"Welp, I'll leave it to you guys! Muuuuurrrrrddddeeeeeerrrrrrr each other please and thank you!" Ressa said, before disappearing.
I stayed on the floor, unable to move myself. I was shaking, and my actions were clearly laid out for everyone to see. Kawata had the slightest bit of tears in his eyes, but didn't seem to be fazed. I grabbed onto my head, and felt my breaths shorten. My vision slowly began to fade, and all of a sudden, everything had disappeared.
-
"Did the traitor get the note?" They said.
"Um... no. They found it before they could find it." Ressa replied.
"Ugh... why are you so annoying?" They responded. "But... I doubt the motive won't work... because I designed it..."
-
Slowly, my eyes opened, a blur of color filling my vision. I reached over, trying to pick up my glasses from the desk. My hand flailed around for a moment, before a someone handed them to me.
"Thanks..." I said, instinctively.
"You're welcome." The realization suddenly hit me, as I threw on my glasses, and looked up to see Kawata sitting in my chair. On the side of his face was a large bandage.
"W- WHY ARE YOU IN MY ROOM!?" I yelled out.
"Well, you passed out after the hallucination, and we didn't want to leave you alone in an unlocked room so I came in here with you to make sure you didn't die." He explained. My eyes went wide, before they softened. I stared at the bandage on his face for a moment, before moving my gaze to the floor out of guilt.
"I'm... sorry about that..." I said. Kawata looked at me for a second.
"It's fine, Kajiwara's handy work fixed me up. And it's not like you did it on purpose." He said, a bright smile on his face. I looked up at the clock on the wall. It was around ten. The morning announcement should've gone off by now. I bet... I just didn't wake up when it went off. I should have some time to talk to some people today, even with the motive.
-Free Time-
Would you like to hang out with Kawata Satoru? -Yes- -No-
"Oh, yeah. Um, I guess we could go and grab some breakfast?" Kawata suggested.
Kawata and I went to the dining hall to eat some breakfast. We talked for a little while about random things. Some people would walk by every once in awhile, but we mostly just chatted.
I think Kawata and I grew closer today.
Would you like to give Kawata a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Kawata an inflatable baton.
"Wow! I really like this! Thanks Hirano!" He said, a bright smile on his face. He paused for a moment. "Hey... Hirano. Why do you trust me?"
"H- huh?" I replied.
"At the trial... you lied. You lied so we could win the trial. But there was no need to do that. So... you had to have had trust in me so... why? Why do you trust me?" He responded. I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say actually.
"You... trust me... right?" I replied.
"Yeah! Of course I do!" He responded.
"I... felt it was... only right I try and trust you..." I explained. Kawata gave a weak smile on return. Suddenly, his eyes went wide, his jaw agape.
"Um, hey, are you okay?" I asked. Kawata remained frozen for a couple more seconds, before he fell to the floor. "KAWATA!!!" I yelled, getting down on my knees and shaking his body, trying to get him to wake up.
"I- I'm fine... it's just... a hallucination..." he said. He sat up, shaking ever so slightly, but putting on a brave face. I guess... there's not a moment or relaxation... huh.
I stood up, saying goodbye to Kawata I kept looking at him out of the corner of my eye, worried that at any moment he could start hallucinating again.
Suddenly, I bumped into someone, falling to the floor. A hand reach out to me, helping me up from the ground. Only after I got up did I realize who's hand it was.
"Pardon me Hirano. I didn't mean to run into you." Kajiwara said calmly, his hands together.
Should I hang out with Kajiwara Hotaka? -Yes- -No-
"I'm not quite sure what we should do... reading a book would be nice though." He said.
Kajiwara and I went up to the library. He picked out a book about anatomy and surgery, and placed it down on the table in between him and me. He pointed at certain images and words and explained different aspects of the surgery process. Most of the information I already knew, but some was pretty interesting to learn. Plus, it was just nice to hear Kajiwara speak. I think Kajiwara and I grew closer today.
Would you like to give Kajiwara a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Kajiwara a pair of noise canceling headphones.
"Thank you Hirano. I will cherish this gift, and make sure that it doesn't go to waste." He said. There was silence between us. I started to panic from all the quiet.
"H- hey, why do you stick around Sugai so much?" I asked. Kajiwara paused, almost unable to answer.
"I was once like him. Though, I was a lot younger than that chaos bubble." He said.
"Y- you... were like that?" I replied. He nodded.
"Though, I will admit I was a lot worse. And I didn't have riches to pay for the damage I caused my home life. I caused them to lose a lot of money just to pay off damages and give us a normal life. And then I caused something that I'm not to proud of." He paused. "These hallucinations are bringing me back to that day..."
"Th- that must be horrifying..." I said. He shook his head.
"Quite the contrary. It makes me glad that I'm not the same person I was." He explained. I paused.
"W- what did you... do?" I asked. Kajiwara had his eyes closed, and his hands together.
"That... my friend, is a story for another day." Kajiwara said, standing up and walking out of the room.
I sighed, standing up from the chair, and walking out. I noticed someone in the hallway. I smiled, approaching them.
"Why hello there Hirano! How are you on this fine morning?" Otani asked.
Should I hang out with Otani Katsu? -Yes- -No-
"Splendid! Would you like to help me clean up the dining hall?" He asked.
Otani and I cleaned up the dining hall, that was covered in crumbs from breakfast and other times of the day. I kept slipping on the water form the mop.
I think Otani and I grew closer today.
Should I give Otani a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Otani silicone piping bags.
"How did you know I lost those!? I can't wait to use them Hirano!" He said. "Hirano, I have a question."
"W- well, what is it?" I asked. He paused.
"Do you think... I should try something else besides baking?" He said.
"W- what do you mean?" I replied.
"Well, I don't want anyone to get tired of my pastries... and I believe broadening my skills to cooking would be good so we don't just have to eat bread and sweets." He explained. I paused.
"I- I'd you think you do, that's okay. B- but... I really like your baking." I said. He smiled softly.
"Thank you, dear."
I waved goodbye to Otani, looking around for a moment to find someone else I could talk to. I smiled, approaching someone.
"Howdy do Hirano!!!" Morita said, using a cowboy voice.
Should I hang out with Morita Yoshie? -Yes- -No-
"ALRIGHT!!! I got something I wanna try out!" She said.
I followed Morita over to the kitchen, where she opened the freezer and put herself inside. She closed it behind her, causing me to panic. Quickly, I ran over and opened the freezer, her falling out and laughing. I smiled, sitting next to her on the floor.
I think Morita and I grew a bit closer today.
Would you like to give Morita a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Morita a pack of glow sticks.
"Woah! Nice! This will make an absolutely DELICIOUS snack Hirano!" She said. I couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "Hey Hirano, do you have any siblings?"
"Um... y- yeah. I have a baby brother." I said. She laughed.
"MAAAAANNN!!! Can you take some of mine then?" She asked, chuckling to herself.
"W- what do you mean?" I replied. She smiled.
"I've got thirteen siblings. Nine of them are boys and the other four are girls. I'm actually the oldest, which is pretty funny." She said.
"Th- that must be tough." I replied. She laughed.
"Yeah, it is. Didn't have much free time when I was at home. Barely had enough time to practice Hockey actually. Your passions are put aside when you're dealing with a bunch of kids and a dog." She said, a smile on her face. "That's why I kind of like being here. Sure, I miss the little weirdo's but having some time to myself is nice every once in a while is nice as well, you know?" I nodded, looking to her.
"I- I can understand. Y- you have a dog?" I said. I said. Her eyes seemed to light up.
"Oh my gosh I wish I had a photo of him! His name is Scruffy and he's literally the best!" She cheered. She paused, a couple of tears in her eyes. "Man... I would give anything to see that little guy again. Well, not murder, but you know what I mean." She said, staring at the floor with the slightest bit of a smile.
"We'll get out of here... I promise." I replied. I didn't believe what I said, but it made her a lot happier.
"Thanks. I'll talk to you later Hirano. Try not to slap anybody else with your hallucinations!" She laughed.
"H- haven't you been having th- them too though?" I asked. She chuckled.
"Well, I think I have, but they're basically just a jumble of colors. Pretty trippy to be honest. Anyway, I'll see you later!" She said, running out of the kitchen.
I sighed, and stood up, smiling as I walked out of the kitchen. I wandered away, heading outside. I paused, looking at someone who was across the yard. I sighed, before approaching them.
"Huh? What do you want?" Imamura said.
Should I hang out with Imamura Mitsuri? -Yes- -No-
"Uh... I guess that's fine. I don't what you'd want to do with me though." She said.
Imamura and I sat down on the grass, and talked about small facts. Some were very interesting, some were overbearing. Either way, I learned something today.
I think Imamura and I grew closer today.
Should I give Imamura a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Imamura a bouquet of flowers.
"Ugh... I guess they're nice..." Imamura said.
"H- hey, so what were you and Tengan talking about?" I asked softly.
"Huh? Speak up." She demanded.
"WHAT DID YOU TALK TO TENGAN ABOUT!!!" I yelled as loud as I could. She covered her ears.
"UGH!!! Jeez, don't scream in my ears! I said speak!" She replied angrily. She cleared her throat, returning to her position before the scream. "I know what she's done in her life. And I had some choice words I wanted to give her."
"H- how do you know?" I asked. She almost seemed taken aback by the question. She pulled herself together. "Uh, all business people do those things." I stared at her for a moment.
"That's not it... is it?" I replied. Her eyes went wide as she gasped. Angrily, she looked away, remaining silent. "Y- you don't have to say, I- it's fine if you-"
"My dad worked at her company..." she angrily mumbled.
"Speak up." I said, a smug smile on my face. She glared at me.
"My dad worked at her fucking awful company." Imamura replied. She cleared her throat. "Excuse my language."
"O- okay... sorry..." I replied.
"It's..." she groaned. "Fine..." she looked around for a moment. "Aaaahhhhh, oh no, I'm hallucinating! You should go away so I don't slap you as well!" She said, completely sarcastic.
"I- I... okay." I said, standing up and walking away.
I looked around, spotting someone else. I sighed, walking over to them.
"Hello Hirano! How are you today?" Naito asked.
Should I hang out with Naito Chou? -Yes- -No-
"Oh, alright. Would you like to go on a walk?" She asked.
Naito and I went on a walk around the small outside area. We talked and laughed with each other for awhile, before finally sitting down on the edge of the fountain.
I think Naito and I grew closer today.
Would you like to give Naito a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Naito some rose earrings.
"Aw they're so cute! I'll have to save them for a special occasion!" She said, a bright smile on her face. She paused, staring at the ground with sad eyes, and glancing up at me for little moments. I could tell there was something she wanted to talk about.
"W- what is it?" I asked. She seemed surprised that I asked.
"O- oh... um... it's fine..." she said.
"N- no. It's okay. Say it." I replied. She took a long sigh.
"Do you ever feel like... you know... you're obsolete?" She asked. I nodded. "W- well... I just feel like... I'm really bland."
"What? N- no. You're really interesting." I replied.
"No... I know I'm not that interesting. Despite what I wear, I don't have any interesting going on with me. My personality is bland. My interests are boring. I'm like a side character in my own story." She said. I remained silent, as she took a long sigh. "Like you. I find you fun to talk to. You're really cool. And you don't need a flashy look to make you stand out in a crowd." She paused, running the back of her neck. "A- ah... sorry... I don't know what I'm talking about."
"N- no. I get that. But, I don't think that you're obsolete. You're fun to talk to, and I bet that lots of people find you interesting. Don't bully yourself just because you're a kind person." I said. She had the faintest smile on her face.
"Thanks... for talking to me." She said. We smiled, leaving uninterrupted silence between us.
"H- hey... I have a question for you." I said, interrupting the silence. She looked to me curiously. "You said... th- that you wouldn't be here without trusting people. W- what happened?" I asked. She lost her smile.
"I..." she began. "I'll tell you... soon... I just..." she rubbed her shoulder. "I just need some time..." she said, standing up. "I'll talk to you when I am, okay?" She said, a bright grin spread across her face. I smiled in return.
"Okay. I'll be waiting." I replied, waving to her as she walked away. Suddenly, the monitor turned on.
"H- hello students. This is a formal a- announcement. The time is now 10 PM. That means that n- nighttime is officially here. Have a g- good night!"
I sighed, standing up. There were still some people I hoped to talk to tomorrow. Suddenly, my vision began to blur. My arms shaking, and my legs going limp. I could hear laughing. Laughing I was familiar with. Books covering the ground.
I started running. Running as fast as I possibly could. Not even taking a moment to look back. I could feel them gaining on me. Run, run, run. Don't even look back.
I nearly slammed myself into my door trying to get inside, throwing myself into the room and putting the top lock on. I fell to the ground, putting my back against the door. I put my hands in my face, feeling the cold sweat run down into my palms. My breaths were short, as I shook violently.
Make it go away. I wanted to make it go away. Make this horror go away. I didn't want to relive this. I had pushed this out of my mind a long time ago. I don't want to relive it ever again. I would do anything to get rid of it. Would I kill? Honestly... it might be something to consider...
I stood up, and got into my bed. I hadn't even taken off my shoes. I laid down, closing my eyes, trying not to think about what I had just experienced.
-
"H- hello students. This is a formal a- announcement. The time is now 7 AM. That means that n- nighttime is officially over. Have a g- good day!" The monitor suddenly shut off.
I took a long sigh, sitting up and grabbing my glasses. I rested them on my nose and put my hand to the top of my face. I stared down at the bed for a moment, a frown replacing my expression. I can't hide here forever. I have to go and eat something.
I walked out of my room, and bumped into someone, them falling to the floor instead of me this time. I paused, staring at who it was. Hastily, I helped them from the floor.
"I- I'm really sorry Arima!" I said. He gave me a big smile.
"Oh it's fine. I needed something to liven up my day anyway." He replied.
Should I hang out with Arima Iwoa? -Yes- -No-
"Um, alright. How about we go get some breakfast? After all, it's the most important meal of the day!" He said, leading me to the dining room.
Arima and I ate breakfast sandwiches this morning while talking. We both laughed and enjoyed ourselves, until I knocked over a glass of water. I kept apologizing over and over again, since it fell into his plate. He laughed and shook his head, trying to get me to calm down.
I think Arima and I grew closer today.
Would you like to give Arima a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Arima a hero's cape.
"This is really cool Hirano! I can't wait to use it when I'm doing stunts!" He said, still keeping his makeshift hoodie cape around his neck.
"H- hey... Arima. How did you b- become a daredevil?" I asked. Arima paused, looking down at the ground.
"Well, the thing is, I never really wanted to be a a daredevil. After my parents divorced, I thought it was because of how many times I broke my bones. I thought that it was because they couldn't pay for hospital bills. I know now that we had plenty of money for that. I was always really clumsy though, it was kind of sad. I thought that helping to save people would make more money and my parents would start loving me more, even though they already did. But of course, it kind of just turned into crazy stunts. I started to gain fans, money, and I got addicted to the rush that doing stunts brought me." He explained. "But I still want to save people. Even if it means that something bad happens to me. I don't know. Maybe this whole thing was a fantasy I made up in my head." I paused, staring at him. I knew it was rude to ask, but my curiosity got the better of me.
"W- why did your parents s- split up?" I asked. He paused for a moment.
"My mom cheated on my dad. I haven't seen her in a long time, and I vaguely remember..." he stopped talking for a moment. "You know what, never mind. I was really young, so I only got to hear what my dad said. But he was also to blame, since he kept leaving mom to go and hang out with his friends. He's always been really humble, and I look up to him in a way." I smiled.
"Th- that's really nice." I said. He replied with a smile of his own. Something suddenly came to mind, my brain unable to get it out. "H- hey. Have you been h- having hallucinations?" I asked.
"PFFT- what? No! Of course not! I'm fearless, you know? I- I'm a daredevil! N- nothing phases me anymore, you know?" He said, his voice shivering. I stared at him for a moment, a frown on his face. He quickly got up from his seat. "I- I gotta go! Someone wanted to talk to me by nine and I don't want to be late!" He yelled, racing out of the room. I hope he's doing okay.
I sighed, getting up from my seat. I spotted someone in the hallway, and quickly chased after them. I tapped them on the back.
"AH!!!" Shishido screamed. He took a long sigh. "Th- thank goodness... it's just you..."
Should o hang out with Shishido Kyo? -Yes- -No-
"O- oh! C- can you teach me s- stuff. I need to make sure I understand things I don't!" He suggested.
Shishido and I headed up the library. We sat down, and I helped teach him what certain words meant and what math was. He's getting the hang of it, but is still genuinely confused on some aspects of education. But he's trying his best to understand and comprehend the basics.
I think Shishido and I grew closer today.
Would you like to give Shishido a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Shishido a silver dog tag.
"This is very pretty! I haven't really had one before, but I'll try and figure out how to wear it. Or do you use it? I'm sorry!" He said.
"H- hey, how did you become a s- soldier." I asked. Shishido paused, staring at me nervously.
"W- well, I'll try my best to explain. I live in a..." he paused, trying to think of a word. "A giant house, full of little kids. And these men in suits came over and looked at all of the kids and they chose me. They brought me to a place with lots of tents. Then, they gave me something called a..." he paused again, trying to recall something. "... gun..." he whispered. "Then, I got to shoot targets, which was really weird. There was a lot of pain and bad feelings. But I eventually became the best, even though I'm not to smart."
"I- I see... I'm sorry about that. He smiled at me.
"I- it's okay. I wouldn't want any other kid to go through that stuff. It was not fun at all, but I'm glad I could carry that..." he paused for another moment, thinking to himself. "B- burden?" He asked. He stared into my eyes, looking for recognition. I nodded.
"You're really improving. I think more learning sessions would be really good for you. Do you want to do this again in a day or two?" I asked. His face lit up.
"Y- yeah! I want to be so smart that no one things I was un-smart to begin with!" He said. I laughed a bit.
"Okay. Then we'll definitely do this again." I replied. He grinned.
"Have a good day Hirano! I'll see you soon!" He said, jumping up and skipping out of the room.
I looked over, spotting someone taking a book off of another shelf. I sighed. Even though I wanted to take a bit of a break, I had to talk with people. I stood up, and approached the person.
"Huh? Oh... it's you Hirano. What do you want?" Miyazaki asked, rolling her eyes.
Should I hang out with Miyazaki Chiasa? -Yes- -No-
"Okay... well, your hair is atrocious. Would you like it if I... you know... fixed it up?" She asked.
Miyazaki cleaned my hair and began to style it. She almost seemed repulsed by how bad my hair was tangled, but praised it for being fluffy. She seemed both content and angry with the whole situation. She finally finished, putting my hair into two braids.
I think Miyazaki and I grew closer today.
Would you like to give Miyazaki a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Miyazaki a black beret.
"H- huh? Wait, where did you get that? It's... not like I want it but.... I guess I'll keep it. It seems very useful." She said. She stared at me, almost glaring.
"W- what?" I asked.
"I'm trying to figure out what to talk about..." she said. "I mean, I already told you my trauma or whatever, so should I tell you stuff that's more morbid? Or do I talk to you about something calm." I stared at her for a moment.
"W- well, I'm okay with e- either." I said. She rolled her eyes.
"Okay, well, I want to know more about you. What's your trauma or whatever?" She asked. I stared at her for a couple of seconds, almost afraid. But... if I told her a little bit... would that be okay?
"I- I was bullied a lot as a kid. I- I guess everyone th- thought I was weird or s- something. I- I lost a lot of trust in o- others. I- I came to this school because I thought I- I could learn to trust others b- but as you can see, th- that didn't really work..." I said. She stared at me for a moment.
"I'm sorry that you had to deal with that. Maybe I shouldn't have asked." She replied.
"N- no! If I w- want to reach my g- goal, I need to reach out m- more." I responded. She paused for a moment.
"Hey... what's your favorite color?" I asked. I stared at her for a moment.
"W- what does that have to do with-" I began. She stuck a finger over my lips.
"Just tell me." She said. I stared at her, entirely confused.
"W- well, I like the color blue." I replied. She nodded.
"I'm a pink fan myself." She said, with a wide smile. I laughed a bit.
"So you're a girly girl?" I asked. She rolled her eye, but this time it was a lot more kind and gave off a teasing feeling instead of anger or annoyance.
"Uh huh? And what are you? A tom-boy?" She said. The two of us laughed for a little while longer, until she left.
I sighed, a smile on my face. I looked to the shelves of the library, unable to hold back my happiness as it plastered itself on my face.
"Hirano." Someone said. I nearly jumped out of my skin, my mood changing with a flick of a switch. "I'm sorry that I scared you. But... would you mind talking with me for a little while?" Tengan asked.
Should I hang out with Tengan Kimiko? -Yes- -No-
"Great. Please come to my lab with me, Miss Hirano Rei." She said.
I followed Tengan to her lab. I was a bit scared since I didn't know if she was trying to kill me. But I continued to move with her anyway. I have to show at least a little bit or trust. Tengan brought me into the room, and sat down at a desk. She looked through a couple of papers, before turning to me. She asked me a couple of basic questions, which confused me but I was able to answer very quickly.
I think Tengan and I grew closer today.
Would you like to give Tengan a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Tengan a drinking bird.
"Hmm... thank you Hirano. I will try and use this item you have granted me." She said.
"U- um, what is this about?" I asked. She sighed, folding her arms on the desk.
"Do you know anything about Imamura?" She asked. I nodded. "Would you mind telling me some details about her? Like her routine, her fears, other things that may be personal to her?" She asked.
"H- huh!? What!? W- why do you even w- want to know!?" I yelled. She paused, picking up a small camera from the table. She opened it up, and pointed it in my direction.
"I've observed her following me and trying to collect data on me. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that my company isn't exactly ethical. Especially after a certain chat we had in front of Shishido during the investigation. She also seems to have a grudge against me, which is not going to help me in the slightest when trying to escape this place. So, if you could provide me with some info about her, I can figure out a way for her to leave me alone." She said. I paused.
"L- like what?" I asked. Her eyes looked away from me, trying not to make contact. She tapped one of her fingers on the desk, before looking back at me.
"I'm planning to invest some time into offering her some particular deals and elaborating on the idea that she may or may not disappear during this particular killing game. Though, that last bit will only be in use if there is no other way to stop her from spreading rumors and trying to put me out of business." I stared at her for a moment.
"So... you're planning on killing h- her?" I asked. She stopped, staring into my eyes.
"Hirano, I would like to elaborate the idea that I am not opposed to the idea of murder to escape this place. I'm also not going to kill recklessly, and plan on making sure that there is no other way before I ever commit such a heinous act. Sometimes, there's only one solution to a problem. And yes, I do not believe in multiple solutions. There's always a set path in our lives, and there's no way to change what future is ahead of us. If I am destined to die, I will die. If I am destined to accomplish a goal, then it will be reached. If I am destined to miserably fail, I will welcome it with open arms because that is what I am chosen to do." She explained. I stared at her for a moment. Her beliefs and mine didn't exactly align, but it was very interesting. But... she was trying to change the subject... wasn't she?
"You're... scared of Imamura... right?" I asked. She fell silent yet again, almost surprised that I didn't comment on her ideals. She looked away, almost lost in thought.
"I'm..." she began. She looked back to me. "It may be true that I am at least the slightest bit intimidated. I have watched many company's fall to her ruthless behavior. I am wary, but I will not be phased by her attacks..." she paused. "Good day Hirano. I would like to talk with you again at some point..."
I stood up, and walked away from her. At least I got a more in depth look at Tengan. Though, she did stretch the truth a bit when she was talking to me. She is definitely scared of Imamura. That was a fact.
"HIRANO!!!" Someone screamed in my ear, causing me to yell out. "Heh heh heh... works every time..." Sugai chuckled.
Should I hang out with Sugai Tatsuo? -Yes- -No-
"Heh heh heh, alright. Hmm, let's see if we can find out where Kajiwara hid my mouse trap!" He suggested.
Sugai and I tried to find out where Kajiwara hid his little toy. Well, it was more just Sugai, with me trying to stop him. Kajiwara caught us, and gave a stern talking to Sugai, and a small nod to me. Sugai began angrily stomping away, and I quickly followed behind him.
I think Sugai and I grew closer today?
Should I give Sugai a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Sugai a fake mustache.
"Heh heh heh! I really like it Hirano. It's gonna go in my box of goodies!" He chuckled. "Let's see... what do you think?"
"A- about what?" I asked.
"About my talent, duh! Do you think it should've been a prankster instead of a stupid critic?" He replied.
"W- well, your personality sure doesn't m- match up with the latter..." I said.
"EXACTLY!!! Sure, lots of people trust my opinion, but that's not my passion! You know, people say that I have perfect taste buds because I'm the son of a world renowned chef and an actual food critic. It was actually really funny, the one job that my parents really cared about me was making sure I didn't eat anything poisonous or really hot, as to not 'ruin my astonishing flavor receptors'." He ranted.
"That's... r- really weird." I said. He laughed.
"Yeah, it really is! Plus, my opinion is probably as important as anyone else's! Mine shouldn't be prioritized because of my stupid parents!" He replied. I smiled.
"Th- that's so kind..." I said. His face went blank.
"HEEEEYYYYYYY!!! You tricked me into being all mushy and stuff! No fair!" He said, folding his arms and making a pouty face. I smiled at him. Suddenly, his eyes went wide, as he fell onto the ground.
"S- Sugai! What's wrong!" I said, kneeling down next to him. He stopped breathing, staring off into the distance. Quickly, I began shaking him, Sugai suddenly returning back to reality. "A- are you okay!?" He paused for a moment, his face emotionless.
"Uh, yeah, why would anything be wrong?" He asked. I helped him up off the ground, as he laughed. "Please. I'm fine. Anyway, I gotta get back to finding my mouse trap. See ya!" He said, walking away.
If I hadn't just seen Sugai's face, I would've thought he was completely fine. I didn't know he could act so well, even after whatever he saw. Because in his face, all I could see was pure horror.
I sighed, walking away. I spotted someone approaching me, so I stopped moving.
"Hello Hirano! How are you today?" Taguchi asked, a sly smile on his face.
Should I hang out with Taguchi Masahiko? -Yes- -No-
"Alright. Let's go on a bit of a walk, shall we?" He asked, an evil expression staring back at me.
Taguchi and I walked around the outside area. His face was enough to frighten me as we wandered, and I couldn't help but feel like he was constantly staring at me. Why was he so scary?
Despite the fear, I think Taguchi and I grew closer today?
Would you like to give Taguchi a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Taguchi a Genie Lamp.
"Aaaawwww, how cute. I think I'll keep it! Until I inevitably sell it to a rich guy for an absurdly large price..." he whispered under his breath. "Heeeeyyyyyy Hirano..." he said, almost ghostly.
"W- what?" I asked, frightened.
"Are you..." he put his face close to mine, forcing eye contact. "Scared of me?" My eyes went wide, as I felt my heart beat faster and my body shake. He pulled back. "Aw, so the answer is yes." He chuckled. "So, what do you feel about fear Hirano? Do you think it's something that should be avoided?"
"W- well, yes-" I began.
"But the thing about fear is, if we never felt it then we wouldn't be able to feel calm and collected. We'd never really understand how great it is to not be afraid. So, is this killing game a bad thing? It sends fear into our hearts and makes us truly appreciate our little time left that we have on this planet. So... what do you say to that Hirano?" He asked. I remained silent. He chuckled to himself. "Good luck Hirano... you'll never know when fear may strike..." he said, laughing as he walked away.
I stared at him as he wandered. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. But... his ideas sent me into a spiraling fear. But apparently... fear is a good thing.
I looked around, spotting the final person I hadn't talk to. I walked over, tapping them on the shoulder. They turned around and glared at me.
"What do you want?" Yamazaki asked, angrily staring at me.
Should I hang out with Yamazaki Kazuki? -Yes- -No-
"..." he looked away. "Fine..."
Yamazaki and I sat down on the grass and stared at the sky. There was a serene silence between us, which wasn't broken for a long time.
I think Yamazaki and I grew closer today?
Would you like to give Yamazaki a present? -Yes- -No-
I gave Yamazaki some camera film.
"..." he didn't react. "..."
This silence is going to kill me. Why did he decide to hang out with me anyway? Well, I had to end this awkwardness.
"S- so... how did you become a photographer?" I asked. He glared at me, taking another long silence.
"I stabbed a dead fish and took a photo of it." He said.
"But... wasn't your first photo one of a caterpillar?" I asked. He remained silent.
"No... that was just the one my parents gave to the publishers behind my back. It was a picture of a fish I took first." He said.
"D- do you not like fish?" I asked.
"I HATE them. They're absolutely horrible. I hope everyone of them die." He yelled, getting into to much detail. He sighed. "I gotta go..." he said, standing up and walking away.
Well... that was interesting.
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