Mondo let out a sigh. He was sat on a bench in the boys locker, a dumbbell in his hand. It was late and he had decided to go to the school gym to blow off some steam. Take his mind off of everything that's been happening. The class forced to stay at Hope's Peak has been there for roughly a week now and the first murder, trial, and execution has already taken place. Not even three days ago, Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate baseball star, was executed for murdering Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate pop sensation. Now, just when everyone thinks they've accepted their deaths, Monokuma throws a new motive for them to kill each other at them. Secrets and memories.
When the students saw this, most of them agreed they wouldn't kill over them, but Mondo one the other hand, he was considering it. He had kept this secret for years now, and didn't know if he could let others know. If they did know, who knows what they'd think. Mondo shook his head. He was the Ultimate biker gang leader. He needed to stay strong. "I need to stay strong.." he told himself. "I am strong..." he had said those words over and over again to himself throughout the years. "Strong... Strong.... Strong strong strong strong strong!" He said over and over again. He always told himself this, but did he himself believe it...?
"M-Mondo?" Mondo heard a soft voice and looked up. Needless to say he was more than a little shocked to see Chihiro Fujisaki standing in the doorway with a duffle bag. Mainly because it was the boys locker room, and only the boys had access to it. "Ch-Chihiro? What... are you doing in here? How the heck did you even get in here?" Chihiro let out a sigh. "M-Mondo.. I have.... S-something id like to ask you...." she said, walking closer. "U-umm... Alright.. Whats up?" Mondo asked, standing up.
"I... I wanted to ask.. C-can you train me?" the small girl asked looking up at him. "Train you? W-what do you mean?" "I... I don't want to be weak anymore... I wanna be strong! Strong like you Mondo!" She smiled a sweet smile, that made the biker blush a bit. "S... Strong... Like.. Me?" Mondo asked. Chihiro knodded. "B-but... Why..? How on earth did you even get in here!? The security measures make it so only boys can enter the boys locker room! H-how..?" Mondo asked.
Chihiro's gaze fixed itself on to the floor. "I... I have something to tell you.. Its.. My secret..." She said quietly. "Your secret?" Mondo looked at her in surprise. "Y-yeah.. My... My secret is... I... I..." Mondo stared at her. "You're what?" Chihiro clutched her skirt. "I.... I'm actually a boy!" she, er... he blurted out.
Mondo took a step back. "S-seriously!? Jesus.." Chihiro looked up, tears pricking his eyes. "I-i'm sorry I lied to you.." He said softly. "B-but.. Why?" Mondo began. "Why now? Why are you telling me all of a sudden?" "H-huh?" Chihiro looked at him.
"Cuz I mean... You've kept it a secret all this time, right? If anyone found out... You would.."Mondo continued, but was cut off by Chihiro's soft voice. "Y-you're right, b-but.."
".. I want to change." He looked up at Mondo, a confident and determined look in his eyes. "I wrapped myself in lies. I'm weak. I want to destroy that version of me forever!" His words were like a knife to Mondo's gut. He felt as it Chihiro was exposing the lie he'd been living. "I have to change. I don't want to be weak anymore." Chihiro smiled up at him. "You're so strong, it can't hurt you, right? Whatever secret Monokuma might tell us..."
Mondo fell silent for a second. "So, what? You're sayin' I should just say it? You're sayin' that if I really am, I should just be able to tell everyone my secret?" "H-huh?" Chihiro looked confused. Confused and scared.
Mondo was jealous. He was jealous of Chihiro's strength. He had the strength to face his own weaknesses, to try and overcome it. It was the kind of strength he never had. So he was jealous of him. And that jealousy... broke him.
"Are you making fun of me?" Mondo started getting angry. "I'm strong? Are you fucking with me right now?" "I-i'm not making fun of you. You really are strong Mondo." Chihiro said. Mondo felt like he could hear something starting to... creak. Something.. Inside his head. "What did he want me to do? What was I supposed to do!?" He started yelling, as if only to himself
"Was I supposed to just sit back, let my secret get revealed, and ruin everything?!" He yelled at the smaller boy. "Wh-what's wrong?" Chihiro asked, his small frame trembling, fear imident in his voice. "Why did you have to tell me all that?! Are you trying to rub my failure in my face?!" "N-n-no, I just really admire you. I-I admire your strength." Chihiro took a step back. Mondo clutched his dumbell.
"Yeah... Yeah thats right. I am strong." Mondo took a step forward. "Strong... I'm strong!" Chihiro stepped back. 'Strong strong strong strong strong strong!' The word repeated in his mind. "Stronger than you!" Mondo yelled loudly. "AND STRONGER THAN DAAAAIIIYAAAAA!!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.
In that moment, his vision went black. It was as if he had lost complete control of his mind and body. Mondo felt as if he was in that blank empty space for an eternity, until he heard a loud yell. "MONDO!"
Almost as fast as he left, Mondo slipped back into reality. He saw Chihiro, his arms covering his head. The dumbbell in Mondo's hand was meer centimeters from Chihiro's head. Mondo staired in horror as the sock of what he had almost done set in.
"C... Chihiro...." Mondo muttered quietly. Chihiro opened his eyes and looked up at Mondo, who just stared back down at him. "I... I just... I almost..." Mondo dropped the dumbbell and took a few steps back before stumbling to his knees. "I... Chihiro I" tears pricked his eyes. He felt himself breaking with the thought of what he almost did. "I.. I'm sorry..."
Mondo looked down at the floor and started crying. "I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry!" He cried in between sobbs. Chihiro looked at him, shocked. Mondo didn't dare look at him. His eyes were clouded with tears as he muttered the same phrase over and over again. 'I'm sorry..'
Then, Mondo felt something. His cheek pressed against something soft and a hand was placed at the back of his head, holding him there. He slowly forced himself to look up, and was shocked to see Chihiro, hugging Mondo's head to his stomach and lightly petting his head. "Ch-Chihiro.." he mumbled quietly. "Shhh.." Chihiro said quietly. "Its alright... Just let it out.."
Mondo looked at him and his eyes started to flood with tears again. His arms wrapped around Chihiro's waist as he started crying and practically screaming 'I'm sorry'. Chihiro let him close. "Its ok.. But.. Mondo, what was that? It just.. Did i say something wrong?"
Mondo fell silent. "...... Chihiro. You.. told me your secret. It's only fair I tell you mine.." He stood up and wiped any remaining tears from his eyes. Chihiro stared up at him. "Remember when I told everyone about my older brother.. About a man's promise?"
Chihiro nodded. It was only a few days ago it was brought up. Byakuya, the Ultimate affluent prodigy, had chastised Chihiro for going against his logic of the killing game they were forced to play. Then he yelled at him for not being able to speak up for himself. Mondo ended up having to stand up for Chihiro, Saying that he shouldn't pick on the weak. Soon enough, it had escalated into a full on argument just between the two.
The next morning, Chihiro said that he was going through a bit of self-loathing, after what Byakuya had said and after Mondo had to stick up for him and still agreeing Chihiro was weak. Aoi, the Ultimate swimming pro accused Mondo of making Chihiro depressed, to which Mondo started yelling in his own defence.
Eventually, he blurted out 'Girls are just naturally weak anyway, right!?' after hearing that, Chihiro started to break down and cry. Mondo was honestly surprised. Aoi said it was because he was screaming like a lunatic. Chihiro continued crying. Mondo started to feel bad and said he wouldn't yell any more. When that didn't convince them, Mondo said he'd make him a promise as a man.
Chihiro, along with most of the others, were confused by what this meant, leaving the way for Mondo to explain. Mondo had said that ever since he was a kid, there was something his brother told him over and over again. He said that no matter what, a real man always keeps his promises. That's what his brother left him. He then went on to say his brother had died, but he never said how. Even so, up until that night, Mondo had kept his promise and never yelled when Chihiro was around.
"Yeah well, my secret is.. It's about my brother.." Mondo continued. Chihiro stared at him, intently. "I.." Mondo took a deep breath and then exhaled. "I was the cause of my brothers death.." He sighed. Chihiro looked shocked. Mondo looked at the floor. "I may be the ultimate biker gang leader, but my brother, Daiya, he's the reason I ever got a chance to join a gang. Heck, he's the reason I ever even got on a motorcycle."
"He was my only family growing up. He was the only one I could trust or respect..." Mondo continued. "I wanted to measure up to my big brother, so I imitated him in everything he did. I was the definition of the starry-eyed kid brother. Meanwhile, my brother had put together a local biker gang and before anyone knew it, it had grown into the biggest biker gang in the country. We were called The Crazy Diamonds. Daiya, my older brother. Number one in the gang. And I.. I was his right hand man.."
"B-but.. Why?" Chihiro intervened. "I-if you two were so close.. H-how did you cause his death?" He asked. Mondo sighed and shook his head. "In the beginning, everything was fine but.. When I started to think about how i'd have to take over the gang for Daiya someday.. His greatness, his reputation, it began to gnaw at me.." Mondo continued. Chihiro looked up at him, listening closely. "Eventually.. I started hearing the other gang members gossip behind my back.. That's why.. I.. I had to get stronger than Daiya.." Mondo then looked away. "No matter what, I felt like I had to win. I didn't care what it took, I just had to come out on top."
"M-mondo..." Chihiro said quietly. "On the night of his retirement ceremony, I challenged him to a street race." Mondo had lost himself to his own little flashback, unable to notice anything around him, or remember who he was telling his story to. "And during that race.. Something awful happened.." He clutched his fist into a ball. "I.. I pushed ahead, too eager for victory, and went into oncoming traffic.." Mondo tightened his fists, his nails digging into his palms, starting to draw blood. "M-Mondo!" Chihiro tried speaking up, but Mondo did not respond. He just continued.
"Th-then.. Then.." His voice started wavering. Chihiro could tell Mondo was close to breaking down again. "H-he pushed me out of the way a-and..." Tears started to fall once more. "A-after the impact... I rushed to his side.. A-and in my arms, he said his final words.." Chihiro wasn't sure what to do. "H-he told me.. He told me the rest was up to me... No matter what.. I had to keep the gang together.. Cuz.. It was the team we put together..." Mondo had turned completely away from Chihiro and was facing the wall. "It was a promise... A promise between men..." Mondo started quietly sobbing. "A-and with that.. He.. He left me.."
"Mondo.." Chihiro mumbled quietly. "A-after that, I-I hid the truth of what happened from e-everyone else in the gang.. In order to keep the gang together.. To keep my p-promise.. I-I could never admit to anyone it was my own weakness that caused the accident... And.. As a result.. The team was made even stronger.. Under the banner of the kid whod bested his older brother.. 'Daiya was gonna lose to his kid brother, so he got stupid and got himself killed'... That became the explanation for what had happened... My lie became the truth...." He sobbed. "I... I was so power hungry.... I.. I was willing to tell all kinds of lies about Daiya..."
"I told myself i'm strong.. Over and over again.. But now, the more I think about it... the more I think about it... the more I think.. I've been lying to myself...." Chihiro noticed small droplets of blood coming from his hands. "As soon as this sick twisted game started... I-I realized.. I'm just as weak as anyone else... I've been lying to myself for so long... just because I was too stupid and negligent... I got my brother killed... I killed him!" Mondo yelled suddenly.
"M-Mondo! D-don't say that! Don't blame yourself!" Chihiro piped up. "H-how.. How could I possibly not!?" his sobbing became louder. Suddenly, Chihiro hugged him from behind. "Mondo.. Listen to me. You aren't to blame." he hugged the taller boy tighter. Mondo had went quiet again. The only noise he'd limit was the occasional sniffle. "Ch-chihiro..?" Mondo spoke up. ".. Th-thank you.." "Mondo, there's no need to say-" "Yes there is." Mondo interrupted Chihiro.
"I've been lying for years now.. Feels good to finally tell the truth.. E-even if it means.. I'm weak.." Chihiro stayed silent for a second before speaking again. "You know, you don't have to be weak you know." Chihiro said quietly. Mondo turned his head slightly to look at him. "We can get stronger together." He smiled sweetly. "I can teach you to be strong mentally and you can teach me to be strong physically."
Mondo stared at him for a minute before smiling. "S-sure.. That sounds great actually." "Good. Thanks Mondo." Chihiro said, letting go. Mondo turned his head to the clock. "Looks like its getting pretty late. Taka would kill us if he found out we were breaking the 'No going out at night time' rule Celeste made." "Probably. But, before we head back to the dorms.."
Chihiro took one of Mondo's hands and opened it so he could see his palms. There were a few small cuts. "We should take care of these. There should be some medkits in the warehouse." Chihiro said, taking him by the wrist and leading him out of the locker room. Mondo followed him reluctantly, but gazed away. "You know, I can take care of this myself. You don't gotta help me." "I know." Chihiro responded. "I just figured I should." Mondo sighed and caught a quick glance at Chihiro before looking away again. He felt he didn't need help, but was grateful for it anyway.
He took one last look at Chihiro and this time, didn't look away. He smiled slightly. Chihiro didn't blame him for his brothers death, or at the very least didn't make him feel like it. Maybe.. Just maybe, getting his secret told to everyone else might be good for him. In fact, his secret getting out may just help him.