A Mastermind's Mind

Saihara Shuichi (Log 1, Chapter 3; Part 3)

"..hey, let's trust Miu! We should trust more in our friends anyway!" And that sentence scares Shuichi, mostly because it didn't come from Kaito.

Kokichi? "Why..are you on Miu's side?" He shifts his face to look slightly suspicious.

"I'm not taking her side, but it's like..I have a feeling we'll find something in that world." The leader just as quickly adds, "I mean, Monokuma created this world, right? Maybe he laid a bait to lure us in! Like..a super duper extra crazy secret!" Shuichi almost wants to hug Kokichi for progressing the story.

And well, it's not like Kokichi was wrong in his assumptions. After all, Shuichi did plan it out with him.

The secret of the outside world.

-

Miu watched as everyone's consciousness left their bodies, entering the Neo World Program. Her hand clenched around a bottle of poison she'd hid in her chest, placing it carefully next to the mastermind. "Okay," she whispers, backing into her chair slowly as if afraid to wake the rest of them up. "Just one person. Just one."

She enters the world.

*

A quick explanation of the world later, and she's finally starting the plan. Shuichi and Gonta might've screwed up her plans a bit, both volunteering to go after Ouma, but she trusts that Ouma'll shake the both of them off quickly and move to the roof. Her hands hold a cellphone in one hand, a hammer in the other, and she sets out.

-

Kokichi wouldn't have expected this. He knew Miu was insane, but this was just..too straightforward. Who in their right mind is gullible enough to head alone to a rooftop towards an idiot in a virtual world she'd probably modded to hell and back?

Shuichi, for whatever reason, decided to stay with him, though he suspected that it was more out of a sense of duty. Gonta was there as a backup plan he'd probably shown to the giant at one point. He knew there was a flashback light here. His cards were in line. He was safe no matter what move he took. He wandered around, looking for the light Monokuma promised would be there.

Gonta seemed fascinated by the snow.

"..Ah, what's this?" Both Kokichi and Gonta turn to see Shuichi kneeling down in the white-covered ground, holding the light. "..The secret of the outside world."

Kokichi backs up, smiling uneasily, even though the avatar doesn't show it very well. The other two look to him questioningly. "..Gonta, do you want to see it first?" Shuichi asks after a minute of silence. Gonta looks at Shuichi, taking the light. "Okay! Wish Gonta luck in finding family!"

Gonta's tanned face slowly grows as pale as the fake snow, and the giant, in an uncharacteristic show of violence, hurls the light as far as he can throw. It lands in the snow about twenty metres away. His sweet, cartoonish face seems to be paused in a mix of angry horror. "What.. Gonta.." Shuichi turns to the light. "Shouldn't we..?" Shuichi turned to Gonta. Kokichi nodded. "..It's the truth, Gonta. It's gone. Everything's just..gone." Shuichi pauses, looking at them questionably. Gonta clenches his avatar's hands. "..."

Shuichi laughs nervously, slowly taking both Gonta and Kokichi's hands. "It's alright..if you don't want to tell anyone, Gonta. I-we'll understand." Gonta looks away from him, quiet.

It takes a while for Gonta to begin speaking, and when he does, it's nothing the kind giant they all knew would ever say. "Maybe..it be better if..everyone didn't see what Gonta saw. Better to go by Kokichi's plan."

Shuichi cocked his head in confusion. "You..aren't going to.." Kokichi cuts him off with a loud yawn. "Well, I gotta go and meet pig-chan on the rooftop now! Gonta," he gestured, smiling. "Wanna come with?"