Chapter Text
Kaede and Shuichi left the room and came across some stairs going downward.
“What should we do, Shuichi? You wanna head down?” Kaede asked her companion.
“I-I dunno… The basement might be dangerous. This place is full of mysteries.” Shuichi told her, looking worried.
Kaede then had a brilliant idea and said. “Then let’s proceed with caution! With you at the front!” she suggested.
Kokichi made an expression full of shock. “Didn’t expect Kaede to use Shuichi as a meat shield!”
Kaede looked very ashamed. “S-Sorry Shuichi!” She said earnestly even getting up to bow.
“It’s ok, I forgive you.” Shuichi told her with a slight chuckle. The bow wasn’t necessary, she only had to say sorry and Shuichi would’ve easily forgiven her.
“Ah…so I’m in front. I see…” Shuichi said with a sweatdrop running down his face.
Shuichi slowly led the way down the stairs with Kaede following closely behind. They finally reached the bottom of the stairs and saw a dark hallway.
“It doesn’t *look* very dangerous to me.” Kaede commented.
“Ah, well…some dangers are hidden where you can’t see.” Shuichi explained, still looking very worried.
“I agree, the most dangerous thing is the danger that you aren’t aware of.” Rantaro said calmly in agreement with Shuichi.
“You’re right but… let’s not assume the worst.” Kaede stated, hoping to stop the class from assuming the worst would happen.
“Shuichi…you have quite the imagination, don’t you?” Kaede happily said.
“No, I just think you’re not considering how dangerous this is…” Shuichi said, slightly amused.
Kaede chuckled at his statement. “Yeah, maybe. But we should look around the basement, too. There might be an exit. Oh, but we should be careful”
Shuichi nodded in agreement. “Yeah…you’re right.”
The pair then turned left and went into a room with a brown door. Inside, they saw a multitude of games as well as a very short boy.
“So I’m next huh? I wonder what Kaede thought of me when we first met.” Ryoma mused aloud.
“It looks like a Game Room…” Kaede commented. “But this is a school, right? Is it normal for a school to have its own Game Room?”
“It certainly is strange…” Shuichi noted before Kaede walked up to the short boy.
“Sheesh…what a strange place.” The boy said in a very deep voice. “When I heard we were trapped here, I didn’t expect we’d have a Game Room.”
“Are we really trapped in here? There must be an exit, right?” Kaede suggested optimistically.
“I appreciate the optimism, but we’re probably trapped there considering everything that we know.” Ryoma stated calmly.
“Well…Maybe there’s a way for us to get out if we all work together.” Kaede optimistically suggested.
Kaito nodded in agreement. “Yeah! As long as all of us work together, we can easily get out of there!”
Kokichi didn’t say anything but he disagreed. “But what if we don’t work together? They obviously tried to stop us from cooperating by removing our memories, so they probably have something else to stop us from cooperating…but what?”
“Isn’t that what you guys are walking around looking for? Then…figure it out yourself.” The boy told them darkly.
“Oh, o-okay…” Kaede replied.
The boy snorted. “We may be trapped, but it’s pretty cool here. Compared to prison anyway…” he mused.
Ryoma nodded and pulled his beanie downward to cover the top of his eyes. “I agree, the place looks much better than prison. Still, to end up trapped after leaving prison? I guess it’s what a guy like me deserves.” He mused
“Don’t speak like that! It’s not like you went to prison for something actually bad. You took down a whole mafia!” Kaito exclaimed happily.
“I still killed them. Their blood is on my hands and that’s the sad truth of it.” Ryoma darkly said with a slight frown.
Kaito didn’t have any rebuttal for his words. Shuichi observed the scene as it played out, his mind drifted to a man who he felt was similar to Ryoma.
“Prison…? What? But you’re an Ultimate student, aren’t you?” Kaede asked, unsure of what to think.
They boy tucked his hands into his hoodie’s pockets. “Hmph…that’s an old story. Ryoma Hoshi, the man once called the Ultimate Tennis Pro…no longer exists. I’m nothing more than his empty shell.” Ryoma introduced, his voice full of melancholy.
Ryoma Hoshi - Ultimate Tennis Pro
“Saying stuff like that pisses me off.” Kaito stated angrily.
Ryoma’s face turned into one full of melancholy. “Even if you don’t like it, I’m just an empty shell of my former, more innocent self.”
“I would have to politely disagree.” Kirumi stated, her eyes full of determination. “If you were in fact an empty shell, then you would not mean anything to me or anyone in this class. Kaito would not get angry with an empty shell, I…would not consider an empty shell a friend of mine.”
Hearing those words made Ryoma feel genuinely happy, a happiness he hadn’t felt since that fateful day. “Thank you, Kirumi.”
“Ryoma Hoshi? R-Really? I’ve seen you in the newspaper…The tennis prodigy who single handedly took down a mafia…”
“You took down a mafia by yourself!?” Kaede yelled in surprise.
“The papers said he shot them through the head with his tennis skills and an iron ball.” Shuichi explained.
“Seeing that on the news was still just plainly shocking!” Tsumugi commented.
Rantaro nodded. “I agree. Seeing the story for the first time was insane”
“How the fuck did you hear of him but not me!?” Miu asked in bewilderment. No one bothered to answer her.
“What the hell!? Really!?” Kaede thought in disbelief.
“Hmph, so you know that much already…Well? What do you think of the loser before you who used his talent to kill?” Ryoma asked, assuming the worst.
Kaede looked confused. “B-But…why would you throw away your future like that?” she slowly asked.
Ryoma looked at her blankly. “Hmph, because I didn’t need a future anymore.”
Seeing Ryoma so devoid of hope made the others feel bad for him.
His words made Kaede’s heart sink. “What happened that caused him to be like this? I doubt it’s just because he killed that mafia…Maybe it has something to do with *why* he took down the mafia?”
“Huh?” Kaede said in confusion.
“No…It’s nothing. It’s not like me to talk so much.” Ryoma said, chastising himself before turning his back on them. “Anyway…I’m warning you. It’s dangerous to just walk up to a killer like me.”
“You don’t have to be so depressed all the time Ryoma.” Kokichi playfully said with a smile.
Ryoma simply stared at him.
“When will you realize that you’re not just a killer Ryoma? When will you realize that you have the ability to redeem yourself from past mistakes?” Kirumi solemnly thought.
The duo left the Game Room, walked back to where they came from and turned left. They then saw a sliding door. When they opened it, they entered a room full of old books and there was also a girl with dark hair and twin tails.
Kaede gagged due to the smell of the old books. “Is this a library?” She asked.
“There are books all over the place… It doesn’t seem very organized.” Shuichi noticed.
“Probably indicating that the books were added recently.” Shuichi deduced from his observation.
“Oh, does that bother you? Are you a neat-freak, Shuichi?” Kaede happily asked.
Shuichi lightly chuckled. “No, it’s just… I was wondering if someone was using it before us.” he commented.
Kaede’s comment got a chuckle out of some of the class.
“That DOES make a lot of sense considering how neatly organized your notes are.” Tsumugi commented with a chuckle.
Angie decided to chime in with. “Don’t forget how he always has his desk looking very organized before class starts.” she said with a smile.
“I-I’m not a neat f-freak.” Shuichi said in embarrassment, his tone not helping his case.
“Huh? Someone?” Kaede asked in confusion.
“Ah, it’s nothing. Let’s just investigate for now.” Shuichi said, redirecting her focus.
The duo then walked up to the girl who looked lost in thought.
Kaede decided to talk to her.“Um…Are you an Ultimate student, too?” She asked.
“Yeah, that’s right.” The girl responded before going back to her thoughts.
“Huh? Is that it? She sure doesn’t talk much.” Kaede thought to herself.
“That’s Maki-roll for ya.” Kaito said fondly with a smile.
“You really could talk some more Maki.” Kaede happily suggested.
“Do I need to say more?” Maki asked. Her simple question was met with silence as Kaede had no rebuttal for her very simple argument.
“I’m Kaede Akamatsu. I’m the Ultimate Pianist.” Kaede happily introduced herself.
“I’m Shuichi Saihara. And I’m the Ultimate Detective, I suppose…” Shuichi said, not too confident in his introduction.
Kaede immediately noticed his words. “Geez…Not ‘suppose,’ you *are* the Ultimate Detective, okay?” she chastised.
Shuichi looked embarrassed before admitting defeat. “Y-Yeah…you’re right.”
“Damn Shuichi, you gave up pretty easily.” Kokichi pointed out teasingly.
Shuichi blushed in embarrassment before saying. “Well, Kaede was right so obviously I’ll admit that I was wrong.”
“Suuuuuure. That’s why your face is red.” Kokichi teased happily. His comment made Shuichi feel even more embarrassed.
The girl silently looked at the interaction between the two.
“And what about you?” Kaede asked happily.
“Maki Harukawa…Ultimate Child Caregiver…” Maki introduced shortly.
Maki Harukawa - Ultimate Child Caregiver
“Ultimate Child Caregiver, huh?” Kaede mused aloud.
Maki noticed her behaviour. “...Surprised? I don’t look like someone who’d like kids, do I?”
“I still remember being plainly surprised when I first heard her talent.” Tsumugi commented plainly.
Keebo nodded his head in agreement. “I agree. It’s hard to imagine Maki taking care of children.”
“Well, it wasn’t that surprising to me considering how she looks.” Kaito said, in defense of Maki.
Maki stared at him blankly, feeling unsure on if she should take Kaito’s statement as an insult or a compliment.
Meanwhile, Shuichi was lost in his thoughts. “Maki’s talent is definitely weird, I’ve always thought that something was…off, about her- NO! Maki’s my friend, she’s our friend, fellow sidekick of Kaito. I don’t want to believe that she’s hiding something so I’ll just believe in her.”
Kokichi on the other hand, was not so lenient. “She’s definitely dangerous, but in what way? Is she just a trained fighter dangerous? Or serial killer dangerous?” He thought to himself, wondering exactly how dangerous Maki truly is.
“Huh?” Kaede said in confusion.
“Well, you’d be right. I don’t like kids that much.” Maki admitted blankly.
“B-But…if you’re the Ultimate Child Caregiver, then children must like you a lot, right…?” Kaede asked, wanting to believe what she just said.
Maki stared blankly before saying. “Kids are…weird. They come to me on their own. I’m not that good at taking care of them… I’m not that friendly, either…”
“Well it’s probably because of how cute you are Maki-roll!” Kaito happily said with a smile.
Maki’s face went red with embarrassment, in disbelief and also admittedly happy that Kaito said that. “Wh-What do you mean by that!?”
Kaede nodded in agreement. “He’s right, y'know. If I was a kid and saw you, I’d instantly love you because of how adorable you are.” she complimented.
Hearing this made Maki slightly smile while still looking very embarrassed. One of the praises affected her a lot more than the other.
The other person on the couch, Shuichi, gave a slight chuckle at the scene.
“But they say kids are very intuitive. If they like you that much, then they can probably tell how loving you really are, Maki!” Kaede deduced happily. Maki said nothing in response as Kaede continued her deduction. “Yeah! That must be it! You’ve chosen a perfect career for yourself!”
“...It wasn’t my choice to begin with.” Maki stated in order to correct Kaede’s deduction.
“Huh? What do you mean by that?” Kaede asked.
Maki then played with her hair and pouted. “...Nothing. It’s just…I grew up in an orphanage and got saddled with helping out a lot.”
“Well, the fact that you were good enough to be chosen as the Ultimate Child Caregiver despite that is really impressive!” Kaito complimented happily.
In response, Maki looked at him with pout.
“Orphanage, huh? I see…” Kaede thought.
“Ah, by the way…Do you know anything about the Monokubs?” Shuichi asked, hoping to get some information.
Kaede chimed in. “Yeah! Someone’s gotta be controlling them, right!? Any idea who it might be?” she asked.
“...How would I know?” Maki bluntly asked.
“Well, fair point…” Kaede said, looking disappointed. “Hmmm… The Monokubs are definitely involved in our situation…” Kaede mused.
“If only they knew…” Rantaro stated in frustration with a sigh.
“Things would be so much simpler if we had all of our memories” Keebo said, looking very frustrated.
“...Hey, boy detective, shouldn’t you have figured out what’s going on already?” Maki said, expecting him to know the answers.
“...What?” Shuichi said in exasperation.
“Hey! You can’t expect Shuichi to know everything Maki-roll.” Kaito chastised.
“I-It’s fine Kaito, it’s the first time she met me.” Shuichi pointed out.
Kaede immediately jumped to his defense. “W-Well, he’s a detective, not a god! He can’t know everything!” she said before changing the topic. “I mean, who cares about some stuffed animals!? Escaping this place is way more important!”
“Seriously? You think we can escape?” Maki asked incredulously. “Abducting Ultimates from across the country would require massive resources and planning. What makes you think a group capable of that would let us just walk out of here?” She stated.
“While she is incorrect about us being from across the country, she is completely correct about the fact that the entire building, the Monokubs, Flashback Lights, even the Exisals require a lot of resources. Our enemy isn’t an average kidnapper, they’ve planned this for quite some time and they clearly have the resources to pull it off. I doubt they’d plan all of this but fail to account for an exit.” Kiyo stated calmly.
The idea of someone very powerful currently planning the kidnapping of the class made them worry.
Meanwhile, the more analytical and composed students simply wondered why someone would do all of this.
“If they won’t end this, then we will! I know we can do it if we work together!” Kaede said optimistically.
Maki looked somewhat appalled by the thought. “Work together? With strangers? You’re a naive fool if you think you can end this so easily.” she bluntly stated.
Maki looked conflicted, “I still think that you’re thinking too positively but I… believe that you and that idiot should be able to bring everyone together.” she said with a slight smile.
“Thanks, Maki.” Kaede said with a smile.
Maki then left the library after the conversation ended.
“That was…kind of odd. She didn’t seem like the Ultimate Child Caregiver.” Shuichi commented.
“Geez, don’t say that.” Kaede scolded playfully.
Kaede’s words made Maki both relieved and guilty that Kaede believed her.
The duo then left the library and went back up the stairs. Kaede immediately noticed the iron grate being opened.
“Oh! We couldn’t go through here before, right!? Looks like the iron grate opened…Did someone open it for us? Let’s check it out.” She thought to herself.
“Wait a minute. Doesn’t that look like an entrance hall?” Keebo asked, his hope rising.
“It does!” Kaede agreed optimistically. The class started to feel optimistic about escaping, however, someone had to tell them the cold hard truth
“Let’s not get our hopes up. I doubt they’d just let us walk out the front door and escape.” This person was Rantaro who’s words cut through the optimism and hope the class was feeling.
“Oh! Is this the entrance hall?” Kaede optimistically asked. “Right, Shuichi!? This must be the entrance hall, don’t you think?”
“Y-Yeah, I suppose so…” Shuichi said in agreement.
“Which means…” Kaede said before finding a door that seemed to go outside. “...that door must be the entrance. If we walk through it, we can escape this place, right?” she said optimistically.
“Still sure about that Rantaro? The front door is right there!” Kaito boomed happily.
Rantaro was more focused on what actually laid behind the door. “I doubt the door is the exit to this place. If the door leads them outside, then they probably did something to block us off from escaping.”
“But what could they possibly do so that we don’t destroy the blockade or find a way around it.” Shuichi mused aloud.
“W-Wait, I don’t think we should open doors carelessly. It could be a trap…” Shuichi said with worry.
Suddenly a tall boy with a mask spoke up. “Worrying about that isn’t necessary. I have already examined the doors.”
“Oh… Uhhh…” Kaede said, momentarily stunned by the boy’s sudden appearance.
Kiyo’s sudden appearance made some of the class jump in surprise.
“Damn it Kiyo, you really do need to stop doing that.” Kaito said, trying his best to ignore the fact that he was one of the students who jumped.
“My apologies.” Kiyo simply said in amusement.
“You wonder, ‘Who is this?’ Yes…I shall make that clear first.” The boy said before introducing himself. “My name is Korekiyo Shinguji…I am called the Ultimate Anthropologist.”
Korekiyo Shinguji - Ultimate Anthropologist
“Korekiyo? Anthropologist?” Kaede mused in confusion.
“Please, call me Kiyo. As for anthropology, would you like a simple explanation?” Kiyo asked.
“Okay, sure…” Kaede replied, still very confused.
Kiyo then started to explain. “Anthropology…studies customs, legends, folk tales, songs, and much more. There may even be customs in your daily life, the origins of which you do not know.” he explained calmly. “For example…certain aspects of birthday or new year celebrations. Anthropology sheds light on traditions and customs such as these through rigorous analysis. It is a study that examines the thought behind culture, faith, and customs.”
“Nyeh…That sounds too complicated, I’d rather just use my magic to figure this stuff out.” Himiko stated whilst fighting the urge to sleep.
“That’s amazing Himiko! Way more efficient than the degenerate male!” Tenko excitedly and loudly said to Himiko which only seemed to annoy her with how loud she was.
Kaede listened and still looked a little confused. “Okay…I sorta get it, but not really… It sounds like a lot of fun, though!”
“Well of course it’s fun… It is a study focused on humanity.” Kiyo said as if it were obvious before creepily saying. “I believe…that human beings are creatures who possess infinite beauty.”
“Oh, ummm…” Kaede said, feeling slightly creeped out.
“I find all aspects of humanity-even the ugly parts-to be beautiful. Our present situation is rather…intriguing. What beauty will I be able to witness here?” Kiyo continued with his eyes closed, unaware of Kaede’s feelings before he looked upward and spread his arms.. “Kehe… Kehehehe… People are wonderful…” He said creepily.
The class was obviously, very creeped out by Kiyo’s words.
“Why the fuck is he so fuckin’ creepy!?” Miu cursed loudly, feeling slightly scared.
Kiyo simply stared at the screen blankly.
Even Kokichi was a little creeped out. “I’ve always had the feeling that something’s… off with Kiyo, he’s never lied so he shouldn’t be dangerous but I just have this unshakeable feeling that he’s dangerous.”
“This guy looks like a creep…and it turns out, he is one, too.” Kaede thought to herself. “Anyway, we can go outside if we just go through these doors, right?” Kaede slowly asked optimistically.
“You should find the answers to such questions on your own…The moment your hopes are shattered… That, too…may be beautiful…” Kiyo told them darkly.
“What the hell does that mean!?” Kaito asked loudly in confusion.
“Classic degenerate, withholds information and even enjoys Kaede’s sadness.” Tenko said in disgust.
Kiyo was quick to apologize. “My apologies Kaede, I’m sure that my future self did not intend for his words to come across so…harshly.”
“I-It’s fine Kiyo.” Kaede replied bashfully.
“Sh-Shattered…? What does he mean by that?” Kaede thought to herself before she walked up to the door. “Th-Then…let’s go.”
“O-Okay…” Shuichi said in agreement.
Kaede looked determined but she was hesitant to take the first step forward. “What if beyond this is just-” she stopped her train of thought before chastising herself. “Ah, geez! This isn’t like me! Just because I’m scared doesn’t mean I’m gonna run away! I gotta move forward!” She angrily told herself.
“Kaede not giving up is good. Gonta happy that she moving forward.” Gonta happily commented.
Kaito nodded his head in agreement. “Gonta’s right, now isn’t the time to hesitate, it’s time to take action!”
Kaede gave the two a smile and continued watching.
“K-Kaede!” Shuichi exclaimed in surprise.
Kaede smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it! Let’s go, Shuichi!”
Kaede walked towards the door, feeling confident and optimistic. They opened the door and the camera cut to outside of the building, focusing on the ground.
“See? They escaped!” Kaito boomed optimistically. The class erupted with cheers.
“They escape and can get help!” Gonta happily said.
“Praise be to Atua, they made it out.” Celebrated Angie with a smile.
Kokichi wasn’t full convinced. “I doubt it’s that easy. They have something else there don’t they?”
“See guys? There was nothing to worry about! Now we can just-” Kaede didn’t get to finish her sentence.
Why? Well…
The camera then panned to show Shuichi and Kaede looking up at the sky. A giant structure going around the area that seemed to cage them in.
“What the fuck?” Miu stated in disbelief before the information sunk in and she started to panic. “WHAT THE FUCK!?”
“How did they achieve something like this!?” Keebo asked in worry.
“Why did they build something like this!? The resources and capabilities to build something like this must’ve costed them a fortune!” Kirumi said, slightly panicking due to the new development.
“I knew they had to stop us from escaping with something but this? This is insane!” Rantaro exclaimed in surprise.
“To destroy that with my magic would require a lifetime's worth of MP!” Himiko said in surprise, not looking tired at all.
Kaede looked at the structure in disbelief and worry, her optimistic hopes, just as future Kiyo stated, were completely shattered.
“A-A cage…? A wall?” Kaede said in disbelief. “Both words were accurate. What stood before us was both cage and wall.” Kaede narrated “Either way, the enormous wall struck a terrifying chord. The mere sight of its imposing presence was enough to send waves of panic through me.” Kaede and Shuichi looked around. “No matter where we looked-ahead, behind, above, or all around…The cage surrounded the entire school.”
“What is this…? We’re trapped!?” Shuichi yelled in disbelief and panic.
“What’s going…on…?” Kaede asked in genuine confusion.
All the class did was simply stare in shock, disbelief and panic as they slowly began to realize that they were most likely trapped in the area for a very long time.
And just to add the awful cherry on top
“Rise and Shine, ursine!” 5 cheery voices simultaneously said.
“Damn it! Not these guys again!” Kaito yelled in annoyance.
“Keebo, why are your siblings so annoying!” Kokichi scolded teasingly.
Keebo looked offended. “I told you! They are not my siblings!”
“Surprised about the cage, huh? I totally understand how you feel.” Monotaro commented.
“Byeow! But it’s so awesomely huge! I can see why it’s called the End Wall!” Monokid excitedly said.
Kaede noticed what he said. “End Wall…?” she repeated in confusion.
Monosuke noticed her confusion and explained. “Normally, walls are erected to separate two places, right? But that wall is different. It represents…the end of the world.”
THAT caused to class to freeze up..
“What he mean by end of the world?” Gonta asked in confusion and worry.
Others started to worry as well, luckily they didn’t have to worry for long.
Maki quickly put a rest to their worries. “I doubt he means the actual end of the world because we’re still alive. This is probably another lie by the Monokubs.”
“Damn it! Can those guys just shut up!” Kaito yelled in frustration.
“...Hm? What *were* we talking about?” Monosuke asked, feigning confusion.
“Huh? Was someone talking? Was I talking?” Monotaro asked, with what seemed to be genuine confusion. Monokid laughed heartily to conceal their previous words but Kaede wasn’t going to forget.
“Stop laughing and explain yourselves!”
Monophanie joined their act. “There’s nothing to explain. This is simply how it is, so please don’t bother. You can’t get out of here. That wall has no entrances or exits, and it cannot be climbed or demolished.”
“An Ultimate could probably climb it partway, but most of the time it’s impossible!” Monokid explained.
“I took a deep breath and shouted at the wall as loud as I could.” Kaede narrated. “Someone!!! Help us!!!” she yelled. She startled Monophanie but she didn’t care and continued. “Please!!! Help us!!!” she even startled Monokid due to her volume but Kaede continued and became even more desperate. “Someone!!! Anyone!!! Please help us!!! We’re trapped inside this huge cage!!!” she startled Monotaro. “I shouted as loud as I could, but…for all my shouting, there was no response.” Kaede narrated
Seeing Kaede so desperate and hearing her shouts broke the hearts of the class, Shuichi especially.
“Kaede…” He muttered so that only she could hear him. He interlocked their fingers before her squeezed her hand, knowing that despite the optimism, she was just as desperate and worried as everyone else.
Kaede then heavily exhaled to catch her breath.
“Please, stop! You’ll hurt your throat!” Monophanie warned.
“Yeah! Scream all you like, no one can hear you anyway!” Monokid yelled angrily.
“No one…can hear us?” Shuichi asked in disbelief and worry before getting angry. “Wh-What do you mean? What do you mean no one can hear us?” The Monokubs said nothing in response. “Say something!” There was still no answer, Shuichi then started to sound desperate. “...One of you, just…answer!” Once again, nothing. “...Damn it…” Shuichi said, accepting the situation.
Despite her own worry, Kaede’s heart broke at the sight of Shuichi slowly becoming more desperate before accepting the situation. She gently squeezed his hand.
Many of the other students were dealing with the situation in different ways.
Ryoma, Kokichi, Rantaro and Kiyo seemed mainly neutral and accepting of the situation.
Keebo was comforting a panicking Miu with a hug.
Tenko and Angie each held one of Himiko’s hands to calm her down.
Kaito, Kirumi and Maki were frustrated and angry at the situation.
And finally, Gonta was currently comforting Tsumugi by giving her a hug.
It was hard to accept the truth, it was even harder for the majority of the class to compose themselves enough so that they could continue watching their future.
It took a long while but everyone had eventually composed themself and continued to watch the future.
“Monodam is ignoring them excellently. Cuz he refuses to open his heart!” Monotaro happily said.
“You can thank my fearsome bullying for makin’ that happen!” Monokid yelled proudly.
Monophanie had sweat dripping down her face. “Now, now, let’s all get along.”
“Shut up! We’re the Monokubs! We need to be tough and whatnot!” Monosuke said before giving a hearty laugh.
Kaede and Shuichi completely ignored their banter. “Wh-What is this?” Kaede asked, sadness spread across her face. “You things…This school… What is all this?”
“That’s something I think everyone would like to know…” Rantaro stated, no one disagreed with him.
“You bastards’ll hafta use your legs, hands, and eyes to find that out for yourselves.” Monotaro told them.
“But please watch your step while you explore. The school is still under construction.” Monophanie warned the two.
Kaede finally spoke up despite her worry. “Under construction?” She repeated in confusion before looking around.
The camera then cut to show off the outside of the building. “It was true. Some areas did seem as if they were still under construction. It looks like they’re still building some of the facilities here…” Kaede thought to herself. “Are they still in the middle of building this school?”
Shuichi quickly replied. “I don’t think so… It seems more like they’re renovating an abandoned school.”
“I would ask why they’re doing that, but I doubt we’d get any clear answer for a while…” Shuichi mused.
The students simply agreed with him. If they wanted any answers, they would have to continue watching.
“This is such a pain…” Himiko commented sleepily.
“Either way, the construction will finish soon once we set the Exisals on autopilot.” Monotaro informed them.
“Exisals?” Kaede said in confusion.
“Once part of a biker gang, the Exisals now work construction to support their wives and kids!” Monokid proudly yelled.
“Woooooow! That’s so cool! So much cooler than Kee-boy’s lame backstory!” Kokichi said, his tone full of excitement.
“Hey! My story isn’t lame!” Keebo said to defend himself.
Kokichi laughed. “Don’t worry I was just lying!”
Keebo looked somewhat skeptical but chose to believe him and actually looked happy.
The Monokubs continued their banter which Kaede didn’t pay attention to before hearing the 5 of them say their goodbye. “So long! Bear well!”
“And there they go again… But, more importantly…Is what they said…really true?” Kaede thought to herself. “We can’t escape…? We can’t go over that wall…? And…no one’s coming to rescue us.” she thought despairingly. “...But if I give up now, then what!?” Kaede slapped both of her cheeks, regaining her determination. “Hey, Shuichi! Let’s go see if we can find a way out!”
“There’s our Kaede!” Kaito boomed proudly due to her regaining her determination.
Rantaro chuckled. “The will to keep on moving even when things seem hopeless, that’s why you’re the class rep.” he calmly stated.
“And that’s probably why I admire her so much…As a friend!” Shuichi corrected himself.
Kaede slapped Shuichi upside his head. “Ow!” Shuichi exclaimed in pain.
“Sorry Shuichi!” Kaede quickly apologized.
“I-It’s fine! It was probably necessary considering my mental state at that moment.” Shuichi said bashfully.
Kaede looked him in the eye. “Shuichi…I’m not great at motivating others…But we can’t give up just because of a wall. We came in somewhere, so there has to be an exit! We may not be able to escape now, but we’ll do it eventually, somehow…” Kaede said optimistically. “Everyone just has to cooperate if we all wanna get out of here!”
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s too early to give up. It’s too early” Kaede thought to herself.
“You’re optimism is your biggest strength Kaede…but it’s also your biggest weakness.” Kokichi thought melancholically “The ability to keep moving forward despite the situation is an admirable trait but…It’s unfortunate that sometimes…you have to lie to yourself to keep going.”
Kirumi’s thoughts were filled with anger. “I must ensure that this future NEVER comes to pass. Once the identity of the kidnapper is revealed, I will use every single connection and resource I have to make sure they never have the chance to make this a reality.”
“Moving forward huh? I wonder if you’ll truly be able to move forward in any situation…even mine…” Ryoma thought darkly.
The class admired Kaede’s hope and optimism, Kaede’s ability to move forward despite the situation simply made the class respect and admire the class rep even more. With Kaede’s optimism and hope, they continued to watch their future.