Danganronpa: String Theory (DrV3)

4.10 - Tuning Session

"Excuse me, but I know exactly how I sound. I could hit the high pitches just fine as is! I may not be as well trained as a professional superstar like you, but I fare pretty well, I'd like to think!" Kiibo defensively comments before something seems to occur to him that settles his irritation enough. "Oh, I have an idea! I think it'd be a good idea to get more than one opinion! The others may not be singers, but they at least have ears!"

I feel a strangled objection lodge itself in my throat, but before I can say anything, Kiibo turns and starts rushing out of the lab.

"Hey, wait! Kiibo, no! That's a really bad idea!" I call out, half tripping over the rolling chair by the computer and sending it falling to the ground. I turn to fix it, but eventually just scoff and leave it collapsed where it is. Between fixing a chair and catching up to Kiibo before he obliterates the ear drums of the others, I think my priorities lie in making sure ears don't start bleeding as bad as mine do after overusing my intuition.

By the time I make it out of the doorway of the lab, I see Kiibo marching halfway down the courtyard in the direction of the academy. He's moving fast, prompting my heart to lurch anxiously. I'm going to have to run to catch up to him- and fast if I want to stop him before he reaches the gymnasium.

"Hold-It-Right-There," a voice suddenly booms from above.

I let out a high pitched squeal of bewilderment the second an Exisal proceeds to crash land against the ground in my path. I pinwheel my arms so I don't slam into it, only to lose my balance and fall back on my behind hard against the unforgivingly cold ground. I can feel the ice bite at my fingers as I push myself up on my feet and quickly dust off the snow, which is already beginning to melt into my coat.

At this point, I should have already been able to guess what it was...nothing that comes out of a speaker and sounds like one of the antagonistic Monokubs is ever a good sign in this place.

"What now?! Can't you see I'm in a hurry?" I demand heatedly, despite that Monodam within the green accented Exisal is obviously the one with the advantage in the situation. I probably shouldn't be talking to him like that, all things considered. He could swat me across the courtyard in eight different places with a single swing of his arm.

"Lock-The-Door-Behind-You," he simply says, gesturing towards the lab with the arm of his Exisal. I gape in disbelief, snorting crudely.

"Why? I'm coming back anyways! I'm just going to reason with Kiibo quickly and then jump back in so I can-" I object. Monodam cuts me off despite my reasoning.

"Lock-The-Door-Behind-You-Please. Or-You-May-Not-Leave."

Impatient to stop Kiibo from his dire mistake, I try to dart around the Exisal carelessly. Monodam cuts me off by slamming his Exisal's left arm against the snowy ground in front of me. It's close enough to feel the impact in the air, which flings snow in the air and all around us. Unfortunately, it gets all over me and I have to swipe off the cold material before my clothes absorb it.

Shoot, shoot, shoot! I'm wasting time here!

"You-Must-Always-Lock-The-Inventor-Lab-Once-You-Leave. No-Matter-If-You're-Returning. Accessibility-By-Others-Is-Only-Permitted-With-Your-Accompanied-Presence-Within," the green bear elaborates, making me growl under my breath and spin around to get to the door. I fumble with my keys but manage to lock the lab up, hearing the Exisal stomp away in a different direction once I test the knob to make sure it can't be opened.

I glance after the Exisal as I start in a sprint towards the academy, making a scrungy-faced scowl and sticking my tongue out after him to show my displeasure at our encounter. Thankfully, either the bear doesn't notice, or he chooses to ignore my attitude as I turn to speed up.