I was up and ready to go the next morning, holding my bag open for Archie to crawl into.
We may be somewhat friends, but I still can't bring myself to willingly touch Archie...
Oh well. We're getting there.
The day ahead was a busy one as I went through what I had planned in order. First, I'd have to eat breakfast with the others before stopping by the morgue to pass in the new information to Shimura along with some proper food. Then, I'd meet Yuna at the gym so we could work out together once again.
I suppose after that, I'd have the rest of the day off. It's not like I have a solid schedule so...I guess I'll see what I can do when the time arrives.
With everything sorted out and settled, I put my bag on, making sure I was also bringing Akihiro's handbook with me before leaving my cabin.
Similar to yesterday, Satoshi was at the foot of my stairs, sitting on them as he scrolled through messages in his own handbook. From where I was standing, it appeared to his messages with Kenjiro that he was rereading.
"Yo," I called down to him, reaching the last step. Satoshi was startled at first by my sudden entrance, but soon just sighed and even slightly chuckled, putting his handbook away.
"I'm surprised that you are early today," Satoshi said as he straightened his hair with his hands. "Usually you tend to leave at least five minutes late. So honestly, I'm shocked you're even out of the house right now."
"Hey, come on!" I agreed, crossing my arms "I'm not always that late! You're overreacting."
Satoshi just chuckled. "Right. Sure you're not."
"But hey..." I paused, examining him. "You seem to be in a good mood today. What's up?"
"It's nothing really." He shrugged. "I guess...I finally let what Kenjiro said yesterday sink in. That plus the fact I slept well makes me feel a bit more optimistic today."
"I see." I nodded. "What? You dream about marrying him again?"
"N-No!" He exclaimed. "Stop bringing that up...!"
"Alright, alright!" I smirked. "But I'm glad you're feeling good. Let's hope no one ruins it, alright?"
"Right." He gave a brief nod, keeping his head up for once as we walked to the dining hall together. "Please don't jinx it..."
-
Breakfast was as awkward as I expected. Everyone was sat, yet after the motive announcement yesterday, most of us seemed on edge.
Well, all except for Ryoko who was yet to arrive. But let's face it, she barely shows up anyway. Ryoko only comes to breakfast when she wants to cause trouble.
I pushed her to the back of my mind so I could focus on eating breakfast. Taking a seat beside Kenjiro and Satoshi, I made sure a give Yuna a smile from across the room.
We are planning on working out together later. I hope she brings her all. I know I won't hold back.
Kokoro tried her best to start a conversation with Shouko, the only other person who sat with her, but the ghost hunter stayed silent, sighing every now and then as she read what seemed to be...a magazine?
I wouldn't expect that from her at all.
"You still won't talk to me?" Kokoro pouted, thinking about the next topic to try and get a word out of Shouko with. "Ah, I know! That cute model on the cover of your magazine! Isn't he great?"
"This isn't my magazine," Shouko stated, her eyes not leaving the page. "It was Akihiro's..."
"O-Oh...Well, you seem to like it!" The matchmaker tried cheering her up, pointing at the boy on the front page. "Is he your favourite?"
"Who...?" Shouko flipped the book over so she could see the front.
I peered over to get a better look at it myself, seeing a guy with bold golden eyes which accompanied his black hair which fell almost perfectly around his face.
Yet something felt off. It wasn't his pose or expression or whatever...just him in general.
How weird...
"Him..." Shouko hummed a reply when she realised who Kokoro was finally referring to. "I...guess that makes sense. He's alright."
"Well, that's better than nothing." Kokoro smiled, assuming Shouko was feeling slightly better after that brief interaction.
Shouko then closed the magazine once their conversation was over, putting the magazine in her pocket all folded up.
I quickly caught a glimpse of the magazine as Shouko recklessly twisted it. A page was covered in annotations, which just confused me further.
I suppose since this belonged to Aki, he must have really liked that guy.
Either that or these are Shouko's notes...but she doesn't really seem like the fashion magazine type.
"So that's interesting..." I mumbled to myself, keeping the image of this somehow random model in my mind.
There's still something about him that I can't quite put a finger on it.
Just before I could think and delve further into the rabbit hole, a certain someone walked in.
Who else could it be other than Ryoko?
She had her typical smile with a devious glint in her eye, yet something about Ryoko's expression was different.
Somehow...she seemed even more twisted.
Yet she hadn't even done anything yet today. So what could she be planning?
"Well, what a good morning to you all!" Ryoko greeted us, plastering a smile on her face in an attempt to act friendly.
"What do you want now...?" I sighed, already not in the mood. She seemed way too happy compared to the rest of us who were still unnerved from the motive yesterday. "How are you this happy so early? Nothing has even happened today..."
"Hm? Why? What's the problem? Am I not allowed to be happy, Chiyo?" Ryoko leaned forward so she was right in front of me with a grin.
"I never said that." I gritted my teeth.
"But since you're so concerned with my mood..." Ryoko ignored my response and addressed us all as she got to the end of the dining hall. "Then I shall tell you why I'm so content. The reason may shock you..."
"Just get on with it already." Satoshi sighed.
"Very well then. Thanks to my many hours of searching and analysing, I found the hidden room Monokuma announced," she admitted.
"H-Huh?!?" Kenjiro exclaimed. "Al...Already?"
"Why of course!" Ryoko chuckled, shaking her head at the psychologist. "Why in the world would I just laze about when there was a whole armoury and office for me to explore? Good thing the hint wasn't too hard to figure out. It only took me a couple of minutes to realise the answer." She smirked.
"No way." I crossed my arms and glared directly at her. "And why should we just believe you? This could just be Ryoko lying again to freak us out. My bet is that she-"
I was interrupted immediately by a horrifying noise. It was a blaring sound that invaded and harassed my eardrums the second it happened. When I slowly lifted my head, I realised exactly what the source of the sound was.
It had been Ryoko. Well, not exactly.
During my short and unfinished speech, Ryoko had pulled out a revolver, not hesitating to pull the trigger as she held the weapon up towards the ceiling.
As I looked higher up, I realised the clear bullet hole now in the ceiling, smoke still emitting off of it.
"Ah...I've been waiting to use that for what feels like forever. It's one of the many weapons in the armoury." She grinned, holding the gun in her hands. "So...what do you think? Do you believe me now?"
"W-What...What the fuck?!?" I exclaimed, my eyes staring at the new marking on the ceiling.
"It seems like...we don't have a choice but to b-believe you after that." Kenjiro stammered.
"Y-Yeah...Please b-be careful with that!" Kokoro pleaded with Ryoko.
"A bit too late to be telling her that." Shouko sighed, resting her head against her hands.
"Hm...?" Ryoko paused, yet admired her signature malicious grin. "Oh my, Satoshi...You're not looking so good. Did the gunshot alarm you? If that's the case then I'm...not sorry at all."
Upon the mention of Satoshi's name, I immediately glanced back at him, worry building up in me.
I promised I'd look after him after all. Considering Satoshi's face, the gunshot must have freaked him out...So I gotta look out for him.
Satoshi was still, yet his breathing was now irregular as he took sharp yet shallow breaths.
"S...Satoshi?" I called out to him.
Part of me expected Satoshi to go into a panic again. The last time a gunshot went off was when we first arrived here. Back then, I didn't know why, but Satoshi was clearly distressed at the sound.
Yet...nothing happened.
Satoshi was still clearly on edge this time with drops of sweat rolling down his face. But he tried his best to remain calm, biting his lip while trying to regulate his breathing, muttering as he counted numbers to forget himself in the situation.
He...is definitely coping more nowadays.
Kenjiro placed both his hands on Satoshi's shoulders to help the boy calm down fully.
I, however, harshly turned to Ryoko.
"What's the big idea?" I firmly stood up, slamming both my hands on the table to defend Satoshi. "There's no need to be such a bitch! Firing a weapon like that...What are you thinking?!?"
"I was just trying to show you I wasn't lying. Monokuma's armoury is truly stocked to the brim with a variety of weapons. It's remarkable..." she trailed off.
"That doesn't answer my question, idiot!" I clenched my teeth. "What are you planning to do with that stuff anyway?"
"As of right now...nothing in particular. The weapons weren't the thing that made me go, you know. Such a barbaric thought is beneath me." She chuckled as if no one here was pissed off with her. "Getting to see and speak to the mastermind was just simply...fascinating."
"W-Wait...You spoke to the mastermind?!?" Yuna exclaimed.
"Of course I did." Ryoko scoffed. "Monokuma offered it after all. I was not going to pass that opportunity up."
"Then...what did the two of you even talk about?" Shouko tilted her head, lazily chewing on some toast.
"Ah, now that is confidential. Our conversation in that hidden room was between us and no one else, unfortunately." She shrugged. "A shame, really. Now you'll all be jealous of me...But it's ok! I like the attention. You don't have to hide your jealousy."
So she admits she's an attention seeker!
"But alas...It seems I'm an outcast here." Ryoko sighed.
"Glad to see you're self-aware." I glared at her.
"None of you understand me...It's a pity. Well, for you guys. I'm really a great person." She smiled.
"You're a murderer." Shouko reminded her, her voice cold.
"And...? So were Shunsuke, Tatsuo and Kairi. And so is Satoshi! Yet you all speak of them like they were angels. What makes me so different?" Ryoko crossed my arms, putting her weapon away.
"H-Hey now..." Satoshi shrunk in his seat.
Surprisingly, Yuna stood up.
"Come on Ryoko...T-The answer to that is obvious!"
"Huh? You, confronting me?" Ryoko chuckled. "Now that's a first."
"Look...Shunsuke, Tatsuo and Kairi weren't angels! But they clearly felt remorse! Y-You...You're cruel! You loved killing Finn...And you find it hilarious that you were able to get away with it. So you're just...e-evil!" Yuna stated only facts, only stuttering when Ryoko shot a cold glare her way.
"Cruel...? You haven't even seen me be cruel yet." Ryoko hummed. "Maybe soon some of you will be able to piece me together. That will- Oh?"
She paused in the middle of her sentence when her eyes landed on Kokoro, who seemed to be uncomfortable now at the mention of Shunsuke, fiddling with her fingers.
Without a word, Ryoko made her way over to the girl. I was about to rush over and stop her until I realised she had stopped by herself. Instead, Ryoko knelt down and...
Cupped the sides of Kokoro's face?
"What the...?!?" I took a step back, obviously confused.
"Tut, oh you poor thing." Ryoko shook her head. "You're just such a kind and lovely girl! Yet ever since Shunsuke died, none of your colleagues have looked out for you." She then looked at us. "It's a shame, really?"
"W-What are you saying?" Kenjiro wondered, yet Ryoko just ignored him and carried on.
"Y-Yeah!" Kokoro exclaimed. "That's not true at all-"
"No one has done as much for you as I have...The kindest, most caring person here deserves it! And of course, the most trustworthy...Doing everything for everyone else. Don't you think it's time to be a bit more...selfish?"
Ryoko extended each syllable of that final word, grinning as it resonated with Kokoro.
That's...exactly what I said to her. To focus more on herself...
So why the hell is Ryoko just reiterating what I said?!?
"W-What...do you mean-"
"Cut the crap already!" I interrupted Kokoro, groaning at what Ryoko is saying. "Are you seriously spouting lies in front of us? And Kokoro isn't stupid enough to fall for your manipulation, dumbass."
"Hmph. Say what you will then." Ryoko brushed her fingers against Kokoro's face one last time. "I'm just looking out for her. If she pleases or lets people trample over her again...Who knows what would happen? I just think she ought to take care of herself."
Ryoko was about to leave, clearly sensing that she was not wanted again, but stopped when she saw Satoshi's face, his eyes still closed as he continued his deep breaths, still counting.
"Same applies to Satoshi." She continued one more time. "Another day, another person stepping in to defend Satoshi. When will that boy ever stand up for himself against me? The day that happens...Ha! Pigs might as well fly."
With those final words, Ryoko left the room. Yet the damage had already been done yet again as we were left in silence after everything she had said.
"Just perfect." I rolled my eyes and sighed, taking my seat again.
Unfortunately, we didn't return to the pleasant mood we had before. That left us no choice but to just finish our meals and leave.
However, I guess that was beneficial to me in some way, seeing as I had a particular place to be.
-
"Right," Shimura said, taking the fresh cup of coffee he just made and sitting down. "And you say both of these motives are dangerous?"
"Yes, I've been saying that for the past five minutes along with my shitty explanation." I sighed, taking a sip from the cup of coffee Shimura had given me. "Just watch the footage already if you want the proper version of events." I then paused. "Well, it's more of a listen than a watch."
"What do you mean?" He wondered as I handed him Akihiro's handbook.
"It's not like I could just take that handbook out and record everything in plain sight as your boyfriend did. So I just kinda left it on record in my bag to get the audio. It's better than nothing, right?" I folded my arms.
"...Right. I should've realised you couldn't just record like Aki. That would've been strange." He nodded after listening to a short bit of it to make sure. "I suppose this isn't too bad. You did a good job."
Is...he really not going to address the boyfriend comment? Does that mean it's true or something?!?
For the next few minutes, Shimura listened to Monokuma and us go through the new motive, from the 'bring another person with you' idea to the hidden room. Meanwhile, I commentated, giving some extra information or just my general opinion. He took notes down for him to analyse further later on some random scrap piece of paper he had in his pocket, looking like a receipt.
Once the entire audio had finished, I gave Shimura Akihiro's handbook for him to keep again until the next class trial.
"I see..." he murmured, going through everything in his head. "Bringing a friend back from the dead essentially..." Shimura looked across the room at the rows of closed doors, those exact dead friends all lying there in the cold. However, his eyes lingered on Akihiro's door before he glanced back at me. "It's tempting, isn't it? That makes it a good motive."
"I guess." I sighed. "A bit too many people seemed to be interested though. That's a problem."
"Definitely." He shook his head, taking another sip. "And that hidden room motive...It's basically just a hide-and-seek game for you guys and the mastermind. Giving you all free weapons just to tease you guys further...What a joke." Shimura shook his head. "No one will ever go-"
"Ryoko already found it," I told him. Shimura went quiet but furrowed his eyebrows.
"Of course she did..." he mumbled, annoyed at the idea already.
"She even went as far as to bring a gun to breakfast and freak everyone out. Like, what the hell?!?" I exclaimed, shaking my head. "What is wrong with her...Trying to manipulate us like that."
"So Ryoko got to the room first." He clenched one fist while the other held the cup of coffee he was drinking out of. "I was planning to be first."
"But you just said no one would-"
"I meant between you guys, no one would go. Except for Ryoko apparently." Shimura explained. "I assumed you all would be too focused on the prior motive, giving me plenty of time to figure out this hidden room. But...I guess not."
"It's not like it's off limits or first come first serve. Just because Ryoko went doesn't mean you can't." I folded my arms. "I'm...not sure how you would though, considering the cameras. Monokuma would not hesitate to blow your brains out if he saw you were alive."
"You make a fair point." Shimura sighed. "But...Come here tomorrow morning."
"Huh? What for?" I asked, tilting my head as I got up.
"Because that will give me more than enough time to figure out what to do using this video. Therefore, I'll tell you what I find tomorrow morning. Whether it be how to get into it or where exactly it is." He explained. "And if I do figure it out...you can go to this secret room for me."
"I see..." I nodded. "That makes sense. As soon as breakfast is over I'll be down here."
"Hm? Aren't you going to retaliate?" he paused.
"No...? I guess I personally don't want to go. But since it's for you I kinda don't have a choice." I shrugged.
"Good." Shimura hummed a reply, falling silent. I waited for him to continue since it seemed like he had more to say. However, he just bit his lip and shook his head, murmuring to himself.
"Are...Are you ok?" I wondered, confused over his sudden change in behaviour.
"I-I..." Shimura clenched his teeth, before sighing. "I can't think of a good joke to tell right now..."
"Are you kidding me?" I groaned, rolling my eyes. "I'm here concerned about you because it looks like you're in pain and turns out the only reason you're struggling is 'cause you can't think of a pun."
"Looks like I need to reread that joke book." He cleared his throat. "But that can wait. I've got to listen to this video again."
"Right. I'll be seeing you tomorrow then." I waved him off, but before I could even open the door to leave, I felt Shimura grab my wrist.
"Wait." He firmly said, meeting my eyes. "Be careful, ok?"
"Huh? Where's this coming from all of a sudden?" I crossed my arms. "Don't tell me you're actually concerned about me...I'm flattered!"
Shimura rolled his eyes. "Oh come on. Obviously, I'm concerned. Don't make me out to be some heartless guy. It's just...with all of these stunts Ryoko is pulling, it just makes her more dangerous. And now that she has access to weapons...Ignoring her might be a short-term solution but..."
"You think I should avoid her even more?" I assumed.
"...Yes, but it's not like I can dictate what you do." He sighed. "Avoid her or not, just...be careful. Around her and in general. I...can't lose another partner, ok?"
"...Of course." I shook his hand to reassure him. "I don't plan on dying any time soon, so you're gonna be stuck with me, got it?"
"Got it." He weakly smiled. "I won't keep you any further. You've got things to do. So I'll see you tomorrow."
"Right." I grinned. "Good luck with that video!"
With that over and done with, I left the morgue, reminding myself of what I had to do next.
-
I rushed to the gym, pushing the door open in front of me. I didn't bother to change my clothes, opting to stay in my normal attire.
It's not like the gym clothes are comfortable anyway...
Just like we had planned, I was going to work out with Yuna today. Yet, since my talk with Shimura took longer than expected, I was running late.
I hope she's not pissed off...
I entered the main gym area to see Yuna already there, sitting on one of the benches and strapping on some boxing gloves.
"Ah shit. I knew I was late." I sighed, cursing at myself. "And by a whole ten minutes too..."
"Hm?" Yuna looked over, noticing my presence. She happily stood up, a wide smile now on her face.
Looks like she doesn't even care that I'm late...
"Chiyo! I'm so glad you made it." She rushed over to me, yet paused halfway through, realising how enthusiastic she looked before nervously chuckling.
"Aren't you pissed that I'm late...? I mean, you have a right to be." I rubbed the back of my neck.
"What? Oh, no!" She dismissed my assumption, waving her hands in front of her chest. "It's fine! I barely started. I waited for a bit but assumed you had something more important to do..." Yuna admitted.
"Something more important than working out with you?" I tilted my head, smirking. "Never. Nothing will ever top that."
"R-Right!" Her cheeks were now slightly pink. "You're right...!"
At first, we split off to do our own things over a light discussion. Yuna continued with her boxing while I - after warming up briefly - began stretching.
However, every so often, Yuna would sneak quick glances my way, getting flustered and turning away as soon as I noticed her. Eventually, I just stood straight and crossed my arms.
"Are you ok?" I wondered, Yuna dropping her fists.
"M-Me? I'm fine!" She insisted.
"Then why do you keep looking at me and getting all nervous?" I asked.
"E-Eh?!? I...I-I..."
"Come on, you don't have to be anxious to tell me, you know." I encouraged her. "I've got your back, remember."
"I..." Yuna bit her lip, but soon exhaled a sigh and finally admitted it. "I...Was admiring your routine. A-And...Your muscles, to be more specific."
After finally telling the truth, Yuna's face went tomato red, with her desperately trying to cover it with her hands.
I grinned, walking over to her. "Well, you could've just said so! This isn't even the first time you've done it...I can't help but feel great when people compliment my muscles. But you're super good-looking too, you know." I pointed towards Yuna. "Plus your muscles have way more effort and work out into them. And it shows...They're cool as hell."
"O-Oh!" Yuna stepped back, surprised by what I had said. She momentarily held the sides of her arms, yet her shoulders relaxed. "Thank you..."
We were silent once again for a few moments until I heard Yuna clear her throat.
"Do you...want me to teach you how to box?" She offered, holding out a second pair of gloves she picked up.
"Hm?"
"I...I'm not the best teacher. Like, at all." Yuna nervously chuckled. "But if you want to give it a shot...I'll be happy to help you."
-
Should I give it a go and let Yuna teach me?
> - Yes <
- No
-
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to try." I shrugged, stretching my arms one last time to get myself pumped up. "I'm more of a runner than a puncher though. Just warning you."
"That doesn't matter. Boxing isn't just throwing punches." Yuna smiled. "And besides...you're so strong! And I bet you could pack a great punch after seeing you slap Ryoko."
"...That was a pretty good slap," I smirked. "Satisfying as hell too."
Once that was settled, I took my blazer off and untied the bow around my neck to allow maximum movement. After tying my hair back with a spare hair tie Yuna had, I picked up the pair of gloves she had offered me.
"Do you need a hand putting them on?" The girl asked.
"Yeah, sure. I've never worn them before anyway, so I suppose I'm a complete newbie." I rubbed the back of my neck as Yuna took my free hand, carefully placing the glove on before doing the same to the other.
Once the gloves were fitted, her breath caught in her throat. "C-Crap! I messed up again..."
"Eh? What happened? What did you do?" I tilted my head, confused by her sudden outburst.
"I should've asked before just touching your hands like that...W-Well...I wanted to ask! But what if you thought I was creepy or-"
I grabbed both of Yuna's shoulders to stop her from rambling on, looking directly into her eyes.
"Yuna...Calm down." I began. "Everything is fine, ok?"
"O...Ok." She took a deep breath and nodded. "Right! Everything is fine! Of course, it is."
"Yeah..." I removed my hands from Yuna's shoulders yet my gaze remained on her. "Are you feeling ok?"
"Eh? Did I mess up again already...?" She jumped.
"What? No!" I shook my head. "Why the hell would you assume that...You seem way jumpier and freaked out now anyways." I continued. "So seriously, how are you?"
"Um..." Yuna stammered at first, yet shook her head and properly spoke. "I guess what Kairi did and said haunts me...I really did think we were friends but in the end...I was either too much for her or not enough. So...S-She tried to throw me under the bus."
"Yeah, that does sound rough." I sighed, carefully placing a hand on her shoulder while getting used to the gloves.
"And then on top of that...Almost half the people here thought I was a killer. T-They betrayed my trust...So now I depend on your words to keep my going." She exhaled a deep breath and gave me a small smile.
"I'm glad I can look out for you." I grinned in return. "We're in this together, got it? Not only do I watch your back, but you watch mine. So keep your head up, you hear me?"
"R...Right!" She firmly nodded before I smirked.
"But I guess all that stuff has given you a bunch of pent-up emotions, huh?" I tilted my head, crossing my arms as I watched her. "You know what you gotta do."
"Yeah, you're correct!" Yuna nodded. "The best way to relieve these emotions is to just...punch them away!"
"That's the spirit!"
And so, for the next few minutes, I watched Yuna punch into a punching bag repeatedly, her boxing gloves slamming into the material with every precise movement she made.
Damn, Yuna really is super good at this. That's not even counting how badass she looks.
When Yuna was done and out of breath, she glanced over at me.
"Has anyone told you how you look cool as fuck?" I asked her, impressed with her form and abilities.
"T-That's a bit of a stretch." She nervously replied, her face turning slightly pink.
"Are you kidding me?" I took a step back. "It's an understatement! I couldn't even begin to describe how cool you are...it wouldn't fit anywhere. I'd write too much." I chuckled at the idea.
"You're too sweet." Yuna giggled, but then noticed my boxing gloves. "My offer still stands. Now that the punching bag is free again, I can help you and give you some tips!"
"That does sound pretty tempting I guess,"
With a nod, I took Yuna's place. Her eyes were still on me with every punch I took. Yet when I saw her shake her head, I momentarily stopped, concerned that I had done something bad by accident.
"Your shoulders are off. Here, let me fix that."
Yuna then came behind me, placing her hands on each of my arms and shoulders, getting a feel for them. Once she was ready, Yuna gave a brief nod.
"Alright, now let's keep going."
Yuna advised each of my punches, helping and commenting on my technique and how to improve it before the next one.
In general, the technician watched over my punches until we were finished, moving her hands with mine with a large smile plastered on her face.
"Wow...I knew you could pack a punch! And your form is starting to look perfect!" Yuna gushed but then paused.
When she noticed that her hands were still over my arms, she jumped, frantically letting go and turning red on the spot.
"C-Crap!"
I turned to see she had hidden her face yet again.
"Woah...What now?" I asked her, confused as I took my gloves off.
"I'm such an idiot. I should've asked before just...touching you like that! Yet again...I always mess up." She sighed, refusing to look at me.
"Oh come on. Not this again." I approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder, her warming up to it. "I said calm down, didn't I? It's not like I'm complaining. In actuality...I liked it!"
"You...liked it?" Yuna raised her head, glancing down at me.
"Yeah. It was super nice to have someone actually guide me in what I was doing. I was a complete newbie at boxing, remember? Still kinda am." I grinned.
At first, Yuna remained silent while just smiling back. Instinctively, I pulled her into a hug as I felt her nestle her head in the crook of my neck. We stayed like that for a few moments before I heard Yuna speak up.
"I've always wanted to be like you."
I quickly let go of her and stared, surprised. "Huh? Run that by me again?"
"E-Ever since the start of this killing game, the way you spoke, presented yourself, even moved...it was so amazing. I was just...captivated by it!" She finally admitted. "I-I hope that doesn't sound creepy."
"Not at all," I reassured her.
"Well," she continued. "The thing is that you are so confident. While I'm just...me. And because of that, I've been trying to get better with you as my inspiration."
Yuna then took both of my hands. "What I'm basically trying to say is...You're my role model."
At first, I was speechless. That was until my agape mouth contorted into a smile.
"I'm glad I've helped you then. We've always got each other's backs, after all."
"Of course we do." She chuckled.
I will never regret spending that time with Yuna. Not only did I learn some boxing tricks that will definitely help me work out wise, but I got to find out more about her. I'm...glad I've been able to inspire her in such a way.
-
A few moments later, I left the gym with my stuff, saying goodbye to Yuna as she decided to stay a bit longer to work on her core.
That left me by myself as I checked everything was in my bag.
Once I made sure I had it all, I began the short walk back to my cabin, figuring I could spend the final hours of the day catching up on some important sleep.
However, I was stopped in my tracks when I felt something or someone bump into me. I confirmed that it was in fact a someone when I heard them fall backwards, land on the grass and yelp.
Surprised, I look down to see Shouko, rubbing her back after the fall. She must have been carrying a few things because they ended up scattering the floor around her - a magazine, a pen with paper, and a bunch of ghost-hunting equipment.
The magazine had landed on its spine, opening up to a previously bookmarked page. It was the same double-page spread with that model guy, covered in bizarre annotations all in striking red ink which I assumed to be Shouko's.
This time, it was open long enough for me to see his name.
Kei Shizuka.
The same guy Shouko was asking me about before.
Well, that's not weird at all...
"Hey, sorry about that." I apologised, holding my hand out to help her up.
"It's...fine," Shouko mumbled, her voice sounding slightly grumpier than usual as she took my hand and stood up.
I helped pick up Shouko's things and handed them back to her one by one. "You seem to be in a rush. Ghost hunting again?"
"Yeah." She gave a brief reply, looking away.
"Then...is this really necessary?" I showed her the annotated double-page spread of Kei, him modelling a piece apparently by his girlfriend.
"Yes!" Shouko then exclaimed when she realised what I was holding, snatching it out of my hands and holding it to her chest. "D...Don't judge me..."
"I-I'm not!" I reassured her. "It's just...you've been acting weird lately."
"Huh? Me? Weird?" Shouko repeated as if the fact was completely new to her. "I mean...I know people call me weird. But to hear it from you..."
"I didn't mean it like that, dumbass!" I sighed. "What I mean is that you've been acting differently! You changed a bit after the second class trial. But ever since the third...well, I guess I'd get why you'd act differently after that. But clearly, it's been going on for a while."
"Um..." Shouko stammered, knowing I was right.
"So. Tell me what's going on?" I folded my arms but softened my expression to not look so intimidating in case I scared her off.
At first, Shouko was completely silent while contemplating what to say. But soon she glanced back at me and rubbed her forearm.
"How about...I show you instead?"
"Eh? What the hell do you mean?" I wondered, cocking an eyebrow. "I swear if you're going on about some silly shit, I-"
"No, I'm...I'm being serious." Shouko insisted. "Just follow me, ok? And then you'll see why I've been acting...uh...'weird.' You can trust me, I guess."
Before I could even reply, Shouko began walking in the direction she originally intended to go.
Fuck. That doesn't give me any time to think about this logically and properly decide if I truly want to go or not...
But would Shouko really lie?
-
Do I actually want to follow Shouko to wherever the hell she's going?
> - Yes <
- No
-
In the end, I just decided...What's the worst that could happen? Besides, even if she were to try and kill me, I could totally take Shouko. She may be way taller than me...but that's not important!
"Hey, wait up!" I called out to her and rushed to catch up.
During our seemingly never-ending walk to where ever she was taking me, she insisted on silence.
Well...insisted is a harsh word.
Every time I opened my mouth to try and start some sort of conversation or to ask a question, she'd pause, make a small sound while trying to think of how to reply. But then she'd just shake her head and say nothing altogether. With that, I just resorted to staying silent.
Soon, Shouko stopped in her tracks with me almost slamming right into her.
"We're here." She announced.
I adjusted my eyes to see that we were in...the middle of the forest, surrounded by trees.
"Wow." I sighed. "If you want trees that badly, we literally could've stayed where we were before. This whole damn place is covered in them."
"No. This specific tree." Shouko pointed up. "It's got the best signal."
"...Ok?"
"So start."
"Start...what?" I crossed my arms.
"Climbing," Shouko responded, acting as if it was a small ask.
"C-Climb this big ass tree? You must be-"
"The quicker you do it, the quicker you get to see what I've been up to...S-So just get started." She tried her best to convince me.
"Fine, fine!" I groaned. "I'll climb the damn thing, but you better follow me this time."
With the short and anticlimactic argument over, I began scaling up the tree branch by branch, Shouko under me being extremely careful not to fall.
Soon, we reached the highest and sturdiest branch and sat on it. I placed my bag on my lap and exhaled a deep breath and before I knew it, Archie the Second found his way out and up my arm.
"H-Hey!" I yelped at first, but when I noticed he had settled on the top of my head, I just sighed. "Fine...A few extra pairs of eyes wouldn't hurt right now anyway."
Meanwhile, Shouko got ready, holding a panel of switches and equipment on her lap with the magazine sprawled out nearer to the base of the tree.
"I don't get it. Why can't you just tell me?" I crossed my arms. "And why the hell are we ghost hunting right now?!?"
"I'm planning to stay up here all night to ghost hunt. You just...became part of my plan, I guess." She shrugged.
"Ok...But still! Just tell me already." I furrowed my eyebrows.
"No! I said I was going to show you instead...a-and I'm sticking to that!"
"Then hurry it up already!" I exclaimed.
"Wait! This takes time, you know!" She insisted, flipping some switches before thrusting a pen and notepad into my hands. "If you want to complain, then start taking notes. That...would be extremely helpful."
My hand inched forward towards the pen, but I hesitated, stopping halfway.
I almost forgot about my rule...god damn it.
"I can't," I mumbled, lowering my hand.
"Huh? Why not?" Shouko asked, swinging her dangling legs back and forth.
"Because..."
Shit! Now I have to think of some lame excuse. I can't just tell Shouko writing would literally kill me.
"...I-I think you would be the better note-taker!" I awkwardly smiled in an attempt to convince her. "I mean...You've got super pretty handwriting. Y-You're a better fit."
Shouko just stared at me with a deadpan expression, as if she was trying to process the rambling lie I just told.
"Whatever..." she shrugged, placing the pen and notepad on her right by the magazine. However, she perked up once she heard her EMF reader begin to beep.
"I-It's time!" She exclaimed, widely grinning now while looking starlight ahead.
"Now?" I glanced in the same direction, yet saw nothing. "...What am I meant to be looking at?"
"Wait!" She ordered.
"Ok, ok! ...Jeez." I rolled my eyes, yet in the distance saw something strange.
The space I was looking at...began to split in half right before me?
"It's time!" Shouko clapped her hands together, now all giddy.
I just watched as the split grew in size, blurs of various colours moving. It wasn't long until I realised that those weren't just random streaks of colour but people.
And that's when I finally realised who exactly I was looking at. His bright jacket with its distinct white and neon colours was instantly recognisable. And beside him, a blue waistcoat came into the frame.
There was no mistaking it. I was definitely looking at Akihiro and...Hidemi.
They looked so familiar, but at the same time, so different. Their bodies were decorated with marks and injuries related to their deaths, yet they acted as if nothing happened.
I couldn't hear a thing, but Akihiro gestured to something, talking to Hidemi. And right then I noticed that they were being...normal friends.
I could just feel my heart swell in bittersweetness, yet I was still confused as all hell.
"W-What...What the fucks going on?!?" I turned to Shouko, who had a massive smile and was fiddling once again with the set of switches and levers in front of her.
"Hold on. We're not done yet..." she informed me, placing her goggles on her face.
Now I feel undressed...How come I have no eye protection?!?
"I just have to concentrate on this...Turn that up...And he should appear." She recited with a smirk, following those actions in that order until...
Another split appeared...inside the already open one containing Akihiro and Hidemi.
"H-Huh?!?" I was shocked. "Shouko, what the hell are you trying to do here?!?"
"Just wait! He should be appearing soon..."
"He? Who the hell is he?!?" I wondered, yet the answer to that question became clear once the mixing and blurry colours focused once again.
Instead...it was a boy with black hair. His back was to us, facing a whiteboard full of manic writings which I assumed were his judging by the pen in his hand.
Though from all the illegible words that somehow looked like scribbles to me with his tiny curved handwriting, some things stood out to me.
Our names, including my own, were written on the very same whiteboard.
"Huh...?"
What the hell is going on? And what does this random guy have to do with us?
This is just making me more confused than anything, so thanks a lot Shouko...
Before I could lean in for a closer look, the voids closed, slamming in on themselves abruptly while sending a powerful wave through the air, blowing my hair back and nearly pushing me off the tree with I desperately clung to.
My eyes just remained wide, still trying to process everything with Shouko happily swinging her legs, cheering.
"Yes!" She clapped, removing her goggles. "That was the longest I've managed to keep it open...So awesome...!"
"I-I'm...I'm so confused." I blinked. "Now do you want to try and explain what the hell that was? Cause showing me that did not help me understand anything."
"R-Right. Well...I don't know all the answers myself." Shouko admitted, scratching the back of her head. "But those are our dead friends for sure...That I'm certain."
"Eh?"
"I-I don't know how it works! They don't look like ghosts...So I've been trying to figure out what's going on with them and...that weird purgatory state, I suppose." Shouko summarised.
"So that's why you were writing all those notes during breakfast." I realised as she nodded. "Then what about that random guy with the pen at the end? He didn't look like anyone from here."
"That's 'cause he's not," Shouko replied, sliding the open magazine over to me. "It's Kei."
"K-Kei?!?" I exclaimed. "As in...Kei Shizuka?"
"The same one I asked you about..." she admitted with a sigh. "I asked you all those weird questions because...I thought he may be the mastermind behind this."
"Wait...You're accusing him of trapping us here?" I repeated.
"A-Akemi was the one who brought up the mastermind idea first!" She defended herself. "Besides it...makes sense. I always see him looking into our killing game...And he's from Nozomu! Not to mention our names on that whiteboard."
"When you put it like that...I guess it does make sense." I slowly nodded. "Kei Shizuka wanting to kill us...What a bastard. But why would he do that?"
"No clue. I'm still waiting for real evidence. So that's why I've been acting...weird." She took a deep breath. "I've been trying to figure things out with our dead friends."
"I see." I paused. "Why didn't you just tell us in the first place?"
"None of you would've believed me!" Shouko defended herself. "The last time we hung out, I told you I saw ghosts. I even heard Akemi's voice! But you didn't believe me."
"...Ok, you make a good point there."
"The thing is...Dead things used to interest me so much. Like those dead insects I used to collect and my cat. And when I started hunting people...They were just strangers, so it's not like I cared much about them. I just did it 'cause I was into ghosts, not them." Shouko began. "But when it's your friends that your hunting...I-I...It's just completely different."
"Shouko..."
"I...I miss Aki. A lot." She admitted. "He really felt like my first real friend. So seeing him all dead yet still moving felt...strange. Ghosts never make me feel strange!" She fiddled with her fingers. "But I have to do this now."
"Hm?"
"At first I did this just for my dead cat. But now...it's much more than just Crusty. I-I want to find the truth! And I will." Shouko gave me a determined look. It was the most active I had ever seen her considering how tired and monotonous she usually sounded.
"...I'm glad." I grinned. "And I really should thank you for showing me this. I think I'm starting to get a real grasp on you."
"That's good." She let out a sigh of relief. "Maybe I am weird after all..."
Hanging out with Shouko wasn't a waste of time at all. I'm glad I did it in the end since I got to find out about not just herself, but a possible mastermind and our deceased classmates.
-
Shouko and I had climbed down the tree together before splitting ways at the sound of the nighttime announcement, wishing each other a good rest.
Well, I tried to wish Shouko a good night, but she insisted on carrying on with her hunting, hoping to ghost hunt all night.
I suppose I won't stop her. She really does love her talent though.
I yawned as I lazily opened the door to my cabin, looking forward to calling it a night and catching some much-needed sleep.
However, my night wasn't over yet as I looked down at my feet, seeing a note on my doormat in an envelope. I figured it was addressed to me judging by my name written in big bold letters on the back of the paper.
Now, what the hell is this?
...And who is it from?
If only I knew the true intentions behind the note, I wouldn't have followed it so carelessly, seeing the terrible series of consequences it would produce.
-