Danganronpa: Melancholic Mayhem

Chapter 4 Part 7- Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Can Truly Kill

"Um... hey... Hirano..." Imamura began. I spun back around, looking at her. She seemed to be feeling conflicted about something, almost unwilling to say anything. She took a deep breath. "Do you... know anything about love?"

"H- huh?" I replied.

"Nevermind, it's nothing..." she responded, covering her embarrassed, bright red face.

"U- um, it's not that. I'm just confused why you'd ask me... I- I've never been in a relationship." I explained.

"W- well, you're literally the only other girl here, and so you're the only one I can ask about this kind of stuff." Imamura claimed.

"Yeah, that's really weird... that we're the only girls left..." I laughed, nervously scratching my neck. "Um, anyway, I'm not really the romantic type, though I haven't really ever been in a relationship so I wouldn't know, and I'm kind of dense when it comes to love..." Imamura laughed a bit.

"Ha! You think you're dense? This one guy I knew had a crush on me for four years, and when he told me that he liked me, I thought he was complimenting my accomplishments. It took him four tries before I even thought he was trying to confess his attraction. And I only realized what he meant a year afterwards!" Imamura laughed. I giggled along with her.

"Who do you think you would've asked if everyone was still alive?" I replied. She paused, thinking for a moment.

"Well... none of the girls really seemed to be the type to talk about that kind of stuff..." Imamura began.

"Furuya?" I suggested.

"Nah, she'd probably give advice but then freak out when it came to her own love life." Imamura chuckled.

"What about Miyazaki?" I replied. She laughed again.

"I'm pretty sure she'd rather slap someone rather than date them." I joined her in a giggling fit.

"Morita definitely doesn't know anything about romance." I responded.

"I don't think she'd even care enough to get into a relationship." Imamura said. We giggled a bit. "You know what, I bet that Sazama definitely had a relationship. She'd probably be really good with that kind of stuff." We both chuckled together.

"Um, so why were you asking?" I replied. Imamura's smile quickly faded, as she looked away.

"Uh... I just want to know... for when I get out of here..." Imamura responded. I stared at her for a moment, frowning in a sudden understanding.

"Imamura... that's not what this is about, is it?" I said. Imamura turned to me, her aggressive and agitated behavior returning, her face a bright red.

"That is none of your business! I have a right to my own privacy!" She snapped back.

"I- I'm sorry! I- I didn't mean to, I- I just wanted to make s- sure you were doing okay! I- I'm really really sorry!" I replied. Imamura's eyes were filled with rage, but suddenly, her face softened. She looked down at her hands, shaking back and forth, quickly stuffing them into her pockets for safe keeping.

"I'm... sorry Hirano... I shouldn't have yelled at you like that..." Imamura said, looking at the floor in shame.

"N- no, I shouldn't have p- pushed you so much." I responded. She shook her head back and forth, before looking up at me.

"Hirano, I don't think you understand how great of a person you are." She said.

"H- huh?" I blurted out. She sighed, pulling out a medal from her pocket, holding it out to me.

"It's a medal awarded to those who have created peace. I received it a couple of years back. I think... you should have it." She replied. I put my hands up, trying to push it away.