Danganronpa: String Theory (DrV3)

4.24 - Echo of a Person

"A-Ah! No thank you..." Tenko's voice peters off with mild guilt. "Besides! Isn't Kaede Shuichi's old partner for things like these? He should go with her!"

Tenko? Willingly delegating a girl to be alone with a boy? That's weird.

"Ah. Well-" Shuichi actually stutters, flailing to find the right words. It doesn't seem like he wants to go with Kaede either.

...Because she came back from the dead.

If they knew about all the times I should have died, the moments where severe injuries have just disappeared overnight, and all those backlash events caused by my overuse of my intuition...would they be scared of me too?

My thoughts trail back to Kirumi's reaction from earlier, how she sidestepped so I wouldn't be next to her.

What if something strange happened while we were in her lab last night? She already suspected something based on her drain cleaner poisoning not working...what if she knows more now? More than I do?

Is she banned from speaking about me too?

...I'll have to visit her too then. Alone.

Here I am being weirded out by Kaede coming back from the dead though. How needlessly stupid. She's in the same boat as I am, even if no one knows it.

If...if it is Kaede.

How do I know the "me" standing here thinking right now is the "me" from the beginning though? What makes me "me"? The continuity of my memory? Then if I uploaded a copy of myself to a computer, is that "me" if I retain the string of my memories?

"I'll go with Kaede," I interject in their pitiful stretch of silence. Unlike the rest of them though, Korekiyo is quick to clap his hands briefly.

"Excellent. One pairing decided, and three remaining," he states. He must notice the way eyes travel to him next, because the outer corners of his eyes crinkle in amusement. "Had Kaede not been here, Prairie would have gone with me to ease your spirits...in that case, is anyone frightened of partnering with me as well?"

He's really calling them out, isn't he?

And you too, obviously. Don't act like your avoidance of looking at Kaede isn't because you're partially scared it isn't really her. Don't be hypocritical.

"I'll-!" Angie starts to volunteer, prompting me to scowl and leer at Korekiyo.

"Kiyo, you're partnering with Shuichi," I cut Angie off, still leering at Korekiyo in a challenge for him to object in any way. He just chortles under his breath with an ever present grin hidden under his mask, making no effort to push back.

"Wait, what? Me? Don't I get a say in-?"

"No," I conclude his query with a no-nonsense stance, watching him deflate in the corner of my eye as I look at Himiko next. "So, who are you gonna pair up with?"

I can see Tenko straighten up, almost hopeful despite what I've told her before and how Himiko has acted towards her thus far.

"Nyeh...I guess I'll go with Maki then. I trust her," Himiko sighs tiredly, making Angie's mouth pop open in mild surprise from across.

"Not with Angie? Oooh well...I guess that leaves you with me, Tenko!" Angie brightly chirps, in complete contrast to Tenko's downtrodden look of dismay at the idea.

"Yeah. Great," Tenko answers.

"We'll head out now, if Kaede's ready," I say as I fix the tie of my shawl, since the others don't seem fully prepared to step out. "I've got a flashlight for you, Kaede. You can use it for your room afterwards too, until we get the stupid electricity fixed."