Danganronpa: ReProgrammed

All-Star Apologies: Part 3

Taka and Mondo got to investigating the only thing of note in the Chem Lab, aside from the several machines that lined the walls of the building, that to be honest, neither of them had the technological know-how to operate, and that was the cabinet filled with several kinds of contained chemicals. 

"Vitamins, minerals, amino acid's, creatine and...Prodolmen X whatever that is..." Taka listed off all his findings one by one.

"That ain't all..." Mondo said "check it...I got...sedatives and even some poisons over here..."

Taka sighed "Well, I suppose I should have expected as much...Looks like my gut feeling was accurate..."

"We gotta tell the others about this...right?" Mondo asked.

"While it could potentially put us at a disadvantage," Taka thought "there are more benefits to telling the others than there are drawbacks. I suggest we report back what we found here..."

"What's this place supposed to be?" Junko asked as she and Chihiro entered the area they had chosen to investigate.

"Well, given the almost adult nature of this room, and how there appear to be assigned seats all in a professional row..." Chihiro theorized "I'm willing to bet this is a staff room of some kind..."

"So like, where teachers work and stuff?" Junko asked "I was starting to think it could've been a greenhouse...You know, since there's so many flowers...I feel like I've just stepped into a Tim Burton movie..."

"Well, it's a staff room, but it's not like there's any "staff" here, right?" Chihiro asked, but as soon as he did, he suddenly noticed something on the floor. Before Junko could ask what he was doing, Chihiro approached the object and picked it up. And as soon as he saw what it was...

He let out a gasp...

It was another photo, just like the one that he and Makoto had found in the art room repository on the third floor. The one that Monokuma had confiscated that showed Sayaka, Leon and Toko laughing together in a classroom that wasn't boarded up by iron plates. It was in what appeared to be the same classroom, but this time though, it showed quite a few people, some in the foreground and some in the background.

In the foreground of the photo, Hifumi Yamada was sitting at a desk, sitting opposite Yasuhiro Hagakure. Hiro was glaring into his Crystal Ball, almost as if he was trying to tell Hifumi's fortune, and Hifumi sat and stared in anticipation.

But these two were already both dead, the former who was killed by the latter after the former went after him.

In the background however, was a different story. Chihiro recognized the faces of Sakura Ogami and Aoi Asahina. Sakura was in the middle of an arm wrestling match with another student across from her, while Hina cheered her on while she chowed down on some donuts.

But these two were also dead, one who was executed and the other who was murdered...

"What the crap...?!" Junko peered over Chihiro's shoulder at the photo, her face going slightly blue.

"This is just like last time...!" Chihiro exclaimed "the last photo I found...!"

"You really weren't kidding about that..." Junko thought "but...hey...There aren't any iron plates on the windows...!"

"They all look so happy," Chihiro said "like they're playing around, like regular high school students...Regular high school students living regular lives...But...wait a second..."

Chihiro suddenly noticed something else in the picture...

The student that Sakura was arm wrestling with was someone he had never seen before...

It was a girl who appeared to be about high school age, just like the rest of the group. She had short, layered, bobbed black hair and freckles across the bridge of her nose. Furthermore, there appeared to be some kind of mark on the back of her hand that Chihiro couldn't quite make out.

"Who..." Chihiro asked "is that...?"

Junko leaned in as Chihiro pointed to the mysterious girl, but as soon as the Fashionista saw the girl, she suddenly snatched the picture away from Chihiro.

"J-Junko!?" Chihiro staggered back "wh-what happened...!"

Junko remained silent, staring at the picture.

"Do you..." Chihiro asked cautiously "know who that girl is?"

"This photo..." Junko said "this photo must have been taken before the iron plates were put up around the school...Which means everyone here must have known each other before they arrived here..."

She's not going to answer my question? Chihiro thought What's up with her?

"But...that doesn't make any sense..." Junko thought aloud "if Hifumi and Hiro were friends before coming here, why did things turn out the way they did...?"

"I don't know," Chihiro said "there's no way it could be real right? It's just one of Monokuma's forgeries, right?"

As if on queue, the bear popped up from underneath the staff room tables, and swiped the photo from Junko's hands before she could react.

"A forgery you say!? Ohohoho!" he laughed "what are you, 12 years old? Don't tell me you think the moon landing was faked too?"

"So, what? You're saying it's real?" Chihiro asked.

"I've already told you, while I am many things, a liar is not one of them!" Monokuma assured him "in fact, I could win a Nobel Prize for being the most honest bear in history! At least, I would, if that was a thing..."

"What..." Junko suddenly said, with an unnatural solemn tone in her voice "what is this about?"

"Jun...ko...?" Chihiro turned his head towards his fashionista friend, worried about her, but he was shocked and slightly scared to see that Junko's eyes had gone dark, almost as if she was an entirely different person.

"Enoshima...You are Enoshima, right?" Monokuma leered "I can see you're trying oh so hard to make sense of things...But that's no good, no good, no good!"

Monokuma did a slight twirl, turning back to Chihiro.

"Yes, you're right!" he smirked "the picture's real. Puhuhu!"

And with that, as he often did once he finished his usual show, he vanished.

"If he's not lying...then that photo really is real..." Chihiro said "and if that's the case...then could that girl be...?"

Chihiro turned back to Junko, who had turned away from him.

"Junko? Are you ok?" Chihiro asked "you're acting...kind of strange..."

Junko turned back to Chihiro, and apologetic look in her eyes, in exchange for the solemn and unnaturally scary one.

"Chihiro..." Junko said "I'm not...feeling too good after that...Can you go back to the cafeteria by yourself?

"Wh-What?" Chihiro asked "why?"

"I'm...not feeling good..." Junko said "s-sorry, I'll explain later!" 

Before Chihiro could respond, Junko suddenly rushed out of the room, brushing past him.

"J-Junko!" Chihiro called out after her "what's...! What's gotten into you...?"