Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s just,

everything now looks like a lie to me.

Is there anywhere left for you to flee?

Indeed, I’m evil, and so are you.

I know that.

Kaede collapsed onto her bed, tears of frustration burning in her eyes.

Shuichi was gone, and it was her fault. It was all her fault. If she hadn’t tried to kill the mastermind, if she hadn’t rolled that fucking shot put, he wouldn’t have sacrificed himself for her sake. Now, she had not only lost the closest thing she had to a friend in this godforsaken place, but also the trust of people who would follow her like lemmings before.

She let out a scream into her pillow.

'Hurts, doesn’t it?’  The little devil in her head, one that sounded too much like herself for her liking, taunted. ‘He stole our desired execution.’

The blonde raised her head, glaring at nothing in particular.

“Stop…” She murmured in response.

'And didn’t he just look so pretty as he died? Really, the fire was a nice touch on Monokuma’s part.’

Kaede simply frowned. It would be impossible to sleep with thoughts like these clouding her mind, but it wasn’t like she could bear to face the wrath of everyone else. She had definitely had enough of that in the trial room.

All they knew was that she had been the one to put together the trap, but Shuichi had been the one to roll the shot put and successfully murder Rantaro. No matter how much she had tried to tell everyone that she had committed the crime, they didn’t believe her. However, even Kaede could tell that there had been some sort of third party involved.

Rantaro had suffered a blow to the back of the head, but from everything she knew about physics combined with common sense, the shot put should have hit him somewhere on top of the head or in the forehead. How everyone else had failed to see that, she didn’t know. The only logical explanation would have to be that her shot put had missed, and the real culprit had either picked it up or used one that they also had grabbed from the storage room themselves.

But who could the real culprit have been, and why did Monokuma let Shuichi take the fall for them? Well, if Monokuma had let Shuichi take the fall for them, the culprit must have been someone important— i.e. the mastermind, but who was the mastermind?

If only they had some sort of detective around to solve those mysteries, to answer those questions…

Kaede was no detective. She was a pianist through and through. And the last time she had tried to stop the mastermind, things didn’t go well. This situation was meant to serve as some sort of warming for her, to remind her that she was powerless, a pawn in the grand scheme of things.

That was how the mastermind would want her to think.

That was exactly why she wouldn’t, why she would refuse to, think like that.

Letting out a breath, Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist, sat up in her bed and shook off her grief and frustration. Or rather, she turned both emotions into unwavering determination instead and began searching around her room for some sort of papers and a writing utensil.

This case wouldn’t end here. She’d make sure of that.

—

The morning announcement rolled around before she knew it, and Kaede found herself groaning. She knew that her lack of sleep would probably catch up to her sometime during the day or lessen her patience, making facing the now thirteen other students of the killing academy hard. However, looking down at the notebook in her lap, the pianist grinned at the progress she had made, seeing that staying up the entire night had paid off in some way.

While she had been writing, the doubts about the others that had been lingering in her mind solidified. There was a one-in-thirteen chance of a peer being the mastermind, and a one-in-whatever-the-fuck chance of another peer being an accomplice to the mastermind or Monokuma. But by not trusting anyone, she could also miss out on gaining a valuable ally. That ally, however, could end up being killed just as easily as she could.

The good and bad possibilities were endless, and the more time she spent weighing them, the more she realized that she’d accomplish nothing by just sitting and thinking. She would have to act. Her classmates the keys, and her the player, practiced fingers moving swiftly over each of them and using them all to play a rather beautiful song. That was how she would use her talent for this situation. How she would end this killing game.

She was no detective. She was no chess master. But she could try her hand at unraveling a mystery or playing a game or two.

After letting out a slow breath, Kaede was interrupted by loud banging on the door to her dorm. Letting out a quiet sigh, she closed her notebook and shoved it under her blankets before getting up. The pianist walked over to the door and grabbed its handle, counting to three in her head. Upon opening it—

“W-Whale-tits, haul your ass to the Dining Hall!”

She was met with the sight of a seemingly nervous Miu. The inventor had her arms crossed over her chest in what Kaede assumed was an attempt to look demanding, yet the visible drops of sweat on her forehead combined with a stutter gave her away.

“Yeah...I’ll be there in a bit.”

“Hurry up! I’ve gotta escort you and if I’m not back soon they’ll assume you tried to kill me too!” The other blonde argued.

Kaede gave her a blank expression before shutting the door in her face.

The girl rushed to her bed and quickly moved her notebook from her sheet to under her mattress, not bothering to make herself look presentable. Everyone else would be able to gather that she didn’t get any sleep due to Shuichi and Rantaro’s deaths, and they wouldn’t be wrong. However, she hoped that they wouldn’t be able to guess that she had been productive as well.

In seconds, she was out of her dorm and walking alongside Miu to the Dining Hall, presumably to meet up with the others. Kaede couldn’t blame the other girl for staying a considerable distance away from her.

—

Twelve pairs of eyes turned to stare at the two girls, the previously almost-lively room falling into a heavy silence.

Until a certain supreme leader spoke up.

“Well, well, well… If it isn’t our favorite would-be murderer! Nice to see you, Kaede!” He grinned. “Come, take a seat!”

The boy must have noticed Kaede’s hands clenching into fists because his expression immediately shifted into one of fear.

“S-she's gonna k-kill me... Mom, help!”

He scurried to hide behind Kirumi’s skirts, and the maid let out a sigh.

“Hey!” Kaito barked, hand clutching the jacket draped over his shoulders. “I thought we all agreed Kaede wasn’t the one at fault here!”

Just like that, the entire room was in discourse.

Miu had left Kaede’s side immediately to take a seat next to Maki, who had said nothing so far, and Kaito chased a crying and screaming Kokichi around the table. Angie's hands were clasped in a prayer, a serene smile gracing her features, and Tenko covered Himiko’s ears, not wanting them to be damaged by whatever nonsense Kokichi was spewing. Kirumi sighed, but she didn’t lose her composure.

“I c-c-can feel Kaede’s m-murderous intent from here!”

“Nyeeehh…”

“For the last time, Kaede wasn’t the one to murder Rantaro!”

“Calm down! You degenerates are scaring Himiko!”

“Oi, can’t a girl eat in peace?! I’m not gonna be able to function without something to fill me!”

“Kukuku… It’s wonderful how the arrival of one person can trigger such an uproar. Truly, a showcase of Humanity’s beauty!”

“Gonta don't understand… Why is Kokichi running?”

Kaede slammed her hands on the head of the table, eyebrows furrowed in irritation, and everything stopped. Thirteen pairs of eyes turned to stare at her this time, and she let out a breath to calm herself.

“Everyone, Kokichi’s right. While Shuichi may have rolled the shot put, I was the one to set up the trap. With that in mind, I’m even more guilty than he was. He…took the fall for me, and I wish I could tell him I’m sorry. I used him, and I wish I could tell him I’m sorry. I wish I hadn’t set the trap in the first place, I…” Unshed tears burned in her eyes, “Wishing…won’t bring him back. It won’t bring Rantaro back. But from here, we can only move forward, and Kokichi is right. I’m a would-be murderer.”

She let out a sigh.

“So...make of me what you will. I’ll face any punishment. I know I don’t deserve the trust of you all, but I’d like to at least try to regain it, so please, give me another chance.”

She stared down at the table, hands trembling as she gripped the edge of it. She looked up upon feeling a weight land on her head.

Kaito grinned down at her, ruffling her already messy hair.

“It’s alright, Kaede. Like you said back there in the trial room, you and Shuichi did what you did to try and stop the mastermind. I just wish you had come to talk to us about it, but it’s okay! From now on, you know you can. As long as we all trust each other and work together, no more murders will happen. That’s a promise!”

The tears flowed from her eyes, and Kaede pulled the astronaut into a hug, sobs racking her body.

She cried because she knew Shuichi’s death was her fault. Because Rantaro had died for nothing in the end. Because she knew another murder was inevitable. Because the mastermind was probably in the room right now, and they were laughing on the inside. They were laughing at her pain.

She just hoped the mastermind wasn’t Kaito.

She really hoped it wasn’t him.

The touching moment between the students was cut off by an all-too-familiar voice.

“Geez… You kids are gonna make me cry at this rate!” Monokuma exclaimed, tilting his head to the side.

Kaito and Kaede immediately broke apart. They, like the other students in the room, went on the offense and scowled at the headmaster.

“Hold on, calm down! Puhuhu...I’m just here to inform you all of a few things!”

“A new motive…?” Angie wondered aloud.

“Oh no, no. I would never throw in a motive this soon! They take some time to prepare, you know? Anyway,” the robotic bear cleared his nonexistent throat, “Once you complete a trial, new areas of the school will be opened! Aren’t I generous? However, in order to access these areas, you’ll need to receive presents from my dearest, darlingest cubs. Now, I’ll be off!”

“HELLO-KUMA!”

The now four of Monokuma’s cubs appeared not a second after he disappeared, each holding strange objects.

Monodam waddled over to Kaede and promptly shoved a glass orb in her hands.

Looking around, Kokichi had received a hexagonal crank, Tsumugi had received an ocarina, and Tenko had received what seemed to be some sort of passport.

“BYE-KUMA!”

They disappeared just as their...father had before them.

Now that the bears were gone, Kaede let her shoulders relax and looked down at the object she held.

“Alright,” Kaito spoke, “Since there are fourteen of us, we’ll divide into groups of four groups of three and four. Any objections?”

“Aw, Kaito, it’s so cute when you pretend to be a leader!” Kokichi grinned. With that, he bolted off, clutching the crank in his left hand.

The astronaut seemed ready to go after the boy, but Kaede raised a hand, stopping him.

Giving him a weak smile, “You’ve chased him around enough for one day. Plus, I have some things to say to him.”

The pianist watched Kaito respond by nodding slowly, and then she was off.

—

“Kokichi!”

The girl’s voice was loud, echoing in the otherwise quiet halls, and she soon heard a low chuckle and the sound of footsteps. She turned on her heel, seeing the boy in question walk toward her.

“Wow, Kaede…!” He feigned amazement. “You actually ran after me! How sweet, how considerable!”

He gave her a blank expression. “How predictable. How boring.”

Kaede let out a sigh, eyes narrowing. “Look, Kokichi, you’re one of the smartest people here. You of all people should’ve been able to tell that there was some sort of third party involved in Rantaro’s death and Shuichi’s execution.”

The supreme leader said nothing, so Kaede continued.

“From the way he was standing, the shot put should have hit Rantaro somewhere near the front of the head, but the Monokuma file said that he had suffered a blow to the back of the head. A-And…” She found herself growing nervous under Kokichi’s stare, “My only guess would be that my shot put rolled past him or something, and the real culprit either picked it up or used one of their own to murder him.”

She felt stupid saying it aloud.

“I know Shuichi lied, because I was the one who rolled the shot put. He was nowhere in the library when I rolled it. For him to have been framed, for Monokuma to have let the real culprit get away with the murder, it would have had to have been someone in a position of power. I’ve said it too many times to count by now, but…I believe the mastermind killed Rantaro. This proves it, actually.”

A moment passed.

“...Why are you telling me this?”

A valid question.

“Kokichi, I spent all night writing notes. Thinking to myself. Trying to piece things together, to figure out the whys and hows of the trial and Rantaro and Shuichi’s deaths. I spent time evaluating each of the students, including you. You probably have even more figured out about this situation than I do.”

“And what makes you think I’ll tell you anything?”

A small smirk graced Kaede’s features, mirroring Kokichi’s own.

“I never said you had to. The ideal situation would be for us to sit down and compare info, but we both know that won’t happen anytime soon. After all, you don’t trust me one bit after the stunt I pulled, do you?”

His smirk widened.

“You’re slightly smarter than I gave you credit for, Kaede. Maybe you aren’t as boring as I thought.”

With that, he went back to a childish persona in a flash, gripping the blonde’s hand and dragging her along.

“Now come on! We’ve got exploring to do!”

Kaede groaned, letting herself be pulled up to the second floor of the building. Kokichi let go of her and snatched the orb out of her hand, running over to the dragon statue next to her lab.

“You figured that out fast…” the girl murmured.

“That was an easy one.”

After placing the orb in the spot of the statue’s eye, the supreme leader backed away, returning to his position at Kaede’s side. The pair watched as the statue began to glow red and crumble. The wall behind it also crumbled, revealing a hallway.

“Whoa…! Kaede, we can walk here now! We can walk here now!”

The pianist watched as Kokichi charged in front of her like an excited small child before stopping abruptly.

“Come onnnn, Kaede. It’s no fun if you don’t join in! After all…” He raised his index finger in front of his lips, “The others are probably still trying to figure out what to do with you, so we have some time to ourselves. I’m your only company whether you like it or not, and you aren’t getting rid of me.”

Kaede rolled her eyes.

“That’s a strange way of saying you wanna keep tabs on me, but alright. I’ll bite. Lead the way, fearless dictator.”

As she had expected, due to lack of sleep (and food in her system, she realized), her patience was wearing thin. Interacting with someone like Kokichi for an extended period of time wouldn’t do her any good, but it was the better of two options at the moment.

'And someone like him could be useful to us. We should play our cards right.’

She had almost forgotten about the voice in her head.

Almost.

But for once, she would listen to it. Would follow it.

“Kaede, c’mere! I found Kirumi’s lab!” Kokichi’s voice called out to her, and the girl let out a sigh before rushing over to its source.

She didn’t know what she had expected, but the Victorian style of the Ultimate Maid’s lab was absolutely breathtaking. The warm colors combined with the neat, welcoming atmosphere and Kokichi literally tugging her hand beckoned her further into the room, and Kaede heard the boy next to her let out a low whistle.

“Pretty fancy, right? Neeheehee.”

“Yeah…” she murmured in response.

After a bit of Kokichi digging around and Kaede cleaning up his messes, the teens left the lab, not wanting to spend too much time dwelling on one room.

“Hey, Kaede, how much do you think we could get done without the others coming to interrupt us?”

She thought for a moment.

“Kokichi, that’s pretty rude of you to say something like that,” she scolded.

“You’re a bad liar. I can tell you were thinking the same thing.”

“Oh, so you’re the Ultimate Telepathic now?”

“That’s a pretty childish argument Kaede— Oh look I think this lab is Ryoma’s!” He said it all in one breath.

The pianist’s eyebrows furrowed, but she let herself be lead over to the second lab of their exploration.

Upon entering, the pair was met with a giant tennis court. Kokichi rushed over to pick up a ball, holding it up and pretending to examine it before throwing it over his shoulder.

“Kaede, we should play a game!”

“Not now. Maybe sometime later, though,” she nodded absentmindedly, still taking in her surroundings, when she heard a loud and exaggerated sniff.

“M-My beloved Kaede agreed to schedule a playdate with me… I’m so happy! WAAAAAAAHHH!” Crocodile tears ran down the boy’s face, before disappearing as soon as they had come. “Okay, I’m better now,” Kokichi grinned, hands behind his head.

“Hey, Kokichi, what do you think that is?”

Kaede paid no mind to the supreme leader’s antics, instead pointing to a door at one of the further ends of the room. Despite the fact that she had asked the question, she didn’t wait for an answer. This time, she was the one who pulled Kokichi along, dragging him by the sleeve of his uniform and managing to surprise him.

“This door…” she murmured, running a hand along it, “It seems almost out of place, doesn’t it?”

“Well, Kaede, you’re no detective.” Kokichi smirked, seeming proud of himself for that remark. “For all we know, this could just be the john, right?”

But the pianist had already opened the door.

“Holy shit…”

Kokichi swore, eyes scanning over the area. He appeared to have been just as taken aback as Kaede herself, but he soon regained his composure.

“Man, whoever’s running this game must be a genius! Can’t wait to see what my lab looks like!” He giggled, before being tugged out of what looked like an actual prison in one room.

“I won’t tell if you don’t.” Kaede’s words were quick, hushed.

Kokichi stared up at her for a moment before nodding slowly, and just like that, they were out of the Ultimate Tennis Pro’s lab.

Once again, Kaede was swiftly lead through the hallways. Kokichi’s pace seemed to increase with each room they visited, yet the girl couldn’t figure out why. Her mind wandered to the question he had asked earlier.

How much could they accomplish without the others getting in their way?

“Oooh, this is definitely Gonta’s lab!” The purple-haired boy at her side exclaimed, “I don’t think the bugs will be scarier than Kaede, though...” he whimpered. 

Kaede decided she deserved some sort of reward for the patience she had been showing with him. 

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the girl opened the door to the Ultimate Entomologist’s lab, and her eyes widened. 

Bugs. Everywhere. 

Kaede took in the room as much as she could before quickly shutting the door. 

“I’m not going in there.”

Kokichi raised an eyebrow. 

“You’re afraid of bugs?”

Kaede took a few deep breaths before responding, “No, just a bunch of them being together at one time.”

The supreme leader examined his nails. “Thanks for the info, Kaede. I’ll keep that in mind for whenever I decide to punish you, so be ready.” 

“Well, it’s more like a mild fear than an extreme one…” The blonde trailed off.

“Well then, I’ll find out what your biggest fear is, and I’ll combine it with this one. It’ll be a punishment you won’t ever, ever, ever be able to forget. By extension, you won’t ever, ever, ever forget me for the rest of your life!” 

A soft smile made its way onto Kaede’s face as the two walked over to a strange treasure chest near the lab they had previously been in. Well, she walked, and Kokichi made a mad dash for it. Same difference.

“Treasure! Treasure! Treasure!”

He opened the chest, and his expression morphed into one of disappointment.

“Oh,” his tone was bland, “It’s a flashlight.” Sighing, “Well, you figure out what it’s for, Kaede. Boring things go to boring people.”

“Wow, really glad you’re trusting me with this, Kichi. Thank you so much. I feel so honored.”

Kokichi stopped, his eyes wide.

“Kaede, were we lovers in a past life?”

“What kind of question is that? Was it something I said?” She paid no mind to him, examining the strange object in her hands. 

“No,” the boy let out a breath, “No, just…What should we do with the flashlight?”

Kaede stood up from her kneeling position next to the treasure chest, pulling her partner up with her free hand. A short moment of silence passed as the boy waited for her answer. She responded with more questions.

“Should we turn it on, or do you think we should hide it from the others?”

“You mean, should you turn it on and should you hide it from the others? We aren’t friends, Kaede. You have your evil schemes, and I have mine.”

The girl in question sighed before taking her backpack off of her back. She kneeled down once more, unzipping it and gently placing the acquired flashlight inside. Once that was done, she stood back up, hearing a giggle beside her.

“Man, you must really like kneeling at my feet, huh? Glad to see you’ve figured out where you belong!” Kokichi grinned.

“Come on. Let’s just find the next lab.” Kaede was growing more and more irritated with each moment that passed, yet she fought to keep herself together for the most part. She reminded herself of her goal— Gain an ally in Kokichi. He was an asshole, but he would probably have valuable information or theories about the situation.

She could tell that he was playing with her just as much as she was playing with him.

That she was a mere pawn in his game, just as he was a key in her song.

The pair of teens stared at the golden and red steel door that loomed over them.

“Oooh, this looks fun! B-But I’m scared… Kaede, you’re a meat shield; you open it!”

“Right, right.”

The blonde rolled her eyes for the second time that day, exhaustion present on her features. Her hand gripped the cool hardness of the door to the lab, and time seemed to stop as she and Kokichi stepped into the room, their mouths agape with shock. Their eyes scanned what they would come to know as the Ultimate Assassin’s lab, and a tense silence fell over them before Kaede spoke up.

“Kokichi, did we just walk into an...armory?”

Chapter Text

There’s nothing more to lose

See, we’re not in a position to be loved either

Unavoidable lines of defense

That extend over our lifetime

Kaito sighed, running a hand through his hair. His eyes scanned the table that would now occupy fourteen, with only twelve sitting at it at the moment, and he grimaced before speaking up. 

“So, what now?”

The table dissolved into murmurs, heads turning to face one another, and then Angie stood up with a smile.

“So, so, so! Atua was speaking with Angie, and Kaede said she would face any punishment, right? And, like, she seemed to really like that tunnel that one time we went through there, so Atua thinks we should let her try going through the tunnel and let her out when she finishes!”

Kaito stood in silence, mouth agape with shock, before his lips curled into a snarl.

“What?! We can’t put her through that again! She’s already exhausted enough as is, she won’t be able to handle—”

Maki stood, her chair making a screech against the floor, and calmly cut him off. “What she will and won’t be able to handle isn’t for you to judge. But for once, Angie brings up a valid point. If Kaede said she would face any punishment, making her go through the tunnel would be an easy way for us to gather information on what’s on the other side.”

“But what about—”

“Her feelings? She wasn’t thinking of ours when she forced us to go through it over and over again. And it’s her fault Shuichi and Rantaro are dead. There’s nothing you can say that will justify her actions.”

With that, the child-caregiver sat back down, crossing her arms and waiting for the next course of action.  

Swearing under his breath, a small drop of sweat made its way onto the astronaut’s forehead, and he frantically glanced around the table once more.

“Does everyone...feel the same way?”

More murmuring.

“Atua says we should vote! Anyone who, like, thinks Kaede should go through the tunnel, raise your hand!”

Angie’s hands shot up. Then Maki’s. Following shortly after were Tsumugi’s, Miu’s, Himiko’s, and Korekiyo’s.

“Sunday School and Harucockwa are right for once!”

“What did you just call me?”

“Eeeeeee…! It was a joke! P-Please don’t hurt me!”

“If...If Kaede was willing to commit a murder before, I plainly wouldn’t want her to think it’s okay to try again...”

“Nyehhh, this is so tiring…”

“H-Himiko?! You’re siding with them!?”

“My inner voice is telling me something like this wouldn’t be morally correct!”

The votes seemed to be caught in a tie, and Kaito silently hoped that they would be able to reach some sort of consensus, one that wouldn’t involve Kaede going through the tunnel, but then Kirumi cleared her throat.

“Everyone,” she addressed the room, “I believe that making Kaede attempt to go through the tunnel again wouldn’t be the most...humane punishment. However, for the sake of breaking the tie, I believe we should do it. We won’t accomplish anything if we just sit here and argue. So,” she stood to bow, “I side with Angie. I apologize if my decision will prove to have been the incorrect one in the future.”

Kaito sighed.

“Well, if we’re goin’ with this political bullshit, I guess there’s nothing I can do, huh?” He gave the room a bitter smile. “But she’ll need food. And water. And a first aid kit.”

“And someone to watch over her and make sure she makes it to the end of the tunnel,” Kiibo chimed in.

The students seemed to not know what to say after that, and a tense silence hung over them before Tsumugi spoke up again.

“Why not get Kokichi to do it? If he’s in the tunnel with Kaede, he can’t really...bother us. It’d be killing two birds with one stone. B-But not actually killing—”

“No way am I leaving Kaede alone with that degenerate male! That’d be too cruel of a punishment!”

A few students nodded in agreement, Kaito being one of them, until he spoke up once more, a grin all too wide stretching across his features.

“I can watch her. Knowing Kaede, she’ll beat that thing on her first try! We’ll be out of there in no time, so you guys won’t have to wait long at all.” He looked to the objects still clutched in Tenko and Tsumugi’s hands. “I’ll go look for Kaede and Kokichi since they’ve been gone for a while. For now, Kirumi, start gathering supplies for us,” he watched the maid nod in affirmation before continuing, “and the rest of you start exploring the school. If you happen to see Kaede, let me know.”

After he gave them his signature thumbs-up, the teens — all but Kirumi — began filing out of the Dining Hall, Maki in particular moving at an incredibly fast pace for whatever reason.

—

“Kaede, you should leave.”

Kokichi spoke up after a moment, eyes still wandering around the assortment of weapons they had stumbled upon. He turned to stare up at the girl at his side.

“After all, we both know you can’t be trusted around weapons.” There was no joke, no playfulness in his tone.

Kaede narrowed her eyes at him, fists clenching at her sides. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure, trying to formulate a response that the dictator wouldn’t be able to use against her.

“Kokichi, this is serious,” she scowled. “We don’t know what this place could be, anyone could use these weapons to kill if we don’t do something, and here you are, treating me like some cold-blooded killer when I want to end this game just as much as you do!”

She was met with a blank expression.

“You’re the one who started it by trying to kill the mastermind, Kaede. You can’t end a killing game with more killing.”

She recoiled.

“I know. I know, but…”

Her lips quivered, words failing to come out of her mouth. She tried thinking of something, anything to say, but her mind drew a blank. Kaede didn’t have to say anything, however, as a flash of red entered the room and a hand came up to curl around her neck, lifting her off of the ground. Kokichi seemed to be in the same position, but his lips tugged into a smirk as he stared down to meet Maki’s glare.

“J-Just...who I wanted to s-see.”

“What are you two doing in here?” The girl’s usually cold tone was harsh this time, her hands tightening around their necks.

“We...W-We were exploring the new l-labs...when we...found this place.”

At Kaede’s response, Maki released her, letting her fall to the floor in a fit of coughs. Her other hand didn’t let go of Kokichi’s neck, however, not wavering as the boy clawed at it with all his might.

“L-Let...him go,” Kaede demanded, but her voice was far too hoarse for her to sound as strong as she had wanted to come across as.

Maki turned her head to glare down at her, red eyes piercing through her and sending a shiver down her spine. “Why should I? We both know he’ll just cause trouble now that he’s stumbled upon this room. He could be plotting a murder right now for all we know.”

It was Kaede’s turn to glare.

“I highly doubt that. You’re looking more like a murderer to me right now than he is, which is making me wonder. Monokuma said that all murders within the academy would be civilized and that he wouldn’t directly provide an entire assortment of weapons for us to use. The only plausible explanation would be that this is a lab, which would mean someone’s been lying to us about their talent.”

Maki’s eyes widened just a smidge, to the point where Kaede almost didn’t catch it.

“G-Go...Kaede...!” Kokichi encouraged. Somehow, he had remained conscious.

“Maki, you aren’t a child caregiver, are you?”

“Don’t be stupid—”

“I doubt a regular person would be able to easily lift and choke two people at the same time.”

“Stop, stop, stop, stop…”

“Maki, please let go of Kokichi.”

A moment passed, and after letting out a quiet sigh, the girl released the supreme leader from her grip. The boy fell to the floor, taking as many deep breaths as he could and letting the color return to his face. He scrambled to Kaede’s side, weak arms wrapping around her.

“So, you know now…” Maki glanced to the side, eyes unreadable. “What do you think of me?”

She waited for the pianist’s answer, and Kokichi seemed to wait as well, raising his head from its position on her shoulder to stare up at her. Silence filled the room, and Kaede thought for a moment, realizing anything she said could make or break the situation.

“Our talents,” she began with a breath, “they don’t define us. We have something we excel at, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all our character is. Take Kokichi, for example. Being a supreme leader, you’d expect him to be mature, level-headed, and charismatic. However, at a glance, he comes off as childish, mischievous, and well...annoying. However, he still has moments where his talent really shines, and you’re able to see a side of him that’s pretty clever.”

“I love you too, Kaede!”

The pianist ignored the chirp of the boy at her side.

“And, um,” she tried to come up with another example, fighting the urge to use Shuichi as one. “Himiko. She’s a magician, and knowing this, you’d expect her to be loud and energetic, but she’s actually the opposite.”

“Better not let Tenko hear you say stuff like that,” Kokichi tsked.

“What I’m saying is, however violent your talent may be, I’m sure that it probably isn’t all you are. Maybe you have some sort of tragic backstory where you were forced into it or something. If you opened up a bit, I think I could understand you more, Maki. I have a feeling that...you aren’t a bad person.”

“...You really are a dumb blonde.”

Despite Maki’s words, Kaede could see the smallest hint of a smile form on her face.

And Kokichi just had to ruin the perfect moment.

“Aw, a would-be murderer sympathizing with an assassin. How sweet,” he cooed, and the twin-tailed girl narrowed her eyes at him, raising a hand to point at the door to the lab.

“You, out.”

“Roger that!” He grinned, releasing Kaede from his side hug in order to stand up. The pianist stood up as well, grabbing him by the hand just as she had when they made their way through the halls. She gave Maki a soft smile as Kokichi made his way to the door, dragging her along with him, and soon, they were out of the Ultimate Assassin’s lab.

—

“Pretty messed up of you to play with her feelings like that, Kaede,” the dictator mused as they made their way through the courtyard.

“I’m not playing with her feelings, Kokichi, I just—”

“Kaede!”

She was cut off by the sound of someone shouting her name, and the pair turned around to see Kaito racing toward them. Upon reaching them, the astronaut stopped, panting and resting his hands on his knees.

“You...alright, Kaito? What’s up?”

The boy raised from his hunched position to meet the pianist with a grin.

“Yeah, I’m alright. I’ve been looking all over for you, though. Where the hell have you been hiding?” He scratched the back of his head, letting out a chuckle. “Anyway, we were all talking in the Dining Hall, and Angie came up with this twisted fuckin’ idea of making you go through that tunnel again…” He glanced to the side. “I tried to talk everyone out of it, but she made us all vote, and we were at a tie until Kirumi went over to Angie’s side.”

Kaede frowned, and for the first time since Kaito had arrived, Kokichi spoke up.

“Kaito, I’m so glad you’re here! Kaede was dragging me around everywhere and her hands were really sweaty…” He feigned a pout. “I was so scared, y’know? ‘Cause she could’ve killed me at any moment? But now that you’re here to take her away, she wouldn’t dare do any of that. You’re a real lifesaver, neeheehee! I could kiss you right now!”

The astronaut narrowed his eyes at the boy, but his gaze softened as he turned his attention back to Kaede.

“Thanks for putting up with him for me. I really appreciate it.”

“It was nothing. He didn’t get into too much trouble, I guess,” she responded, glancing at the purple-haired boy who had yet to let go of her “sweaty” hand.

“Whoa...Kaede’s being so nice to me!”

The pianist turned back to her other purple-haired companion. “So, when am I going?”

“Well, I volunteered to go with you. The other part of it was that you couldn’t leave the tunnel until you got to the end of it and saw what was on the other side, so I guess I’ll be an extra set of eyes to let everyone else know you really completed it.” He grinned after a moment, “It won’t be all bad, though. You’ll have me as company! And Kirumi should be working on a supply kit for us, so everything should work out. You’re you, so I know you’ve got this!”

He gave her a thumbs-up, and Kaede found herself smiling at his encouragement. She hadn’t realized how much she had needed his kind words until that moment.

“I guess we’ll be going as soon as Kirumi finishes up with gathering supplies?” Kaito continued. “I’d rather we cover this thing as soon as possible, to be fucking honest.”

Kaede nodded in agreement, not noticing that Kokichi had disappeared from her side.

“Kaede, come gamble with me!”

The boy’s voice came from across the courtyard, where he had appeared to have used the crank in his hand to reveal a casino and some strange building next to it.

“Guess we should go...after him...?”

But Kaito had already made it to the casino, leaving Kaede in the dust, and the girl smirked in amusement. She would have to treasure moments like these, she decided. Moments when she could pretend that things would be alright. Moments when she could almost trust those around her without thinking of the consequences. When she could relax her shoulders, smile, and breathe.

‘Time to go gamble, huh?’

—

Kaede’s eyebrows furrowed as she and Kaito stared down at the neat line of objects Kirumi had laid out on the long table in her lab.

“Please,” the maid began, “take whatever you like. If you request anything else, I will be happy to bring it to you.”

“N-No, no, no!” the blonde declined quickly with a blush, hand up in defense. “This...is fine, Kirumi…” she trailed off, glancing away from the maid and thinking for a moment. “Uh, actually, could you make a tray of Cream Pan and deliver it to the red and gold door that just opened when you get the chance?”

The maid bowed with a smile, leaving the room to carry out any tasks that had been assigned to her, and Kaito began grabbing an assortment of food and first aid supplies.

“Think these’ll fit in your backpack, Kaede?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, and the girl in question nodded with certainty. Despite its rather small outer appearance, her backpack could hold more objects than expected. It was odd, but it wasn’t something for the owner to complain about.

Kaede took care to hide the strange flashlight she had picked up on her quest with Kokichi as she began placing items inside her backpack one by one, trying (and failing) to avoid crushing loose sheets of music that had claimed it as their home, before zipping it up. She turned to the boy that would be her partner for the next while.

“You ready?”

Kaito nodded with a determined grin.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, yeah.”

The pianist was glad he was. After all, one of them had to be.

—

From the confines of his dorm, Kokichi Ouma let out a drawn-out sigh, falling onto his bed, the crinkling of loose papers under him filling his ears. He stared up at what would be his ceiling for however long, recalling the events of the day in his mind.

‘Notes, huh...? Kaede, what exactly are you hiding?’

The girl had been right during their discussion in the hallway. He didn't trust her one bit. She wasn't as boring as he had initially made her out to be, but she had also proven to have been capable of setting up complicated traps for the sake of killing others, even if they were defective in the end.

And with charisma like hers, she would be dangerous.

She got to Shuichi while he was alive.

She had gotten to Kaito.

She was even starting to get to someone like Maki.

Like a black hole, she would swallow up those around her, even if she didn't want to. Even if others didn't want her to. Kaede Akamatsu was too magnetic for her own good, a force to be reckoned with.

It wouldn't be long before she got to Kokichi too, no matter how much the boy tried to resist.

He needed a plan. He needed a plan right fucking now. Before he lost himself in her eyes, pools of purple drawing him further and further in, welcoming him when nothing else would. Before he felt the pleasant warmth of her not-sweaty-at-all hand again as he squeezed it and she squeezed his hand in return.

She was playing with him. Kaede Akamatsu was playing him so fucking hard and hoping for him to notice.

Kokichi smirked at nothing in particular, bags heavy under his eyes.

He would strike at midnight, he decided. That way, the halls would most likely be cleared, and he would have time to infiltrate the girl's dorm room. Notes? He'd have a good look at them.

Kaede was swallowing him in, indeed, but that was fine. Things were getting interesting, and if Kokichi couldn't match wits with a detective, she would be his second-best option. 

Kokichi hugged the comforter of his bed to his body, a grin stretching across his features.

Kaede wasn't trustworthy, but she'd still make for a rival that wasn't completely boring. She'd become his perfect enemy.

And if they both walked out of the killing game alive, maybe she would become a perfect member of DICE too.

“No…” Kokichi scrunched his nose, cursing at himself for thinking such thoughts. After all, the girl had gotten both Rantaro and Shuichi's killed with her plan to kill the mastermind. He wouldn't be a supreme leader if he made an exception to his organization's number one rule.

But even still, he couldn't ignore the fact that hanging around her, dragging her everywhere without interruptions from whoever else, felt somewhat familiar. Like they had experienced moments alone with each other in the past. That nickname she had given him when they found the odd flashlight had especially triggered something within him.

“Kichi…” he repeated it to himself, and he caught himself thinking it had sounded prettier rolling off her tongue rather than his. It was a welcomed change from the usual ones he received via Miu (Cock-itchy, Kink-ichi, and Gay Gremlin), but it was strange. Not the nickname itself, but the fact that it felt as if she had used it to address him many times before.

(And the fact that he wanted her to use it to address him many times more.)

Kokichi let out a small groan. These thoughts didn't matter right now. They were a waste of time he could be using to be productive. To analyze the situation. To gather clues as to what may be going on.

He wished a certain detective were around to handle some of the dirty work for him, but some things couldn't be so easy.

Sitting up with a stretch, the supreme leader tried to push excess thoughts of Kaede out of his mind, focusing less on her rather empty eyes and more on how to bring her down a peg. As much as she could pretend to be an impenetrable pillar of strength, the girl was far from it. She had to have some sort of discernible weakness, one that ran deeper than the guilt of Shuichi's execution and Rantaro's murder.

'I just need to figure out what it is…’

Midnight. Twelve in the morning. That left roughly four hours for him to work out the kinks of his plan.

—

‘Damn gremlin, makin’ me do all his dirty work…’

The night time announcement had gone off mere minutes ago, and a certain inventor found herself glaring down at the blueprints that cluttered her workbench. She had mistaken them for childish scribbles at first, and in her defense, they weren’t that far off from them. However, they were all the supreme leader had left her to work with, along with a few of his words.

Miu didn’t resist the urge to sneer.

“What is this shit?”

‘A remote, pens, and a tracking device?’

Despite the fact that her head obviously contained a golden brain, even she couldn’t quite figure out what the dick-tator could have been planning. He was far too unpredictable for her liking, and that fact made him all the more annoying to her. Also, he was an asshole.

“Just hope these babies won’t go to waste…” the inventor mumbled to herself, letting out a sigh. Kokichi was asking for a lot, he really was, but it wasn’t as if she had the right to refuse. Not when he had such crucial information to use against her.

//

The dictator held the blueprints that had once laid upon her workbench up in a clenched fist, back against the doorframe of her lab.

“So,” he spoke up, watching Miu’s shoulders tense. “You’re planning to do that to Kiibo, huh?” The girl took note of the way he spoke, how there was no nickname for the robot or vulgar jabs at her involved. His expression was completely blank, devoid of the mischievousness it always seemed to hold. It was clear he meant business, and the inventor couldn’t help but squirm under his unwavering gaze.

“W-What are you talking about? I don’t even know w-who Kiibo is…” She gripped her arm, glancing at anything but her guest.

“Cut it out.” His tone was firm. “Whatever you’re trying to do, I don’t care. This does make things easier for me, though. Guess you being a dumb slut has its perks after all!” In an instant, he was back to what Miu considered his normal self, and even if she wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, she felt herself being filled with a strange relief. Yet the girl remained anxious when watching the boy pull something out of his pocket, tension still present in the room’s air.

Folded papers.

Carelessly, Kokichi tossed them in the blonde’s direction, paying them no mind as they hit the floor instead of landing in her hands.

“I need some stuff built, so hurry up and get to it, whore.”

As if he could tell Miu was about to protest, he brought up a hand. “Oh, and don’t even think about disobeying me. These plans,” he used his right hand to point to the blueprints clutched in his left, “are something I’m sure everyone else knows I wouldn’t be able to lie about. After all, I have physical evidence right here, and that fact isn’t anyone’s fault but your own since only a pig as idiotic as you would leave things like these out in the open.”

...He had a point.

“Just a tip for the future— You’re gonna be working under me soon, so know that I don’t care for stupid mistakes.”

The supreme leader placed his hands behind his head (blueprints still in hand) and turned on his heel, giving off a satisfied aura as he made his way out of the Ultimate Inventor’s lab.

‘Working...under?’

\\

“Snotty little clown…!” Miu growled, more than one type of frustration consuming her after recalling the encounter. It would be a long night, but nothing she couldn't handle.

So the little leader wanted a few toys to play with? Fine, she'd get 'em to him in no time at all!

Miu Iruma let out a breath and cracked her knuckles, a premature bead of sweat forming on her forehead before she began doing what she did best.

—

The Ultimate Assassin had to admit, her legs were getting tired.

She had guarded the entrance to her lab for hours, not wanting to take the risk of any students stumbling in and either taking whatever they wanted or making a big deal out of it. As the time ticked by, Maki found herself grateful for the fact that she wasn’t close with any of the other students. Her lab had only been acknowledged by a mildly interested Ryoma and a bubbly, curious Angie, though the two weren’t too intrusive, so shooing them away had been easy.

The night time announcement had gone off, and the twin-tailed girl let out a soft sigh, ready to head to her dorm room to collect sheets and pillows, when she heard a knock on her lab’s door. Collecting herself in a flash, Maki opened the door with a crack, her eye glancing around for signs of who her unwanted guest might have been.

Her question was answered when she heard Kirumi Tojo clear her throat.

“I apologize for bringing this to you so late, and after-hours no less.”

The assassin stepped into the hallway, opening and closing her door carefully.

“What is it?” Her red orbs trailed down to the medium-sized bowl of what she presumed were buns of some sort in the maid’s hands, and she remembered that she hadn’t eaten for an extended period of time.

“Kaede requested that I bake these and deliver them to this door,” Kirumi answered, voice dignified as always.

A moment passed, the maid still holding the bowl of pastries and waiting for Maki to take them. The assassin weighed the pros and cons of accepting. On one hand, they could have been poisoned for all she knew, and on the other, she hadn't eaten since breakfast. On one hand, what was stopping Kirumi from killing her right now? On the other, why would she have a reason to? The maid had explicitly stated more than once that all she wanted to do was serve, and Maki wasn't getting in the way of that. Monokuma hadn't even presented a new motive for the fourteen of them.

After what seemed like far too much time, Maki reached out, taking the bowl from Kirumi with hesitant hands and muttering a small thanks.

The silver-haired girl left with a bow and a satisfied smile, the assassin waiting until she was gone to re-enter her lab.

Once inside, she stared down at the food she had accepted. The bowl was warm, and the pastries inside it were definitely the same, a pleasant steam coming from them and almost making Maki's mouth water before the realization dawned on her.

Kaede had requested these for her.

The assassin didn't know Kaede that well, and she didn't like her that much either. The blonde had proven to be too stubborn and idealistic for her taste. That, combined with the fact that she had almost gotten them all killed at the trial was enough for her to fuel a mild dislike toward her.

But she had found out about her talent, and she had accepted her regardless.

It was strange, and it had never happened before. Most people she knew started to distance themselves or not trust her once they found out about the fact that she was an assassin, yet here Kaede was, treating her as an equal and even offering to get to know her better.

Get to know her better…

Was this her attempt at winning her over?

Even if she didn't know the girl that well, Maki couldn't let go of the fact that she had thought about her. It meant she had anticipated her staying in her lab, and this was her way of helping out. Though it wasn't direct, it was still effective, and as the assassin bit into the bun and let the sweet taste of custard fill her mouth, a thought crossed her mind.

‘She...may not be that bad, but she's still an idiot for trusting me so blindly.’

Chapter Text

Punishment game

I’ve got a lot to spare

That meek outlook of yours

Is just hiding your hesitations

“This...I can assure you that things weren’t supposed to unfold like this, b-but look at these ratings! The audience is eating it up, right?”

The girl glanced around the circular table, glasses drawing attention to her rapid, nervous eyes. The sound of ruffling papers filled her ears, and she watched as her superiors looked down to check the last episode’s stats before letting out a breath and hardening her resolve. Her eyes narrowed, and she cleared her throat to draw attention back to herself.

“What I’m saying is, as long as they want more Danganronpa, then there’s no problem if the characters go a little off-script. I think.”

Despite the fact that the reference had been rather oddly placed, it was met with a few chuckles.

“As long as they stick to their overall characterizations and I can still keep them under control, everything should be fine.”

Tsumugi brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, awaiting responses. After a bit of muttering breaking the tense silence, a woman with spoke up to address her directly.

“There is...one problem. The Pianist. You didn’t accidentally raise her intelligence factor, did you?”

“W-What? That’s…”

“Because we can’t afford mistakes like that. The Supreme Leader already has plans to be a thorn in the mastermind’s side, and if you want to keep things under control, you’ll have to work to pull something out of your ass. I can’t deny that these ratings are amazing and that a killing game where even we may not know what’ll happen makes things feel more organic, but what happens out here is different from what happens in there.”

Like an anxious child, Tsumugi twiddled her thumbs under the table.

“You know this means, don’t you?” The woman continued, “If you don’t want to be exposed before the intended time, figure something out. After all, the season can’t end until there have been six trials.”

One of the men at the table crossed his arms over his chest.

“Three strikes and you’re out. Keep that in mind. Two more slip-ups like this, and we’ll have to replace you entirely.”

The blue-haired girl shot up from her seat in an instant.

“But, what about the audience? I-I’m one of you! You all need me! We haven’t had this many views since some of the first few seasons!” She protested, hands clenching into fists with her nails biting into her palms. Once again, her frantic eyes scanned over the table, only growing even more desperate, even angrier, when she saw that the man’s stern gaze refused to waver.

“Ms. Shirogane, please step out,” he snarled. “Come back when you’ve regained your composure.”

The girl in question let out a small gasp before sighing in defeat, and she stepped away from the table before turning to exit the room. Before the door behind her closed, she heard a small murmur of “Aren’t you being too hard on her…?” come from one of the members of the staff. Once in the hall outside, she ran a hand through her hair, mind racing to come up with ideas.

“I can fix this. I can...fix this.”

No matter how many times she recited them, the words failed to be reassuring.

—

“So...here we are, huh? Never imagined we’d be coming back to a place like this.”

Kaito scratched the back of his head, looking around the entrance room to the tunnel. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kaede nod stiffly before taking off her backpack and letting it hit the ground. Dirt would definitely ruin its pristine white, but the girl didn’t seem to care about the fact and instead chose to start off toward the weapons and traps that were awaiting her.

“Whoa, whoa, hey…! Kaede, hold on!”

At his words, the girl’s steps came to a halt, and he was met with her full attention. Shifting under her intense gaze, Kaito pointed toward her backpack.

“Aren’t you, uh, rushing into things a bit too quickly? I noticed that you never got around to eating breakfast this morning, and you probably never ate lunch either. I know air’s pretty filling, but I doubt it’ll be enough to get you through…” His eyes made their way to the pathway, “all of that.” With a sigh, the astronaut walked over to the backpack, grabbing it and taking a seat against a wall.

“Just- The tunnel isn’t going anywhere, so we can afford to take it easy for a bit.”

Kaede crossed her arms, having not moved from her spot. “Kaito, the sooner I get to the end of this tunnel, the sooner we can find out what’s on the other side and get out of here. The longer we spend doing nothing, the more time we’re wasting!”

Kaito’s eyes narrowed the tiniest bit.

“Taking care of yourself isn’t doing nothing, Kaede. What do you think’ll happen if you start dozing off while you’re trying to avoid one of those traps? Don’t think I didn’t notice those bags under your eyes.”

At that, the pianist’s gaze drifted to the ground, her eyes trained on a rather interesting speck of dust. Her hands shook before her arms fell limply to her sides, and she slowly made her way over to Kaito’s side, sliding down the wall for a rough land on the ground. The pair sat in silence for what could have been hours, minutes, or mere seconds. All that was certain was that Kaito was the one to speak up first.

“Listen,” his voice was soft, as if he were afraid he would scare the girl next to him away by being too loud or sudden, “I know...you’re taking Shuichi and Rantaro’s deaths the hardest out of all of us. I’m surprised we all made it to breakfast today.” He stared up at the room’s grimy, mossy ceiling. “And I know you probably want to figure out who the mastermind is more than any of us, too. If...there even is one.” His jaw clenched.

“There is one.” From her place cuddled into his side, Kaede spoke into the fabric of his jacket, which effectively muffled her voice.

“Right. And I know that you’re trying your hardest to get us out of here. I know you’re kind, determined, courageous, and pretty fucking awesome. And I respect that.” With careful, yet quick, hands the astronaut peeled the blonde off of him and jumped up, his previous worries forgotten.

“So that’s why I haven’t given up on trying to make you my sidekick!”

Holding up a fist and gritting his teeth, Kaito could almost see the imaginary question marks floating around Kaede’s head as she stared up at him, but his confidence didn’t waver.

“Think about it! An exclusive pass to work with the Luminary of the Stars! Just Kaede and Kaito against the world!” He flashed his signature grin, “What do you say?”

One beat, then two.

Kaito was pretty sure suspense wasn’t supposed to build for that long, but he remained patient, eagerly awaiting Kaede’s response.

“...I think I’d like that.”

She smiled at him, and he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding before sitting back down.

When he had first met the Kaede, he had noticed her eyes almost immediately. They were bright, and they had sparkled and shimmered as if they were miniature stars. In reality, it made sense that if Kaede herself were a star, she would be the sun. Shining and burning with passion, she seemed to draw others to her with ease.

Her light had begun to die out after Shuichi’s death, but he was determined to restore it to the way it had once been.

Kaito held up his hand for a high five, and Kaede’s hand collided with his, the sound of the slap echoing through the room. The two shared a laugh, ignoring the dull sting that the collision provided, and Kaito opened the backpack, grin still apparent on his features.

“So, let’s see…” He murmured, looking through the variety of foods they had packed. While they had been in a rush, he had insisted that they pack at least two of everything— one of everything for each of them, of course. Anything extra was just for if they happened to be down there for longer than a day or two. The backpack seemed to be filled to the brim with snacks, breakfast foods, and lunches of all kinds, which made Kaito wonder whether they had thanked Kirumi enough before leaving or not.

“Sandwiches, tea, soda…” He listed off, digging through the backpack now. Kaede glanced in his direction, tapping what he assumed was the melody to a song he didn’t recognize on the ground in front of her.

“Fruit, chips, water…” He continued, getting closer to the backpack’s bottom, “donuts, chocolate, granola bars, custard-filled buns. Think that’s it. So you could eat a sandwich with a panta and an orange. Or something.”

As the astronaut’s hand move to grab one of the bags containing the sandwiches they would oh-so-graciously feast on, Kaito felt it brush over an object that was hard and cool to the touch. His eyebrows furrowed, and his fingers wrapped around the object before pulling it out of the backpack and making a few food wrappers fall out of the backpack and onto the ground. Once he held up the object, however, he paid them little mind.

“Hey, Kaede, I didn’t know you packed a flashlight.”

—

Being with Tenko all day had been...exhausting, to say the least.

If Himiko had known that the passport in the girl’s hands would open her lab, then she would have pried it from her hands without a second thought.

Or, just, asked Tenko to give it to her. Either would have worked, and either would have been preferable to Tenko excitedly leading her around and pulling her everywhere and touching everything. It had taken every ounce of the mage’s patience to not just put the girl out and cast a sealing spell on the entrance to her lab. No aikido move would’ve been able to get through that.

But Tenko was gone, finally, and she had her lab all to herself now. Or she would have her lab to herself tomorrow, at least. The night time announcement had gone off over two hours ago, and her MP was far too low for her to cast anymore spells for the day. So, with that, Himiko made her way to the girl’s dorm.

The walk to her room was nice; nightly walks always were, whether you were trapped in a giant cage or not.

Giant cage.

Himiko frowned, listening to the sound of her boots crunching against the grass. She needed to focus more on leveling up and bettering herself as a mage, and then maybe she could get everyone out of here. Inside this cage, she felt less like a powerful mage and more like a bird. A caged bird, that is.

Because she was trapped in a giant cage.

“Nyeh…” Halfway through the word, she let out a yawn.

She was inside the dormitory now, thankfully. That meant she was closer to her room, which meant she was closer to her bed, which meant she was closer to being able to sleep.

It also meant she was closer to Kokichi trying to pick the lock to Kaede’s room.

Wait. That didn’t sound right.

But the purple-haired boy was right in front of her, crouched low to the ground with nothing more than a hairpin in his hands. He seemed more focused than she was used to. It was an odd look for him and oh God he was picking the lock to Kaede’s room—

“Kokichi.” She saw no point in raising her voice; she was close enough to the boy and as far as she knew, his ears worked perfectly fine. In response, he turned to her with an innocent grin. That was more like him.

“Himiko…! What are you doing up this late?”

No point in beating around the bush.

“Nyeh, why are you trying to break into Kaede’s room?” Her question was punctuated by her pointing an accusing finger at him.

Kokichi tilted his head to the side. “Y’know, people typically don’t answer questions with questions. But, since I’m such a nice person, I’ll give you the answer you’re looking for.”

He stood up, spreading his arms.

“Neeheehee,” he giggled, “You were too late, Himiko. I’ve already been into Kaede’s room. What you saw was me locking her door, not me unlocking it. So there. There’s nothing you can do about it.” The dictator put his hands behind his head, crossing his legs at the ankles, “Now shoo.”

One second passed. Then two.

“You still haven’t answered my question. Going in circles with you is a pain, so hurry up and answer already!”

If Himiko didn’t know any better, she’d think Kokichi was a mage as well, casting several spells that were only meant to frustrate her. Somehow, he never failed to get her riled up, and every interaction with him was one huge waste of MP. Kaede had better thank her for fending him off, she decided. Or not. Either would work.

“Oooh, feisty! H-Himiko’s being so scary,” The liar’s lower lip quivered.

He had every right to be scared. That summer as a lifeguard had taught her reverse-CPR.

“Well…” Kokichi drawled, “Promise to keep this between us, and I’ll tell you everything.”

Himiko pondered on it for a moment.

Was it worth it? What would she gain from it? She wouldn’t gain anything from it, really, besides information that had a higher chance of being made-up than being true, and the longer she stood here, the less time she would have to sleep. Plus, by accepting Kokichi’s offer, she would most likely be playing right into his hands. If he had something against Kaede, that was between them; she had no place in their dispute.

“Nyeh...No.”

With that, Himiko turned around to make her way to the staircase. There was no point in making deals with someone who would only screw her over in return.

“Himiko…!” The whine was punctuated by Kokichi’s arms coming to wrap around her waist. “I-I know I screwed up, but please, give me another chance. I’m asking you just this once,” he sniffled.

What was he even talking about? And why was he touching her?

“Why should I?”

She didn’t even know what he was asking her to give him another chance for.

“Because I have something you don’t.”

Himiko didn’t need to look up in order to tell that Kokichi’s lips had curled into a devilish grin, and the jingling of metal filled her ears.

The supreme leader let go of her, and Himiko turned on her heel to see the key to her room dangling from his fingers. He held it up as if it were a prize of sorts, and that fact only made her frustration grow.

She should have gotten to her room when she had the chance.

“I’m surprised you didn’t figure out I was trying to pickpocket you. Y’know, being a mage and all.”

“D-Don’t say it like that!” Himiko felt her face heat up, and she watched Kokichi shove her key into the pocket of his pants. Unfortunately, unlike him, she wasn’t very skilled in thievery. Of course, that always could’ve been changed if she grinded enough in that area. Her mommy taught her that stealing was bad, though.

“Whatever. Let’s cut to the chase. I have something that you want,” Kokichi put his index finger in front of his lips, “and you have something I want.”

He was dragging this on far longer than necessary.

Himiko grumbled, “Just tell me what you want so I can go to bed already…”

“Neeheehee, it’s actually pretty simple. Himiko, I want your apprenticeship!”

—

Waking up the following morning was rather uneventful.

Of course, Kirumi was delighted with the prospect of being able to further her services now that she could access her research lab, but things were quiet in the academy, and she came to the conclusion that most of the other students were worn out from the excitement of the day prior. However, a maid’s job was never done, and Kirumi woke early to prepare breakfast for them anyway.

She awoke two hours before the morning announcement. Always.

Her walks through the school were peaceful, ignoring the fact that she could practically see the individual layers of dust that coated the walls of the building. No sounds were present save for the clicking of her heels hitting the floor, and the faint humming of exisals doing construction. Sometimes, Kirumi felt like one of them — A robot designed to fulfill certain tasks —  before she reminded herself that an exisal could never clean with a maid’s precision and that an exisal could never feel the joy of serving just as she could.

A soft smile graced her features.

No matter what, she existed to serve. Even in an environment like this one.

She could see the entrance to the cafeteria now, and she wasted no time making her way inside. It was strange. As Kirumi stepped closer to the kitchen, an unpleasant tug in her stomach seemed to increase, slowly coiling around her and forming one painful knot.

Fear. An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Anxiety. A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

Apprehension. Anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will occur.

These feelings were unbecoming of a maid, Kirumi told herself, but with one gloved hand on the door to the kitchen, with a lump forming in her throat, they were all that she could feel.

Thump. The sound of the rapid beating of a heart.

Click. The distinct sound of a doorknob turning.

Kirumi Tojo. The Ultimate Maid.

Kirumi Tojo. The sight that Kirumi Tojo saw upon opening the kitchen door.

Kirumi Tojo. The imposter that smiled innocently at Kirumi Tojo as Kirumi Tojo felt herself losing consciousness.

…

…

…

Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking Waking

—

“Nyahaha! This breakfast is absolutely divine, Kirumi!”

The maid smiled, placing her dress between her thumbs and index fingers for a small curtsey.

Everyone, sans Maki, had gathered in the dining hall, and Ryoma watched as Angie grinned and stood to address the room. It seemed that since the two people that held some sense of leadership within their group weren’t available at the moment, she had taken up the position. He didn’t think that it was just a coincidence that she had been the one to suggest sending Kaede and Kaito into the tunnel, but he decided it’d be best that he kept that opinion to himself.

Without the pair, it was oddly quiet.

Of course, there was always Kokichi, who had been occupying himself with trying to touch the strange point in Kiibo’s hair, which resulted in him getting into an argument with the robot, but it just wasn’t the same. Kaede and Kaito both gave life to any room they were in, while Kokichi was good at distracting others from the fact that that life wasn’t there.

Well, he either distracted them from the fact that they were trapped, or bluntly reminded them of it.

To Ryoma, this poor excuse of a school was better than prison, but he figured that it must have just been prison to the others.

“Okay, so,” Angie began, “Atua believes that we should all do something to strengthen our bonds with one another!”

Kokichi was the first to respond.

“Oh, oh! We should all totally have a sleepover! With candy and soda and games and—”

“Absolutely not!”

Tenko stood up from her seat, chair falling uselessly behind her. Dramatically, she pointed a finger at the leader-by-title.

“Having a sleepover with degenerate males would only endanger the innocence of young girls like Himiko,” she began, “and evil boys like you would try to take advantage of the other girls while their guards are down!”

Ryoma thought it suspicious how quickly Kokichi backed down.

“Mmm...alright.”

Tsumugi rested her head in a palm that cupped her cheek.

“Just like that?” Her eyebrows furrowed with doubt.

However, no one seemed to want to dwell on the matter, and the breakfast meeting continued without anyone coming up with anything particularly useful. Monokuma appeared with his cubs at one point, tilting his head curiously and saying that they all seemed awfully calm considering what they should have learned.

—

…

…

…

Kaito scratched the back of his head, features contorting into a slight grimace.

“We...should tell the others about this right away, shouldn’t we?”

Kaede swallowed, avoiding the astronaut’s gaze, before responding.

“I’m not sure. We don’t know what this thing’s purpose is, or whether it’s dangerous or not. The only way to find out would be to use it, but if anyone should do that, I think it should be me. If it turns out to really be dangerous, I don’t want you guys to get hurt.”

Kaito seemed to ponder the suggestion for a moment, then he let out a sigh.

“Kaede, I know I can’t help that selfless nature of yours, but I wouldn’t want you to get hurt either. You said you’d be my sidekick, so we’re in this together now. No more fighting alone, alright?”

The girl felt a weight on her head, presumably from Kaito’s hand, but it was overshadowed by the heavy weight in her chest.

“We can find out what this thing’s for together,” Kaede heard the boy in front of her continue, “and I think that would start with turning it on.”

“A-Alright.”

Chapter Text

A stained world full of lies

where love doesn’t exist

The demon within my heart

will undoubtedly never forgive me

Kokichi closed the door to his room with a sigh. Maneuvering around the clutter in the path to it, he made his way to his bed, gripping its comforter and peeling it back. He fought the urge to smirk. 

A notebook with musical notes on its cover lay in the bed's center. Just where he had left it.

Breaking into Kaede's room had been easy enough. Of course, there had been the unexpected encounter with Himiko, but it seemed she'd bought his lie about locking the door just fine. All he had to do was wait until the magician agreed to his demands to give her the key to her room and let her scurry off. Not wanting to take anymore chances, he searched for the notebook, which had been placed in a rather obvious spot (almost as if Kaede had intended for him to find it), and placed it in his room.

“Let's see…”

Muttering that and grabbing the notebook, Kokichi climbed into his bed. He snuggled into the sheets before finally opening the book to its first page.

Blank.

No name or anything. Just white space.

He couldn't tell whether that had been an intentional move or not, but it was smart. He doubted any of the students knew Kaede's handwriting well, so if she were to drop or lose it one day, whoever would find it wouldn't figure out who it belonged to and therefore wouldn't find her suspicious.

The next three pages were also blank, as were the next few pages after them. Humming to himself, Kokichi tried a different strategy and turned the notebook over to its back cover. He opened it from there and found nothing on those pages as well. 

He considered giving up and embracing the possibility that maybe Kaede had fooled him. Or maybe, she had another notebook somewhere, and this was just a decoy. 

But, half-heartedly opening the notebook to its middle, Kokichi found that that wasn't the case.

Neat script and lines upon lines of writing greeted him, and his lips curled into a catlike grin.

Jackpot.

“It's strange. Not once in my life did I believe that one of my friends would be framed for murder, yet here I am. Trapped in an abandoned school with thirteen other students – it used to be fifteen – with a robot acting as our headmaster. “Kill each other,” he demands.

But who would do such a thing? We're all friends here, aren't we? 

No. There's a mastermind among us. An evil, ruthless mastermind who believes that having children kill one another is the best form of entertainment.

None of us wanted to kill. None of us killed. The mastermind killed one of us and got away with it. They framed one of us and had him executed. I saw it all. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. I watched as arrows pierced through his chest, as flames engulfed his body until he was unrecognizable. 

I watched as Shuichi Saihara died. I watched because there was nothing I could do. In a way, I suppose it could be called my punishment. I set the trap and gave the mastermind the perfect idea to come up with a murder plan. I was the reason Shuichi was executed. If only I'd tried harder, if only I had been the one to go instead, if only I could've exposed the mastermind like I'd planned, he would still be alive.

If only I hadn't rolled the shot put, Rantaro would still be alive.”

The page ended there, and Kokichi turned to the next one.

“At first I wasn't sure of it, but now I am. There's definitely a mastermind among us – someone controlling Monokuma and this killing game. But what would ‘us’ be in this situation? If the mastermind is one of the students here, then they couldn't be called one of us, could they? I think the right way to phrase that would be ‘One of the thirteen other teens here is actually a mastermind masquerading as a student.’ That works.

Then again, if the mastermind can't be considered part of the group, then do I still have the right to say I'm part of the group? Do I still have the right to be everyone's friend?

No.

Because however you view it, I started the killing game. I fell for the mastermind's trap. They probably weren't going to kill us all anyway, since they went through the trouble of gathering us and setting everything up. Kirumi was right. Dorms, food, rooms for us to cultivate our talents… If they were so eager to get rid of us, what would be the point of all of that? I was stupid.

But there was also the chance they would strike anyway.

What a hopeless situation.”

Kokichi's grip on the notebook tightened. His trembling hands flipped to the next page, where he was met with a list of names and sentences scrawled next to them. These must have been the notes Kaede had told him about.

“Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective: We didn't have a lot of time together, but I could tell he was trustworthy. He was shy and lacked confidence in himself often, but he was kind and smart. I wish I could've played piano for him at least once. I wish we could've become friends. He wasn't the mastermind, and he didn't murder anyone either. He didn't deserve to go out the way he did. I managed to grab his hat when it flew off before he was executed, but I don't feel like I have the right to wear it. I should’ve died in Shuichi's place. He would have done a way better job at unraveling the mysteries of this school than me...

Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate...Something: He carried an air of mystery about him, and he was murdered before I could figure him out. He was smart, too, and he probably could have figured out some things about our situation if given the chance. But now he can't, and it’s all because of my decision, and I wish I could apologize to him. I wish I could tell him that I'm sure he meant well. I wish we could've been friends, I wish I could've helped him find his sisters, I wish I could've spent more time with him and had him paint my nails just one more time. The polish should start cracking and chipping soon, and it's the only thing I have to remember him by.”

Those two entries were all Kokichi could read before he heard a knock on his door. Throwing the notebook in a random direction so it could fit with all of the other clutter in his room, the dictator stood up from his bed and walked to the door. Before his visitor could knock again, he answered, opening the door just a crack and peeking into the hallway with one eye.

“Who dares disturb the Supreme Overlord of Ice? State your business immediately, fiend, or I will be forced to curse you to the seventh circle of the underwo–”

“You're sounding an awful lot like a chuunibyou animal tamer right now…”

Kokichi fought the urge to roll his eyes.

“Oh. It's just plain old Tsumugi. And here I was, hoping it'd be someone worth my time.” He slipped out of the room to meet the girl, locking his door before making a show of examining his nails.

“I actually came to ask you about Ka–”

“Well, if you wanna hang out, I guess it can't be helped.” Kokichi put his hands behind his head and smiled, “We're best friends, aren't we, 'Mugi?”

“It's plainly easy to see through that lie.”

“Come on, let's go!”

—

He wondered how Sister was fairing without him.

Korekiyo sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Many of the girls here would make good friends for her, but what did that matter if the timing wasn't right? What did that matter if he got caught and couldn't get out to see her once more? It was taxing, stressing over thoughts such as these. Constantly, his mind cluttered with thoughts of “What if?” and “What did it matter if?” and he would find himself growing frustrated. Escape was just beyond his grasp. Sister was just beyond his grasp, but if nothing else, he could still send a friend to her.

The anthropologist stared into the teacup in front of him, his features being reflected in its transparent drink. The tea was still pleasantly steaming, and Kirumi had somehow managed to brew it just the way he liked it. Not that he'd expect any less from an Ultimate Maid. She would most likely make a perfect role model for Sister.

As would Kaede, but unlike Kirumi, she carried a peppy, yet comfortable air about her. Kind, determined, reasonably intelligent. Warm and inviting, almost like the sun.

His sister's reflection stared up at him. 

Korekiyo covered his lips with his mask.

Of course, the pianist had suffered a blow from the deaths of her dear friends, but he predicted she would move on eventually. No, not move on, but learn and grow from the experience. She would keep trying no matter what because that was the type of person she was. Resilient, focused, perseverant. That was Kaede Akamatsu's beauty.

“U-Um… Did Gonta come at a bad time?”

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and Korekiyo tore his eyes away from his beverage to see the entomologist standing at the entrance to the dining hall. He couldn't help but take note of how Gonta fidgeted, poking both index fingers together and avoiding his gaze.

“No, no, it's quite alright. I don't have free rein over the dining hall, after all.” He left out a chuckle before addressing the elephant in the room. “Is there anything you wish to speak to me about?”

Gonta took a second to respond.

“Kokichi told Gonta that gentlemen drink lots of tea. Gonta doesn't know very much about tea, so Kokichi told him to find you.”

There were multiple things wrong with the fact that someone as...malleable as Gonta would be listening to someone like Kokichi.

“Very well then. Come, take a seat.”

—

“A little to the left – Wait, no – wait, yes! Move it up just a little, Tsumugi!”

The cosplayer fought the urge to groan. No matter how many times she had tried to protest by saying she was a cosplayer, and not a decorator, Kokichi refused to let her go. “It shouldn't be too bad, Tsumugi,” he said. “I'm giving you the chance to be useful for once,” he said.

She held the banner where Kokichi had instructed her to, tacking it to the wall on one side before doing the same on the other. Neat, thick cursive greeted her eyes when she pulled back, words taunting her in the innocent form of Kirumi's handwriting.

'Kokichi Ouma's Super-Duper Evil Sleepover’

She couldn't have guessed it would come to this. One minute, Kokichi's grabbing her and forcing his way into her room, taking any fabrics and scissors and craft supplies he can, and the next minute he's leading her to the A/V room and telling her to get to work. What she couldn't do, he asked Kirumi to do. What supplies they didn't have, they raided the storage room for.

She had asked the leader why he hadn't asked Angie to do all of this. He said she'd probably want something in return – his compliance and loyalty, most likely. It was clear he just didn't feel like dealing with her.

Tsumugi stared at the banner. It jutted out crudely from its spot half-above, half-on the giant screen at the front of the room. She frowned, pushing her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose. Kirumi had left to prepare food for the night, which left everything else to her and…

“Okay!” Kokichi separated the two syllables with a clap of his hand. “So, I think the last things we,” by 'we’ he meant her, “need to do are move the furniture and set up sleeping arrangements. Kirumi should be here with the food soon, and then Gonta can start rounding everyone up. Thoughts?”

“No. Not really.”

“Good; you're cuter when you keep your mouth shut,” he grinned, pointing a finger gun at her. “I don't have to listen to that annoying voice of yours that way!”

She found herself wishing Kaito were around to punch him in the face.

With that, Tsumugi took to pushing chairs and couches along the wall. She couldn’t figure out whether the furniture had been heavy or if she had just been weak, but she worked up a sweat either way. Some while she had been working, Kokichi left the room. When he came back, his arms were full of different blankets and pillows that didn’t seem to fit in any neat color scheme. She grimaced, but the dictator must have not noticed, for he dropped them onto the floor without a second thought.

“Pink, purple, and blue blankets on the left. Red, yellow, and orange on the right. Just put pillows wherever you want.”

Letting out a quiet sigh, she sorted the blankets by color before smoothing and spreading them out on the floor. As much as she hated having to do all of this, she couldn’t ignore the fact that this gathering would be rather convenient given the next motive. She pulled an all-nighter planning it, and now heavy makeup hid the dark circles under her eyes, so she hoped it would be well-received.

Perhaps they could get a few good scenes out of this sleepover as well.

—

She couldn't have seen it coming.

One minute, she's hunching over her workbench, trying to finish those goddamn pens, and the next minute, Big Dick's storming into her lab with his teeth bared and his body practically glowing. If looks could kill, she'd have been a splatter on the floor. Kokichi, always a little shit, sidles up next to him and grins at her like he always does – With utter condescension.

“You can leave her here, Gonta. She's already proven that she likes bugs,” he lies. “But I have something in mind for her alone, so I wanna talk to her about that. You go finish rounding up the others, but bring Himiko here.” With that, the entomologist sprints out her lab to go do whatever the fuck Kokichi asked of him, and she's left alone with the dictator.

And now, she was here, with beads of sweat that didn't suit her forming on her brow from the pressure of being watched, and by Kokichi, nonetheless. Himiko sat on the floor, fiddling with some lock picking set she'd been given. She looked even less happy than her.

Kokichi had explained his plans for a sleepover – Gather everyone in the A/V room, give them food and drinks, let them watch a bug documentary. It had been so that no one could disturb them while they worked, he said.

Worked for what?

What the hell was he planning?

“Alright, limp dick, feast your eyes on these babies!” Miu grinned, holding up a handful of pens triumphantly. “Well? You gonna thank me? A-Are you gonna get on your knees and thank me?” She fidgeted, playing with the end of a lock of hair.

“They aren't too bad,” Kokichi hummed, ignoring her statements. She watched him pocket a pen with curiosity.

“When am I getting my blueprints back?”

Kokichi tilted his head. “What made you think you'd be getting them back?”

“I– You– What? ”

“Thanks again, Miu! Himiko, come on!”

He pulled the magician out of her lab, and Miu made no move to stop him. Instead, she let out a sigh, running an oil-covered hand through her matted hair. More than anything, she needed a fucking shower. Then she could figure out what to do.

—

Kirumi placed a tray of cookies on a table with a smile. Though she would have liked to have done more herself, she had to admit that Tsumugi had done well as far as decorating went. Gonta had managed to bring everyone Kokichi requested into the A/V room, and now, all that was left was to wait for them to wake up.

Kokichi himself arrived with Tsumugi and Himiko in tow not long after she finished placing pillows under everyone's head (she had to make sure they were comfortable, after all), and he let out a low whistle before saying, “Himiko, go to sleep.” He shooed the mage away, and she let out a small “Only because the blankets look warm…”

“Gotta say, Kirumi, Tsumugi, you guys did a pretty great job!” The maid bowed before Kokichi grinned, placing his hands behind his head. “I may just lay off on the teasing for a bit.”

“How about for the rest of our lives?” Tsumugi grumbled, and Kokichi pouted.

“I'm not that generous. Plus, you're slightly more entertaining when you're angry, 'Mugi.”

The cosplayer sighed and, as if on cue, the others began to shift and rise.

—

Kaede could barely feel the flashlight in her backpack.

The monokubs and Monokuma had explained its purpose to her and Kaito before they had turned it on, and it didn't make sense. How could you possibly steal someone's memories and then give them back? And in the form of a flashlight, no less.

“Still, I think we should tell the others about it,” Kaito had said.

“You mean...tell them not to buy whatever Monokuma's trying to sell as facts?”

“Exactly!” She had watched him grin.

An incoming explosive made the memory dissipate, and Kaede dodged it with ease. These parts were some of the hardest for her when she had begun, but they had gotten easier to notice after a few unsuccessful tries. If she listened closely, which wasn't a difficult feat for her, she could hear them coming. If she focused enough, she could feel the wind whipping as they hurled towards her.

The first few tries had been difficult because of Kaito insisting on cheering her on, as the others had told him that he couldn't participate in going through the tunnel with her. Though she appreciated the thought, it had been hard to focus with his words of encouragement distracting her, so she let him know that.

Things were going well this round, Kaede thought with a smile, jumping to a moving platform. She strained her eyes and could make out a metal door in the distance. She had pushed through one a while ago, and like that one, this one would be heavy, but that was okay.

Platform, explosive, platform, explosive.

Step, jump, step, jump, step, jump, step.

The patterns went on even when she got to the door, and just as she had expected, the door was heavy. She didn't bother trying to push it all at once, for she knew that would only hurt her wrists. Instead, the method that she decided to use was jumping and crouching to evade explosives and pushing on the door intermediately, all while trying to stay on her platform and keep her footing.

Soon, the door was open.

Kaede moved to run, only to realize that there seemed to not be any other traps in the way. She slowed her pace to a walk, but she still proceeded cautiously. Before her was another door, but not like the one she had pushed through. It was circular and guarded by an electric field.

“Is this...the exit?” She asked, and then mentally slapped herself for not remembering that Kaito wasn't at her side.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to run, and jump, and play piano until her fingers fell off. Excitement bubbled within her, and she didn't know what to do with it.

Then, Monokuma appeared.

“I-I can't believe you actually beat that escape game on the hardest difficulty…! Well, not that I'd expect any less from a girl who walks around the school, breaking all of my equipment. Puhuhuhu… For a pianist, you sure are strong!”

The robotic bear stuck his freakishly long tongue out. “So...frustrating…! But...I must...celebrate it!” He grinned his signature grin. “Congratulations! The exit's this way!”

Kaede thought for a moment.

“Really? The outside world is just beyond that door?”

“Yep yep!”

“Then…” She began with a frown, “since I beat this, can I take the others with me?”

Monokuma shook his head despite the fact that he didn't have a neck. “Nope nope! No can do. Either you leave by yourself, or they haul ass down here and go through the Death Road of Despair too. No 'One For All’ business while I'm around!”

Kaede didn't miss a beat. “Then I'm not going through.”

“Wha-wha?”

“But show me, at least. Show me what the outside world looks like.”

She watched Monokuma pretend to consider her offer.

“Hm...Hmhm...Hmhmhm…”

‘Patience, Kaede.’

“Alrighty! I can do that!”

The pianist let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

“Now, Miss Kaede Akamatsu, feast your eyes onnnnn,” he paused dramatically as the door began to open, “the outside world!”

Her eyes widened.

“T-This is…”

“All real!”

Kaede lost consciousness.

—

When she woke, Kokichi was straddling her waist and grinning down at her. She fought a strong urge to push him off of her or call for Tenko–

“Morning sleepyhead…! Glad to have you back, Kaede! Also, you smell awful.”

–Though, looking around, she found that the second option wouldn't have worked, as the girl seemed to be unconscious. Or just asleep. As was everyone in the room, safe for her and Kokichi. They didn't appear to be in any sort of familiar area, either. The walls seemed to be made of orange bricks, and there were no windows in sight. A staircase on the wall at her side led to what must have been a second floor.

“Kokichi, do you know what's going on?”

He frowned at the question.

“What, me?” He asked rhetorically. “I don't know anything, silly!”

Then, putting his index finger to his smirk,

“Well, nothing other than that this is our new motive.”