Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

• ~ ★ ~ • 

Hope's Peak Academy

I bet you heard that name before atleast once.

It's a professional school for students with special talents, called the Ultimate Students. This Academy allows only skilled people inside, and the ones who manage to pass all the required tests can consider themselves either lucky or very smart.

I climbed up another pair of stairs as I thought how inside of the Academy could be. Who will I meet here? What will they be like?

I could gather some ideas for another book to write. I'm very good in it after all. Perhaps that's why they call me The Ultimate Novelist. My detective stories are known all around the world! That's a huge success for me, and I'm really thankful for it. Can't wait to meet other cookies of special talents!

I stepped in front of the building's door. The Academy was huge, that's for sure. It made me start feeling a little stressed. Maybe that's because of the overwhelming looks of the school. I took a deep breath and pushed the door, making my way inside. I carefully closed it behind me and turned my head to the hallway I was standing in to see the inside of the building.

At the very sight of the hallway, I let out a gasp. Wonderful! The halls, walls and the surroundings in general looked beautiful. Some might call it a default academy, but this was something more. Something more... Professional. I slowly walked through the halls, getting familiar with the surroundings. The thing was: I didn't know where are the students supposed to meet up at. God damnit! Did I really have to forget such an important detail in a moment like this?!

Well, guess I'll just walk around till I find someone.

I walked, I walked and... Walked. 

Suddenly, I heard two people talking... No, two? I spotted a third voice. I decided to come to them and join the conversation. After all making friends is very important in the life of a student.

I walked up to three cookies talking about something. One of them was definitely smaller than the other two. Honestly, that person didn't even look like they're in the age of a student. They had white hair that was pink in some places. They had something like a... Halo made out of fruits behind their head?

They also had wings... Well, not the weirdest appearance I've seen.

I had to say something, ask them about their names and talents, when a voice spoke up from the speaker on the wall

"Attention students! Everyone meet up in the gym!" 

Ah, the gym! Right. One of the cookies asked the other two something, one of the two pointed to somewhere and the group began walking to a direction. I followed them, they must know where the gym is. 

After a while of wandering around the halls, they and me arrived at the huge space with things that you could spot at your school's psychical education lesson. Basketball baskets, two soccer goals and some other things. But, to my surprise, there was also a stage on which was placed a platform with microphone. The stage was empty though.

Except me and the three cookies, there were 12 other students here. I wonder who they are. I walked a little closer to them, but didn't start a conversation yet. 

I wanted to observe first. The cookie I was the closest to had white hair, mixed with light blue. And it shined like ice, or snow. The hair covered one of their eyes. They were wearing dark blue clothes. Hmm... Maybe they're really made our of ice? Or snow perhaps? 

I looked around in hope to spot more interesting people. My eyes stopped on... Another small cookie! They also had white hair, but also... Two red lollipops sticking to it? One on each side. They kind of looked like caramelized apples. This person looks like a kid. But why is a kid here? 

My thoughts were interrupted by the same voice I've heard through that speaker in the hallway. The sound was coming from the stage, hence I turned my head to the direction to look at it.

I wasn't the only one who heard it, other students turned to the stage as well. Good, that means that I'm not just imagining things.

No one was on the stage... or so it seemed. After just split second, a bear jumped at the platform and sat on it. One side of the bear was white, and one was dark grey, or black. It was hard to tell from the distance.

"Hello hello! Do y'all hear me right and clear?"

I didn't quite know how to respond. Who even is this? My question was answered shortly after I mentally asked it.

"I am Monokuma! Your principal and host of the game we'll be playing! Oh, and in case you don't know by which pronouns to refer to me, you can go by he/him."

Wait, a game? What game? I heard whispers coming from other cookies around me.

"What game?"

"I don't know"

"What the heck?"

The bear cleared his throat and spoke up again.

"By looking at your faces, I guess that you don't know what I'm talking about, right?"

He was met with silence from everyone. Finally, someone asked him a question.

"What exactly are you and what do you mean by 'a game'?"

"Puhuhu! I'll answer your question right away, my fellow brown haired cookie!" The bear said with visible excitement. If he's so happy, then the game must be fun, right? "The game you all will be playing is... A killing game!"

...

...

Silence

My eyes widened at that what I've just heard, and from that what I see, other students are as shocked as me. Well, most of them. 

"What killing game?!" Someone asked

"Oh, I'll explain it to ya! ★" The bear laughed and continued that what he was saying "You'll be playing a killing game. A game of killing, that's in the name."

...

Everyone listened to him, perhaps too scared to speak up.

"Rules are easy! You have to kill someone and get away with it during a class trial! Class trials are hosted after every murder that will happen, and their purpose is to help the innocent students find the culprit. After every trial, there is a voting time! If the students vote wrong, the culprit can escape and the remaining cookies are punished! But, if they vote correct, the murderer is punished and the game continues!" 

WHAT!? Does he really treat this like a fun game to play? Lives of the others don't matter to him?! 

"Kill... Someone?!" A cookie asked

"Why yes! You know, stab them, poison them, push them off a high place, slice their neck, hang them, burn them, there's a lot you can choose from!"

Suddenly, someone else spoke up.

"And what will the punishment be...?"

"I see, I see, you're really curious to know, aren't you? The punishment is... An execution!"

My heart started beating faster. Executions?! What's wrong with that creep? But it seems like we won't get out of here by any other way.

"Of course, you will be given a motive to kill! There can't be murder without a reason, right?" 

Atleast he tries to make our actions somewhat 'justified'. I really hope that it's just a dumb joke. Because it is just a joke, right? 

"And, the motive for THIS murder will be a classic: If someone won't kill in next 24 hours, everyone will die!"

I heard some cookies panic, but I couldn't quite focus on my surroundings. My hands were shaking, no, my whole body was shaking. My anxiety was rising with each passing second and my breathing was getting quicker, making it hard for oxygen to reach my lungs. I tried to calm myself down. Didn't work. Suddenly, I heard someone.

"Hey, are you okay?" 

I turned my head to the person's direction. It was the boy from earlier. I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"Do I look like I'm okay?" 

"Well, no..." 

I tried to steady my breathing once more. It worked this time. Calm down Linzer, calm down. I looked at the boy again, gathering up the mess in my head and segregating it enough to keep up a normal conversation.

"What's your name by the way?" I asked him.

"Crème Brûlée Cookie. And you?" 

"My name's Linzer"

Brûlée nodded. 

"It's nice to meet you Linzer"

"Nice to meet you too"

He seems like a nice, trustworthy person. My first friend in this school year! That fact made me momentarily forget that we're forced to participate in a game of killing... And that at this point I could lose my only friend practically any second now. Gosh, now I need to be careful with picking people to talk to. I wouldn't want to get killed just because I trusted the wrong person.

"Okay students, we'll see you in a day! Remember, if someone won't die, you all will be done for!" 

As the bear said that, he disappeared, leaving us all disoriented. While I was terrified by that what he told us, my writer instincts told me that this is a great topic to write a book about! Just imagine the title: ''How I survived a killing game'' 

That would be awesome- No! Linzer, don't even think about distracting yourself with such silly desires. It's your life that's in danger!

...But on the other hand, I'll write some stuff down in the meantime when I'm trying to survive. After all such good story material can't be lost!

We walked out of the gym, stepping with caution, even though there was absolutely no need to. I doubt anyone would dare to murder someone in public, so I just have to stick around a group of people and I should be safe. Being in groups is a way of protecting your life, that's what animals do. No one can do them harm if they stick together. 

I sure hope that I'll survive... And that Brûlée survives too. He's my friend after all. We just need to find someone else and stick together till the end. Yes, a perfect strategy! It must work!

Chapter Text

DAY 1

I walked through the halls for no special reason. I knew that it's risky, but I need to gather up my thoughts once more. We're trapped in an academy, forced to kill eachother if we want to get out. That's our reality now.

I found my room. Labeled with my name. Good, atleast we have separate dorms. 

I opened the door and looked around. There's a bed, a bathroom and some other things. I closed the door behind me and walked to the bed, sat on it and sighed. A strategy to survive... I've read about that in some books. 

I stood up and walked out of my room. I had to find Crème Brûlée, that's for sure. Then, we have to find a third person for our group. Easier said than done. I walked down the hall, looking around for other students that I could maybe talk to. On my way, I saw plenty of rooms. My curiosity rose up. I decided to enter some of them. The first room I walked into was a normal classroom. That sight gave me a feeling of comfort.

Next room was the art room. There were some painter's easels, some sets of paint and brushes for painting, clay for modeling and tools that you need for it and some other things. Great way to keep boredom away, though I doubt that we'll be bored here. 

I checked room after room, getting familiar with them. At the end of the hallway I was walking through, there was a staircase leading to an upper floor. But, the way to the stairs was blocked. I wonder why... 

Next place I went to was cafeteria, and there were some people here. Finally! A chance to meet someone new! I looked at everyone here. There were 5 cookies in the cafeteria, so I could choose freely. One of the cookies was sitting on a chair. They held something in their hands. It looked like a... guitar, I think? They were playing something on it. They had a green hat and white hair. What's with everybody here having white hair?! I mean, not everyone but most of students here. 

Another person I looked at sat at the table with another cookie. Both of them had purple hair. The only difference was that hair color of one of them was lavender, and the other cookie had rather dark purple hair. Though, the dark haired cookie had lighter strands of hair too. The lavender haired student seemed to complain about something. Well, who wouldn't be complaining in a situation like this?

My eyes wandered off to another couple of cookies. They were standing near the wall. One of them had red hair, and the other had dark hair. I couldn't tell if it's dark grey or grayish shade of a different color. This student was holding a scythe in their hands. Geez, I'm kinda scared. They were talking about something with the red haired person.

I realized that I'm standing in the doorway for solid five minutes now and staring at them, so I decided to walk to one of them and start a conversation. 

I just didn't know who to start a chat with. Oh gosh, Linzer, just decide already!

I walked to the white haired cookie with a guitar. I sat on a chair next to theirs. I wanted to speak up, but I noticed that they're still playing. I didn't want to disturb them, so I remained quiet, waiting for them to finish. After a minute, they were done with the song, so I finally spoke up.

"Uh, hello" I said, waving my hand slightly as a hello or something.

They smiled and put their guitar down.

"Hi! What's your name if I might ask?" 

"My name's Linzer Cookie. And how about you?"

"My name is Clover Cookie. It's nice to meet you"

By the voice I could tell that, to my surprise, he's a guy. He seems like a good person. Maybe I could be friends with him. 

"What's your talent?" He asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, I'm The Ultimate Novelist! And you?"

"Novelist huh? Sounds nice! I am The Ultimate Bard" 

"That's a cool talent!" I admitted. Being a bard is nice. I've read some things about bards, and they all seemed interesting. I had to say something more, but suddenly two cookies walked in our direction. They were the two that had purple hair. One of them waved at us.

"Hey guys! How are you doing?" 

Okay, that's a guy too.

"I'm fine, I don't know about Linzer though" Clover said

"I'm okay too" I responded 

"Oookayy" The lavender haired cookie said as he grabbed a chair for himself and his friend. They both sat down. "So, your name's Linzer?" He asked me.

I nodded in response.

"I'm Yogurt Cream Cookie! And this fella next to me is Lilac Cookie" He pointed at the cookie next to him "He doesn't talk much when he doesn't need to" 

Lilac bowed his head slightly. I think it was something like a 'it's nice to meet you'. I guess he really doesn't talk much. 

"You're a novelist, am I right?" Yogurt Cream asked.

"Uh, yeah!" I responded, slightly taken aback by the question.

"You know, we heard your conversation, so I just wanted to make sure that I heard everything right." He explained.

"You should really stop eavesdropping on people" Lilac finally spoke up.

"Awww c'mon!" Yogurt Cream crossed his arms "You're no fun!" 

He's pretty childish, that's noticeable. People like him don't usually last long... No, stop Linzer! Don't think about things like these. What if it turns out that he'll die? It'll be your fault because you jinxed it!! 

"Soo, what do you write about, Linzie?" That question pulled me back to reality. 

"I write detective stories!" I responded. 

Yogurt Cream nodded. He seemed interested in that. He stayed quiet for a moment, and then asked me another question.

"What do you like the most in writing these stories?" 

What do I like the most? I like everything about it. It's hard to pick a favourite thing in a book...

"Hmmm... I think that writing interesting and unexpected plot twists is one of the best aspects of writing! A sudden change of action in the book that makes the story even more exciting." I said proudly. 

The four of us talked for a while, and by four of us I mean me, Clover and Yogurt Cream, and Lilac who was listening to our conversation while eventually making small comments on it. Finally, Yogurt Cream and Lilac walked away, Yogurt waving a goodbye to us and saying that we should talk again sometime. I stood up as well, saying bye to Clover. 

I walked out of the cafeteria, continuing to look for Crème Brûlée Cookie. To my surprise, it didn't take too long. I found him in the music room, playing a tune on a piano. The music was beautiful, very comfortable to listen to. Playing an instrument must be a hard job. Having to play notes in the right order and timing to get a perfect song that wins hearts of hundreds of listeners. Impressive.

"You're a very good pianist" I complimented him. I must have taken him by surprise, because he nearly jumped off the chair he was sitting on. Heh, adorable. He turned his head to me and sighed.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" 

"Sorry" I apologized softly. I walked further into the room, standing next to him. I took a look at the piano. It was quite big.

"How do you exactly play on this?" I asked with curiosity.

"You're really interested in it?" 

I nodded. He moved to the side of the chair, making place for me to sit. I sat beside him. The chair wasn't too big, but there was enough space for both of us. 

"So... How do you play the piano so smoothly?" 

"Well, that's a matter of skill that you gain with time. You need a lot of practice to play songs. It all depends on your muscle memory. Hands remember certain movements when you practice often" 

He explained as he played some basic, not very complicated tunes, showing me how to play with both hands at the same time. He also told me how intervals work and what piano notes do they go along with. I listened to every word he said, memorizing it. Maybe one day I'll decide to play piano too and it'll be useful for me? Or maybe I'll one day one of my friends will decide to start playing piano and they'll need my advice! 

... Assuming that I'll get out of here alive. 

I began to worry about it once more. This thought made my stomach twist. What if I won't make it? What if-

"Hey, are you alright?" 

"Whuh-?" I snapped back to reality. No time for thoughts like this... But I have every right to worry about my life in a situation like this! I took a deep breath to compose myself. "Yeah, I'm okay... Just... A little stressed"

"Ah, it's about that what Monokuma said... About the whole killing situation, right?" He asked.

I nodded. Oh my god, I can't just space out like this! Deep breaths Linzer, deep breaths... 

"I just... Can't help but worry about my safety. I have so much places to see, so much people to meet, so much books to write! I don't want it to end like this! I-I want to get out of here alive a-and-!..." 

I didn't even notice when did I start crying. Probably in the middle of that what I was saying. It was so embarrassing to cry when someone else is in the room. I covered my face with my hands, crying as quietly as I could. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Not much of a comfort, but that's still good. 

"You know, I can't say that it'll be fine, but... Let's do our best to keep ourselves safe, okay?" He said, trying to comfort me. 

"Mhm"

We had a small chat for a moment, mostly Brûlée talking and me listening. It helped me calm down. After some time, we both stood up and walked out of the room. We continued the small conversation, but this time me talking as well. This made my mood better, atleast a little. Crème Brûlée is a great friend.

I believe that with eachother's support, we'll survive through this killing game!

Chapter Text

We walked through the halls, visiting all kinds of rooms. On our way, we met two cookies: Choco Drizzle Cookie - The Ultimate Assassin, and Sherbet Cookie - The Ultimate Frost Spirit. 

Is being a frost spirit even a talent? I don't know to be honest. We walked into another default classroom, and there were two cookies inside. One of them belonged to that group of three students I saw at the beginning! And they were sitting on a chair, talking to another cookie, who was also quite small.

Me and Crème Brûlée walked up to them to say hi. 

"Uh, hello!" I said and waved at them.

The white-pink haired cookie instantly turned to us and let out a gasp.

"My my, what do my eyes see?? A PAIR????? ALREADY????" 

Oh, the voice... It's a boy. Wait- a pair?

"A pair?" Crème Brûlée asked with confusion. I was disoriented as well.

"YES YES! You two are a couple, right? Walking everywhere together, chatting, the list goes down!" He exclaimed happily.

I felt heat rising up to my cheeks. 

"WHA- N-No, we're not together!" I said, maybe a little too loud than I should've.

The cookie let out a "hmph".

"Awh, too bad"

"What's your name by the way?" I asked.

His eyes lit up at the question. He smiled proudly and flew up in the air to face me.

"I am Pavlova Cookie! The Ultimate Matchmaker!" He announced proudly "I'm the best at finding lovebirds and helping them become a couple! And I can easily tell if a cookie has a crush on someone!" 

That's... useful I guess? 

"Hah! If you really wanted to help creating couples, you would help me win Master Shadow Milk Cookie's heart!" The other cookie said.

"And who are you?" Crème Brûlée asked them.

"Hehe, I am Candy Apple Cookie, the Apple Faerie~! My talent is being reliable!" She said and giggled. For some reason I don't quite believe her. Maybe it's because of the smile she has on her face right now? 

"I don't quite believe you..." I responded.

Her expression turned into an irritated one. She growled quietly.

"Fine fine, being an reliable Apple Faerie isn't my talent. Buuuuut, I won't tell you my REAL talent! It's a secret~!"

I sighed and turned to Crème Brûlée Cookie. He didn't have any words to add either. 

"Okay... So... We'll be leaving" He finally said and turned around. I turned around as well and we both walked out of the room.

"I don't like that kid" He added when we were away from the classroom. 

"Yeah, me neither"

After a while of exploring, we both headed down to different directions. Crème Brûlée headed to his room, and I headed to the art classroom.

Maybe I'll find someone here? 

I opened the door just to see that my hopes came true. There was a cookie here. But... A quite weird cookie.

It was definitely a girl. She wasn't tall, looked rather like a child... Another kid here. Her hair looked like some kind of a grey... slime? And she for some reason had a red mirror with herself. 

She seemed to look at painting brushes and painting sets. 

"Uh, hello?" I tried to greet her politely. 

She turned to me with a "hm?". Her eyes were also red. 

"Who are you?" I asked 

"Agar Agar Cookie... Ultimate Mimic... And... Hungry..." 

"You're hungry?"

She nodded. Ultimate Mimic, huh? That talent is also useful, but the more I think about it, the more distressing it seems. Being able to mimic people... That's honestly terrifying. 

"If you're hungry you can go get something to eat from the cafeteria" I suggested, still looking at her. She covered her mouth with her mirror and squinted her eyes a little. She giggled.

"Ehe he... Okie. Thanks" 

She walked past me and headed somewhere. I guess she just went to the cafeteria... Though, the way she laughed was... Unnerving to say at least. It made me shiver at the very thought of it. That girl is scary.

I left the room, looking for more cookies to meet. I need to know everyone here if I want to survive. On my way to the dorms, I stumbled upon a red haired cookie. It was the cookie that I saw in the cafeteria before! 

Before I could say anything to her, she spoke up.

"Linzer Cookie, right?" 

"Huh?" 

How does she know my name-? Wait, perhaps she heard it when I was talking to Clover and Yogurt Cream earlier. Okay, there was no question then.

"Uh, yeah. It's me" I responded quickly. Sheesh, too quickly. It sounded as if I was stressed. Well, I was a little nervous, but that's a natural human thing to be nervous right now.

"I am Pomegranate Cookie, The Ultimate Priestess. It is quite a pleasure to meet you."

Oh, how polite. But I'm getting the same vibes as I got from Agar Agar Cookie...

Not the same, but very similar and I don't know whether I like it or not.

"Oh, I'm the Ultimate Novelist. And it's nice to meet you too" 

"Say, have you heard of the great Dark Enchantress Cookie?" She asked me of all sudden.

"Heard of who?"

"Dark Enchantress Cookie, the most powerful cookie known to the Cookiekind"

Wait... I've heard of her! It's the evil cookie who tried to take over the EarthBread! Oh no, Pomegranate probably works for her if she's speaking of her like that. I better pretend to know nothing. 

"I-I uh... Haven't heard of her" I lied, putting on a silly smile that said 'Haha I'm so silly for not knowing, I'm sorry'

"What a shame... Well, Linzer Cookie, what's the source of your talent?"

The source of my talent? Uhhhhhh, what is she exactly talking about? My skill? Or experience? The beginning of my career?

"I'd say that my talent came from my experience in writing!" 

She nodded and covered her mouth with her sleeve.

"I see... Useless skill. It won't help Dark Enchantress in taking over the world" She mumbled.

I don't know if she wanted me to hear that, but I heard it and felt offended at that. Writing isn't an useless skill! If not writing, people wouldn't have neither books nor knowledge about anything! 

"I'll head somewhere else now if you excuse me. I've got some more important things to do" 

Pomegranate Cookie walked away from me without saying anything more to that. What a bitch. Who does she think she is?! To disrespect people like that? Ugh, makes me feel sick.

I wonder if we have a lab here. Science lab would be nice. It's always a opportunity to atleast try to make something that will help us get out of here. But I doubt there would be something like this in h--

Yeah, guess what. The moment I thought about it, I found a SCIENCE LAB. A school sized one though, but that's still better than nothing. If we only had a cookie here who's good at creating things... Don't abandon your hopes Linzer! Someone like this must be here!

I opened the room's door, just to walk into a conversation between two cookies. One had short, brown hair and glasses, and the second one had blonde hair. 

The blonde haired cookie had armor on themselves. Who the hell wears armor to school...? I stood in the doorway, listening to that what they're talking about.

"Let's see... There's some chemical tools here... Some substances, lots of beakers, test tubes, acids... This lab is equipped better than I thought" 

Okay, that's definitely a dude. He seems to know what he's talking about. He's probably good in things like these. It might be useful to find a way out!

"Essy, remind me once more, what exactly do you need it for?" The blonde haired cookie asked. Alright, that's a boy too. 

"Madeleine I swear to god, I told you to stop calling me that" 

"Okay, sorry but it's just a habit!"

"Then find yourself some other habit!" 

"Alright, sorry Essy"

"YOU DID IT AGAIN!" 

"IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL! SORRY!" 

"Ugh, whatever! Focus on finding the thing we're looking for"

"We're looking for something?" 

The brown haired cookie groaned in annoyance. 

"This is the THIRD time I'm repeating myself: We're looking for ANYTHING that will help me get out of here" 

Blonde haired cookie nodded and began to look around. Until... He noticed me. I chuckled awkwardly and waved at them.  The brown haired cookie turned to my direction as well.

"Wha- HAVE YOU BEEN SPYING ON US?!" He exclaimed.

"N-No I was just- I wanted to say hi but you were talking so I thought I'll wait for you to end the conversation! I didn't mean to spy on you!" I quickly explained the situation, though the cookie with glasses didn't seem to buy my explanation. 

"Yeah, of COURSE. What are you looking for here?" 

"Don't attack people like that Essy-- I mean, Espresso!" The blonde cookie said, crossing his arms. Okay, so the brown haired cookie's name is Espresso. And the blonde one was... Madeleine I think?

"I didn't attack her, it's SHE who spied on us" 

"The 'she' has a name" I said with irritation "And the name is Linzer Cookie, The Ultimate Novelist"

Madeleine smiled.

"I am Madeleine Cookie, The Ultimate Paladin!" He introduced himself "And this is Espresso Cookie"

"The Ultimate Inventor" Espresso added. 

"It's nice to meet you two" I said with a half-forced smile. I don't really like this Espresso guy. He doesn't seem nice at all. His behavior makes me feel frustrated.

"Nice to meet you too, Linzer!" Madeleine responded happily. He's quite nice. 

I walked out of the lab and returned to my room. I quite literally fell flat on the bed, hitting the pillow with my face. It hurt a little, I regret doing it. 

I groaned with frustration. I know it's barely 5 PM, but this day has been so exhausting so far that I don't have neither physical nor mental strength to keep up with this. 

I'm going to spend the rest of this day in my room. I don't care about the school life and meeting other students. Fuck it. That can wait till tomorrow. 

Chapter Text

DAY 2

I woke up because of a headache. A quite uncomfortable one

It was another day. Still no victims. I'm starting to hope that someone actually dies, because now it's that or death of all of us. I yawned and sat up on the bed. I was hungry. There is a cafeteria here, I should go there. Maybe there will be something good to eat today.

I walked out of my room, though my legs didn't want to cooperate at first. I somehow managed to get to the cafeteria and made myself a sandwich. I grabbed a glass of water and sat at a table, sighing.  When I was in the middle of eating my meal, Crème Brûlée Cookie sat next to me. What a relief, he's alive.

"Hi" He said.

"Hi" I responded taking another bite of my sandwich.

"You didn't sleep well?" Crème Brûlée asked.

"Could say so" 

My head stopped aching that much. After some time, the headache finally disappeared, along with the feeling of exhaustion. Me and Crème Brûlée Cookie talked for quite a while, when suddenly, two cookies walked up to us. 

Yep, it was Yogurt Cream and Lilac... Again. They must be good friends, because I have never seen them separately yet. Or maybe they're...-

"Hiya!!" Yogurt Cream exclaimed happily as he sat next to us. He had a glass of water in his hand. Lilac sat on a chair beside him. 

Oh right, I forgot that we're low-key friends now...? I mean, he keeps talking with us so I guess that we're friends. I don't know what Lilac thinks about me and Crème Brûlée Cookie, but I'm sure that Yogurt feels sympathy towards us. Well, I hope he does. We need more people to trust. 

"So, how's it going today Linzie?" 

And I forgot that he gave me a nickname. 

"It's fine I guess. Could've been better" 

"Maybe it would've been better if not the worry about our lives. After all if no one will kill in the next three hours, we all will die" Crème Brûlée said. Ehhh, I'd prefer to forget about that information. 

Yogurt Cream shivered at that. I think that it's an uncomfortable topic for all of us. 

"I wonder who'll die... I'm kinda worried about it" He said before taking a sip of water from the glass and putting it back on the table.

"Nothing will happen to you" Lilac spoke up "My duty as your bodyguard is to make sure that you're safe, that's why you've got no reason to worry" 

This seemed to boost Yogurt Cream's mood up a little. He smiled, but after a short while, the smile disappeared.

"But what about you then?" He asked

"Hm?"

"I don't want you to die either. You can't risk your life for me here!"

Neither me nor Crème Brûlée dared to interrupt their conversation. We just sat and listened.

"It is a part of my job to risk my life for you" Lilac responded. He had that stoic expression on his face. Well, he always had a stoic expression. It's hard to tell what he's thinking or what he's feeling. 

Yogurt Cream Cookie hit the table and turned around to face Lilac. It was so sudden that it made me slightly jump on my chair. Thankfully I didn't fall. 

"I don't care about if it's your job or not! If you're dying, then I'm dying too!" He said with a "hmph!" in the end. He crossed his arms and turned away from Lilac, who was atleast slightly shocked. Thought it was just that his eyes were wider than before, I could tell that he was surprised at that. 

"Don't say things like that" 

"I will because I can"

Oh my god, he's like a child. Not that it's annoying, but it surely will be getting irritating over time. Then, a realization hit me.

"Oh, so that's why you two always go everywhere together" I thought out loud and noticed that I actually said that out loud. 

"Yeah. And what did you think?" Yogurt Cream asked me with a confused face.

"Oh- nothing. I thought you two were-... You know what, nevermind" 

I finished my sandwich and stood up. I noticed that there were much people here, including cookies that I don't know yet. And to my surprise there was... Another small cookie. Who had white hair too. They had a train conductor's hat on their head. 

They were talking to Candy Apple Cookie. And Pavlova was with them too. Are they making a shortie gang or something? I didn't want to interrupt them, so I just tried to walk away. But, when I wanted to, someone stopped me.

"Aww, Linzie! Don't go so soon!" Yogurt Cream complained "We're not done with the conversation yet!"

I sighed and returned to my chair.

"What is it?" 

"How long do you think you'll survive?" He asked. It was a genuine curious question. 

"Don't you think that this question is out of place?" Lilac spoke up.

"No, why?" 

"Just because you're safe doesn't mean that you have to stress people out"

"Ugh" 

Thank goodness I don't have to answer this question. Now that I think about it, I don't know how long will I last. Honestly, anyone could kill me anytime now. And the fact that we've only got two more hours isn't helping. 

Someone should die if we want to survive, but at this point I doubt that anyone will dare to take the life of another person. In the worst scenario, I'd have to take matters in my own hands to save my friends, but... I wouldn't manage to kill an innocent cookie. I'd just.... Couldn't bring myself to do it.

I could eventually ask someone to do it for me, but it would be morally wrong, and I don't know who would they kill. It could be that the victim would be me. I'm scared. I'm genuinely scared. The anxiety keeps rising with every minute, making me unable to enjoy things such as conversations with my friends. I hate the way it makes me feel weak. I don't want to die, but I don't want anyone else to die either.

Thinking of things like these made my stomach ache. If this stress continues for any longer, I'm gonna collapse on the floor.

"Ey, Linzie!" I snapped back to reality. I blinked to return to full consciousness. I'm spacing out too much.

"Uhh yeah?" 

"Sheesh, spacing out again?" Yogurt Cream asked "Sorry that I stressed you with that question, it was really out of place" 

"No problem, I just... I'm scared of my life y'know"

Yogurt Cream nodded and let out a "mhm". He understands. Good. 

"I think I'll go walk the stress out" I said as I stood up and walked away from the table, leaving the cafeteria after a while and stopping in the corridor. I leaned my back against a wall and sighed. Don't stress Linzer, don't stress. As long as you have Crème Brûlée by your side, you'll be safe. He's your friend, he'll protect you and you'll protect him.

"Are you okay?" I heard a question coming from beside me. I turned my head to the side and saw Crème Brûlée Cookie standing by my side with a worried expression. 

"No"

I won't lie about being okay. I'm certainly not fine and I won't cover it up. 

"Oh, I see... Will you, uh... Be okay without comfort, or...?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know. I think I'll be fine, but still..." What am I even expecting? I mean, emotional support is important in this situation, but I don't want to push boundaries... I don't want to make him uncomfortable by asking for comfort. I can't only rely on someone else. I need to be more independent. 

I sat on the ground, resting my hands on my knees. Crème Brûlée Cookie sat down too. We remained silent for a moment. 

"So..." He started, but didn't finish. Maybe it's about the comforting me thing? 

"I don't want to ask for comfort because I'd feel dumb with it... And... I don't want to make you uncomfortable by asking for it." I admitted. Friends can't hide secrets from eachother. Well, atleast I don't want to. I don't expect him to be entirely honest with me, but I don't want to hide my feelings and opinions from him. 

"It wouldn't make me uncomfortable" He responded "After all, friends should support eachother, right?" 

I nodded and smiled slightly. I appreciate that he's so nice. I couldn't ask for a better friend. 

"Yeah, that's right" 

"So... Do you want comfort or not?" 

"Yep, if you could..."

"Uh, a hug then?"

I nodded.

"It'd be nice" 

He hugged me gently, which made my heart beat slightly faster. It was kinda embarrassing since we're in a hallway that everyone can walk in. But it was nice. I hugged him back, laying my head on his shoulder. After a while, I pulled away from the hug, and not gonna lie, I regretted it a little. 

I looked at his face and I noticed slight blush on his cheeks. It made my cheeks heat up too. Oh gosh, he's so cute when he's blushi-- WAIT WHAT AM I EVEN THINKING ABOUT??? GET BACK TO REALITY LINZER!!

"Thanks" I said quickly.

"No problem" 

We then walked in opposite directions. I don't know where did he go, but i went to the school gym. Some exercise is good for bones, even if they're made out of sugar. 

I grabbed a basketball ball and tried to play basketball. Too bad I couldn't throw the ball into the goddamn basket. I spent good 30 minutes playing this game until I got bored and quit. 

Now, I have a better idea - I'll write a new book! About me surviving the killing game. If I won't make it out alive in the real world, I'll atleast live in the book. And what if it's fiction? It doesn't matter! I want to live atleast there. 

I walked around and found a classroom nearby. I sat at one of the tables and began writing. I don't know how much time has passed, but that what broke me out of my writing focus was a scream. A loud scream of terror that reached my ears. I immediately stood up and looked around. There was no one in the classroom I'm in. The scream must've came from the hallway then.

I quickly got up and rushed in the direction, adrenaline rising in my veins.

Oh god, don't tell me... No, no no it can't be, no one would manage to actually kill someone, right? 

I saw a bunch of cookies standing in the doorway to art classroom. I could recognize them. There were Pastry Cookie, Choco Drizzle Cookie, Madeleine Cookie, Espresso Cookie and Crème Brûlée Cookie. 

I quickly ran up to Crème Brûlée, shaking his arm to get his attention.

"What the hell happened?!" I screamed.

"Someone actually did it..." He spoke shakily.

"No... You're fucking kidding" I said, not wanting to believe that what he said.

He stepped away from the doorframe to let me see what happened, and the moment I saw the crime scene, my heart nearly stopped. 

Pomegranate Cookie, laying on the floor in a puddle of jam. It was all over her head area. 

I couldn't move nor say anything. My legs felt weak, as if I could collapse any second now. For as much detective stories I've wrote and read, experiencing it myself was truly terrifying. 

Someone actually died, and it was the beginning of a nightmare that our lives will become.

Chapter Text

Pomegranate's cold, lifeless body was laying on the ground, her jam covering the floor. Oh god, I felt like I was going to vomit. I stopped myself from doing it by covering my mouth with my free hand, because my other hand was holding Crème Brûlée's arm in order to stand straight and not collapse on the ground. 

I'd personally prefer to unsee that what was in front of me in the very moment. 

"Oh dear Witches..." Pastry Cookie mumbled "I can't believe my eyes"

"Well then, better believe that" Espresso Cookie responded "The hell has just begun"

"Essy, stop being rude"

Espresso sighed with irritation.

"I'm just stating facts. There's nothing rude in that, Madeleine Cookie."

Yeah, they started to bicker... Again. They do that quite often, yet they still stay together. Alright, maybe that's an overstatement. Espresso says he doesn't want them to go everywhere together every day, but Madeleine claims that he's just protecting him. And then Espresso says that he doesn't need to be protected. Aaaand then they bicker.

Well, even though Espresso Cookie claims that he doesn't want Madeleine around, he never straight up tells him to go away. Weird like for someone who's so rude to people... Well, at least to me, for whatever reason.

Okay, Linzer Cookie, you need to focus. Someone has to solve this case. And in this situation, the someone is me.

"Alright..." I spoke up "We need to find out who the culprit is" 

Espresso rolled his eyes.

"Well duhh, of course we have to. The real question is: how will we do it" he said.

For fuck's sake, this guy is so goddamn irritating. 

I walked into the room, looking around for potential murder weapons. The weapon had to be somewhere in the room. In order to check how much time has passed since Pomegranate's death, I had to so something I genuinely didn't want to do. 

I approached her body and crouched down next to it. I had to check the temperature of her jam. I dipped the top of my hand (cookies have no fingers) in it. Oh god. It was sticky, not cold, but not warm either. I'm guessing she died around a hour or half an hour ago. But the fact that surprised me the most was that no one noticed her disappearance. 

"What the- what are you doing?" Espresso Cookie asked, crossing his arms.

I turned my head to him, looking at him with irritation. That made him look away and sigh. 

"I'm checking the temperature of her jam to guess when did she die"

"Hmm... I suppose that's something that detectives do when they're investigating, yes?"

I nodded. Espresso hummed in response.

"Alright, in this case, I believe that is indeed useful. So, well, do your thing by... Dipping your hand in someone's jam" 

I took a deep breath. I can't tell if he's being sarcastic or not. But, honestly, who would be sarcastic in this situation? I stood up and walked to the sink to clean my hands. When I came back to the others, Pastry Cookie was mumbling something, holding her hands together. Ah, yes, she's saying a prayer. Maybe if she will ask Them for help, we'll somehow make it through this hell.

"So, Mrs Detective, got anything?" Espresso Cookie asked while adjusting his glasses. 

"Well, I'm guessing that the victim died around an hour ago. The most probable cause was a blow to the head with something."

Espresso nodded, looking at the rest of the group, who - as expected - mostly didn't take it well. I still can't believe I'm standing still right now, because I can feel my legs shaking. Thank god I've read so much detective stories that seeing a dead body doesn't traumatize me. But still, there's a difference between reading and seeing something in front of my very eyes. This will definitely leave some kind of impact on my mental health. Don't think about it Linzer... Don't think about it.

Crème Brûlée Cookie walked up to me, visibly shaken by the sight of a dead cookie in the room.

"How... How did that even happen?" He asked. Judging by his tone, he didn't really want to receive a response to this question. 

"Well, she--"

"AAAAAAAAAAAÆHHHH!!!!!"

We all turned around to the doorframe to see a small cookie screaming in terror. She had a train conductor's hat on her head.

"W-what happened here-?!" She yelled with fear. 

Pastry Cookie walked up to her to calm her down.

"Shhhh little one, nothing's happening"

"S-someone... Someone died! How can you say nothing is happening?!"

"Well, that's what you usually say to children" Pastry said, stepping away from the kid.

Madeleine Cookie cleared his throat.

"Worry not, my fellow cookies! You all are safe as long as I, Madeleine Cookie, am around to protect you" He said with a determined grin, but there was a little hint of uncertainty in his voice. A small hint of uncertainty that only a professionalist could notice. It was obvious that Madeleine was trying to give us a feeling of safety, but it almost seemed like not even he fully believed his words.

"Yeah, you did great job with protecting that dead girl on the floor. Congratulations, Madeleine" Espresso said sarcastically and clapped his hands multiple times, imitating applause.

Madeleine Cookie sighed with resignation and was just about to say something, when suddenly, two other people ran into the room. What were their names again...? Oh, that's right, Lilac Cookie and Yogurt Cream Cookie. 

"We heard screams, did something happe--- AAÆH!! WHAT THE HELL?!" Yogurt Cream Cookie exclaimed with confusion and panic in his voice. 

"Looks like someone died" Lilac stated monotonously, his face expression stoic. Well, like always, I guess. He definitely wasn't impressed by the sight because he didn't even react. He wasn't scared and he wasn't panicking. He was just standing in the doorframe, next to Yogurt Cream Cookie - who, on the other hand, was visibly shocked.

"If she met her end, that means The Witches wanted her to vanish" Pastry Cookie said, looking up as if looking at the sky. But there was no sky. No escape. We were trapped. "N-not that I wish the same fate to you all, I'm just saying that if that happened to her, it means she was destined to die in this age."

"What do we do now?" The cookie with a conductor's hat asked.

"All that's left to do now is find out who the culprit is, correct?" Espresso Cookie asked, looking at me with the 'do you know who it is or are you just simply useless?' expression.

Before I had the chance to speak, Monokuma appeared out of nowhere and answered the question for me.

"Correct! All you have to do now is to gather clues and find out who killed Pomegranate Cookie! You have two hours before the class trial starts!"

We all started at him with confusion.

"Okay, that's all I have to say, bye bye!"

He disappeared to Witches-know-where, leaving us all clueless.

I cleared my throat.

"Alright, clues. Let's look for them"

The cookie with a conductor's hat walked out of the room, same as Choco Drizzle Cookie who didn't say anything this entire time. Now everyone left in the room was me, Crème Brûlée Cookie, Madeleine Cookie, Yogurt Cream Cookie, Lilac Cookie, Pastry Cookie and Espresso Cookie. They all nodded and began to look around the room. 

I searched in the drawers, with the help of Crème Brûlée. It's nice to know that I have him by my side. It feels way safer that way. I can be sure that no one will attack me, and he can be sure that no one will attack him.

Espresso and Madeleine checked the small supply storage room in the back of the classroom and Pastry Cookie looked for clues on the floor. Yogurt Cream and Lilac... Well... They didn't really participate in gathering clues. Yogurt Cream Cookie was looking at the art supplies and paintings left on easels around the room. Lilac Cookie was of course following him and making sure that nothing bad happens to him. 

"Woah, look at this painting! It's awesome! I'm gonna take it home when we finally get outta here!" Yogurt Cream exclaimed happily while pointing at a painting of a bouquet of flowers. They were mostly yellow, their color fading to purple near the end of their petals. 

Lilac nodded.

"It is indeed... pretty" 

"I'm glad you like it! You know what? I'll get that painting and then give it to you as a gift" 

"There's really no need for such actions-"

"Shush! If you don't want to accept it for yourself, then atleast do it for me!" Yogurt Cream crossed his arms and frowned. Like a kid. 

"I really don't-"

"Please?" 

Lilac Cookie sighed and stood in silence for a while. 

"... Alright, if you really insist so much. But it's going to stand in your room anyway, so what's the point?" 

"It'll remind me of you whenever I'll look at it!" Yogurt Cream Cookie chuckled.

He looked at Lilac, then at the painting, then at Lilac again, and then at the painting again. 

"It's really very pretty. Just like you!" He said happily. Lilac Cookie didn't respond.

Looking at them talking made me forget what was I doing. Oh, yeah, looking for clues. I searched the drawers. I found a lot of paintbrushes, paint, pencils, erasers, modeling clay, small pose-drawing practice wooden mannequins, wooden hammers of various sizes... Wait, wooden hammers...? Who and why needs those?

"Hey, Mrs Detective, we found something!" Madeleine Cookie exclaimed.

"Coming!" 

I quickly ran to Madeleine and Espresso to see what did they find. I gasped quietly when I saw it.

Turns out that they found the murder weapon.

It was a wooden hammer, covered in red jam. The culprit must've hid it here so we won't find out what happened to Pomegranate Cookie. Looks like their plan just failed. 

"A hammer... We've found the murder weapon"

"And by WE, you mean me and Madeleine Cookie. YOU didn't help" Espresso pointed out, as if it wasn't obvious. I mean, maybe this wouldn't be obvious for someone who wasn't here with us right now, but STILL.

"Yeah, alright."

I walked away from them and looked at the floor, searching for something, anything that could lead us to discovering the murderer's identity. But there didn't seem to be anyth-

I suddenly noticed a easel that was knocked over. I walked over to it, and saw pieces of glass on the floor. I kneeled down to take a closer look. It wasn't transparent like a window. It seemed to... Reflect things. A mirror? 

That's strange, because there are no mirrors in the classroom. Then where did it come from? Did the murderer bring it with themselves to fool us, or-...

I noticed something in Pomegranate's hand.

She was holding a mirror.

It was partially damaged, glass broken, some pieces missing... Wait.

The glass on the floor.

It was from that mirror. Something, no, someone must've attacked Pomegranate Cookie, and she tried protecting herself with her mirror. The culprit destroyed the mirror with the hammer, and then killed Pomegranate. That must be why it's broken! 

"Brûlée! I found a clue!!" I shouted, waving my hand at him.

He quickly walked over to me, crouching next to me to take a better look at the glass pieces on the floor. He examined it for a while.

"Broken glass from a mirror"

"Exactly! Pomegranate is holding a mirror and it's partially broken. These must be missing pieces of it." I stated, proud of my discovery.

Crème Brûlée nodded. Then, I noticed something. His hand... It seemed like it was damaged. There were a few small cuts on it. But what could've hurt him? Oh no, maybe someone attacked him? Or... No, that wouldn't be possible, don't even dare to think so Linzer. That's just a coincidence. 

"I see... Looks like we're not completely clueless about the case, am I right, Mrs Detective?" He turned his head to look at me when he said the last part and smiled. I felt heat creeping up to my cheeks. 

No, I can't be thinking about romance in a situation where we can all die! But, on the other hand, maybe that's exactly the reason why I should...?

"Hello? Earth to Linzer Cookie"

I blinked. Oh god. I got lost in my thoughts and didn't notice that I've been staring at him. My cheeks reddened even more, this time from embarrassment.

"A-Ack! I'm sorry, got lost in thought. What were you saying again?" I said awkwardly.

"I was saying that the trial will start soon and we should prepare our list of suspects" He explained and got up, offering me a hand to help me stand up. It was the injured hand, so I was afraid that it might hurt him if I'd touch the cuts. But he knows which hand he offers me, so it must not hurt him anymore. It's probably an old injury, if you can even call it that. Yes, just a coincidence.

I took his hand and slowly got up. I must've squeezed his hand too hard, because he slightly winced in pain.

"Ack- sorry" I apologized 

"That's nothing"

Crème Brûlée headed to the others, who were discussing something. I followed him, thinking of the list of possible suspects.

"What I'm trying to say is that we don't have a fucking clue who the hell did this" Espresso said to Pastry Cookie. Looks like they started looking for people to put on the list before we could manage to think of anyone. 

"We will find out eventually, and now we should calm down and think of any suspects"

"That's what I'm doing right now, Mrs Ultimate Nun. And maybe you lovebirds would care to help us, eh?" Espresso said while looking at me and Crème Brûlée Cookie. 

"L-Lovebirds? What the hell are you talking abo-"

It was at this moment that I noticed.

I was still holding Brûlée's hand. 

I squealed in panic and quickly let go of his hand, stepping away from him.

"It's really not what it looks like!" I said awkwardly, a little bit louder than intended.

"Jeez, don't shout, we get it. Now focus on the case" 

Not a second later, Monokuma appeared again, and we all knew what it meant.

"Okay, you had your time for the investigation! Now, it's time for...!"

"The class trial!"

Chapter Text

"IT'S TIME FOR THE CLASS TRIAL!" Monokuma exclaimed, catching our attention. 

"Class trial? Wait, what was that because I forgot?" Yogurt Cream Cookie asked.

Monokuma giggled.

"It's when you try to find out who the killer is. Then, it's voting time, when you vote on your suspect! If you vote correctly, the culprit will be executed!"

"And if we won't, we die. We know it, you explained this already" Espresso said, adjusting his glasses... Again. He does it quite often. 

"Now, I'll go to my room to announce something"

The black-and-white bear has disappeared to somewhere, and suddenly, his face appeared on a monitor on a wall. His voice came from the speakers.

"A body has been discovered! Now, head to the elevator, because the class trial will begin!" 

Elevator? Oh, he must mean the elevator next to the dorms hallway. I turned my head to the side to look at Crème Brûlée Cookie and the others. 

"Where's the elevator?" Madeleine Cookie asked, looking at Espresso Cookie.

"It's next to the hallway where our rooms are. Don't tell me you didn't take a tour around the building to get used to the surroundings."

"... Well,-"

"You didn't, did you?"

"A great paladin like me doesn't need to do such things. All I need to do is to know where are people I have to protect. And I'm standing next to you, so my job is done" Madeleine smiled proudly.

"This is the last time I'm telling you this; I do NOT need to be protected by you. My coffee magic is enough to grant me safety" Espresso groaned with annoyance.

I rolled my eyes and headed out of the room, making my way to the elevator. Crème Brûlée followed me, same as Pastry Cookie. When we arrived at the destination, a couple of cookies were in the elevator already. I talked to some of them yesterday, I forgot to write about it here.

So first, there was Pavlova Cookie. By talking to him, I found out that he adores everything related to love, and can even sense when people have a crush on each other. He's somewhat like a cupid, he's the Ultimate Matchmaker and he works for Eternal Sugar Cookie. 

Pavlova is childish, but that's logical because he's a kid.

Then, there was Clover Cookie. He's the Ultimate Bard, plays his lute very often and likes animals & forest. He's very friendly, so being around him feels nice and safe. If I ever saw him in a forest, I'd say that he's a fairy of some sort. I saw him hanging around with a few people, mostly with Agar Agar Cookie and Licorice Cookie. Oh yeah, I met Licorice earlier. He's... Rude. But I guess that doesn't stop Clover from hanging out with him.

Oh, and there was also Sherbet Cookie. He's also a nice person. His talent is being the Ultimate Frost Spirit. Can you even call this a talent? 

And last person in the elevator was that confusing kid that introduced herself as Apple Faerie Cookie. Though she later claimed it to be a lie and said that her name is Candy Apple Cookie. She still doesn't want to reveal her talent, but I think it might be something related to lying. She is a good deceiver.

Me and Crème Brûlée Cookie entered the elevator, waiting for everyone else to gather here as well. It didn't take long. The last cookie to arrive was Agar Agar Cookie, and after that, the elevator closed. It started to go down, until it stopped and opened again, showing us a huge room with a circle in the middle. It was made out of... Something to stand behind. Something like wooden handrails that you have in the house to not fall down the stairs (dunno how to describe it)

There was 16 of it, the same number of people who were here. Well, 15 now, since Pomegranate Cookie is dead. We all walked out of the elevator.

"Welcome, students! Take your place in the circle and I'll explain what you'll do!" Monokuma announced.

As he commanded, we all took our places. I took a random one, and Crème Brûlée took one next to me. I chuckled. 

I was now standing behind a handrail brackets with Brûlée to my left, and Choco Drizzle to my right. Choco Drizzle always carried blades with herself, perhaps for self-defense? Besides, she's not the only one carrying weapons with herself. Lilac Cookie always has weapons with himself too. What were those called again? Chakrams? 

Doesn't matter, atleast he has them for a reason. His duty is to protect Yogurt Cream Cookie after all. They'll probably survive.

"Okay, you all have taken your places! Now remember them well, because these spots will be yours on every trial we'll have!" 

That reminds me, Pomegranate's standing spot wasn't empty. Her portrait stood there, and there was a pink X marked on it. Probably because she's long gone now. 

"So, the trial will go like this; you have limited time to find out who is the murderer. After your trial time, you'll have limited time to vote. Now, without further yapping, let's begin!" 

We stood in silence for a minute, until Clover Cookie spoke up.

"What clues do we have?" 

"Glass from a broken mirror and a bloodied hammer - the murder weapon" I explained loudly so everyone would hear.

"Do we have any suspects?" Yogurt Cream Cookie asked, holding the handrail and leaning against it slightly. Isn't he afraid that he will fall on the floor face-first along with the handrail if he'll keep leaning against it? Welp, not my problem.

"Maybe you'd know if you were paying attention to that what we were talking about instead of checking out paintings" Espresso said with irritation. 

"We should consider our possible options. Who's on your list of suspects, Espresso Cookie?" I asked.

Espresso cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Well, before I'll say it, let me explain why do I think these people could kill the victim. First, I analyzed who arrived on the crime scene first, and the following order of people who discovered the dead body" he began explaining.

"And who were these people?"

"Pastry Cookie said she arrived there first, simply by looking for a quiet place to say prayers at. She was the one that alarmed people by screaming. Crème Brûlée Cookie was the second that came to the crime scene, or atleast that's what I think, because when me and Madeleine arrived there, he was already standing there with Pastry"

"I see..." 

"Then, Choco Drizzle arrived, probably alarmed by the screams. And then you came. You know the rest of the story" 

I nodded. So, Pastry saw the body first. She couldn't possibly be a murderer, she's a nun after all. Then, Crème Brûlée Cookie... I mean, his hand is injured by cuts, but it's probably an old injury. But... He did wince in pain when I squeezed his hand too hard... No, that's just a coincidence. He would never do such a thing. 

"Now, to the list; We do not know what Pastry Cookie and Crème Brûlée Cookie were doing before the murder, and they were the first to arrive at the crime scene, so they're our most important suspects"

"Crème Brûlée would never do such a thing!" I exclaimed before my brain could stop me from speaking up.

"Oh gee! Defending your boyfriend, how romantic~!" Pavlova Cookie squealed with excitement and spun around in circles in the air. 

"W-We're not dating!" 

"I can sense the love in the air!" The little cupid jumped around happily. God fucking damnit, can he shut up?! 

"Can we focus on the case?" Choco Drizzle spoke up. 

"Why am I on the list of suspects? I would never commit such a crime, it is against the rules of St. Pastry Order" Pastry Cookie held her hands together, as if praying again. 

"Well, she is a nun after all" Sherbet Cookie pointed out. 

"Or maybe that's just a lie to cover her crimes, hm?" Candy Apple Cookie giggled mischievously.

"I think we should focus on that what's really important" Crème Brûlée said.

I nodded with agreement. If we want to solve this case, we need to focus on it. Who could be the murderer? I didn't really see other people around the art room at the time, so it's hard to tell. It can't be Pastry, for obvious reasons. She is a part of St. Pastry Order, and people who spend their lives praying to God don't do things like these. 

That would leave only... Crème Brûlée as a possible culprit. I mean, I didn't see him around and he doesn't have an alibi. There's some evidence pointing towards him too. It is a life-or-death situation, so I can't exclude him from the list of suspects just because he's my friend. But it still feels bad to accuse him like that. What if I'm wrong? What if he really didn't do that and the culprit is someone else?

"You're pretty quiet Mrs Detective, did something happen? Did you perhaps realize something? Or are you hiding something from us?" Espresso asked in a 'I know that you know something you don't want to tell us' tone.

I sighed.

"I think I know who it was, but I don't have any exact proof that it's them" 

"Who is it?" Madeleine Cookie asked.

I hesitated before speaking up again, my feelings hurting because of that what I was going to say.

"I think the suspect who killed Pomegranate Cookie is... Crème Brûlée Cookie" 

When I said his name, he turned his head to me, his face expression visibly surprised. I had to try my best not to cry, because I felt really bad right now. Accusing a friend of murdering someone. I probably betrayed his trust right now. But I can't let my feelings stop me from logical thinking. If we get the culprit wrong, we will all die. 

"... What?" Crème Brûlée said quietly, barely above a whisper. 

"I'm very, very sorry Brûlée, but the evidence points towards you." I responded with guilt in my voice. 

Candy Apple Cookie gasped dramatically.

"No way! Accusing your boyfriend of murder? You better have good proof!" She laughed quietly.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"First evidence - broken mirror. Pomegranate had a mirror with herself, and when we saw her dead body, it was broken and some glass pieces were missing. I found them near a easel that was knocked over." 

"Alright, and?" Espresso said, crossing his arms.

"When me and Crème Brûlée kneeled down to see the pieces from up close, I noticed some cuts on his hand. These could have been made by the shattered glass pieces" 

"I'm not the culprit" Crème Brûlée said.

"Let me finish" 

"..." He didn't respond and he looked away from me. I could say that he was hurt by my statement. But if there is even a little chance that he's the murderer, I must analyze every possible proof. 

"I'm guessing it was a recent injury, because he winced in pain when I squeezed his hand too hard. He has no alibi, and from that what I've read, culprits like to return to the crime scene to see what have they done. And also to drive the suspicion away from them" 

"Smart statement, Mrs Detective. So, what now? Are we voting on him or do you want to wait?"

"I'm... I'm not sure if I'm right, but..."

I turned my head to face Crème Brûlée Cookie.

"Brûlée, if it really was you... Please, just tell us. If it's not you, then I'm sorry for betraying your trust--" 

"Yes."

"Huh?"

"It was me"

I audibly gasped in surprise and... disbelief. I knew that something's up with that case, it was too obvious to not notice that he's the culprit. But, if it is really that simple.... Then why am I crying...?

Tears fell down my face, the sadness and denial that I was hiding during this whole trial. I just made a friend, someone that I trusted, someone that I got emotionally attached to... Even more than I should. And now I have to lose him. 

"... Why?" I asked through tears. "Why did you do something that... Horrible?" 

"I had to. Otherwise we would all die. Besides, you'd do the same to prevent everyone from dying, right? One life is a small price to pay when we're talking about saving 15 people." 

"Two lives! Because now you'll have to die too!" I cried, desperately trying to control my emotions. 

"Linzer... If it wasn't for me, it would've been someone else. And if it wasn't Pomegranate who died, it could've been someone important. What if it was you who died if Pomegranate wasn't the one to die?" 

"I... I-.." 

"Wow, you finally admitted it, as if it wasn't obvious" Espresso said, visibly bored with the trial already "Okay Monokuma, chop chop! Skip to the voting time, we have our culprit" 

Monokuma laughed.

"Puhuhu! Alrighty then! Now it's time to vote!" 

Suddenly, a huge screen appeared in the room. There were small icons of us all on it. 

"Just say who you're voting on, and a point will appear next to their head icon on the screen" 

Everyone spoke up, one person at time.

"My vote is Crème Brûlée Cookie"

"Crème Brûlée Cookie"

"I'm voting on Crème Brûlée"

"Crème Brûlée"

"I vote on Crème Brûlée Cookie"

"Brûlée"

14 people voted, now it was my time to say it. I tried speaking up but I couldn't say anything. I took a deep breath and tried again.

"C-... Crème Brûlée...Cookie"

I looked at him with tears in my eyes. He looked at me too, giving me a small smile.

"It'll be okay." 

I nodded, even though I didn't believe it at all. Nothing is going to be okay, it'll be the exact opposite. It will get worse and worse with each victim... I'm sure about that.

"Okay, voting time is over! Now, let's see did you get it right!"

Monokuma clapped and suddenly, a huge wheel appeared. It also had small icons of our heads on it. There was a red arrow on the top of it. The wheel spun, and after a while, it stopped. The icon of Crème Brûlée's head landed right under the arrow, and when that happened, fanfares started playing. 

"Congratulations! You voted right! The murderer of this case is Crème Brûlée Cookie!"

I still couldn't believe my eyes. Crème Brûlée Cookie, my best friend, murdered a person and is about to get executed. That sounds like a nightmare, and unfortunately, it's not just a bad dream. It's reality, and it's terrifying in every way possible.

We all left our standing spots, because Monokuma said we can. I instantly walked towards Crème Brûlée, and I was not just sad because of the situation. I was starting to get frustrated. 

"Why the fuck did you do this?!" I didn't mean to yell, but I raised my voice. 

"I told you. And... I'm sorry."

"What are your apologies gonna do now, huh?! You're going to die, Brûlée!" I clenched my fists, trying to distract my mind from breaking out into tears again.

I was not only mad at him, but at myself too. I failed him as a friend and as an ally. I'll never forgive myself for it, but it was necessary to vote on him. It's either him or us 15. 

"I know it. But I don't really mind"

"Are you crazy? Do you not realize that once you're gone, you're gone forever?!" My voice cracked near the end of the sentence, tears starting to come to my eyes again. 

"That what matters is that you're safe. Well, for now, but still. I'm sure you won't let yourself get killed"

That's not the answer I expected. I blinked with confusion, not really in the mood for blushing. So, wait... He cares about me? That's... Oh my god, that's SO like in a romance movie- no, don't distract yourself!

"I... Don't even know what to say. I don't want you to go, Brûlée! I really don't, but... It was either your life or lives of us all, so-"

"Don't explain yourself, I understand. If that'll lift your mood up a bit, then I gotta tell you that I'd do the same if I were you" 

I chuckled.

"Wow, how nice of you" 

We both giggled. Well, it did lift my mood up. I'm really going to miss him. I really will. But... I have to live on, no matter how hard will it be.

"Okay, you had your time for goodbyes! Now, onto the execution!" Monokuma announced happily. 

"Wha-? No! We're not done yet!!" I shouted.

"Let's give it everything we've got!"

"Stop! Please! Let me at least say goodbye to him!"

"IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!!!"

Before I knew it, something appeared from above and snatched Crème Brûlée away from us in a second. 

"WAIT A GODDAMN MINUTE!!!" I yelled. No results. 

Suddenly, Crème Brûlée appeared on the big screen. He was on a stage, sitting next to a piano. Oh, he's gonna play it. 

In that moment, text appeared above him. It said:

"Ode to Death - Crème Brûlée Cookie's execution"

Is he going to get executed by playing the piano? 

Sound of piano keys being played brought me back to reality. Crème Brûlée was playing a tune. I can't really tell what it was, but it sounded beautiful. Suddenly, he messed up, and something was thrown at him, leaving a cut on his skin. It was a rose made out of metal. That must be why it cut his skin.

In that moment, the music sped up and he had to play faster.

As the time went on, he messed up again and more roses got thrown at him, more cuts appeared on his body and the music sped up more, making it hard to keep up with playing.

Some cuts were deeper, some were just slight, unharmful injuries. After he messed up 3 times, a trap door under the stage opened, causing him to fall down. We couldn't see him for a while, but after a minute he was visible again. He fell right through a lot of sharp instrument strings, getting deep cuts everywhere, and finally, he reached the bottom of the hole. 

There was a piano here, the top of it was open, revealing the strings and other things that make the piano work. His body crashed onto the piano with a loud crash sound, falling right into the open space inside the instrument. The lid closed, jam dripping down from the piano, accompanied by silence. 

I was watching this in horror with my eyes wide open. How could Monokuma enjoy things like these? Torturing people like this... That's terrible. 

I felt my heart beat faster from fear, my legs shaking below me. I thought I'll collapse, but I stood still. What could it be that kept me up at this point? Adrenaline? Stress? I have no idea. 

"What a performance! Splendid! Five stars out of five!" Monokuma exclaimed, applauding. He was definitely proud of himself. I guess it's him who plans the executions, so he must be happy that we're so shocked and terrified now. 

I had no strength to speak up, shout, do anything. The screen finally turned off and disappeared to there where it came from. Are we really going to witness this after every trial? Losing more and more people... How many of us will survive anyway? 

"Welp, you all are free now! You have 3 days before I give you the next motive!" Monokuma announced before he disappeared, leaving us all speechless.

"Woah, I'd never guess that Brûlée was the culprit" Yogurt Cream said, but it was more like mumbling to himself than like trying to say something to us.

"Always expect the unexpected, my liege" Lilac Cookie responded.

"Lilac, I told you to stop with the formalities, just call me by my name"

"I apologize, Yogurt Cream Cookie. I'm just still getting used to not calling you that"

"Nah, no problem."

After a while, we all exited the trial room and went to the elevator that took us to the upper level. We left it and we all went separate ways. I walked straight into my room, closed the door, laid on the bed, grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. I shouted all my frustration out. 

It helped, not gonna lie. 

I really hope that future days will get better, but I know that it won't help. 

I just need to stay positive. Someone has to lead the team after all. 

Chapter Text

DAY 1

I woke up to a knock on my door. I had no idea what time is it, not like it really mattered anyway. I heard a muffled voice coming from outside of my room. 

"Linzer? You alive?" 

Knocking repeated again. 

"I'm coming, stop pounding at the door!"

I shouted as I got up and walked to the door, opening it slowly. I saw two people standing outside. Pavlova Cookie and Candy Apple Cookie. Now that was unexpected.

"Oh, good. She's alive" Candy Apple said, faking a gasp of relief. 

"You weren't responding so we low-key thought you're dead. We're glad you're not. And I feel really sorry for you and your dead boyfriend" Pavlova Cookie played with his bow, his face slightly sad. 

"Oh, well. I'm okay, as you see" I smiled to confirm my statement.

"Are you gonna come eat breakfast? Or do you want to starve to death?" Candy asked, tilting her head playfully. 

I nodded 

"Yeah, I'll come eat something." 

I closed the door behind myself and headed to the cafeteria, along with the two kids that followed me. I can't stay in my bed and be depressed forever, well, I'm not even depressed anyway. 

"So, got any new soulmate in mind?" Pavlova Cookie asked me, his wings fluttering excitedly. 

I shook my head.

"Not really. You see how it ends when you try to love someone here"

"Well, that doesn't prevent some people from being obviously in love" Candy Apple rolled her eyes. "It's so obvious that it starts to be stupid" 

"What are you talking about?"

Pavlova giggled happily.

"Didn't you notice couples forming here already? Like; Madeleine and Espresso! They obviously have a thing going on! They act like an old married couple" he laughed, flying in circles. 

Espresso and Madeleine? Well, they do go everywhere together and Madeleine says he wants to protect Espresso Cookie all costs, so maybe there really is something going on between them? 

Not everyone who go everywhere together is a couple though. For example, Lilac Cookie and Yogurt Cream Cookie also go everywhere together, and they're not dating... Or it's just that I don't know something. But it's probably nothing. 

"They're DEFINITELY dating!" Candy exclaimed 

"I know right?!" Pavlova responded. 

We finally arrived at the cafeteria. There was a clock here hung on the wall. It was currently 9:31 AM. There weren't much people here, just Milky Way, Agar Agar, and Clover & Licorice. 

I made myself breakfast and sat next to Agar Agar Cookie, who was talking with Milky Way Cookie.

"I'm saying that you CAN'T eat all the food in the cafeteria because we'll starve if you do so!"

"But... I'm... Hungry..."

"Are you ever full? Or is your hunger everlasting?" 

"Don't know... Hehe"

"You're weird" 

"Hi Milky Way, hello Agar Agar. How are you doing after... that what happened?"

The two girls were silent for a while, but after a second, Milky Way spoke up.

"I'm... Stressed and a bit scared, to be honest. Kids are the easiest victims after all, and I'm a KID, so...." She mumbled nervously.

"I understand your worries" I admitted. I'm also scared of dying, and I have no idea what fate will await me.

"Yeah, as if I'd die here" Candy Apple laughed "Master Shadow Milk Cookie will save me from this hellhole! I'm sure of it!" 

"That Beast of Deceit? As if!" Pavlova responded, his grip on his bow tightened. "Why would he bother to save you anyway?"

"Because he cares about me!"

Pavlova rolled his eyes.

"Tch, if the Beasts really cared about us, me and you wouldn't end up here in the first place" 

"It's not my fault that Eternal Sugar Cookie is sooooo lazy that she won't come here to save you!" 

Pavlova Cookie groaned and hit the table with his fist.

"Shut up! Besides, you're still here too! Do you really think your stupid master will bother to save someone as annoying as you?!" 

Candy Apple Cookie gasped, offended.

"How dare you call him that?! You'll pay for this you bastard!" 

She pulled out a giant caramelized apple lollipop and got ready to hit Pavlova Cookie with it. He squealed in panic.

"Eek! Put that down!" He said as he took an arrow and prepared his bow to shoot.

"Ey, ey! Stop that!" I shouted, standing in-between them so they wouldn't attack each other. "Let's not make more conflicts! Do you really want more people to die?!"

"He'll die anyway!" Candy shouted, trying to get to Pavlova Cookie to smash him with the weapon. 

"One more word and I'll make you fall in love with a lizard!" 

"My heart belongs to Master Shadow Milk Cookie! No one and nothing can change that!!!! Not even your stupid love arrows!!!" She squealed, her face getting slightly red from anger.

"Calm the hell down!" I yelled, but it didn't have any effect. 

"STUPID LOVE ARROWS??!!? YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!!!!" Pavlova shouted and flew past me to attack Candy Apple Cookie. She prepared to attack as well, and they started fighting. 

"Stop it! Kids, stop!" I exclaimed. No effect. 

"OUCH! STOP PULLING MY HAIR!!! IT HURTS!!!" Candy Apple screamed

"THEN STOP HITTING MY WINGS!!!" 

"THEN YOU STOP PUNCHING ME!!!"

"I WON'T IF YOU WON'T STOP KICKING ME!!!" 

They fought for good 10 minutes, before I somehow managed to pull them away from each other, getting kicked by Candy Apple in the process. They were both damaged, but their injuries weren't too serious. They were both breathing heavily, tired from the fight. 

"See? And what did that fight give you? You shouldn't do that!"

"It's not my fault that this spoiled brat dares to insult the almighty Bringer of Happiness"

I managed to calm them both down and get them to apologize, though neither of them wanted to say sorry. We talked for a while, and I finally could eat my breakfast in peace. After that, I said bye to them and left the cafeteria. 

Geez, seeing kids fight is the worst thing in the world. They're impulsive and you can't get them to stop. 

On the way to Witches-know-where, I saw Choco Drizzle Cookie. I decided to come say hi, because we didn't talk much before. 

"Hello Choco Drizzle! How is your day going?" 

"... It's alright, I guess" 

I nodded slowly.

"Mhmmmm... Soo..."

"You don't need to force a conversation if you don't know what to say" she stated, cleaning the blades of her weapons. 

"W-What? No, I'm not forcing anything!" 

"Alright." 

We chatted for a short while. All I got to know was that she has two sisters.

"They're a bit troublesome, but they're good people" She said, a small smile forming on her face. 

Looks like she's not as cold as I thought she was. Well, always expect the unexpected. 

I walked to a random classroom, looked around, checked the drawers. I found some notebooks, a box of chalk, pencils, some other school stuff. I took a piece of chalk and started drawing something on the green chalkboard on the wall. I drew flowers, clouds, houses... Random things that came to my mind.

I cleaned the board after that and took another piece of chalk to draw something. I stood there for a while, wondering what should I draw. Then, an idea came to my mind. I drew a chibi version of me and Crème Brûlée Cookie. It turned out very cute. I chuckled to myself. 

I really miss Crème Brûlée. I think about him more often than I'd dare to admit. And about the fact that I'll never see him again. It was saddening, but I couldn't just let myself drown in sadness after losing someone so important to me. Maybe, just maybe if we met under normal circumstances, we would spend way more time together. Going to school together, chatting during lunch time, getting to know each other better...

And after a couple of months, maybe we'd become something more than just friends... We'd be best friends, or something more than that. Wishing for something like that would be too selfish of me right now. After all, he's dead, and I can't change it no matter how much I'd want to. 

I went back to my room, not bothering to clean the chalkboard. Rest of the day went by very fast. Talking with other classmates, doing some activities like play

ing basketball, and of course writing down everything that happened today in a book. Two days left until next motive drops. I have to use this time wisely. 

Chapter Text

I woke up pretty early today, don't know why though. Getting out of bed didn't take me as much time as yesterday, and I'm in a better mood than before too. Maybe I'm just slowly getting used to this whole... Killing game situation, or something. I'm not really sure as to that.

I ate cereal for breakfast, and, as usual, sat with Clover Cookie. The next usual thing is Yogurt Cream Cookie instantly coming to sit next to us when he sees us, Lilac Cookie following him close. We talk, get to know more about eachother and such. 

Today I've learned that Yogurt Cream has an older brother. From that what he said about him, I'm guessing their sibling relationship is rather... Not quite friendly, but not tense either. 

And about Lilac... I still don't know much about him. He doesn't talk much, though, in comparison to two days ago, he's a bit more talkative than before. But just a LITTLE. If I didn't read much detective stories, I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between then and now.

Their rooms are pretty far from each other, much to Lilac's displeasure. At least that's what he said when I asked them about that. He told us he's worried for Yogurt Cream's safety, and his worries are strictly only about that, but I don't think that's all. I feel like he's not only worried about his safety, but also for him in general. They're friends after all, who wouldn't be worried for a friend?

Though, I really can't tell if their relationship is platonic or something else. It's really hard to tell what Lilac Cookie is exactly feeling, because he keeps that poker face every day. Ugh, I'm not used to reading people's poker faces, especially when I know them barely for three days! It's SO annoying. 

I mean, not ALL stoic people annoy me, there is one exception, and that exception is Crème Brûlée Cookie. BUT HE'S DEAD ALRIGHT???? Oh my fucking god, he's dead, I really should stop thinking about him. Can't have a crush on someone who's dead. 

Anyway, back to what I was saying, I really can't tell what Lilac is feeling because he keeps that STUPID stoic expression every time I see him. But today, when we were talking about the whole "dorm rooms too far away from each other" situation, when he said he's worried about Yogurt Cream's safety, there way something more to his face expression. Something like genuine worry. 

Yeah, like I said, he's not very expressive. 

Yogurt Cream Cookie, on the other hand, is VERY expressive. So much you can read him like a book. That's a good contrast to Lilac's stoic nature. Yogurt Cream is much more... lively and energetic. And pretty childish too. 

He says he loves collecting treasures, which is a cool hobby actually. Going out on adventures, having your own personal collection of rare objects... That's very cool.

I think Lilac and Yogurt make a good duo, even though most of the "affection towards one another" is on Yogurt Cream's side. I have no idea whether the affection is platonic or romantic though. I'd say it's more platonic than anything, but hey, it's just my opinion. 

If only Crème Brûlée was still alive... I don't want to be the only one without a partner! Everyone else seems to get along just fine, and I'm the ONLY ONE who doesn't have a bestie >:(

I stood up from the desk, closing my book. It was around 3 PM, nearly time for dinner. I looked around, my eyes taking in the sight of an empty classroom. Peace and quiet, perfect circumstances for writing and gathering thoughts. You could almost forget your life can come to an end anytime. You don't know the day nor the hour. 

I walked out of the room, book in my bag, when I heard two people talking.

"How long did it took to learn to play this thing? Your music is actually damn impressive, as much as it hurts to admit that" 

"I didn't really count the days, you know? Time flies fast when you do something you enjoy!"

"What the fuck man, were you ever in an other mood than happy in your life? Or are you only capable of feeling joy?" 

"Why'd you assume that?"

"CUZ YOU'RE ALWAYS, LIKE, ALL SUNSHINES AND RAINBOWS 'N STUFF... Y'know what, I don't give a fuck. Nevermind, there was no question"

Oh, I forgot to mention. Clover has gotten a new friend lately - Licorice Cookie. It's these two talking right now, could never mistake them for anyone else. Licorice tends to be... Well,... Mean. Very much and very often. I have no idea how the hell Clover manages to be around him. This guy's literally dressed like the GRIM REAPER.

"And are you always so rude to everyone else?" Clover asked.

Licorice snickered and rolled his eyes.

"DUHH, I'm LICORICE COOKIE, of course I DO!" 

"Hey guys!" I called out, driving their attention to me.

"Hello Linzer!" Clover responded, waving at me happily 

"Oh, another redhead. Great, just GREAT."

Clover frowned.

"Lico, don't judge people by their hair color!"

"I had enough bad memories with that Pomegranate bitch, don't need another stupid redhead girl in my life" 

Okay, that's it. I don't like the guy AT ALL.

"And DON'T call me 'Lico'!" Licorice added.

"Okay Lico ^^"

"CLOVER COOKIE"

Clover laughed, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Sorry, I'll stop" 

"Good"

Gosh, what to say? I don't want to talk to this Licorice guy. I've heard he's a member of Cookies of Darkness. It's these guys who work for Dark Enchantress Cookie, and I do not want to become friends with one of the bad guys. I have no idea what Clover sees in this dude. 

"Sooo.... How are you feeling today?" I asked without thinking much. Just anything to get out of this awkward silence.

"Pretty good actually" The Bard said with a smile, adjusting his green hat.

"Could've been better" Licorice mumbled, crossing his arms. 

"Yeah... I think I'll be going" I said as I walked away, waving goodbye to Clover and completely ignoring Licorice's presence.

***

Hallways seem way longer when you walk through them by yourself, especially accompanied by silence and sounds of your own footsteps. Moments like these remind me of how much I miss Crème Brûlée Cookie. He was a really nice person, even though he might not seem to be. Oh god, I feel like a fanfic writer right now. Linzer, you gotta stop simping for a dead person...

While on my way to Witches-know-where, I stumbled upon Sherbet Cookie. He seemed to be deep in thought, looking outside the half-barricaded window.

"What are ya thinking about?" I asked, standing next to him.

"Hm? Oh" He noticed my presence "Just... Thinking about a friend"

My eyes lit up with curiosity.

"A friend? Who?" 

Who could possibly be friends with a snow spirit?

"Cotton Cookie" He said with a warm smile "She's a very nice person. I think you'd get along very well" 

I hummed in response. Cotton Cookie...? I think I've heard this name before... OH! I know! I remember that one winter when she helped me to get back on track in the woods. I was on a trip to the mountains to look for inspiration for one of my books! That's where I know her from. 

She does seem like a nice person indeed. Too bad I'll probably never see her again. 

"Yeah..." I thought about what to ask "Do you miss her?"

Sherbet remained quiet for a moment.

"Of course I do. But I know I'll see her again someday." 

I chuckled.

"You're pretty certain about it despite our situation here" 

"If one has deep emotional connection with another, their soul will find them even after death" 

That was... Deep. I wonder if it's really true. 

We talked for a while, until he flew away to the cafeteria. After he left, I walked around, speaking with people, hanging out with Yogurt Cream and Lilac for a while, then, it got dark so I went to my room. Even though I know we're safe for now, it's still better to not wander around at late hours. I don't want anything bad to happen to me.

I fell on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Yet another day passes, only tomorrow left until we receive the next murder motive. I'm scared, but not as much as before. I'm not going to die... Am I? No... I'm not. I'll win this game. For Crème Brûlée Cookie. 

Chapter Text

Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day. 

The day that'll start another murder massacre, and yet another execution of a cookie who murdered someone out of need to "escape". 

While I do fully understand their motives to murder, I still don't get one thing. How can we be sure Monokuma will let the culprit out of here if they'll kill without getting caught?

This guy's suspicious and we can not trust him, but he seems to be the one behind this whole killing game. He's the only one who knows anything about it, and claims to be this school's principal, so I guess we have to believe in what he's telling us.

This is the last day of peace and quiet, last moment of safety before another disaster happens, so I gotta use this time wisely. 

I went into the cafeteria, making myself sandwiches for breakfast. I also made some tea. Sitting on my usual eating table, I noticed that something was off. Oh, that's right. I usually sit with Clover Cookie. But this time, he's sitting with... Licorice Cookie. Great. Just great.

I really can't have a friend for myself, can I?

My gaze wandered around the room, looking for people to sit with. Who do I interact the least with...? Choco Drizzle Cookie doesn't seem like the one to have a friendly chat with, Pavlova and Candy Apple... No, thanks. Don't want to have to stop them from fighting again.

Agar Agar Cookie? She's kinda... Creepy. 

Pastry Cookie seems like a good choice for a friend, but we haven't talked much yet. I'll try to get to know her better next time we speak. Last option is, well, Madeleine and.... Espresso Cookie. Ugh, that Espresso guy. I'm not a fan of people like him. Quite the opposite actually. I despise people like him. 

But, welp, it's not like I have another option. Not gonna sit alone like an outsider or something.

I walked up to their table and sat with them, feeling extreme awkwardness. 

"Hi" I spoke up, trying to put on a fake smile. Spoiler alert, it DIDN'T work.

Madeleine and Espresso took a short look at eachother in confusion, then turned to me again.

"Hello, Linzer Cookie" Espresso said without enthusiasm "What brings you here? Your partner died and now you have no one to sit with?" He added in a visibly disinterested tone.

I groaned and somehow managed to not hit this guy in the face.

"Essy, don't be so mean to her" Madeleine frowned, elbowing Espresso. He only rolled his eyes with ignorance.

"Perhaps I have been not nice, but you don't have to be kind to every stranger you meet, Madeleine Cookie" 

Why did I even think sitting with them would be a good idea? Should've sat with Yogurt Cream and Lilac again. They're way nicer. 

"Well I wonder how would you feel when someone close to you got executed right in front of your eyes" I said sharply and maybe a bit too loudly. 

"You have no reason to ask me that, and I have no reason to answer" 

I raised a brow.

"Aren't you close with anyone? Literally anyone?" 

"What made you think that?" 

I looked at Madeleine with confusion. He sighed.

"He's just like that, don't mind it. He's actually a good person when you get to know him!" He said happily and ruffled Espresso's hair playfully.

"MADELEINE COOKIE! I TOLD Y-- I DIDN'T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO DO THAT!" Espresso screamed, hitting Madeleine's hand with his to make him stop messing with his hair. I chuckled, but what started out as a giggle ended up being an audible laugh. I tried covering my mouth with my hand to make it stop, but I just couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY FOR YOU?!" 

Madeleine began to chuckle, then started to laugh as well, so now we both were laughing and Espresso shouted at us to make us stop, his face red from embarrassment and frustration. 

It lasted for next 10 minutes, until our lungs began to ache. Espresso adjusted his glasses and groaned.

"And that's what happens when you do such things in public, Madeleine" He said, crossing his arms

"Awh c'mon, I know you love it!"

"No, I do not" 

"You do! My paladin senses are telling me that you do!" 

"No, I don't" 

"Yes, you do-!" 

"Enough, lower your volume" Espresso cut him off, raising up his hand. 

"Fineee" 

"....."

Silence 

"Sooooooooo... I never really asked you guys about your talents" I spoke up.

Espresso adjusted his glasses again. I guess he just likes doing that. 

"I am the Ultimate Inventor" He said with a proud smile "And Madeleine is---"

"The Ultimate Paladin!" Madeleine exclaimed proudly "Pleasure to meet you- Well, I mean, we've met three days ago but you get it" 

I nodded. 

"Yeah, I get it" 

***

I finished my breakfast and chatted with Espresso & Madeleine for a while. I'm slowly starting to notice their dynamic. They're the typical introvert & extrovert friends, maybe something more than that. It's not my thing to think about it, I'm not really familiar with the whole topic of love. Maybe if I asked Pavlova about it...? I bet he'd diagnose them well.

Oh, and since we're on Pavlova's topic, I'm sure he mentioned some cookie during one of our conversations. What was the name of this cookie he told us about? Sugarfly Cookie? Pretty sure that's the name.

He said how dull and boring she was, how annoying her yearning for beauty is... I don't know if he likes her or not. He speaks of her like a younger brother speaks of his older sister, but I don't think that's the case. They're clearly not related, Pavlova even stated this once. 

He also mentioned something called... Garden of Delights. I remember this place from one of the books I've read in the school's library. It is the land of one of the Beast Cookies, Eternal Sugar Cookie - the Beast of Sloth, once called the Bringer of Happiness. 

I always wondered what caused the Beast Cookies' fall. Was it the fault of the Cookiekind? Or maybe the culprit behind it all lays within the fallen virtues? Not my thing to wonder about - I'm a writer of detective stories, not books about history. 

While on the way to... I don't know where to be honest, I walked past a room. When my brain realized what classroom it is, I immediately stopped and looked inside. This is the room with a piano. The same instrument Crème Brûlée was teaching me how to play before he.... Before ...

...

I closed the door behind myself, breathing in the air filled with the scent of dust and loneliness. It was as if the room itself was grieving over the loss of a great pianists whose hands blessed the piano by playing a beautiful melody on it. Looks like not only I feel sadness. Not only I miss that charming melody. Not only I miss him.

I sat on the chair and looked at the piano keys, black and white colors shining in the rays of sun peeking through the half-barricaded window. How did you play this thing...? Crème Brûlée explained this to me before, but I wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying...

You just... Press the keys, alright. But there's something more to it. There had to be something more to it. It's not just about pressing the keys

"That's a matter of skill that you gain with time. You need a lot of practice to play songs."

... He said something about practice. 

"It all depends on your muscle memory. Hands remember certain movements when you practice often"

How am I supposed to remember something I never played...? Maybe if I just... Tried imitating his hand movements when we played together... Well, not really we played, but he was teaching me how to. 

I placed my hand on the instrument's keys and pressed a note. The piano made a smooth, short sound instantly. It ended as soon as I took my hand back. 

I took a deep breath.

It's not about playing. It's about putting your whole soul into the music. Playing for someone, even for yourself, gives you more satisfaction after a finished performance. Now I understand it perfectly. 

My hands wandered onto the piano keyboard again, gently touching the keys, trying to remember the melody Crème Brûlée played for me. After a moment of concentration, I started playing. At first, the melody was messy and quiet, but then, after some time, I managed to get the first 30 seconds of the song right. 

It brought a smile to my face. I felt proud of myself. I listened to someone's advice, and then used it to achieve something I never did before.

I played the melody again, this time more smoothly, my hands relaxing along with each passing second of the song. Almost as if I knew it since the very beginning. Didn't make a single mistake, even though I practiced barely for 25 minutes. I continued playing, feeling joy and coziness in my chest. 

It was as if he was right next to me, playing the tune with me. Being proud I actually managed to play something thanks to his advice. A way of cherishing my memories of him. By a melody he once played, so gracefully and calmly, just like he knew exactly what he's doing. And he definitely was. He's really a piano master. 

He... Was a piano master.

...

I walked out of the classroom, heading to another room to update my book. I still can't get over Crème Brûlée Cookie. I think I can safely say I do love him. Too bad I won't be able to say it to him, confess to him... Oh how much I'd want to see his face after he'd hear that. Would he be surprised, would he blush? Or would his face remain neutral? I'll never find out. 

When I finished writing, I heard footsteps coming in my direction. When I turned around, I saw, surprisingly, Candy Apple Cookie. She was standing at the door, staring at me. 

I raised a brow in confusion.

"You... Need something or...?" I asked, closing the book.

"What are you writing?" 

"I-"

"A diary?!" She squealed, not letting me finish.

"It's NOT-!"

She ran to me and snatched that book right from my hands.

"HEY-! Give it back!"

She opened it and started reading. Her at first excited expression slowly vanished, leaving a face of boredom and disappointment. 

"Okay, it's not a dairy" she mumbled, completely losing interest in the book. She put it back on the desk "You're SO boring"

"The hell do you mean?" 

"There's all TRUTH in that! Where are lies? Something, ANYTHING to make it more interesting and READABLE?!" She complained, stomping on the ground.

"It's SUPPOSED to be 100% facts! If I won't survive, the book will be found and people find out what's happening here!" I exclaimed, grabbing the book and pressing it to my chest tightly so she wouldn't steal it again.

Candy Apple rolled her eyes.

"This place is SO dull! Master Shadow Milk Cookie will get me out of here, I bet he will!" She stated and clasped her hands together "He'll save his most loyal minion! He will!" She squealed, blush creeping up her cheeks. 

"...... Okayyyyyy.....??????" I stood up and walked out, leaving the kid alone. She's busy fangirling over Shadow Milk Cookie anyway. 

I got to know pretty much things today, discovered how to play piano and I think I became friends with Espresso and Madeleine. The last good day for now. It will probably get worse from now on.

Chapter Text

It's today.

We've all gathered in the Gym at 9 AM to listen to Monokuma's announcement. 

"Welcome, fellow students!" He said, jumping in place "I suppose you all know why you're here" 

"Just tell us the motive already!" Espresso shouted, his arms crossed 

"I see you're one of the impatient ones. Alright. Today's motive is.....!" He made a dramatic pause before we all have suddenly received tablets. 

The screen was black, until it turned on. And I saw.... My parents.

My eyes widened in surprise, and so did everyone else's. 

I focused on the screen.

"Gee, how to start... Hey Linzie, how is it going in your new school?" My mom spoke up.

"A brilliant story writer probably has good grades in essays, am I right?" My dad said, laughing warmly

"We're so proud of you! Managing to get to such great school, you're going to achieve great things in life, my daughter!" My mom cheerfully exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

My hands began to tremble.

"M-Mom...? Dad..---????"

When, suddenly...

Static.

The screen went black, leaving only a static sound in the background. I gasped, instantly tightening my grip on the tablet. 

After a while, the screen lit up again, this time showing an empty, damaged couch in a room with no one inside.

"What the-!?" My body tensed. The screen went black again. WHERE DID THEY GO?! They were just here! How did they- what-?

"You've all received your motives! If you want to find out if your beloved family is safe or not, you have to kill and get away with it!" Monokuma announced happily.

"What?!" I screamed "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"You have 48 hours to kill! Time starts NOW!!" He shouted as he disappeared somewhere.

I looked around. Everyone seemed to be as shocked as me, maybe except Licorice Cookie, Lilac Cookie and Yogurt Cream Cookie. I can understand that Licorice Cookie isn't shocked, because he probably has no friends, Lilac isn't scared because this guy isn't afraid of literally anything, but... Yogurt Cream Cookie isn't sad or panicking or... Reacting literally anyhow???

That's what confused me the most. His expression was rather a look of... Disbelief? Disinterest? 

Clover Cookie, on the other hand, was shaking and looked terrified. I walked up to him with worry.

"Did you see it too??" 

He nodded quickly.

"The... The forest animals... T-They're..." He stuttered, his arms hugging his lute tightly. I nervously placed my hand on his shoulder 

"H-Hey, breathe, otherwise you'll hyperventilate-"

"What if something- something bad happened to them? What-... What if they're in danger? And I can't- I- I'm-" 

"Calm down, damn it!" Licorice said, walking up to us "It's just some animals, it's not like something bad is gonna happen if they're gone" 

Clover looked at him with a death stare, the first time I'm seeing him mad.

"YOU SHUT UP! What would YOU do if any of your closest friends were in danger?!" He shouted, his hands holding the lute tightly.

Licorice flinched and took a step back, visibly surprised. He actually managed to make Clover angry, congratulations. I guess it's all if it comes to their friendship.

"Woah-! Hey, look I- I didn't- Ugh, WHATEVER. Be glad you even HAVE friends to be worried for instead of worrying for them" he rolled his eyes and turned back, slowly walking away from us.

Clover's anger disappeared in that very moment.

"What do you mean?" 

Licorice stopped and turned his head back to us.

"The fuck you asking about?" 

"Aren't we friends?" 

He didn't respond for a good while, his gaze fixated on the floor.

"You think we are?" 

Clover nodded slowly

"Yeah, I mean, we spend time together, and you even positively commented my latest song, so..." 

"No, but seriously. You REALLY want to be friends with someone like me?" 

"Yes! I'd love to!" 

"Well then, good. You'd better have me as an ally than an enemy! I'm pretty dangerous after all, heh" Licorice said proudly, playing with his scythe. Dangerous? Who's this guy taking himself for?

Clover laughed.

"Oh my, thank goodness we're friends. Otherwise I'd be done for!" He said playfully, not stressed at all now.

I hope I won't lose another friend. 

***

Yet again, I feel like I'm being followed in these empty halls. It feels like it's too quiet, and I think it may be making me slightly paranoid. But hey, it's just a theory. A GAME THEOR--- LINZER GO BACK TO REALITY GOD DAMNIT 

I stumbled upon Yogurt Cream & Lilac again. Yogurt didn't look so happy, which is unusual for him. 

"Hi guys!!" I waved at them and managed to get their attention.

"Linzie!!" Yogurt Cream exclaimed happily, waving back

"How did your motives look like?" I asked them, maybe not necessarily, because Yogurt Cream Cookie's smile dropped immediately after hearing my question 

"Oh, well... Not quite motivating to kill, if I had to be honest" he responded in a disinterested tone, another unlikely think for him to do

"Huh? Aren't you worried for your family's safety-?" 

"I said the motive wasn't convincing enough" he raised his tone a little, but only a little, and waved the small fan he always carries with himself. He did it the way it covered his mouth, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Okay okay jeez..." I said and crossed my arms "It's not like you'd be able to kill anyone anyway" I added, mumbling.

Unfortunately, he heard me.

"I know I'd never kill anyone, I'd never stand having to take someone's life... It'd be terrifying!" He shivered at the through and closed the fan. "Besides, in any case of need that'll require... Rather extreme treatment, that's what I have Lilac for! Although I know he'd never hurt anyone, he's a good person after all" 

"Thank you, my liege"

"I told you there's no need for formalities!"

"I apologize, I'm still getting used to it"

"Besides, it's me who should be thankful"

"???" Lilac looked at Yogurt Cream with a confused expression. The most emotion I've seen him show lately. 

"I should be thankful my brother got me such an amazing bodyguard! And very pretty too" he mumbled the last part, barely audible 

Lilac tilted his head and raised a brow

"Were you saying something at the end? I'm pretty sure I heard you mumble something"

"It's was nothing!" Yogurt's cheeks reddened a bit, so he opened the fan and covered his mouth with it so no one would see it. Well, he failed the mission. I saw him blush and even wrote that down in this very book. 

Oh god, Lilac is so oblivious. How could he not notice that? Someone has to buy him a pair of glasses.

Yogurt Cream cleared his throat and closed the fan, closing his eyes.

"As I was saying, the motive was not convincing and I'm definitely not going for anyone's lives" He said , his smile disappearing after a while "Dunno about Lilac tho" 

He looked at his bodyguard, who was silently listening to Yogurt's statement.

"You're not planning on murdering anyone, are you?" Yogurt Cream asked, genuine worry in his voice. 

Lilac shook his head

"No. As long as harming anyone is not necessary"

"What-?"

"If someone tries to kill you, I have to make sure you remain unharmed and neutralize the danger by any means. That's my job" 

"But you don't have to kill them!" 

"Never said anything about killing them, did I?" Lilac raised a brow

"Well, you didn't, BUT-"

"Then you must know that, yes, if it is in a situation that endangers your or my life, I am ready to get rid of the culprit by harming them or even killing them if necessary." 

Yogurt frowned, his expression visibly shocked

"Whuh-?! No, you're NOT killing anyone! We were supposed to stay in this together, remember?" 

"I mean, it is a killing game though" I pointed out, and immediately regretted speaking up, because I earned a death stare from Yogurt. "I-I mean, uh..." 

"I know what you mean and I think both you and I KNOW no one would like to be reminded of it, Linzer Cookie." 

The way he said this, it was so... Cold, in contrast to his usual demeanor.

This was the most negative emotion I've seen him express ever since I've met him. Even Lilac Cookie was surprised.

"I understand, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... Ugh..." I stuttered, desperately trying to come up with anything to say that would fix the situation.

"You really need to think more before speaking" Yogurt Cream Cookie said and sighed with disappointment. "Look, I'm not mad. Maybe a little bit annoyed. But I'm not mad at you or anything, okay?" He added after a short while, his tone nicer now.

I nodded, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. 

"Okay" I responded 

"I-I hope I didn't make you mad by this... Right? I mean, we're still friends, right?" He asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. 

"Uh, yeah. We are" 

He let out a relieved sigh.

"Oh thank goodness, phew..." 

We talked for a while, then went separate ways. I wonder why was Yogurt Cream so nervous about losing a potential friend. Isn't he, like, from a rich family? He should have tons of friends, shouldn't he? 

[Insert flashback]

"Wow, a rich family, huh? You're quite popular then, aren't you?" I asked, tilting my head with curiosity.

He chuckled.

"Well, it's not like I'm not well-known there where I come from, but... I don't really have much... close friends, y'know" 

"Hm?" 

He turned his head to the side, his smile fading.

"It's... Uh... Hard to explain. When anyone tries to be 'friends' with me, they don't do it because they like me, but because of the fact that I come from a wealthy family, y'know? It's kind of sad, to be honest. Thankfully Lilac isn't one of these people!" The smile returned to his face as soon as he mentioned Lilac Cookie.

"Woah, that's... Wait, so how much friends do you have?" I asked

"Like I said, not much. You, Lilac and a few other people" 

"Oh, well, glad to be your friend then. Honestly, more people should get to know you. You're a pretty cool person" 

Yogurt's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Really? Thanks!" 

[End of flashback]

Oh, now I remember. So that's why he was so nervous about losing a friend. I feel sad for the guy, but I guess it's just a curse of wealthy families. 

I returned to the cafeteria. It was empty, as expected. I sat down on one of the chairs and stopped there to think. Today, another round of the killing game began. I can't help but be nervous. What if one of my friends die? Or what if I'll die too? 

Wait, I just realized I'm here alone. It's basically like asking to be murdered. I quickly stood up and walked to my room. Closing the door behind myself, I walked to the bed and put my book there. I'm worried. Very worried. That's why I'll do that what's the smartest move in order to survive:

Stay in my room until the murder happens so I can be sure I'm not the victim. 

Smart strategy Linzer, smart strategy. 

....

........

...........

DUMB STRATEGY LINZER, DUMB STRATEGY.

I'M THE DETECTIVE HERE, I CAN'T JUST STAY IN MY ROOM.

God damnit.

It's going to be a looooong day.

Chapter Text

I think I'm starting to be a little paranoid. 

Not to be rude, but I start to trust everyone less and less with each passing minute. Not that I suspect everyone for being a murderer - which in this situation is actually reasonable - but I just don't feel safe around anyone I didn't talk with much. Especially Choco Drizzle Cookie. 

She's got that death stare that pierces your soul and makes you shiver. She's always alone, sometimes exchanges a word with Pastry Cookie, but that's all. She always stays away from everyone, and she carries blades with herself too. If that's not a reasonable suspect for a killer then I don't know who is. 

"LINZER COOKIEEEEEEEE!!!!!" 

I heard a scream behind me. I quickly turned around and saw.... Pavlova Cookie flying towards me. 

"Pavlova Cookie?" I asked with confusion.

He stopped in front of me to catch his breath.

"HAVE YOU SEEN CANDY APPLE COOKIE?????" 

"No" 

He groaned.

"Darn it! This brat ran away laughing after insulting Eternal Sugar Cookie, I will NOT let that slide!" 

"This Eternal Sugar Cookie... She's the Beast of Sloth, isn't she?" 

"Yes! She's the Bringer of Happiness, creator of the Garden of Delights! She's so nice and empathetic, just like an angel!" His wings fluttered happily as he circled around in the air, eventually stopping.

"I've heard of her from the legends. They said she traps cookies in her paradise and never lets them go" I thought out loud, not really realizing I said that. Pavlova heard that as well, freezing in place. His expression turned from happy to surprised, from surprised to shocked, and from shocked to serious.

"You did?" 

I nodded.

Pavlova Cookie sighed and lowered himself to the ground. His gaze remained on the floor, hands holding the bow.

"She's... Very thoughtful, that's why she does it. The paradise is a safe place, that's why she refuses to let anyone go" 

His voice was quieter than before, and it wasn't convincing at all. If Eternal Sugar Cookie is so great, then why isn't Pavlova happy when saying it?

"You don't sound so sure" I pointed out, crossing my arms "Is she really as caring and wholesome as you claim her to be? You know you don't have to lie if she isn't" 

...

Silence.

No response from the kid.

At least for a few seconds.

"She's.... Scary, sometimes."

"Sometimes?" 

"Often. Unsettling. Very much." His voice was a bit shaky, I started to worry about him.

"Then why do you speak of her only in superlatives?" 

"Because otherwise she'd- She would... I... Because she can turn people into statues, so they can be 'happy forever'." He looked up to look at me for a moment, but then his head lowered again. "I always worry I'll join them if I misbehave. That's why... It is how it is. Nobody speaks rudely of the Bringer of Happiness." 

"Damn..." 

Pavlova sighed and flew up into the air.

"I don't understand what Sugarfly Cookie sees in this place... Her stupid craving for beauty makes her blind. As if she wasn't beautiful enough already when she first entered the Garden. She's so dumb" He mumbled to himself and turned around.

"Where are you going?"

"To find that Apple brat. See ya!" He waved goodbye and flew away, leaving a feather behind. It fell to the ground with grace, gently landing on the floor. 

I walked away too, not really sure what am I looking for exactly. I guess I'll just walk around and wait till a murder happens. Not like I have anything better to do anyway. Maybe I'll try finding Clover Cookie? But what if he's hanging out with that Licorice guy again? 

Really, what does he see in him? This guy is dressed like the GRIM REAPER. I know I said this TWICE already, but SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE HELL?????

I'd never want to be friends with someone like him. He's rude and annoying. Seems like Clover doesn't mind it though. Yesterday is a special occasion, so it doesn't count of course. He was nervous about forest animals, and Licorice wasn't delicate with choosing his words. He deserved being shouted at. He definitely didn't expect that, especially not from someone as cheerful as Clover Cookie.

Not like I expected this either, after all Clover is usually calm and rather--

*THUD*

OUCH, WHAT THE HECK??? 

....

.... oh.

........

I bumped into a wall. OUCHHHH MY FOREHEAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!! IT HURTS SO BADLY, I HOPE NOBODY SAW THAT

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAHHAAHQAHAHHA LMFAOOOOO"

......

.....

I hope..... Nobody... Saw that....

......

.........

....

Fuck.

I turned around, just to see Clover and his friend Licorice standing a few meters away. Licorice Cookie was laughing at me, and Clover tried to get him to stop. Hahaha, so fucking funny. I hope you die.

"HAHAHAHA, OH MY FUCKING GOD, CLOVER DID YOU SEE THAT?!!!??" Licorice wheezed and bursted out with laughter again

"Lico! Don't laugh at her, it's mean!" 

"NO FUCKING WAYYYYYYY HAHAHWHHAQA *WHEEZE* HAHAHAHAHAAHHAHHAHHAHAH" 

My face reddened from embarrassment, my fists clenching. 

"SHUT UP!!" I yelled, but it didn't change anything 

"OH GOD WHY DIDN'T I RECORD THAT????? THIS WAS SO FUCKING FUNNY, I CAN'T-- BAHAHAHAHA *WHEEZE* HAHAHAHAQHAHA"

He leaned against the wall, probably for support in standing, and continued laughing. Clover instinctively stepped in his direction, in case he collapsed or something. 

"HAHAHAHAhahaha... Haha... Oh my GOD I haven't laughed like that in MONTHS, HAHA..!!" His laughter died down, thankfully. 

"Are you done making fun of me now?" I asked with irritation visibly shown in my voice.

"You'd wish *COUGH*... Oh god *COUGH* *COUGH* My lungs hurt SO BAD *COUGH*"

"Oh gosh! Are you alright? I told you to stop laughing because otherwise your lungs would start to ache!" Clover said with concern 

"Who cares anyway? I can take care of myself PERFECTLY FINE" Licorice pushed himself away from the wall and crossed his arms "See? I'm-- *COUGH* Fucking FUCK *COUGH*" 

He took a deep breath.

"It'll stop eventually" He said, crossing his arms

"You sure you don't need help?"

"Yes, I'm sure. You don't need to worry so much"

"Alright, but if it gets worse you should-"

"MY LUNGS HURT FROM LAUGHING, CLOVER. IT'S NOT AN ILLNESS OR ANYTHING!"

"You don't have to shout at me!" Clover pouted

"And you don't have to be so caring all the time! It's getting really annoying!"

"Licorice Cookie! That was rude!" 

"Why are you even so nice to me anyway?"

"Because we're friends!" 

"Hah! Friends? We know each other barely for a WEEK, who told you we're friends?"

"Why wouldn't we be?"

"Not to say anything, but BAD guys don't hang out with GOOD guys. It's you who tries to talk with me all the time, not the other way around! When will you finally understand that?" Licorice said coldly, turned around and walked away.

"But, you- Hey! Where are you going? Wait, Licorice Cookie-!"

"I told you to not hang out with him" I pointed out to Clover, who was hugging his lute with a sad frown on his face.

"I really don't understand him sometimes. I get that the pressure of being a part of Cookies of Darkness and expectations related to it probably do things to a cookie, but he's not with his team now. He doesn't have to be so rude"

"Maybe that's just the way he is"

"But I know there's a reason to that! No one's just born this way-"

"Can you just QUIT?!" I unintentionally shouted "Not EVERYONE is nice and caring like you! There are good people and awful people, just like HIM! If he doesn't want you to be his friend, then quit trying and fuckin move on!" 

Maybe it was because of irritation, or my current situation, but I snapped at him. I really didn't mean to, I really REALLY didn't mean to! Oh god, I'm so stupid... But, sometimes, you need to scream at someone to make them understand something. 

"I... I'm sorry Clover, I didn't mean to-"

"FINE! Fine. Alright. *Sigh* I'll try to follow your advice. Maybe I really shouldn't try to be friends with literally everyone here. If someone doesn't like me, I'm not going to force them to" 

I smiled.

"Im glad you understand" 

He nodded, still frowning.

"Yeah...." He said quietly and walked away.

Not to say anything, but, PLEASE, if someone dies, let it be Licorice Cookie. Please Witches, I beg you. He's the worst out there and people like him don't change. 

***

I walked around for what felt like hours, talking with people and avoiding someone I don't like very much

*Cough* *cough* Licorice Cookie *cough* *cough*

Oh, what was that? I must've coughed again :)

Clover's hanging out with the kids, playing songs to them and telling them various stories. Candy Apple keeps on asking him to tell any story about Shadow Milk Cookie, and Clover refuses to do so (he claims to not know any stories about him) 

Not so long ago he sang a song about White Lily Cookie's adventures in the Faerie Land. The one especially curious about that was Pavlova Cookie, who was very focused on the story and even asked questions about it. Agar Agar complained about being hungry, so Clover made some sandwiches for the kids and they ate together.

He must have experience in taking care of children, because there's no way he's doing so well without any earlier practice. I could never be such a great caretaker as he is.

Clover Cookie and Licorice Cookie seem to avoid each other as much as it's possible now. Maybe that's better for Clover, he won't be going through more emotional damage anymore. And he still has other friends, like me or the kids.

Other cookies, such as Milky Way Cookie, Yogurt Cream Cookie and Madeleine Cookie, seem to enjoy his music as well. I'm not surprised, because I also think his music is wonderful.

I wonder where Choco Drizzle Cookie is. Haven't seen her anywhere for some time now. 

In that moment, an idea came to my mind:

Since I have nothing better to do, I'll go look for Choco Drizzle! 

I started to walk around the place, checking every classroom. The art room and its storage room, the music room and other rooms. No sight of the Ultimate Assassin for now.

"Choco Drizzle Cookieeeee!" I called out, hoping she'll hear her name being called and come here to the rest of us. 

No response, as expected. 

I walked into the gym, still looking around. After 10 minutes of searching, I was about to give up, when I noticed one thing.

The gym has a storage room too.

How come I didn't thought of that earlier? But why would she be in a storage room in the gym anyway? I walked up to the door, opened it, and froze in place. 

"Oh... god"

Chapter Text

"Oh... god"

These two words, being said almost breathless, were the only thing I could mange to say in that moment. 

The first thing that greeted my eyes was a thin trail of jam on the floor, leading deeper into the room, more and more blood with each meter. In the end of the trail, there was a corpse.

Choco Drizzle's corpse.

She was cold. Must've died atleast three hours ago. So.... At 1 PM? And nobody noticed anything? 

What did she die to? I stepped closer examining any possible wounds on her body. Then, I noticed.

Her neck is cut open. A swift, precise cut. Not deep enough to separate her head from her body, but just enough to make her bleed out. But who would... Do such a thing?

I'm not even talking about murder, I'm on about the super precise cut. The culprit must've known what they're doing. But who could've done that? 

The only people nearby are... I don't even know. Clover is near, playing on his lute, but he wouldn't even hurt a fly. I doubt any of the kids would do this, Espresso and Madeleine are on the other side of the building, Pastry is a nun so it's against her religion to kill someone....

Who has weapons with themselves? Licorice Cookie carries his scythe with himself, but he doesn't seem like someone who would kill with it. Besides, he's more of a pathetic loser than a threat, he wouldn't be skilled enough to do such a precise cut. 

Maybe Lilac Cookie then...? But he and Yogurt Cream are inseparable, and if he killed anyone, Yogurt would know it. And then probably accidentally said it because he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. And even if he somehow managed to, it's really easy to read him. He'd be very nervous.

So... That leaves me with literally nothing. Maybe-

"A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED! You can start your investigation now, and soon a class trial will begin!" The speakers announced loudly, the sound echoing in the huge room. 

Great. Now everybody knows about the murder. I hope they won't suspect me.

I quickly ran out of the gym to tell everyone else about my discovery. Not too far from the room there was Milky Way Cookie, looking around with confusion. She noticed me and ran up to me quickly.

"Have you heard that?! Someone killed again!" 

"Yes, I unfortunately was the one to discover this... Unpleasant sight" 

"Oh. I want to spare myself trauma, so I'll pass on seeing the dead body"

"Better for you. Hey, have you seen anyone else somewhere close?"

"Hmmmm.... Pretty sure I saw Pastry Cookie around, and Clover's still playing his guitar, so.... You can go to them I guess"

"Thanks" 

I ran down the corridor, leading me to a open area. I looked around. No one here. 

It took me a while to find anyone, and that person was... Someone I didn't want to see. It was Licorice Cookie, looking somewhat stressed.

"Oh. Licorice Cookie." 

"Someone died again. Why are you running around like an idiot instead of investigating the crime area?"

"Because not even I can do this all alone. And before you ask, NO I'm not going to ask YOU for help."

He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, as if I was interested in helping someone like you anyway. Hey, you saw the dead body, right? Who died?"

"So NOW you're interested?"

"FINE, don't want to tell me? ALRIGHT. Have it your way. Stupid protagonists"

"It was Choco Drizzle Cookie"

He hummed in response.

"And who's that again?"

"Ultimate Assassin."

"Hmmm.... Someone like that was here?" 

I raised a brow.

"Oh, I don't know, was here someone like that?" I asked sarcastically.

"You're asking ME? You're the detective here"

"So does it instantly mean I know everyone and everything?" 

"Do I know?"

"UGH, YOU'RE JUST- Wait a minute, that reminds me. Why are you so close to the crime scene anyway?" 

"Whuh-? I, uh... It doesn't matter!" He stuttered nervously "Whatever, it's not like I'm the only one close to the crime scene anyway!" 

Before I could say anything, he walked away. That was VERY suspicious. Maybe I shouldn't remove him from the list of suspects for now, we'll see where this goes.

Now, I should begin the investigation. I returned to the gym, noticing a group of cookies gathered near the storage room. Milky Way probably told them about me finding a body here. Better for me, didn't have to walk around and search for them.

There were Candy Apple Cookie, Pastry Cookie and Clover Cookie. Pastry was covering Candy's eyes with her hand, probably to spare her the disturbing sight. Clover was hugging his lute tightly, something he usually does when he's stressed, or atleast that's what I noticed so far. 

"Lemme see!" Candy Apple whined, trying to take Pastry's hands off her eyes.

"There's no way I'm going to let a kid see a corpse"

"You're awful!" 

"You're too young to experience such horrors"

"Oh gosh.... It happened again" Clover said, his voice trembling slightly. "If it's so bad already, I don't think a song could undo what we're going to see in the future"

"That's... Not how songs work. They don't fix things"

"They do! They can stop fights, bring peace, unite people, repair... Friendships....." His voice got quiet on the last part. I guess he still hasn't gotten over that situation. 

***

(Author is too lazy to write another investigation, so I'll just be giving you summaries of what they found)

We've searched for good minutes, but couldn't find any clues related to the murder. The culprit must be a professional. Someone who could swiftly kill an assassin who carries blades with herself. That must be someone strong. 

We were currently heading to the elevator. Espresso, Madeleine, Pavlova, Licorice, Milky Way and Sherbet were already there. With us 4, that would make.... 10. 3 people are missing. Yogurt Cream, Lilac and Agar Agar. 

I was talking with Clover, not only about the crime but also about the situation that happened earlier today.

"I know you told me to give up on it, but... This doesn't feel right. I really don't want to make him dislike me because of my stubbornness, even though I know he might find it annoying. I thought we were friends! We chatted, ate together, he even complimented my songs! TWICE! And then he just comes out with this 'bad guys don't hang out with good guys' thing? I really don't understand him, as much as I wish I did..."

"You really don't know when to call it quits"

"Do you think I'm annoying too?"

"Of course not! You're a great friend" 

"Thank you... Ehhh, I can't help but wonder will he ever talk to me again. I know this might be awkward to him, or maybe he hates me and doesn't want to see me again, or--"

"You're overthinking. If you really want to be friends with him, then ask him about it after the trial. Okay?"

He nodded.

"Sure thing!" 

Suddenly, Yogurt Cream Cookie and Lilac Cookie entered the elevator.

"Sorry for the delay guys, I low-key forgot someone was killed because I was busy eating dinner"

"If this is your alibi then let me tell you something - it's so bad no one will believe it" Espresso Cookie said from the other side of the elevator.

The last cookie to join us was Agar Agar, who claimed to have gotten lost in the labyrinth of corridors and classrooms. We finally got to the trial room, taking our places. Monokuma appeared shortly after, giggling happily as he usually does.

"I see you've all gathered in the trial room, well done! You know the rules! Find out who the murderer is and vote them out to survive! The class trial will begin NOW!!"

"Got any clues, Linzer Cookie?" Espresso asked immediately, waiting for my response impatiently 

"No. There were no clues on the crime scene. Whoever committed murder here successfully cleaned up the area."

"God damnit... Any suspects?"

"I know that Choco Drizzle must've died atleast 2-1,5 hours ago. Her corpse is pretty cold, but still not entirely"

"I don't see how it is related to the question I asked"

"The only people who could do it are Licorice Cookie and Lilac Cookie. Only they carry weapons around" 

"Lilac didn't do it! He was with me all the time, I would've known if he did something like that!" Yogurt Cream exclaimed, visibly offended at my statement 

"We can't exclude any suspects. Lilac Cookie is a bodyguard after all, he must have ATLEAST common combat skills."

"That is true, but I wouldn't use my abilities to cause any harm to anyone if it's not necessary" Lilac stated, calm as ever.

Espresso's eyes narrowed slightly when he heard that

"And when would it be necessary?"

"If a person threatened Yogurt Cream Cookie's life. Or my life too. I do not intervene if I see no reason to" 

"If I had to guess, I'd blame the Licorice guy for it" Milky Way tried to climb up the handrail so we can see her. And so she can see us. She's a kid, she's short after all.

"HEY!" Licorice screamed instantly, visibly offended "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

"It's not my fault you look like a bad guy"

"It's because I AM a bad guy!" 

"See? Told you. He's the killer"

Candy Apple bursted out with laughter.

"This LOSER? A MURDERER? BAHAHAHAHA, OH MY GOODNESS! HOLD ME BECAUSE I'LL FAINT FROM LAUGHTER" 

"SHUT UP!" Licorice yelled, though it sounded more like a screech. It was pretty high-pitched 

"I mean, you were near the crime scene when I ran into you" I mentioned.

"Well, yeah! So what? That doesn't mean I killed someone!" 

"Then why were you there at the time, huh?" Espresso asked, adjusting his glasses so the reflection of the light covers his eyes. 

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" 

"He's not the murderer! I'm sure of it!" Clover tried defending him, earning a side eye glare from almost everyone. Including the suspect.

"What." Licorice asked. Well, not really asked because he said it normally. 

"Why are you defending him?" Espresso asked

"Why are you defending me?!" Licorice shouted, his grip on his scythe tightening. 

"Because I know you didn't do it!" 

"And what if I did?! What would you do then, huh?!" 

"Well, I'd-"

"You'd judge me, like everyone else does all the time!" 

"What are you talking about?" Clover confusedly asked, grabbing the handrail and leaning forward energetically "I'd never do such a thing!"

"Oh yeah, of COURSE you wouldn't, because you're so saint and innocent! Everybody likes you because you're so kind and nice, very forgiving and you always try to understand people! And you know what? That kindness is the most irritating thing in you!" 

Clover's eyes widened in shock, but mostly in surprise. And I could've sworn I saw slight expression of pain on his face. 

"Oh..."

"Guys, we're getting off topic- eh, screw that. I don't give a crap anyway" Espresso rolled his eyes and decided to observe the conflict 

"You must think you're SO FUCKING GREAT, RIGHT? You probably feel so good because of it! Have you ever thought how other people feel in this situation?"

"I don't understand why do you interpret it like that! And I'd never think so! I just want people to be happy, that's all!" 

"LIAR! There are no people who can be this... GOOD! No one can be so SELFLESSNESSLY KIND!" 

"But being selfless is nothing bad!" 

"BUT IT MAKES THE BAD GUYS FEEL WORSE THAN THEY'VE BEEN FEELING BEFORE!" 

No response. Clover's expression softened, a look of understanding on his face.

"You feel bad when someone's nice to you because you think you'll never be as good as they are? Is that why you keep pushing everyone away?" He asked softly, with a hint of compassion in his voice.

"IT'S NOT- I-... WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT?!" 

"I think I finally understand you!" Clover smiled happily, with slight excitement maybe? 

"No you DON'T!"

"People see you as the bad guy because that's who you're trying to be. And you're doing it because being bad is easy and you're good at it, and you think it's the only thing you're good at" 

"SHUT UP!" 

"But you don't have to act this way! You can't be afraid to open up on people, believe me, life is way easier when you have someone reliable by your side" 

"Will you just QUIT?! I don't need you to understand me! I don't need your pity!"

"It's not pity! And I won't give up on trying to be friends with you! I don't need to know what you think about that, because I think, no, I KNOW you deserve a good friend. I'm not going to force you to be friends with me, but I want you to know that whatever happens, I'll always be here if you'll need to talk. Okay?"

"........" 

None of us said anything, just standing there in silence.

"Fine, if you really insist so much" 

Clover gasped happily, bringing his hands up to his chest

"Really?"

"But only because you're insufferable when you keep on asking for something!" 

"Alright then!"

"Guys, sorry to break this emotional moment, but we've got a murderer on the loose" I spoke up after good 10 minutes of listening to this argument

"Hey, since we're finally going forward with the case, what was Licorice Cookie doing near the crime scene?" Madeleine Cookie asked.

"Nothing!" Licorice exclaimed instantly 

"Suspicious" Pastry Cookie pointed out

"Tell us or we'll be forced to continue on suspecting you to be the killer"

Licorice groaned.

"FINE, I'LL TELL YOU"

"In my opinion he's the killer" Milky Way Cookie continued with her suspicions.

"I WAS LISTENING TO CLOVER'S GODDAMN MINI-CONCERT, OKAY?! HE WAS PLAYING NEARBY SO I SAT IN ONE OF THE CLASSROOMS TO BE OUT OF VIEW AND LISTENED! HERE, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!" 

Candy Apple laughed, not even bothering to cover her mouth with hands. 

"YOU HID SOMEWHERE AND LISTENED? WHAT A CREEP! HAHAHA!" 

"WE WERE AFTER AN ARGUMENT, OKAY?! I DIDN'T WANT TO RISK ANOTHER SITUATION LIKE THIS!" 

"Might we return to the important topic?" Lilac asked.

"Exactly! We need to find out who killed Choco Drizzle Cookie!" 

"Well, that person was skilled, that's for sure" I thought out loud "And since we know Licorice Cookie didn't do that, the only suspect left is..." My gaze wandered around the room and landed on one certain person.

"Lilac Cookie" I deadpanned, my eyes narrowing slightly.

"Why, in your opinion, would I do that?" He said calmly, his eyes narrowing as well. 

Why would he do that? Now that's a good question. He definitely wouldn't have killed someone without a reason. He said that he'd only intervene if someone threatened his or Yogurt Cream's lives, so what if Choco Drizzle tried to kill them? But then Yogurt would know about that, and he doesn't know anything. They always go everywhere together, it's rare to see them separated. 

"Yogurt Cream Cookie, was Lilac by your side for the whole day today?" 

"What kinda question even is that?! Of course he was! Well, maybe except that one time-"

"What time?"

"When I wanted to check all the nearby classrooms. I must've walked too quickly because I lost him for a while. But I found him pretty fast!" 

That's a useful information. If he lost the sight of Lilac Cookie for a while, it means he doesn't actually have proof of his innocence. But that would mean Lilac is the culprit... And if we vote him out, he'll be executed. Talkative or not, he is still a friend of mine, and... Oh god, now it'll happen again. Seeing a friend's execution. 

I mean, we're not close friends so I won't cry after him, but what about Yogurt Cream Cookie? He and Lilac are almost inseparable, how will he react to his closest friend being a murderer? Oh gosh, I can just imagine his shocked expression... This will end up so bad...

I took a deep breath and looked at Lilac Cookie, giving him the best death stare I could manage to do. 

"Lilac Cookie, you're the only skilled person here and you carry weapons with yourself. Yogurt Cream says you two have separated for a moment, what means you have no alibi proving your innocence" I deadpanned, grabbing the handrail in front of me and leaning slightly forward.

"I do realize I'm not in the best position in this situation. However, I am not the culprit"

"But you can't prove it" Milky Way shouted loudly, in a teasing manner

"He's not guilty!" Yogurt Cream exclaimed, desperate to prove that his friend is innocent

"Yogurt Cream Cookie, you mustn't let your emotions take over! Think logically, there's no one else who could do it other than Lilac Cookie!" I tried to tell him that nicely, but he didn't listen 

"LILAC WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING!" 

"He wouuuuuld" Milky Way spoke up again

"There's 5 minutes of the trial left!" Monokuma announced excitedly, jumping in his seat, a wooden hammer in hand.

....

5 MINUTES?!

Chapter Text

5 MINUTES LEFT?! WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG THAT HE HAS TO REMIND US TO FIND THE MURDERER QUICKER???? God damnit, we need to get Lilac to admit he murdered Choco Drizzle Cookie, otherwise we'll all die!

"Lilac Cookie, this is not a joke!" I screamed, hitting the handrail with my fist.

"I see no sense in your accusations. I am not the only one without an alibi"

"You do realize that if you ARE the murderer and we won't vote you out, we will all die, including Yogurt Cream Cookie?!"  

Lilac's eyes widened slightly, and I noticed it as soon as it happened. He actually reacted to what I said. That means... He really is guilty. 

"4 minutes left! If you won't find out who the culprit is, you all die and they can leave freely!" Monokuma exclaimed loudly.

My heart rate fastened, nervousness kicking in. Or maybe it was adrenaline? I can't tell anymore. All I know is I have to bring this trial to its end. I'm the only one who can do this right now.

"Aren't you meant to protect him? You'll just keep this lie about 'being innocent' going until the trial ends and let him die? Wouldn't you be going against your own duty?!" 

"For goodness sake, he's innocent! He would never do something like this, right Lilac? You'd... never do such a thing, right?" Yogurt Cream nervously looked at Lilac, but didn't receive any response. 

I think he's finally starting to realize that his best friend might be, no, is the culprit behind this case. I could see the disbelief on his face, his hands holding the handrail tightly as he looked at Lilac and waited for any kind of response but also hoped he won't get any.

And for the first time in my life, I could actually tell what Lilac Cookie is feeling by looking at his expression. Because in this very moment, he looked stressed. Finally, any emotion on his face. Stress. 

"3 minutes left!" 

"Lilac...? Are you- wait... N-No, don't tell me that you really...-" Yogurt Cream finally has come to the realization that he's been defending a murderer this whole time. 

"LILAC COOKIE, PLEASE! WE'LL DIE IN 3 MINUTES IF YOU-!" 

"I'M GUILTY!" Lilac exclaimed, finally admitting to the crime he has committed. It was the loudest I've heard him speak.

"... What...?" Yogurt Cream said weakly, his eyes widening in shock.

"I have killed Choco Drizzle Cookie, what makes me the culprit of this trial." 

"Fuckin finally, and to think I was actually momentarily afraid I'll die" Espresso sighed with relief. 

Monokuma laughed and stood up from his chair.

"Now it's time to vote!"

As usual, we all received the ability to vote. One by one, we voted on Lilac Cookie, bringing his death even closer. Only Yogurt Cream didn't vote on him, which was a violation of the rules, but Monokuma let that slide for the sake of "entertainment". 

"And now let's see if the votes are right!" 

He paused to create a dramatic effect.

"Coooorrect~!! The culprit behind this case is Lilac Cookie!" He announced.

Lilac didn't say anything, he stared at the floor with a disappointment, fists clenched. Yogurt Cream Cookie looked in his direction, unreadable expression on his face. A mix of distress, panic, disbelief and sadness. He really couldn't believe what just happened. 

"I am sorry, my liege. Choco Drizzle Cookie was a threat to your life, there was no other way to neutralize her" He said "I am aware it's not a solution you'd wish for, but-"

"Why?" 

Lilac raised his head to look at the cookie who was now standing in front of him, visibly frustrated. 

"Huh?"

"Why was she a threat to my life? What did she do?" 

"She was looking for a occasion to kill you. I saw her following us multiple times, she was mostly hiding out of the view, but I always managed to notice her in the corner of my eye. She was probably looking for a good moment to strike, so I had to be faster than her and prevent that from happening"  

"You... You're...-"

"I apologize, but my duty is to protect you, and so I did"

"Protect him? Funny enough!" Monokuma said, jumping off his chair and landing on the floor among us.

"What?" Yogurt Cream Cookie asked 

"Ooooh, I see! It seems like your friend didn't tell you the whole truth, huh?" 

Lilac Cookie's eyes widened with shock. He turned to the white-and-black bear with a "don't you dare say it" expression on his face.

"What does he mean?"

"Nothing." 

"Oh Yogurt Cream Cookie, little do you know, your bodyguard wasn't hired to protect you! At all!" 

"What?" The light lavender haired cookie looked at both of them, confused and scared of what the answer could possibly be. 

"Don't. you. dare." Lilac deadpanned, tightening his grip on the chakrams he was holding. 

"He was hired by your brother to kill you! He's an assassin in disguise. Don't tell me you didn't know that!" Monokuma exclaimed happily, excited to start a drama right before an execution.

"WHAT?!" 

"My liege, I can explain-!"

"It's YOGURT CREAM COOKIE, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!" 

"I apologize...-"

"What does this bear mean? What the actual FUCK does he mean by that?!"

"I...-"

"You were hired to kill me?! Why didn't you tell me about it?!"

"Because--"

"I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!" 

"......" 

I noticed that Lilac's hands started to tremble slightly. It was barely noticable, but it was true, even though he didn't look emotionally hurt. His face was as neutral as ever, but I could tell something's wrong.

"I... I am sorry. I knew this would happen eventually, that's why I..."

"That's why you thought hiding it from me would be the best idea?!" 

Lilac looked away, meanwhile Yogurt Cream was on the verge of crying. He barely held back tears, but everyone knew he would start to cry eventually. He opened his fan and tried waving it in an attempt to cool himself down, but it didn't seem to work.

"Did you think I'd hate you if you'd tell me?"

"......" 

The bodyguard didn't respond, probably afraid to speak up or even look at the person who's talking to him. Honestly, I'm not surprised he's reacting that way. I haven't ever seen Yogurt so upset before. It's reasonable of course. No one dared to say anything because this scene was so intense we all couldn't help but watch.

"I'll understand if you'd hate me, that would be a reasonable reaction"

"Why would I?"

"Because I was hired to kill you"

"But you didn't!" 

"But I could've!"

"But you DIDN'T!"

"I--"

"I can't hate you for something you didn't do, even if you were supposed to do it! You could have killed me any moment, but you didn't. And... Why didn't you do it?" 

No response from the other, just silence. 

After a while, that felt like forever, he took a deep breath and finally spoke up.

"Because... I think I've grown emotionally attached to you over time, for whatever reason. I don't know why, but... I just couldn't bring myself to kill you, despite having multiple occasions to do so. You're an incredibly easy target. No offense." 

"I--"

"Okay, enough of the drama!" Monokuma interrupted, walking up to the two. "It is time for the execution!" 

"What?!" Yogurt Cream exclaimed, turning his head to the white-and-black bear and staring at him in shock. "N-No, you can't--!"

"I understand. All actions have consequences, it's necessary to face them. It is not the first person I've killed, so it's inevitable. I expected this to happen one day, but I didn't think it'll be so soon"

"Oh! Now that's something new! Okay okay, Mr assassin in disguise, you shall face the consequences of your actions now! It is about time to-...!"

"NO! STOP! YOU CAN'T JUST... DO IT! I DISAGREE!" Yogurt Cream Cookie tried to say anything that would stop Monokuma from proceeding with the execution, but words wouldn't stop him.

"Yogurt Cream Cookie, it'll be better this wa--"

Yogurt Cream hugged him tightly, definitely not planning to let go.

"NO! You're not going anywhere!" He cried out "You can't just.... Die after saying all this! We were supposed to survive this stupid killing game together!" 

"But- Even after finding out the truth, you still consider us as... Friends...?"

"Of course I do!"

"Why?"

"Because I... I care about you! You're my only friend, and- and I can't imagine a life without you! We're, like, best friends, or even- I mean, if you'd... I-I just want to say I... I really like you! Really really much! And- I-... I don't want you to just... leave me like this!" Yogurt Cream stuttered through tears, still hugging his bodyguard tightly. 

In that very moment I could've sworn I saw slight, very faint blush on Lilac's face, before it disappeared. He didn't say anything, but he slowly raised up his hands to reciprocate Yogurt Cream's hug. 

"KYAA!!! LOVE IS IN THE AIR!" Pavlova Cookie squealed excitedly as he flew around in circles energetically.

Lilac Cookie sighed with defeat.

"I really wish it didn't end like this. That was very dumb of me, I apologize for that. I could've just injured her enough to make her less of a threat instead of killing her. I'm sorry" 

And in that moment...

"Okay, ENOUGH!" Monokuma shouted, throwing the wooden hammer up and catching it mid air. "Ladies and gentlemen, you know what time it is!" 

"WAIT, NO!" 

"IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!!!" 

In this second, Lilac was quickly snatched away from us, getting transported to the execution room. Yogurt Cream Cookie tried to grab his hand so he won't be taken away, but he failed. All we could do now is to watch... The worst thing about this all.

(OKAY SO I HAVE NO IDEA FOR LILAC'S EXECUTION, WE'LL JUST SAY HE GOT EXECUTED BRUTALLY :3)

My eyes were wide open with shock and my hands were shaking slightly, but it wasn't as bad as during Crème Brûlée's execution. Oh damn it, I still have trauma from this... I doubt I'll ever recover after it. 

Lilac didn't get executed quickly. His death was quite long and painful. Thank god the kids didn't see it because Clover told them to close their eyes. I looked around to see everyone else's reactions.

Espresso was disinterested in the execution, I don't think he even looked at it, because he said it "disgusts him". Honestly, that's a reasonable reaction. Most of the deaths are long and brutal, and looking at jam getting splattered everywhere certainly isn't the most pleasant sight. 

I don't think most of the people here watched the whole execution. After all who would want to look at someone getting tortured? 

Then, my gaze landed on Yogurt Cream Cookie. And... Oh my goodness.

His eyes were wide open with fear, face wet from tears, his hands covering his mouth. He was trembling and looked like he's about to collapse. There's no use in asking him is he okay, because he certainly isn't. He's definitely traumatized, much more than I am. 

I mean, Lilac was his only friend after all. Yogurt has all rights to cry because of losing him. 

"What a tragic tale of love..." Pavlova Cookie sighed, opening a huge book and writing something in it "Gotta write it down"

"That was very out of place, Pavlova" Pastry said, taking the book out of the child's hands.

"Hey! Give it back!"

I walked up to Yogurt Cream, hoping that I can somehow make his mood better. 

"Hey... Yogurt...?" 

I received no response. His head slowly lowered, now looking at the floor. 

"Okay, take your time. I'll wait" 

"What a great show! Stay tuned for another one in 4 days!" Monokuma said proudly, spinning in place.

What the fuck is wrong with this bear? 

***

Half an hour passed since the end of the trial and the execution. Most of us returned to their rooms, some walked somewhere else. From that what I know, the dorms are soundproof, which is quite interesting. I wonder why are they made this way. 

Yogurt Cream returned to his room too, probably to cry all the pain out. I'd do so too if I were him, sometimes you just need to let it all out. 

I sighed as I laid on my bed. My head hurts. I should probably get some sleep.

The good thing is, now we'll have some days of peace and quiet.

Hopefully nothing ruins it.

Chapter Text

Almost 2 weeks of the killing game have passed by, leaving 4 of us dead. However, this list is going to expand after next 3 days. All we can do now is to guess who's gonna die, and I hate this feeling of helplessness.

I'm doing pretty fine, as good as someone in my situation can be. Thankfully, I got used to it already, or at least enough to keep a straight face during an execution. Lilac's death didn't hurt me as much, dare I say didn't affect me at all. Can't say the same about Yogurt Cream Cookie though. He seems to not be doing well.

He hadn't been outside his room since yesterday, didn't come to the cafeteria for breakfast or even for a walk. It's currently noon as I'm writing this down, and I'm actually getting worried about him a bit. I get that he's probably still deeply affected by everything that happened before and during the execution, I understand it.

If I were him, I'd probably sit in my room too. He needs some rest after all the events, I won't bother him for now, but if he doesn't come out of his room by the evening, I'll have to go check up on him.

Just to make sure he's okay.

Oh, and speaking of yesterday's events, Clover and Licorice started to get along well again. What means I have less time to talk to him because I still dislike Licorice Cookie. It might seem pointless for you readers, but I seriously can't bring myself to like the guy.

Milky Way and Agar Agar get along too. I saw them talking not so long ago, Milky was telling her about people's dreams. She apparently can visit dreams of cookies anytime she wants. That's a cool but uncool as well ability. I mean, being able to go into someone's head might seem great, but it feels kinda... Wrong to do so, especially without this person's consent. 

I don't know how am I going to spend this day. Lazying around doesn't seem like a bad option. I can't be sure about my safety, so it's good to rest while I still can, right? Maybe I should get more sleep. I've had some problems with drifting off to sleep lately. 

I laid on my bed, but checked the time before going to sleep.

1 PM.

Alright, I'll take a nap. I deserve it. 

***

I slowly opened my eyes, vision blurry, room still as bright as I left it. Oh god, did I really go to sleep with the lights on? Was I so tired I drifted off before I could turn them off?

I looked at the clock. It was...

HOLY FUCK 

6 PM?!

I SLEPT FOR 5 HOURS?

Oh god, that's way longer than I expected. And I have yet to go check up on Yogurt Cream. I'll be quick.

I got up from bed, rubbing my eyes sleepily. Standing up, I stretched my hands and headed to the bathroom. I washed my face with cold water to fully wake myself up and then walked out of the room. My eyes wandered around the corridor, looking at all the dorms. Pavlova's room, Pastry's room, Sherbet's room... Oh, found it! Yogurt Cream's room. 

I knocked on the door lightly, waiting for a response. Then I remembered that the dorms are soundproof, so I won't hear a "come in!" if he's inside. 

After waiting for two minutes, just as I expected, I received no response at all. I knocked again, harder than the previous time. And then again. My fists hurt from banging on the door, but I didn't mind it. I have went through worse things than that. 

I was about to knock again, when I heard the door opening. Oh god, finally! 

"What do you want?" 

..... Geez, harsh. 

"Haven't seen you in a day! I get that you're still sad after yesterday, but you can't just lock yourself away forever"

"Sad is an understatement" He mumbled and sighed with defeat "So?" 

"I thought you could, dunno, go for a walk with another friend of yours? To talk and maybe eat something too? We can go to the cafeteria, you haven't exited you room since yesterday, so I bet you're hungry" 

"Ehhh... sure" He said with no enthusiasm, walking out of the room and closing the door. 

We headed to the cafeteria while I tried to have a conversation with Yogurt Cream. Whenever I thought we'll talk a bit more than just 1 minute, the chat ended. Believe me or not, but it's not because of me, but because of him.

Not very talkative today, I understand that. Given the circumstances, it's totally reasonable. 

We finally arrived in the place, and thank god they were still serving food at this hour, because I'm hungry as hell.

I made some sandwiches and tea for myself, then sat at a table, next to Yogurt Cream Cookie. I started to eat my food, when I noticed he didn't get himself anything.

"You're not gonna eat?" I asked, tilting my head with curiosity.

".... Hm? Oh, no. I'm not hungry" 

"You sure?"

He nodded.

".... Okayyyyyy???" 

I returned to eating, and then drank my tea. Delicious! After I put away the dishes, I came back to the table, just to see Yogurt spacing out again. 

"Hey, Earth to Yogurt Cream Cookie! Are you okay?" I waved my hand in front of his face to catch his attention.

He jolted back after a second, looking very disoriented.

"Huh-? Ah, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, just kinda... Lost connection to reality after yesterday. I have a lot of things to... Think about" He explained.

"I understand, don't worry. You'll get over it... Eventually"

He chuckled quietly, but no strong emotion to it.

"I doubt it" He said with a faint smile on his face, which disappeared quickly.

"Hm?"

"Honestly... I've never felt so fucking shitty in my entire life" 

Oh, how well I know this feeling. I mean, it wasn't as bad with me as it is with him, but I can relate. Losing a loved one is always hard, especially coping with the loss. 

"Yeah, I get it... So, wanna talk about it or....??" 

"Not really"

"You're sure that everything's okay? You don't look so well" 

"I'm okay. Just tired"

Well, he indeed looked tired, so I can't really say anything about it. The usual spark of energy in his eyes was gone, leaving them almost.... How to put it right.... Empty? Lifeless? Yeah, I think that's the right word. It was a very hopeless sight, unusual for someone as lively as him. Also, I could've sworn his eye color is at least a bit more desaturated than it was a few days ago.

"Alright... So... Just so you know, you can talk about it with me if you need-"

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK!" He slammed his hands at the table and stood up, so fast that he almost fell on the floor. After a quick second, he looked to the side, squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a shaky exhale. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't meant to-...*sigh* nevermind... I'll just go"

"Wait-! Hey, you can't just go away like that!" 

"I think it will be better this way, you know? I'm just... Not feeling up to it... to anything right now. We'll talk later"

He walked away from the table and headed to the kitchen. I heard metal clanging from there. He grabbed something from the kitchen and left the room. What did he go there for? It's not like he'll tell me anyway. 

I'm kinda concerned for him. I hope this doesn't go on for longer amount of time, because at this point he might actually hurt himself if he won't start taking care of his mental health. Well, the good thing is, if he keeps sitting in his room, no one will kill him. 

It was getting really late, but I wasn't sleepy at all. The 5-hour nap did its thing, not gonna lie. But what am I going to do now? I can't just- wait, I can walk around like an idiot! Maybe play piano too? Or I could try to hang out with Clover Cookie today, if he's not busy of course. 

7 PM. I walked through the halls, looking for a certain white haired cookie with a green hat on his head. He'll probably be playing his lute again somewhere, so I just have to listen carefully. If I'll hear music, I'll know he's around. 

Finally, after 5 minutes of searching, I found him. Clover was playing his instrument, as expected. And he was with Licorice Cookie, too, as expected. 

Aaaand he was playing to the kids. He and Licorice sat next to each other, meanwhile Agar Agar and Pavlova sat in front of the two. Clover was singing a ballad about the Ancient Heroes, a pretty interesting one. 

The atmosphere was peaceful, calm music accompanied by Clover's smooth voice was almost like a lullaby. If I didn't get some sleep before, I would've fallen asleep right now. Thank god I had that nap, it was a brilliant idea. 

"Hey Clover" I waved at him, catching his attention almost immediately.

He stopped singing and raised his hand to wave at me too

"Hello Linzer Cookie!" He said enthusiastically with his usual warm smile.

"Ey, you don't interrupt people mid-performance, y'know that?!" Licorice exclaimed with irritation 

"Lico, it's not a big deal" Clover put his lute aside, resting it on his lap "I can continue it later. Besides, friends are more important than some song" 

"It's not just 'some song', especially when you're the one playing" Licorice mumbled, turning his head away.

"Oh...?" Clover's eyes widened slightly, visible surprise on his face. After a second, he smiled happily and giggled "Well, I'm glad you like my songs!" 

"Y-Yeah, whatever" 

"Alright then, I'll play something for you later, when I finish talking to Linzer Cookie" He stood up, picking his lute up and walked up to me with a happy smile.

"Hi, Clover!"

"Linzer! How good it is to see you!" He greeted me

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything" I said, looking at Licorice Cookie who still sat down there where him and Clover were sitting before.

Clover looked behind him as well, seeing the incredibly disappointed Licorice, and chuckled awkwardly. He turned his head to me after a while.

"Don't worry, my friend. You didn't interrupt anything. Performance can wait!" 

"I don't think Licorice would say the same" I giggled, remembering how upset he was when I walked in on Clover's performance. 

Did he really enjoy the music that much? Or was he mad because that's one of their main ways of hanging out and I interrupted it? Well, I'd be upset too if I were him, so I can't blame him. 

"Yeah, he doesn't like when anyone interrupts our hangouts. He claims to not care, but he's always super angry when I need to stop playing. That's... Kinda cute, if I had to be honest" 

"Heh, just don't let him hear it. I've seen that he doesn't quite like receiving compliments" I responded jokingly 

"Hehe!" Clover giggled "Well, I told him he's adorable once, and he said he doesn't need my compliments. He then asked me why did I say that. His cheeks were very red and he refused to look at me. I guess he's just not used to being complimented" He said with confusion, bringing his hand up to his chin and thinking about something. 

"I think he's just a tsundere" This slipped out of my mouth without thought. Gosh, Linzer, stop speaking without thinking!

Clover tilted his head and raised a brow.

"What's a tsundere?" 

"It's someone who pretends not to care about you and claims to dislike you, but they deeply care about you inside. That's a specific kind of people, usually not good with feelings" I'm literally a walking dictionary, alright.

"Well, that does describe Licorice almost perfectly..." I don't know whether he said it to himself or to me.

"That's what I'm sayi--"

"EY, YOU GUYS DONE?! TALK QUICKER, REDHEAD! I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE CONCERT!" Licorice shouted, getting up from the floor.

"Lico, be more patient!" Clover frowned. He looked like a disappointed kid who just found out that they're not going to Disneyland even though their parents promised it. 

"I don't mind, I was about to leave anyway" I said, turning around and walking away, leaving these two alone. Well, not counting the kids of course. 

I could hear them from behind for a moment.

"Great, thanks to you, she walked away"

"DUHH, that was the plan!" 

"*Sigh* You can't do that! >:(" 

"Whatever, now get to singing again! Doesn't have to be where you left off, sing it from the beginning" 

"You really like this song that much?" 

"I-- Well, uh... No-, I mean... you-... UGH, DOESN'T MATTER! JUST PLAY IT!" 

The last thing I heard was Clover chuckling and starting to play his lute again. That's when I got so far away I stopped hearing them at all. 

I can finally take a walk around the school without fearing death, which is the best feature of these breaks. Or, how Monokuma calls it, "Daily life". 

Gotta remember to check up on Yogurt Cream Cookie every day and see if he's okay. I mean, we're still friends, aren't we? Someone needs to help him with coping after Lilac's death and make sure his ways of dealing with trauma aren't dangerous. 

With that, it was 9 PM. The day ends, and I need to prepare to rest for a couple more. Two, to be exact. I sure hope I won't have any nightmares today. Not like I've had any throughout these days, but it's always good to think positively. 

Hopefully nothing bad happens.