any weapons you might've used to escape this place have been toned down! You bastards aren't getting outta here that easy!" Monokuma's smug attitude was infuriating to most.

"Even if we are to participate in this "Killing Game" as you call it..." Benjiro started, "...How can we take your word for it? For all we know, you could be lying about letting us free if we kill, and that's assuming anyone actually attempts murder."

"Oh, trust me! One of you bastards is bound to start some bloodshed, and I've got some motivation for you if the need arises... And about me lying, I'm an honest bear! I'd never lie about letting you free!"

"How can we be let free though? There are no exits from what we've seen, so if someone killed, how would that even work?" Johnny had to let the question arise.

"I have my ways!" Monokuma let the question float in the air, saying nothing much to explain it.

"While on the topic of this Killing Game..." Benjiro continued, "What about accidental deaths, deaths by natural causes, or... Ahem... Suicide. What about those?"

"Oh, considering a sacrifice for all your new friends? Too bad! Any deaths caused by non-murders will not let anyone free!"

As the gathered students stared in tense silence, the bear standing before us let out a gleeful, mechanical cackle.

"Wowie-zowie, it's finally time for the main event!" Monokuma spun around on one foot before stopping abruptly. His glowing red eye flickered ominously as he produced a stack of sleek, futuristic devices from somewhere.

"Listen up, kiddos! These bad boys right here are your shiny, state-of-the-art, can't-live-without-'em E-Handbooks! Your lifelines, your guides, and more!"

Monokuma clapped his paws together. "Now, now! Before you get any funny ideas, let’s go over the rules of our lovely little communal life! These rules are the bread and butter of our super exciting Killing School Exams! Break ‘em, and you’ll have a one-way trip to punishment city!"

Killing Game Rules:

1: Everyone will stay on the grounds of the killing game to live a communal life. Escape is impossible.

2: From 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM, it will be officially “Nighttime”, with the gym. cafeteria and auditorium being locked and all water being shut off until daytime.

3: Sleeping anywhere outside a dorm room at nighttime will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.

4: Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is not allowed, and will result in punishment (execution).

5: Destruction of school property is forbidden, this also includes security cameras, speakers, etc.

6: Entering areas not yet authorized by the Headmaster is forbidden and will result in punishment (execution).

7: If someone kills someone else, they will become the “Blackened” and the murder will be investigated within a time limit, in which a “Class Trial” will be held to discuss.

8: If the Blackened is voted correctly, the Blackened alone will receive punishment, and the killing game will continue. If everyone else votes incorrectly or cannot come to a conclusion, everyone besides the Blackened will receive punishment, with the Blackened winning the killing game and going free.

9: A male entering a female restroom is prohibited, and a female entering a male restroom is also prohibited.

10: More rules can be added to the rulebook at any time.

I was busy reading the rules at first, until I heard Monokuma make a "HEY!" noise.

That's when I saw. Kagami made a mistake. She had went right up to Monokuma and picked him up.

"Not on my. Fucking. WATCH!" Kagami yelled as she threw the bear right at the wall. For someone as frail as her, she threw hard.

Monokuma shattered against the wall, mechanical parts flying everywhere.

Everyone went quiet.

"...Wait, was that seriously it?" Osuke asked.

"I think it's dead!" Aone exclaimed.

"Who's dead?"

We turned around and there was some sounds of shock and exclamation. Monokuma was... Right behind us, despite also being shattered against the wall in a mess of mechanical parts.

"OH GOD WHAT THE FUUUUCK!" Johnny screamed in terror at the sight, which to be fair, most of us kinda screamed.

"What the-" Kagami was confused, until a siren started blaring in the room...

"Not very smart, E-girl... Should've read the rules!" Monokuma gleamed.

"Wait, fuck! One of the the rules says we can't fight that thing or-" Ritsu started.

"LET'S GIVE IT EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT!" Monokuma bellowed.

"IIIIT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!"

KAGAMI HAS BROKEN A RULE

TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!

Kagami was suddenly trapped in a giant cage. She wrapped her arms around the bars, and tried to get herself out. To no avail. She couldn't fit through the bars, nor could she open a door or anything

The cage was lifted into the air, and suddenly the machine guns mounted on every security camera pointed at her.

"Should've Read the Rulebook!"

RULEBREAKER EXECUTION

And then they all fired.

Countless bullets shot at her, and worse, they didn't hit vital areas or anything, targeting her arms and legs primarily to injure her, and causing her to scream in agony.

What looked like blood splattered around the inside of the cage, and the guns were relentless in their firing.

It was torturous, is what it was.

Just when one of the bullets was about to fire through her head... The cage dropped, one of the bullets had shot the chain holding it up and it collapsed to the ground.

Kagami collapsed onto the ground...

Alive.

"AAAAAAAAUGH! AAAAAAAAAAH!" Kagami was screaming.

"JESUS CHRIST! SOMEONE HELP HER!" Mika screamed in terror.

Immediately, three people ran up, being Asahi, Johnny and Benjiro.

"Don't worry, I know medical knowledge!" Johnny went on.

"Yea, sure, probably just how to wrap gauze over something." Asahi scoffed.

"I... It... It hurts so much!" Kagami was sobbing, except...

"...There's no bullet holes?" Benjiro raised an eyebrow, and indeed... He was right. There was nothing. No blood, no bullet holes,  yet Kagami was in clear anguish from whatever had happened. She had some small bruises though, but nothing extremely severe.

That's when the guns fired at the ground, and... We saw past the illusion.

"Woah... I've never seen rubber bullets except for that one riot on set one time!" Johnny was in shock.

Monokuma giggled. "See? Don't break the rules, or else! I can do FAR WORSE if you dare to defy me again! The only way to win, is to kill someone! I just put a bunch a little tasers onto some of these bad boys and fired them at her! It's funny!"

"Why didn't you kill her?" Tomoka asked.

"Well, it'd be no fun if I just got rid of one of you for no reason other than breaking a rule! I want you losers KILLING EACH OTHER." Monokuma answered.

He gave a wide, toothy grin. "So, whaddaya say? Who’s gonna be the first to take a stab at escaping this place? Heh, get it? Stab?"

A heavy silence hung in the air.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

But deep in the pit of my stomach, a cold, gnawing dread settled in.

We were trapped.

And the killing game had begun.

PROLOGUE: "HER NAME WAS DESPAIR: COMPLETE"

SURVIVING STUDENTS: 17

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 1: 'SILHOUETTES OF UNCLAIMED HOPE'

DAILY LIFE: START

The student walked throughout the halls of the academy.

This place was their lifeline, their new start, a new leaf to turn over.

A class full of people just like them, people whose talents were strong, honed, powerful enough to be considered "Ultimate".

The binders fell from their hands, the papers spilling out from having ripped out from the rings in the binders already.

...Well, better to be nervous than be late.

Picking their stuff up, they walked inside the classroom.

And a colorful cast of individuals stood before them.

"Woah, new person!"

"Counting them, that makes 16. A full class."

"Who're you, new #####?  You look pretty cool."

The student was so entranced by all of their appearances, their talents on full display solely through their appearance...

"OH! I'm so sorry! My name is ###### ######!"

"So sorry, your name is what?"

"I didn't speak loudly, my fault entirely. I said my name was-"

I woke up again. Strange dream, but I can't remember all the details anymore...

I do remember reading somewhere that you should write your dreams down before you forget them to remember them. However... The dream is unimportant to me right now. My new 'dorm' as it was put, was very comfortable. It contained a very nice bed, a table and chair, and a bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower. It was the bare essentials needed for a dorm, and it did feel nice, but I had to remind myself that someone was doing this to get us to kill each other.

I had at first hoped this was some vivid hallucination, or some kind of realistic dream, but it had not been.

Why can't it be a dream? It's too crazy to be real...

Alas, it was real, and I got out of bed, put on my clothes, and got ready to go out and interact with all these weirdos again.

Admittedly... Most of them seem trustworthy, others seem threatening and others... Confusing. But I'm quite sure all of us have the same goal of wanting to get out of this place. No human being should have to go through this 'killing game' as that bear put it.

I stepped out of the dorm, right back out into the hallway. I suddenly felt a vibration down near my thigh, and looked down. My bookbag was vibrating, I dug inside and found the E-handbook that the yin-yang teddy bear had given me and the others.

I turned it on to see a notification symbol on it. I looked and saw a chat sequence, texts from Aone, in fact. Judging by the little pixel sprite of him next to the texts.

Aone: Hey, Yukari! Check out this text function! We can always communicate through this! :D

Ai: why is this loser using ":D" as a guy lmao

Kagami: I think it's alright to use :D no matter if ur a guy or a girl.

Yukari: Why did this turn into a conversation arguing over the gender qualifications of using an emoticon?

Ritsu: idk but its funny lmao

Aone: Come on! It's fun! :D

Johnny: Ngl it's kinda weird, but whatever floats your boat man

Takeshi: Hey Kagami, you doing okay? After yesterday I mean

Kagami: oh yea, the pain went away, I don't feel anything!

Osuke: NNFWEHJBFEKJBFWEKJBFJKBHWJKHBSFEJKBEKJHWFBS

Ritsu: wtf going on with bro

Osuke: sry I dropped my E-handbook and it must've sent that text

Mei: Guys, he's the ultimate UNLUCKY student, ofc that's going to happen to him!

Mika: Everyone meet up at the cafeteria! We gotta regroup and talk stuff over!

After that irritating chat message fiasco, I had the new goal to head to the cafeteria. Once I finally made it, I saw everyone else had gathered there already, which, admittedly, is kinda embarrassing considering that everyone was now looking at me.

"About damn time, would've assumed you either offed yourself or somebody offed you already." Asahi was very blunt about his wording.

"Jeez, not the right scenario to say stuff like that, dude!" Johnny was probably glaring at him from under his sunglasses.

"Anyways, it's time we told you guys our plans!" Mika was speaking loud enough so everyone could hear.

"Who's 'we'?" Uran asked.

"...Uh... Well, it'll be a 'we' soon!" Mika foolishly said. "From now on, we'll have a meet-up every morning here in the cafeteria for breakfast! That way if anyone is missing, we'll know for sure!"

"Well, what if there's a murder after the roll call? How will we know anyone is missing? We'll have to wait until the next role call until we notice there might be a body rotting somewhere!?" Nanami pointed out.

"Again, that is assuming anyone murders at all." Benjiro adds. "We still shouldn't trust that bear. I assume mind games would be its specialty here."

"Why shouldn't we trust the bear?! There's no escape, and it's offering us some!" Tomoka exclaimed.

Ritsu raised an eyebrow at her. "Do I hear a possible killer in our midst?"

Everyone went quiet and turned to Tomoka. The ice sculptor suddenly got very flustered and upset.

"W-What!? I didn't say anything like that!!" Tomoka cried out.

"It certainly sounded like you insinuated it." Kagami deadpanned.

"But- I- You don't-"

"Of course, snow queen here can't help but want to shed first blood!" Ai giggled like a maniac. "What were you gonna do!? Stab someone with an ice pick!?"

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Tomoka looked on the brink of tears.

"Stop." Benjiro held his hand up to shush everyone. "While her words may arouse suspicion, excluding someone from the main group for simple choice of words is not reason to assume them to attempt murder."

Everyone stopped.

"Look at yourselves. This has barely been a minute, and we're already throwing accusations out at each other. What can you even say for yourselves?" Benjiro chastised.

I butted in. "He's right, calling someone out to be a killer won't help anyone, especially if a murder hasn't happened yet."

"This is the first role call, and yet things are already going awful..." Osuke sighed.

"Alright, let's just start discussing stuff..." Uran started thinking. "Well, they've got really comfy beds!"

"Yea, top-quality stuff, and trust me, I've slept in lots of beds in my time, these ones were top-notch." Johnny bragged.

"This tells us our captors must have lots of money and resources, if they can afford all of this." I said, thinking logically.

"What does that mean?" Aone asked.

"It must mean our captors must be in positions of power, wealth and authority." I said. "I also doubt this was the work of a single person. Too much evidence showing that multiple people would've had to have helped on this. One person doing all of this doesn't seem possible."

"We also know this person must own this location, as I doubt this place is abandoned with its current state, even with the stairwell in such disrepair that one might assume that. We also must assume that the person holding us hostage is using that bear to communicate with us, assuming that the bear isn't run off of AI or something like that."

"Again, following the captors having power and wealth, that is the way 17 Ultimate students can be kidnapped and thrown in one place simultaneously."

Everyone was silent after my whole speech.

"You, uh... Really figured stuff out, huh?" Takeshi was amazed by my display of logic.

"Ultimate Scholar is a much more interesting talent than can be perceived." I said with a smug smile. It's always nice to see people amazed by my Ultimate talent in action!

"Still think studying math is loser behavior." Ai had to get her quote in.

"I still think something like you existing is a mistake on the universe's part." Nanami mumbled.

"Anyways... Let's just have breakfast, alright?" Uran asked.

Everyone took trays from the small conveyor belt near the side, and ate the food provided.

"Let's just hope this isn't poisoned or anything..." Mei crossed her fingers, taking a bite.

"Wouldn't make sense if they want us to kill each other." I added.

Once everyone finished their breakfast, I spoke up again.

"I also find it strange how the "Ultimate Talent Training Facility" does not have rooms or facilities for all of us."

Everyone stopped and started thinking, and things started making sense.

"Yea..." Uran spoke. "I'm the Ultimate Butcher, yet there's no kitchen for me to butcher stuff! They locked the darn thing off!"

"As the Ultimate Prepper, nothing to hone my skills." Asahi mentioned gruffly.

"Ultimate Unlucky Student, and nothing to train my talent... Maybe I should be grateful for that though?" Osuke said.

"Well, the Stageworks fit Johnny, Nanami and Kagami's talents. The Data Lab fits Ai and maybe my own. The greenhouse fits Takeshi. The gallery fits Tomoka's. The infirmary fits Benjiro's somewhat. I guess everywhere fits Ritsu's... But that leaves Uran, Asahi, Osuke, Mika, Mei, Aone, Hatsuki and Jiryu without areas to hone their talents." I said, fitting her knowledge with everyone.

"Hoo-Wee! You surely got that all nailed down, smartass!"

Everyone turned to see that dreaded monochrome bear appear from almost nowhere.

"CARO DIO! Where the hell did it come from!?" Ritsu yelled.

"Where I came from doesn't matter, but that question you asked about some people not having areas dedicated to their talents? That's because you've got to MURDER someone to earn those rewards! I'm already giving you a privilege giving you so much already!" Monokuma said, as if he wasn't being a jerk.

"We told you already, we ain't gonna murder someone just fer yer entertainment!" Hatsuki yelled at him.

"You say that now, but will it really hold up? It may not be for the entertainment of yours truly, but it'll still be funny as hell to watch you bastards scream and cry when the bodies start dropping!"  Monokuma did that "Puhuhu" laugh after that.

"Well, we surely won't kill over not having locations to hone our talents." Benjiro said.

"You never know! Some people have killed for far less, and I sure as hell know!" Monokuma said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked with suspicion lacing my voice, what the hell does that imply? Was he just stating a fact, or...

"It means what it means! And it means something that's none of your damn beeswax!" Monokuma howled at her. "Anyways, I've gots to go, so toodaloo! So long!"

The bear disappeared almost as fast as it had appeared.

"That bear is a master of disappearing! Is it magic!? Technology?! A super-duper ultra mega cool ninja in disguise!?!?" Mei was practically freaking out.

"Calm down, girlie. Don't need someone dying of a heart attack from excitement." Nanami sat Mei back down.

"Well, I say we go explore this place. There's nothing else to do with this 'role call' as of now. And I'd like to inspect the infirmary." Benjiro said, standing up and leaving the cafeteria.

"I'm going myself. Gotta see what amazing little guys I can see in the greenhouse." Takeshi got up and went out too.

"Well, since everyone's going..." Osuke got up and left.

Soon everyone had left, and all that was left was me.

I guess... If everyone is leaving, I should too. But...

...Bonding, that's what Mika wants us to do.

If that can prevent a murder... Than maybe I should do it? I'm not used to social interaction...

...Maybe... I'll try it.

Just this once?

FREE TIME EVENTS: START

Chapter Text

I was entranced by how detailed the map was in the E-handbook. It showed quite a few more rooms that me and Aone hadn't found earlier.

The first one I entered was a strange gift shop type area. It was very interesting.

There was some items I was very confused about. Particularly finding a small stack of coins with the insignia of a certain bear. I looked at them, and noticed a small note near them.

"Heya! I'm tired of explaining what these things are, so here's this handy dandy note right here! These things are called Monocoins! You can use them as currency to spend on that good ol' Monomachine! Just put it in and you can keep them for yourself, or be a weirdo and give people random gifts! Have fun!

P.S. I also hid them around in the facility! Have fun hunting for coins!

- Monokuma"

That blasted bear is vain enough to make coins in its image? Well, I was pretty sure that the thing was controlled by someone, but I wasn't sure immediately who it could be.

I did put the coins in the slot, and about five random capsules came out with random objects in them:

NEW ITEM GET!

Teabag

"This thing looks old, can a teabag even look old? Smells nice, too."

Worn Trophy

"The plaque has been worn off, and some of the metal has scratches in it, but at least you can use your imagination for how you deserved this!"

Old Western Film

"This film only sold ten copies before going out of production due to extreme lack of sales."

The History of the World

"Guidebook to the history of the world. Your expertise in many fields already tells you from the cover alone that you could write a way better version of this book."

Juicebox

"One of those juicebox things kids in elementary school get a straw and drink from. The flavor of this one is fruit punch."

I didn't know how to socialize with people too well, so I decided to follow through with what that note said... Gift them away to people.

Surely people will like me then... Right?

It didn't take too long to find Aone, as he was around the cafeteria.

I approached him and said an awkward 'Hi..."

"Oh! Hello! Nice of you to come back! Figured since there was other people, you'd go to say Hi to them... Y'know, cuz most of them are... More cool than me...!"

What item do you want to gift to Aone?

Juicebox

"Huh? Oh! I love these things! They're super tasty!"

Aone started drinking it, and it was clear that he liked it a lot. I even found that he looked sorta... Cute, doing it?

Once he was finished, he just put it in his pocket, presumably to put it in the trash later.

"So, uh... What brought that? Y'know, I thought you sort of saw me as annoying..."

"Oh, you somewhat were."

"..."

I started to realize I needed to shut my mouth more. "...Sorry, I wasn't thinking before I was speaking."

"It's alright, it's just... You were probably just taking your stress out on me, about this whole killing game thing, right?"

"...Yea, sorta."

"It's alright! I'm used to being yelled at a bunch, so I'm not too fazed!"

I did a bit of a double take hearing that. "You're used to being yelled at? Isn't that kind of... Sad?"

Aone just chuckled again, "Ahahaha... Yea... But, if someone needs someone to dump their trauma onto, I'm your fellow! But, uh, enough about me... What about you?"

"Um... I worked a lot, studied a lot, generally normal stuff for an Ultimate Scholar you can guess. I've studied most mathematics to be considered a mathematician, I've gone through most fields of science and still going through more, I've learned multiple languages, and a lot more."

"Woah...! Could you tell me more!?"

"Wait... Someone that wants to hear all of the stuff I've learned?"

"Yea! Why, is it not something you're comfortable with talking about?"

"No, it just... Makes me feel kind of nice. Thanks."

I think I grew a little closer to Aone today.

Chapter Text

I walked through the halls ending up in the large warehouse from earlier. Inside, I found the hulking huge figure of Asahi, who seemed to be looking for something.

"Hm? Oh, I see. It's you..." Asahi already didn't seem very thrilled to have someone around him.

"I simply wanted to chat, I don't see why you have to act so grumpy."

"I'm looking for something. I'd rather not be interrupted and stared at while doing it."

What item would you like to give Asahi?

The History of the World

"Huh... I remember this book. Read it as a kid." Asahi looked over the book, a nostalgic look now on his face.

"Really?" I just asked for the sake of being polite.

"Yea, my grandpa read it to me, he read a lot to me when I was a kid. Nice man." Ah, that explains the nostalgic expression.

"Can you tell me more about your grandfather?" I wanted to continue the conversation somehow, anyway.

"Might as well... He treated me good when no one else would. Mother was... Emotionally unavailable, to put it simply. Father died before I was even born. Car accident from what I heard..."

Asahi noticed the look I was giving him. "Don't stare at me like that. I'd rather not get too much into it. It's not like it's the end of the world to have horrid parents." Asahi got back into his explanation. "He took me in after it was clear no one else would take me in, he'd just lost his wife, my grandmother, recently, and he needed someone to be there with him in the bunker after so long all alone..."

I did a double take, "...Bunker??"

Asahi spoke again, "Yes, bunker, we lived in one. My grandpa was a 'prepper', so to speak. He taught me everything I needed to know. I guess he could've had my Ultimate talent had he been my age. He taught me that nuclear explosions could happen anytime, anywhere, and that I had to be prepared should they ever happen and decimate the planet as we know it."

I slowly started to understand why Asahi was so obsessed with the apocalypse now.

"You know. Most people have called me insane, or paranoid for how I act about all this stuff. What about you?" Asahi questioned.

"Honestly? I find it interesting in my own way." I admitted.

"...Thanks. Maybe you aren't so bad."

I think I grew a little closer to Asahi today.

Chapter Text

I found myself in the Data Lab next, and there was a familiar figure angrily trying to wire something together on the empty table.

"God damn it! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT EQUIPMENT!?!" The enraged voice of Nanami was heard as she angrily tossed one of the tools she had away...

...Right in my direction.

"OW!" I felt stinging pain in her forehead. Never once in my life did I think I'd get hit in the head with a literal cube of straight metal.

Nanami only realized my unfortunate placement in the room when she had already thrown the cube of metal. "...Oh, fuck. Sorry about that."

"What was that for?!"

"Hey, it's not my fault you were standing there!"

"...What's with the cube of metal?"

"Oh, yea. I found this thing as a paperweight or something. I figured I would try and open it up to see if it's got anything inside." Nanami held up the cube and shook it for emphasis. Indeed, the cube rattled as if something was inside.

"What? Why is something inside there?" I asked.

"Figures, I was just curious, and I want to get my mind off this whole... Murder game." Nanami shuddered saying 'murder game'.

What item would you like to give Nanami?

Worn Trophy

"...What, you couldn't've given me an actual gold trophy?" Nanami spat.

Nanami's expression then softened a bit as she looked at it. "I really do appreciate the sentiment, though. It makes me feel better about myself. I didn't get rewarded a lot when I deserved it."

"How come?" I was curious, but also getting the feel that Nanami was being pretty damn self-absorbed.

"Alright... One example, I got an A+ on a test in the eighth grade, 100%, one of the toughest tests throughout the year." Nanami explained. "Teachers praise me, classmates envy me, and my mother?"

"'Yea, okay.', that's all she said. She didn't give a flying fuck about how good I did. I just was never good enough no matter what I did. And you wanna know the kicker?"

"Uh, yea, go on..." I was pretty interested in the story, but nervous about where this was going.

"As soon as I become world famous after getting my Ultimate talent, my mom comes groveling to me, begging me to come back, maybe give her some money? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Nanami laughs harshly. "I'm proud to say I punched her right across the face, and told her wrinkly ass to never face me again because she wasn't good enough for me. I never felt better in that moment, even if I admit my aggression got out-of-control for a split moment."

I had to ask, "You punched her? Wouldn't that be assault?"

"As if that'd matter. You know Hope's Peak and all that, they protect Ultimates to their dying breath. Their legal team literally is stacked with Ultimates as well. Nobody stands a chance against them. I could commit a myriad of crimes and get away with them. Why else do you think they're legally allowed to have an "Ultimate Outlaw" here?" Nanami explained.

I frown. "I still think that's not a good thing to do."

"Waaah, waaah, there's bad things happening in the world, it's not a good thing for people to get away with crime because it's the wrong thing to do!" Nanami mocked. "Life is full of injustice. Get used to it."

I just look at Nanami, obviously not wanting to continue the conversation.

"...Okay, bottom line, I appreciate the trophy thing. Thanks."

I think I grew a little closer to Nanami today... Sort of.

Chapter Text

I decided that was enough socializing for the day.

After a day of social interaction (which to be fair it was hard to tell if it was day, or night, or WHATEVER the time could be. No one could tell what time it was.), it was time to hit the sack.

And so, I went to sleep...

"Are you sure this stuff is good to use?"

"Of course I'm sure, it's been used before multiple times... We had a test subject for it."

"What happened to her?"

"She seems pretty fine, a bit out of it at times, but it certainly proves that we can use these for the game."

"What chemicals do you even stuff in these things?"

"Honestly? I'm not so sure myself. It's not like I'm making these myself. The assembly line does a good job."

"Yea, but did you really-"

I woke up again. I wrote down what had happened in the dream this time. It just felt... Nice, to record these weird dreams now. I decided that I'd do it from now on.

After I finished recording the dream, I then proceeded to head to the cafeteria for the role call.

"Hey, Ms. "I read books and I'm super smart" is here..." Ai called out so the others noticed her.

"Is that supposed to be an insult? I see not how it could be." Mei said.

"Everyone! We have some exciting news!" Takeshi stood up alongside Mika, as they both had big grins on their faces.

Everybody stopped. Some holding their breaths. Had it only had to take two days to find an exit? Is freedom here?

"We're... Setting up a party!" Mika yelled out in excitement.

That elicited a less than enthusiastic response.

"Are you fucking kidding me." deadpanned Benjiro.

"Oh COME ON!" Yelled out Nanami.
"Did you really have to bring our hopes up like that?" Complained Hatsuki.

"Anticlimactic, much?" Ai added.

"Wouldn't a party be a hotspot for a murder to take place or something? I've played in a few murder mystery films like that and it's not even funny how many times a party is the setting for a murder." Johnny says.

"I agree with him. It's way too dangerous." Asahi agrees.

"Aww... I was so excited, too..." Mei has a downtrodden look on her face, to which Aone pats her on the back.

"Well... Alright. But we still wanna do some sort of activity to get our hopes up! Staying all cooped up and quiet isn't something we should do!" Mika said.

"Yea! We just gotta have hope that somebody gets us out of here, and we can avoid this whole killing game!" Aone smiled cheerfully.

Mei had a smile under her mask. "Indeed, to avoid despair, we must embrace hope-"

"Shut up. About FUCKING HOPE!"

That yell came from the normally quiet Osuke... He had an upset look on his face.

"Woah, little bro, calm down-" Johnny started, to try and calm Osuke.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! Hope is fucking STUPID!" Osuke seemed to have been set off by the usage of "hope" in people's sentences.

"Jeez, hold your horses, kid! What's so darn bad about hope?" Hatsuki was confused.

Osuke was breathing heavily, before calming down. "...None of your business." He stayed quiet for a while, and spoke again. "Anyways, everyone's here. Roll call is done. I ate breakfast, I'm outta this dump."

Osuke left, leaving everyone else staring in his direction. Other students began whispering amongst each other, confused by the gloomy young man's reaction to the word "hope", just what exactly was so bad about the concept that he ran off?

"Hey, dipshit, what the fuck is up with your weird-ass brother?" Nanami yelled at Johnny.

Johnny shook his head dejectedly. "I'm... Not sure. I don't really know everything that happened in his life. Half-brothers and all that... I've tried to reach out to him, but he just sorta... Clams up."

"Well, that's his issue. I'm heading back to my room." Tomoka got up and left.

"Well, I have a proposition." I spoke up. "I want to explore this place more. I want to see if there is any possible place of escape. I'd also like more than one person with me, so if you want to, raise your hand if you'd like to join me."

Everyone looked at each other. A few hands were raised. Kagami, Aone, Nanami, Asahi, Ai, Benjiro and Uran in specific. This left Johnny, Tomoka, Ritsu, Hatsuki, Takeshi, Mika, Jiryu and Osuke out.

So, our group went ahead.

Chapter Text

Osuke's POV:

The group that stayed behind was quiet at first.

I was not happy.

My name is Osuke Tenma-Matsushita. I was scouted by Hope's Peak Academy to be the Ultimate Unlucky student.

That's right, Unlucky Student. How did that come to be? You see, to do an unusual spin on their yearly "Lucky Student" lottery, Hope's Peak decided to mail envelopes out to millions of kids all across the world. Out of all of them? I got one that sprayed powder on me that didn't come off all week. I had to arrive to Hope's Peak looking like someone did that 'flour in hair dryer' prank to me just earlier.

Either way. I just remember walking into that school and just... Faceplanting. Right on the stairs, and then not waking up. I just remember waking up here.

How unlucky of me to end up in this place.

And then those idiots going on about HOPE suddenly... I hate that word.

I hate that word with every fibre of my being.

I remember when mom was in the hospital, they told me to have hope. I remember when I was relentlessly bullied in school, they told me to have just ignore them and have hope that they would leave me alone. I remember when I was left starving on the streets, I was told to have hope.

Hope never helped me with anything. 

"Hope is one of the greatest evils, for it prolongs the suffering of man."

By encouraging people to endure present hardships in the hope that things will improve, it prevents them from acting to change their situation or accepting their fate, thereby prolonging their suffering.

So hearing that word again... Hope, hope, hope, it just felt so infuriating. The one word I began and still to this day attribute to bad things.

Maybe I shouldn't have blown up like that, but I was already in a terrible mood this morning, so it's not like it helped or anything.

I just want to go home, and not bother with anything.

"Hey, uh, we'll just leave you alone, alright?" Jiryu called out after me. I didn't care.

I walked away. I was already mad, and I needed something to do. I looked around, eventually stumbling across something.

Ah, the infirmary. I was used to these kinds of medical places all my life, so this room honestly felt great to be in. I went on the weird bed-like thing in the corner, and laid on it, and decided to think and rest.

I wanted out of here.

Now, to be fair, everyone did. We have lives and families outside. I only really have Johnny, and that guy is blind to all the terrible things that have happened in my life, so I really don't care for him and his "don't worry I got this" attitude he has going on.

I know he's my brother, but he's just a half-brother. I only met him recently when he did some DNA ancestry test and learned about my existence, and even then he kind of just hid me like some freak of nature.

I didn't like the way my life was. I didn't like this place. I didn't like any of these people. I barely know any of these people!

There was already people blaming each other and being paranoid, there was so much fear and anxiety in the air, because everyone was expecting somebody else to kill. Even Mika and Takeshi, who both act like everything is okay, but realistically, they're already scared and you can see the tension in them.

Which just encouraged me... Maybe... If I do it now, before I can get to know anyone... Before I get attached...

I saw a scalpel on the side of the table.

...Am I considering this? It's barely even been two days, and I'm already getting the resolve to... Do the deed, so to speak.

...I would think about it.

I took the scalpel and left.

Chapter Text

Yukari's POV:

We walked first into the storage area. We didn't really investigate this room too well, so a further inspection would be welcome.

I looked at the shelves, seeing stacks upon stacks of different things. Fabrics of many patterns and colors, canned food and drink, sports equipment, science equipment, so much more.

I could hear the others chatting away, talking about something.

"I just don't get it, how the fuck does someone as cocky as Johnny Testicular Cancer keep his job?"

"I dunno, but funny joke you made..."

In the corner, there was a big printer with a stack of papers, which wouldn't be too important to me. However, was what beside it caught my eye.

"What the heck is that thing?" Jiryu asked, as he also noticed it.

It looked like a giant vending machine, half covered with a cloak, and clearly unfinished. It was super high-tech looking, and parts of it looked like it had a screen.

Suddenly, a familiar blur of black and white appeared. "GETTHEFUCKAWAYFROMTHATYOUSLIMYBASTARDS!"

"Woah! Jeez, this thing catches me off guard so much!" Kagami exclaimed.

"What in the world is this thing?" Uran asked, stepping a bit too close to the machine...

"I SAID GET AWAY FROM IIIIIIT!" Monokuma screamed. That was enough to make us all step back from the machine.

"So? What is it?" Ai piped up. "I'd kill for a grape soda right now!"

"As much as it'd be funny to see you actually do that, no! This is not a vending machine for soda!" Monokuma giggled, "No... I introduce... The currently-still-in-construction "WEAPON-O-MATIC 2000"! Patent pending!"

"Weapon-O-Matic 2000? What the heck would that even do?" Aone asks.

"Simple! You ask it to make a weapon for you, and it'll make it right on the spot! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!" Monokuma went from cheerful to glum, "Except... It's still in the construction phase. So it's not ready! But soon! It will be ready soon! Now, I gotta huddle along. So long! Bear well!"

It was then that he disappeared again.

"Damn that slippery fuck..." Asahi mumbles.

I was a bit concerned again. A machine that can make any weapon you want? That feels rather dangerous if used in the wrong hands... Which I guess was the intention of that bear.

"Uh... Let's check the other rooms." I said, and led the pact to our next room.

"Yea, there's no way to escape in this room." Nanami said angrily.

The next room we checked was the art gallery. Again, it was full of paintings, sculptures and other things. A lot of them certainly caught my attention.

Unfortunately, I did notice something bad about these. A huge shelf of paints, of all different colors and brands. However, it was the older brands that caught my attention...

"This is pretty dangerous paint that they used for these paintings." I said, thinking out loud pretty much. "Some of these are very poisonous, others are highly flammable."

"...It's not like someone is gonna set these beautiful paintings on fire, right?" Uran asked, concerned.

"I would assume these would count as school property, and thus would be forbidden from being damaged or destroyed in any way." Benjiro explained.

"Who's to say we won't have people forcing paint down someone's throat?" Jiryu said.

"Let's... Just hope it isn't like that." I said.

Unfortunately, as we looked around, we had hit another dead end.

"No ways to escape in here..." Aone said solemnly.

Next came the Data Lab.

Beyond the high amount of electricity in here, as well as numerous "WARNING: HIGH VOLTAGE" signs in this room, there was nothing. No possible ways to escape. Just an air conditioner as the only thing in here that I didn't notice last time.

"There is NOTHING in this room that can help us." Jiryu complained.

So we went to the next room...

The next room was the stageworks, which... Was the stageworks.

Again, it was a mix between a play stage and a workshop. Multiple woodworking tables were scattered around in one corner, as well as a small booth for welding. Another area had a full mannequin set and lots of fabrics and cloths. The other side of the room was the stage area, which had a prop area, a small seat of chairs for an audience, and the stage itself, which had a catwalk above it that spanned around the whole room.

"I mean, unless you're gonna shove someone headfirst into a table saw or push someone from the catwalk, I doubt you'd be able to kill someone." Nanami said.

"You'd be surprised the ways someone can kill another person. It's astonishing how many there are." Benjiro said.

But still, there was no escape. The only thing was a vent in the side of the wall, which was far too small for us.

"And... Nothing." Uran sighed. It was clear that none of us had found an escape of any form.

"Lets just meet back with the others..."

Soon, we were back in the cafeteria, where there was less people inside.

"Where'd everyone go?" Jiryu asked.

"They just sorta... Left. Tomoka is... Tomoka. Osuke is having that weird breakdown of his somewhere else. We've just been waiting to hear the verdict." Ritsu explained.

"No means of escape by any means. There's no windows, no holes in the wall, there's some vents but nothing we can fit inside..." Asahi noted all of them.

"Lots of stuff to kill people with though, I'd assume?" Mika said sadly. I just nodded and watched her look more sad. "Figures. That bear wants us to kill each other so bad..."

I didn't know what to say. This place was a nightmare. I wanted out, but I didn't want to kill any of these people.

I didn't know any of these people, but going so far as to kill one of them felt too far. I didn't have the resolve to murder someone in cold blood, and then everyone else by getting away with it.

One way or another, we didn't know what to do.

I decided to go to sleep.

Chapter Text

"God fucking damn it, Fukui!"

"What? What went wrong now?"

"I TOLD YOU THE TESTS WOULD GO THIS WAY!"

The figure, the nameless one, smacked a bunch of papers onto the other one, Fukui's, desk.

"And what is this?"

"The test results. The subjects are fucking DYING."

"Calm your voice down and don't speak to me with that language, young man!"

"YOU'RE KILLING THEM ALL WITH THIS SHIT! THESE STUPID... GAMES OF YOURS!"

"I tell you, it's not my fault you-"

I woke up again. This time, I wish I had slept longer. I simply wrote down the dream and got up.

I barely noticed the time, it seems I woke up early this time, but only later did I notice...

Voices. Two voices.

I inch closer to the corner, checking to see who's talking.

There I see it, Johnny and Osuke, the Tenma siblings, arguing.

"I don't understand how you could even think to do that! Murdering someone, Osuke?!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down! And yes, I was considering it!" Osuke hissed.

My blood went cold just hearing that, it was barely even a week, and someone here was already willing to murder?

"You weren't "considering" it! You were waiting outside her door with a scalpel in your hand! Don't you realize how much blood on your hands that'll be!? 16 people! Including me, your own big bro!"

"I wasn't entirely sure if I was going to go through with it, because again, I was considering it! I don't know, at first I was thinking probably the weird mustache guy, maybe that hacker girl, but then it struck me! The red-haired girl! She's been really smart so far so I figure maybe if I off her then I could get a free pass out! I doubt she'd fight back either!"

If I had felt scared before, I felt upset now. I almost felt like crying. He was considering killing me? Just because he thought I'd be easy pickings and that if I was dead, nobody else would figure out it was him?

"C'mon, stop considering murder! It's... Murder!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Murder seems to be the only way out!" Osuke said.

I might've stepped too far, because then they saw me.

"...Fuck, I think she heard all that." Johnny said.

Osuke just stared in fear, "just my luck..." he muttered under his breath.

I glared at them both. "You... Monster! You're considering killing everybody here for yourself!? What reason do you have to leave that's so much more important than 16 peoples lives!?!"

Osuke didn't look at me, because in truth, he probably didn't have a good reason. Johnny looked embarrassed.

Other people then seem to wake up, maybe because of my yelling.

"What the hell is going on?" Kagami angrily says, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"I heard screaming and yelling!" Mei exclaims.

"I was TRYING TO SLEEP." Asahi grumbles.

"Osuke was admitting he was planning murder!" I yelled, pointing at the guilty party.

Osuke didn't say anything and just sighed, everyone stopped. Some eyes widened, some gasped, others glared.

Johnny was about to say something, but Osuke silenced him by putting his arm in front of him.

"Whatever, screw you all. I barely know any of you." Osuke spat.

"Maybe because you didn't bother trying to get to know us?" Takeshi said, he sounded like a father disappointed in his kid.

"Aw, I would've liked to have seen how it would've gone if he actually killed someone!" Ai said.

"SHUT UP!" I screamed at that little shit. I went right up into her face, eliciting a surprised expression from her.

"You... How can you be so cruel like this!? Thinking it's so funny!?" I screamed, I was mad that someone even so much as considered murdering me.

"Eh, dark humor is like water! Some people don't get it!" Ai smiled. "Besides, I'm not the one who plotted to off you!"

"I think we should r-restrain him!" Tomoka said, pointing at Osuke.

"Woah woah woah! That's going a bit far, don't you think?" Johnny raised his hands and stood in front of Osuke.

"Well, he was plannin' a darn murder! You can't act like he's a sweet lil' angel when he was doin' that!" Hatsuki said.

Osuke ran away.

"AFTER HIM!" Asahi roared, and ran after him. Jeez, having such a huge guy like Asahi chasing after me would've put the fear of god in me. Meanwhile, Kagami, Jiryu and Hatsuki followed after.

Already, today was going horribly. And then it got worse.

"Attention! Attention! Mic check, one, two, three! Everyone meet in the gym! NOW!"

Chapter Text

Soon, most of us were in the gym.

Asahi had Osuke tied up with rope from the storage warehouse, so he couldn't try anything. We only brought him along because Monokuma said we had to have everyone here.

"Well, what does it want now?" Nanami asked.

"Definitely ain't anythin' good, probly." Hatsuki drawled.

"Maybe he's just going to congratulate the attempted killer in the room, y'know?" Kagami said while very obviously referring to Osuke.

"Fuck you..." Osuke whispered under his breath.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Ritsu asked. Indeed, there was a loud noise like something mechanical opening up.

Now, we all watched, and there he was. That damn Monokuma, popping up from the podium just like when he first appeared.

"Wowie! Finally, time for the motive!" Monokuma said gleefully, "Usually, I don't introduce them this fast, but I figured with somebody already plotting murder, I could add it in quick!"

Everyone looked nervous. Of course, I was too, but it just felt so fearful with this thing.

"Alrighty-O! It's time for a good ol' classic! The secrets motive!" Monokuma gestured to a screen that lowered down in front of him, and he popped back up from behind it.

"Secrets? What're you talking about?" Takeshi asked.

"Why, you'll see right now! Everyone will have an incriminating secret told about them publicly!" Monokuma said.

And when he clicked the remote, all hell broke loose.

YUKARI YAMAUCHI CHEATED ON AN IMPORTANT EXAM

AONE OKA THINKS ABUSE TOWARDS HIM IS NORMAL

MIKA SAITO GOT HER STEPFATHER ARRESTED

AI WATANABE MURDERED HER PARENTS

URAN KONDO HELPED HER FATHER MURDER SOMEONE

JIRYU ARAKAWA WAS DISOWNED FROM HIS FAMILY

BENJIRO KOYAMA CAUSED THE DEATHS OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS

RITSU ITO TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE THREE TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR

NANAMI TOKUNAGA ONCE LOST A SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT AND HAD HER FRIENDS BEAT UP THE WINNER INTO GIVING UP THE PRIZE

JOHNNY TENMA CAUSED THE DISSOLUTION OF HIS FAMILY

OSUKE TENMA-MATSUSHITA WAS HOMELESS FOR YEARS

KAGAMI FUJII HAS CAUSED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES

HATSUKI FUKUDA IS AN OUTLAW BECAUSE SHE BEAT HER BROTHER NEAR DEATH

TAKESHI OGAWA ONCE SOLD HALLUCINOGENIC MUSHROOMS TO CLASSMATES WHO LATER WENT TO THE E.R.

MEI ENOMOTO ENCOURAGED SOMEONE INTO SUICIDE

ASAHI SASAKI HAS LOST EVERY PHYSICAL FIGHT HE'S EVER BEEN IN

TOMOKA INOUIE HAS EATEN HUMAN MEAT

...

Silence. Everyone was just quiet and reading all the secrets.

Then someone screamed. I can't tell who.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Takeshi screamed in terror.

"How... HOW!?" Mei had her hands over her mouth.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck...!" Kagami panicked.

The differing reactions were embarrassment from Nanami and Asahi, or simple detachment from Tomoka or Benjiro.

"How the heck do you know any of this?!" Mika screamed.

"I have my ways! Turns out, there's a lot to you guys that isn't that obvious at first glance!" Monokuma snickered.

"Well that's not very reassuring, but oh well!" Ai shrugged. It was especially messed up how casual she was when her exposed secret was being a murderer.

"Some of these REALLY differ in extremeness... Like, how does murder pair with someone not fighting anyone?" Jiryu asked.

"Maybe it's just a sore spot for him." Benjiro answered, "It seems these are more to upset us with how embarrassing or serious they are to ourselves."

"W-What!? I never helped papa murder anyone! That's not true!" Uran cried out.

"Well, the files don't lie, girlie!" Monokuma said, wielding a large series of folders with the names of all of us on them... 'Yukari' 'Uran' 'Benjiro' 'Johnny' 'Kagami' 'Takeshi' and so on...

"This is a massive breach in privacy...!" Kagami squeaked uncharacteristically.

Monokuma shrugged "Don't care!"

He then turned all of us and bowed, "So long! Bear well! Enjoy the motive!"

Everyone watched as he disappeared somehow.

I was so... Nervous, now.

Chapter Text

Soon, we had all gathered in the cafeteria.

"Everyone, we need to talk." Mika started. She no longer had her positive and cheery demeanor, and looked fully serious.

"What is there to talk about, anyway?" Jiryu mumbled.

"The secrets. Obviously. We know there's some nasty shit going on with some of us..." Asahi glared at some of the others.

"If it would be okay, we could start admitting some of our secrets? Because there's obvious context issues going on." Ritsu added.

"What makes you say that?" Hatsuki asked.

"Well, I did not try to commit suicide three times, I've... Only tried once." Ritsu explained, "The other two times were just... Simple incidents blown out of proportion, really. I never planned to kill myself ever since the first time."

Some murmurs went around through the crowd. Mika went up to Ritsu and patted him on the back.

"True... I guess we should explain the context of our secrets, should we?" Mika said, "I'll start... My mother was murdered when I was only a child, and... Well, I saw my stepfather around at the time, and I mentioned that he was around when mom was... Well, you know. And then they arrested him because I placed him at the scene... I just wish I could remember more about it."

More murmuring, "You sure he didn't just actually do it?" Ai asked.

"No! He'd NEVER do that! Not to my mom, not to ANYONE!" Mika screamed.

Nobody pressed her further.

"Yea, I was homeless for some time, my apartment burned down and crap." Osuke grumbled.

"Good for you," I mumbled.

"Screw this, I'm not explaining shit..." Tomoka angrily said as she stalked away from the group.

"Of course, the cannibal runs away so she doesn't have to explain herself..." Nanami accused.

"Well, you also got some explaining to do, what was it about a science fair??" Mei asked.

"Okay, well, I'm sure you do know that I have a bit of a... Ahem... Temper problem," Nanami said as she cleared her throat again. "Let's just say I have some friends who helped me out in this situation. My project was WAY more creative than a stupid static electricity explanation."

"How badly was she hurt?" Aone asked nervously.

Nanami rolled her eyes, "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, she was in the hospital for like, a day? It was just a few stitches and that was it. She still got the second place prize at least."

"Hey, bookworm! What's this about you cheating on an exam?" Ai piped up.

I knew eventually they'd turn this to me, so I just nervously looked away.

"I... I..." I didn't know what to say, or how to explain it. "I... was going to fail if I didn't cheat! None of you realize how important these are, right!? I would've been nothing more than trash if I didn't do it!"

That got some people to look a bit... Pitiful for me? PITY!?

None of them understood... Just how HARD I worked for my talent, just how STRENUOUS it was to keep constantly maxed out grades, to keep up so that not even a single decimal in the grade percentage slipped...

"You're still trash anyway" Ai smirked.

"Shut the fuck up you little shit!" Nanami snarled.

"Just going to say... I'd prefer if I didn't explain mine, it's pretty cut and dry." Jiryu mumbled.

"Same." Johnny said. "It's personal stuff."

"Ditto." Benjiro deadpanned.

"I'm one of them." Mei said in an uncharacteristically sad tone.

"Me too." Hatsuki added.

"Oh! I guess I can go next!" Ai giggled, "I just took a nice sharp knife and... STABBY STAB STAB!" She made a bunch of really disgusting stabbing and squishing noises as she made stabbing motions.

"To have as little remorse for human life as you seem to have..." Benjiro said.

"It's really freeing!" Ai smiled.

"Should we tie her up like with Osuke?" Uran questioned.

"Nah, I ain't gonna kill anyone... Not until I feel like it!" Ai giggled.

"I say let her be." Asahi said, "For the most part, she has not threatened anyone, and second of all... We wasted all the restraining ropes on Osuke."

"Gee, thanks, I feel SO special." Osuke rolled his eyes saying that.

"I don't feel safe but sure, alright." Johnny deadpanned.

"Alright, well, maybe lets just... Calm down, and look around, alright? Maybe a calming walk to ourselves will help." Mika announced.

And so, everyone left.

It was just me left.

Maybe... I could interact with the others a little, just to get spirits up a bit?

Chapter Text

Using the remaining Monocoins I had not yet used from the Monomono machine, I got three new items.

NEW ITEM GET!

Gory Manga Comic

"Pulled from production due to its extreme mature rating. It's not that it's gore porn or has a bad author or anything, it's just so needlessly violent that people don't like it just for that."

Fangame Discussion Booklet

"A book for fangame makers, by fangame makers. Let's hope no lawsuits come from this."

Woman's Fantasy Brand Spa Soap

"A small little bar of soap. It smells nice and rosy, and the name is more or less just the stereotypical flowery girls soap name."

(Rerolled!)

Woman's Fantasy Brand Spa Soap

"A small little bar of soap. It smells nice and rosy, and the name is more or less just the stereotypical flowery girls soap name."

I did not know what to think of any of these.

I decided to go check the hallway, and stumbled upon Hatsuki.

"Hey, hey, what's got you wanderin' round this area?" Hatsuki asked.

"Not much, I just wanted to chat with someone." I explained.

"Ah, well, we've never really chatted much beyond introductions, so let's chat!" Hatsuki seemed pretty cheery.

Me and Hatsuki talked a lot about ourselves...

"...And so, there's the trick to how to shoot cans off of a tree branch!" Hatsuki finished explaining how to do that.

What item would you like to gift to Hatsuki?

Old Western Film

"Oh boy! I remember watching this with my pa! He was such a huge fan of this film, I wonder why I barely see anyone discuss it anywhere?" Hatsuki said, holding the case.

"Your dad sounds nice, did he introduce you to other films?" I asked.

Hatsuki looked sad, "Yea, he did..."

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"Oh yea, he's just... Away." Hatsuki left it like that.

"Oh... did he...?" I didn't want to straight up ask if he died, since I didn't want to be too insensitive.

"What? He's not dead or anythin'! He's just... Away." Hatsuki said.

"How so?" I asked, since I was not really understanding due to how vague she was being.

Hatsuki looked down at herself. "I might as well tell ya... He's in prison for somethin' he didn't do."

That got my attention, "What? What happened?"

Hatsuki grumbled. "My... I don't even want to refer to him as a brother anymore... He got pa in trouble with the law, Pa didn't approve of the psycho chick my big brother was dating, and my big brother responded to that by saying my dad did... Horrible things, to him and me. That got protective services involved, and then the police, and then..."

I felt bad. The law certainly wasn't fair in lots of cases, and this seemed to be one of those times. "I'm sorry for that..."

"Don't be sorry, you did nothing wrong. It was all that worthless, good-for-nothin'!..." Hatsuki started crying, and hugged the film case closer to herself. "I'm... I'm sorry, but thank you, it means a lot, this film here." Hatsuki smiled.

I think me and Hatsuki grew a little closer today.

Chapter Text

I walked around, eventually finding myself in the art gallery. Inside of it was Benjiro.

I walked up to him, and he did notice me.

"Ah, I see you've come to converse, no? I've seen you do so with others before." Benjiro said in that deadpan voice.

"Yea... Uh, I'd like to just chat if that's okay." I asked.

"I don't see why not." Benjiro shrugged.

Me and Benjiro chatted for a while...

"So uh... What's with the deadpan expression? Y'know?" I asked a bit nervously.

"Ah, yes, it's something that off-puts a lot of people." Benjiro said.

"Why though? I've read somewhere that muscle issues can cause an inability to make facial expressions, or a mental condition that blocks emotions?" I pondered.

"PTSD, I'm sure you've heard of it. It's almost lifelong for me." Benjiro said as he stared at the ground.

"Oh..."

And then it just got really awkward and quiet.

What would you like to gift to Benjiro?

Gory Manga Comic

"Ah... This is... Rather graphic." Benjiro said, but he still stared at some of the pages anyway.

"Do you... Like it?" I asked, because I really don't like that he might like it.

"Not the content, just that it's very accurate detailings of anatomy and organs. It's exceptionally well done in that aspect... If only the story was any good." Benjiro sighs disappointedly. "That's the issue with some stories, I dislike how they feel the need to be as gruesome and graphic as possible to rely on shock factors to gain an audience. I would much prefer an interesting story rather than one that has to rely on people being vivisected or dismembered alive to attract a crowd."

That was certainly an interesting take I've heard from this guy, he does value quality over quantity at least.

"I am aware that my behavior may be off-putting to some, but I cannot help it. Just realize, that I am very emotional underneath all of this, just that I find it very hard to express it. I've been practicing in a mirror on how to make a normal face again." Benjiro explained.

"Really? Is it okay if you show me?" I asked.

I also wish I didn't ask, because I got the most disturbing looking attempt at a smile I've seen in a long time. He looked like he was both insane and creepy at the same time. It just looked so uncanny and horror movie-esque.

"Uh... Good job!" I said with a thumbs up.

"It wasn't good at all, was it?" Benjiro asked, having now stopped with that face.

"...Yea it's pretty bad." I admitted.

"Figures." Benjiro said.

I think I grew a little closer to Benjiro today.

Chapter Text

Lastly for today, I walked around until I found Kagami in one of the classrooms.

"...What do you want?" Kagami asked, not rudely this time, more just asking.

"To chat, if that's okay?" I said.

"Oh, I guess I can do that." Kagami answered.

"So, what is it with that giant gun on your back?" I asked.

"Oh, this?" Kagami pulled it off of her back, "This is a prototype laser railgun, nothing too insane."

"Nothing too insane? LASER GUN!?" I exclaimed.

"I mean, I'm the Ultimate Gunsmith, being able to make something like this isn't too insane for most people." Kagami explained.

I spent a little bit of time with Kagami...

What would you like to gift to Kagami?

Women's Fantasy Brand Spa Soap

"...Ew, this is so stereotypically flowery..." Kagami glared at the bar of soap in her hands, "...Smells nice though, thanks."

"No problem..." I responded, "So... After that weird pseudo-execution from a few days ago..."

"Gosh, I thought I was actually going to die, it really hurt..." Kagami looked a bit shaken still, which was understandable considering how she thought she was going to die on the spot.

"So, uh, did you figure out how Monokuma jammed it up in the first place?" I asked.

"No, this stupid thing just won't work for some reason..." Kagami sighed.

"Well, if anyone can fix it, I'm sure you can." I encouraged.

"...Thanks."

I think I grew a little closer to Kagami today.

Chapter Text

As I walked around, I went into the cafeteria, and met Uran.

"Oh, hello, didn't fancy seeing you in here alone with me." Uran said quietly.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Because, y'know, you seem kind of scared of me." Uran explained.

"I mean... Ah, who am I kidding, you are kinda scary." I admit.

"..." Uran looked really sad now.

What would you like to gift to Uran?

Teabag

"Is this supposed to make me feel better? Because I admit, it kinda did..." Uran said gratefully.

"Sorry, sometimes I don't know what to say and I can come off as rude..." I admitted.

"Ah, it's alright I guess... I like tea, so this does make up for it." Uran said, "Listen, about my secret... I never knew I helped papa murder anyone... I remember he got arrested for it, but... Never before did it ever cross my mind I was involved."

"How were you involved?" I asked.

"Papa asked me to get him a cleaver, he said there was a huge cut he had to slice up... And then I helped him package the meat and put it in the freezer, where it just stayed until the health inspector arrived and saw it..." Uran explained.

"Y'know, I know this is weird to say, but... My, oh my... I think I may have a crush on someone."

"Really? Who?" I asked.

"Please don't laugh, alright?" Uran didn't say anything, then took a deep breath and said it, "It's Benjiro."

Well... That wasn't who I was expecting, like at all.

"...Why?" I asked. It was all I COULD muster to ask by this point.

"He's just so dreamy looking... And he was so nice and kind to me..." Uran said, and... Oh, ew, she was starting to get all blushy and breathy...

"Can we keep this civil, please?" I asked.

Uran stopped. "Ah, sorry."

I think I grew a little closer to Uran today.

Chapter Text

Later, I then went to bed, and I slept like a log...

"Today was a pretty boring day, wasn't it, #####?"

"Yea, just didn't really have an interesting day. Mostly just studying for my talent."

Silence between the two voices.

"You don't mind if you hand over the booklet to me?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, this'll help with-"

Another dream, although exceptionally smaller than previous iterations. I wrote it down, went back to the door of my dorm.

Then there it was, Knock knock knock. Someone at the door.

This time, I looked through the peephole on the door, as well as took my letter opener, and held it as a weapon just in case...

I opened the door, and there stood Mika.

"Heya! We just need you all at the cafeteria real quick!" Mika announced.

Oh, great, I forgot about the morning meetings...

Soon, I arrived, and over time, more people came in.

"Alright, so everyone, I've decided on something else! Something that'll make us all happy!" Mika announced.

That's when Takeshi, Asahi, Kagami, Johnny and Uran all appeared alongside Mika.

"We're setting up a brunch today! Y'know, breakfast and lunch? Kinda like a buffet for all of us to calm our nerves down!" Mika explained.

Everyone had varying reactions.

"Is there anything vegan you'll have?" Tomoka asked.

"Don't worry about that, already got you covered." Takeshi said.

"When the heck did you decide this?" Osuke asked, who is also still tied up in rope.

"Just yesterday, actually!" Mika beamed.

"What are you going to have?" Ritsu asked.

"Onigiri, tamagoyaki, miso soup, katsu sando, tsukemono, okayu... Quite a bit actually." Mika listed.

"Mmm... Tsukemono..." Tomoka seemed more on board now.

"We're Japanese, some of us don't know how to cook other countries foods, sor-RY we aren't the pizza and pasta shop like at home!" Kagami snapped.

"Y'know what? I'll contribute to, even if just so I can enjoy some homemade pasta myself." Ritsu remarked.

"When will we have this brunch?" Nanami asked.

"A little while later, that's when!" Mika smiled as she said that.

A lot more positive sounding noises were heard.

But of course, things didn't last that long like that...

Because there was a loud smashing noise, coming down from the hall.

"What the heck was that?" Jiryu asked.

"Well, we should probably check it out, right?" Aone offered, "It might just be something that fell off a shelf or something... Right?"

"Well, you guys can inspect it, I've got a pasta dish to cook." Ritsu snapped.

Soon, most of us had started going towards the direction of the sound.

Chapter Text

The noise came from the storage room, and when we went inside, there sat what must be the most... High-tech vending machine I've ever seen.

Monokuma himself was in front of it, standing proud, in a yellow jumpsuit and dark beanie, admiring his own work.

"Phew! That was a real doozy to get working, but here it is kiddos! The Weapon-O-Matic 2000 is fully operational and working!" Monokuma proclaimed.

Well... That wasn't good. A literal weapon generator was now fully operational and allowed to be used by us.

"Can I try it?" Aone asked.

"Why do you want to try it Aone?" I asked him.

Aone got a bit nervous, "N-Nothing! I just want to see how it works!"

Aone walked up to it, and typed into the machine, it simply had a prompt asking him to type in whatever weapon he wanted.

Aone typed in "knife" and the machine suddenly blared a loud noise, and red lights came from it.

The screen said "Prompt Denied: Authorization ID Required".

"Yep! I figured it'd be too easy to just let you all have access to this, so only ONE of you gets the ID that'll let you use this! And who did I give it to yesterday? Oh, the despair of not knowing...!" Monokuma giggled.

Suspicion returned to the faces of some of us, now knowing that only one of us had the ID, but clearly hadn't said anything...

"Oh, well! Just letting ya fellas know!" Monokuma said.

"Lets just go back to the brunch..." Nanami mumbled.

We all started walking back outside, now we were in the hallway, and Monokuma was waddling after us.

"Hey! I went through all the trouble of making that damn thing and you bastards just IGNORE it!?" He howled.

"Yea, we are." Mei deadpanned.

We all sat at the table, I sat next to Aone. I was seated right at the end of the table, so it was just me and him... Across from me was Ritsu, who was proudly presenting a bunch of random Italian dishes I've honestly only ever seen in cookbooks.

To be honest, I could have joined in on the cooking, but I really am not the best at it... I'm not an Ultimate Chef, after all.

The food was... Actually very tasty, lots of flavors that I personally have not had in a while considering how often I had just left myself to rice dishes during my studying.

The food I wasn't focusing on though, it was Aone.

"So, ah, I should've talked with you a bit more... Uh, thanks for making sure I was okay when we first got here and all, I really appreciate it, even if I sorta... Y'know." I held up a knife so as to hint towards the letter opener.

"Oh! It's alright! Water under the bridge, y'know?" Aone shrugged it off with a smile, like it wasn't anything too important...

"No, seriously, I threatened you and... Well, I feel guilty, okay?" I did feel bad about it. It was certainly a terrible first impression, and first impressions are so important...

"I said it's okay! Nothing that a bit of grub can't fix, huh?" Aone said as he stuffed his face full of takoyaki.

"...Right."

Gosh... He's just so kind, but that kindness could easily be swayed... I don't want someone to kill him just because he's too trusting.

I don't want him to die.

I guess... I don't want anyone here to die. Not even Osuke, who had planned my death.

Speaking of Osuke, they untied him a little so he could eat, but made sure not to give him a knife or anything.

I don't know what exactly could compel him to want to kill someone so early, maybe there's someone on the outside who matters to him, or he has something going on outside that he finds important.

I may never know.

I sure as hell don't care to know.

Everyone seemed so lively. Asahi and Takeshi had started chatting about mushrooms, Mika and Tomoka had somehow started up a conversation, Johnny was yapping to Osuke who seemed to not give a crap about anything, Ai was unscrewing the saltshaker lid so people would dump a bunch of salt onto their food, Ritsu was aggressively explaining to Hatsuki and Kagami about the cultural importance of Italian food to Italy and that Kagami calling it shitty is an insult to good food, Benjiro was just eating and Uran was staring at him dreamily, Nanami had somehow snuck a book into the brunch and was reading it while picking at her food, Jiryu and Mei had struck up a conversation...

Everyone was in their element, and it seemed so nice. It almost felt like nobody would kill anyone else...

Mika suddenly spoke up. "Everyone! Considering the massive success of this brunch, I nominate that we do another one! Particularly because there's still some food left... Raise your hand if you agree with me for another one!"

"Fuck that noise." Nanami grumbled as she passed.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Yes yes yes yes!" Mei raised her hand almost immediately.

"I don't mind." Asahi raised his hand.

In the end, more hands were raised for the brunch tomorrow than not.

"Alright, it's decided!" Takeshi beamed.

"Well, I'm not cooking, you guys can get a different chef." Ritsu grumbled.

"Oh... That, uh... That surely complicates things!" Mika said, with a really forced smile on her face.

The mood lowered significantly, so... Maybe...

"I'll volunteer!" I called out, raising my hand.

"Perfect! Do you have any culinary experience?" Mika asked, she seemed super happy now.

"Uh-" I started to speak, but Mika interrupted me. "Actually I don't care! I'm sure the Ultimate Scholar took cooking classes at one point!"

Everyone started separating, and then... It was time to go to sleep.

I went back to my dorm, and laid in bed, didn't even put the blankets over me.

"What did I get myself into..."

Chapter Text

Today, I woke up. No dreams, no nothing.

I guess the dreams are just that... Dreams.

I woke up to the noise of the door knocking, in fact. I got up and opened the door.

"Hey Yukar- OH, Uh! Sorry, please just... Put some clothes on!" Mika embarrassedly turned away.

I didn't even realize I was still in my underwear, so I just closed the door, got my clothes on (for some reason, they had copies of our clothes... Were we not allowed any different colored clothes?), and then I reopened the door.

"Ah... Sorry about that." I said with a blush on my face, I could feel my face all warm and stuff. Gosh that was embarrassing.

"It's okay! If it's any consolation, you, uh... You got nice thighs!" Mika said.

"You sound like a creepy old man." I deadpanned.

"...Right, uh! I meant, like, nice thighs for... Uh surfing on a surfboard! Right!" Mika tried to explain herself.

"Whatever, let me guess, it's about the brunch, right?" I said.

"Yea! We need to cook up some new stuff to go along with the leftovers, but not too much! We figured we'd let you do the new dishes!" Mika explained.

"...Right, sure." I walked past her, and eventually stopped.

"...Wait, isn't the kitchen locked off?"

"Oh, yea! It is!" Mika went on, "We got all the stuff we needed from the storage room! They have spare utensils and cooking stuff there! Plus a lot of canned goods and packaged stuff! We prepared a small kitchenette in there to work."

Oh, I never considered any of this yesterday. I was more entranced by the food and everyone else than to actually consider how the heck the food was prepared if the kitchen was locked off.

"Thanks for letting me know."

Later on, I made it to the kitchenette in the storage warehouse, where Jiryu was.

"Oh, uh, hey. What's going on?" I asked.

"Not much. Just going to reheat the leftovers. Asahi's gone to get the tables back out and stuff. Not sure where Hatsuki, Mika or Takeshi are." Jiryu explained. "I think all the others are still asleep."

"Ah, alright... Is there any rice?" I asked.

"Sure, here." Jiryu tossed over a package of coconut rice. Not the most unique food in the world, but it'll do. So I started making it.

In the corner of my eye, the Weapon-O-Matic was still there. My mind raced... Who in the world was given the pass to use it? Why did they not admit they had it? Did they plan to use the Weapon-O-Matic for nefarious purposes? Did they plan to tell us, just not yet? Were they afraid of being scrutinized by the rest of us if they admitted they had it?

Later on, I heard some other people milling about outside, particularly Kagami and Ai, who seemed to be arguing. I didn't pay much attention to it at first... Until I heard two key words.

"The Pass"

I started sneaking over to the door, just to listen to the two. Jeez, I am a pretty bad eavesdropper, huh?

"The fuck you mean, Mika has the pass to that weapon thingamajig!? She'd tell us if she had it!" Kagami snarled.

"She was gonna use it to slaughter someone like a pig, I tell ya!" Ai snickered. "Your tiny brain just doesn't want to accept that someone wanted to backstab you!"

"She's been trying to keep us all together for so long now! Why would she do this, you brat!?" Kagami argued.

"I know why, I just won't tell!" Ai smiled.

"You're full of bullshit, I'm leaving." Kagami grumbled as she left.

I was about to keep listening, but then I remembered the rice, and ran to it.

Later, the brunch was up. Everyone was excited (not as excited as yesterday though), and a lot of chatter was back. The smell of food overpowered everything else in the room, and 

"There, tables are here." Asahi said, wiping sweat off his brow. Food on the table looked good.

"Thank god Ai isn't here. That little shit would make things so much more annoying." Nanami breathed a sigh of relief.

However, some people were missing.

"Where's Takeshi? Or Mika? Or Hatsuki? or Kagami? Or Tomoka?" Mei asked.

"I dunno... Should we look for them?" Uran suggested, "I'm sure they could be somewhere."

"What if someone killed them!?" Johnny panicked.

"I doubt somebody would've killed them... Right?" Aone questioned quietly.

"Eeeeeek! Murdeeeer!" Mei squealed.

"Oh my god, they're probably just on the crapper or something! Stop freaking out about this nonsense!" Nanami argued.

"Go where you want, I'm staying here!" Ritsu yelled, laying down on a chair and closing his eyes.

"I'm not bothering looking around." Benjiro said.

"Gosh, I hope Mika is okay..." Tomoka said quietly.

So, Nanami, Uran, Aone, Asahi, Johnny, Mei and I have to go ahead and look for them.

We checked everywhere, the hall with the dorms, the warehouse again, the medbay, the classrooms, the gift shop... It didn't seem like any of them were anywhere.

That's when someone ran past us down the hall...

"Wha... Was that Osuke!? How the fuck did he get out of the restraints!?" Nanami exclaimed.

"Uh, I... totally don't know how he got out, honest!" Johnny stammered.

"Did you fucking cut him out of the rope?!" Asahi yelled.

I was about to speak when I noticed where he was running from... The end of the hallway... The corner...

And... Something was wrong. It was...

It was...

I walked forward... It was...

...

...

...Blood.

A lot of blood.

I really hoped nobody would fall for the motive, or have any reason to fall for the killing game.

but...

I guess it wasn't easy like that.

It's too hopeful to think like that, that nobody would kill anyone, right?

If only things were so simple...

Their throat had been cut open, blood staining their outfit and around their neck a deep crimson color. No weapon to be found, and body slumped against the wall in the corner of the hall.

Hatsuki Fukuda, the Ultimate Outlaw, was dead.

DAILY LIFE: END