Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Takumi had just finished convincing Takemaru to join the killing game when he’s ambushed by Darumi. “Takumi!!! Takumi! Takumi! Takumi! Guess what I found!!”

He raises a single eyebrow. “Judging on your enthusiasm, the happy powder in the Gift-o-Matic?”

She shakes her head over-enthusiastically. “Happy powder couldn’t possibly compare to this feeling,” she giggles, before shoving a piece of paper in his face. “Take a look at this!”

It takes him a few seconds to process what he’s seeing—she’s so excited that her hands are shaking—but he gets there. The note in her hands is written in roughly the same handwriting as the first killing game message, and the message is simple. Come to the gym instead for extra despair.

“So like, we’ve gotta do it, right?” Darumi rambles. “We have to. A death game without any despair is just…pointless. It’d be the most awful, most tragic thing I could possibly imagine.” She pantomimes crying, before turning back to him. “You’re going to get the others to go to the gym instead, right?”

Takumi can tell that this is a choice he could make—it is a risk, but it’d likely provoke whoever did this even more—but it’s an easy decision. All they need to do is draw Gaku’s killer out, and the gym works even better for a confrontation than the leisure lounge did (more room to maneuver, less water). “Can do,” he says.

“YES!!!” She pumps her fists excitedly. “I owe you so much for this—when the killing game begins, I’ll let you get a free kill on me! I’ll be the most gruesome corpse you’ve ever seen!”

“Please don’t,” he says awkwardly. “The idea is to get everyone out alive.”

“Right, right, you’ve still gotta keep up the protagonist act. Don’t worry, boss!” She salutes, giving him a knowing wink, before running off. …What does she think he’s up to?

He heaves a sigh, before turning back to Takemaru’s room. It looks like he’s got a bit more convincing to do.

It takes plenty of time and effort, but Takumi’s able to get everyone on board to the change in plans. Sure, they may be giving him a wide berth in the gym, but…he’s working on it. They’re going to find whoever’s doing this (and killed Gaku) and bring them to justice. No one is going to die, the others are going to realize he was a good person all along, and things can finally get back on track.

He waits with bated breath. Tonight is the beginning of his comeback, but…7:00 finally comes, and nothing happens. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife, but despite that, the seconds drag on in peaceful silence.

“Fuck’s sake,” Takemaru finally sighs. “This was all a prank, wasn’t it?”

“Of course it was,” Kurara groans. “What a despicably common thing to do, wasting my time like this.”

“At least everyone’s alright?” Nozomi tries slowly. “This is…probably the best outcome.”

She’s right. Even though it’ll mean he has to find another way to find Gaku’s killer, this is probably the best outcome. Most of them turn to leave (Darumi stays still, refusing to leave), before-

“Aww, leaving so soon? You wouldn’t want to miss the main event, would you?”

A sing-song voice rings out from behind them. Takumi turns to find the source—and zeroes in on the stage. There, sitting right on top of the podium, is a black-and-white bear. It would look like a cute (if big) stuffed teddy bear, were it not for the sharp teeth and red eye on one side of the face.

Darumi breaks the silence first. “It’s Monobear!”

“Hey! In this academy, we respect the localization! That’s MonoKUMA to you!” The bear talks, waving its arms angrily as it responds to Darumi. It then turns to address the rest of them. “A-hem. You snot-nosed brats may address me as Monokuma. I’m the new ruler over this academy.”

Most of them stare on in horror-aside from Darumi, that is. “Of course, of course. Big fan!!!”

“…Good intro and all, but this storyline doesn’t quite play. Are you sure this isn’t some kinda prank?” Moko asks.

Monokuma shakes his head. “Of course not! You all asked for a killing game full of despair, and that’s exactly what you’re going to get.”

This is bad. Takumi can see how it’d look like that, but… He takes a step forward. Someone needs to object to this, and it may as well be him. “Before we get into that, I have a question. Are you the one who killed our friend, Gaku?”

The bear laughs. “Puhu…Puhuhuhu…Of course not, stupid. I wasn’t here when that happened. But, if you wanna know, I’d be glad to tell you! You just gotta do one thing for me first.”

From context, he can take a guess. “…You want me to kill someone.”

“Dingdingding, correct! Looks like there is a brain cell rolling around in there somewhere. Kill someone, and I’d be more than happy to tell you! …Of course, there will be a class trial afterwards, you as the blackened will have to face off against your spotless classmates to see if they can figure out what you did. Either they’ll find you guilty and I’ll execute you, or they’ll get the wrong person and all be executed. You know, the works. But by all means, don’t let that stop you from killing someone!”

Hiruko steps forward. “And what’s stopping us from just leaving the academy?”

Monokuma lazily glances at her, not shaken in the slightest. “At the moment? Nothing, really, but why do you even want to leave? There's nothing but ruins outside of this school—nothing to do but starve to death in the most boring way possible. And don’t think you can come back to stock up on food—deserters are handled the old-fashioned way with a slow and painful death here. But if you really want to take your chances, then go ahead!”

He reclines in his seat. “Of course, if you kill someone, then you get an all-expense paid vacation out there! Once everyone else is dead and buried, I’ll send you on your way with all the food and supplies you could ever want. All you have to do is give into your base instincts and kill!”

…So, effectively, no. They can’t run. All of them are stuck here, having to play the killing game to the end. A gloomy silence settles over the gym, one Monokuma’s perfectly content to break. “Anyways, there are a few new rules to drill into your empty heads before I set you loose.” He gets out a piece of paper and waves it around. “Which one of you is the leader?”

Takumi starts walking forward, and oh can he feel the less-than-pleased eyes on him. “I…think I’m the closest.”

The disgruntled murmurs from the peanut gallery do not feel good, but he ignores them as best he can to deal with the other problem facing him. He clambers up onto the stage, only to nearly fall off as he recoils from shock. Staring at him are the carved-up faces of Sirei and Nigou, the rest of their body parts cruelly strewn across the stage.

“Well?”

He looks over to see the evil bear staring menacingly at him. This close, there are a few things to notice. One, there’s visible stitching on his costume. Takumi can see the fabric that’s been sewn together, which only highlights how two, there’s no earthly way Monokuma should be able to move or speak like this. He feels…wrong, like he doesn’t belong in this world. Like he shouldn’t exist in the first place, like he’s an abomination against nature. He almost smells like the death he’s going to inflict on the SDU.

(…That is to say, it makes sense that Darumi would stan him.)

Takumi takes a deep breath, steeling himself before he reaches forward to take the paper from Monokuma’s hands. It’s got a lot printed out on it, and he starts to read aloud. “Knox’s Ten Mystery Commandments. 1. The blackened must be someone introduced in the early parts of the story, but not someone whose ideas we’ve been allowed to follow. 2-“

He stops abruptly as he feels his hands start to get hot. He looks down, only to see the paper he’s holding has caught on fire. Takumi drops it, stomping down the ashes till he can be sure the fire’s out.

For a second, the gym is still, before Monokuma’s horrible laughter pierces it. “Consider that an indication of how the game’s going to go! The real world doesn’t have rules on how and why someone can murder, so why should we? The crimes are gonna be unpredictable, and the executions even more so! The only thing we can count on is that like taxes, they will come. No one can escape their fate.”

From the audience, Takemaru yells. “How the hell are you doing that with your mouth?”

Monokuma puts his hands to his cheeks as he chortles, giving Takumi enough time to scamper away from him, off of the stage. “That’s another new rule to this game! When I speak red, I speak the truth. …Once we get to a class trial, I’ll let the rest of you take it out for a spin.”

“Just like in Umineko: When They Cry…” Darumi comments. “Though this is kinda irresponsible, isn’t it?”

“You mean, for mystery solving? I feel like this’d make it way too easy…” Kako says quietly.

“Exactly,” Ima sniffs. “In the real world, you don’t get truth bullets like that either.”

“What? No, that part’s great. It’s not like it works on simple things like ‘I’m not the culprit.’ You’ll see,” Darumi responds like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “What’s irresponsible is recommending Umineko before Higurashi. I mean, come on! Higurashi first, preferably with 07th mod, and then-“

“Who cares?!” Kurara cuts Darumi off, marching forward angrily. “You’re just assuming we’re going to lie down and play your stupid game. That we’re sheep to be herded off a cliff!”

Monokuma casually tilts his head. “Aren’t you? There’s nowhere for you to run to, and your headmaster is giving you an order.”

“Listen,” she growls angrily. “Maybe these bargain bin cattle will follow your orders, but not me. The Oosuzukis are meant to rule over all, not follow the orders of some mentally challenged lunatic.” She rolls up her sleeves as she marches towards the stage, vaulting up to it easily.

“You don’t want to do that,” Monokuma warns lazily as he kicks back, even as she approaches.

She cracks her knuckles. “Hah. What little you know of nobility.”

She rushes forward, winding back her fist, but…the blow never connects. One moment, she’s about to punch that stupid bear into next week, but the next she’s…gone. Blown into a billion pieces.

The gym is silent for a stunned moment, before a loud wail breaks that noise.

“Lady Kurara!” Kyoshika cries, following Kurara’s lead onto the stage, closely followed by Yugamu and Moko. “Give me back Lady Kurara, you vile fiend!”

“I’d stand down if I were you,” Monokuma responds in a sing-song voice. “Unless you really want to join her. The bomb in your stomach can be set off just as easily as hers.”

That stops Kyoshika in her tracks. Behind her, the rest of second-to-last defense academy backs her up, but doesn’t move any further, not wanting to provoke the beast either.

Monokuma leans back, smugness emanating from him. “Now you understand your situation. I hold the power of life and death over every last one of you. That first one’s a freebie,” he says as a drone thankfully moves in, starting to collect Kurara’s scattered pieces. “She was kind enough to demonstrate the rules. But the second I leave this gym, the Revive-o-Matic is going bye-bye. Every death will stick—and I can dish them out at will.”

He takes a moment to really savor the horror and despair that settles over them at just how bad this situation has become, before continuing. “What else was there…? Oh, right. Thirteen is a bad number for a killing game, isn’t it? Bad luck, not snappy or eye-catching at all.”

“You know, we could just call it off early,” Takumi tries weakly.

Monokuma ignores him. “Sixteen would be a great, classic number, but it looks like that’s not going to happen. Fifteen works well enough. It seems like this class needs a little…injection. Come on out, boys!”

Takumi has a very bad feeling about what he means by this, but there’s no stopping what’s begun. He hears a noise behind him, and turns to see the gym doors slowly open from the outside. It should only be them in here, but…there also shouldn’t be a murderous bear here. He watches as a not-at-all dead Gaku Maruko nervously walks through the gym doors. “What’s up guys? DJ Gaku’s back for an encore!”

“H-how are you not dead?” Tsubasa asks shakily.

“Ask the bear. He’s the one that-“

“AHEM,” Monokuma clears his throat loudly. “What did I say about revealing my secrets, Maruko?”

Gaku nearly stops in place. “You said you’d break me open like a lobster claw — which is something that a brokie like me could never afford.”

“Exactly,” Monokuma says. “So keep your trap shut!”

Gaku nods, joining the group but keeping a bit of distance from everyone else and especially Takumi. Which is…not great, but it’s a drop in the bucket to what comes next. Through the gym door comes a face he thought he’d never see again-a face he was glad to never see again.

Eito Aotsuki.

For just a second as he walks in, his face has that placid smile it had for all of that first timeline, a bit clueless, but harmless. Then, he zeroes in on Takumi. Their eyes meet, and there’s no doubt that this is still the cruel Eito he met in the defense room. The cold glare he fixes Takumi with promises trouble. Why? Why does he have to deal with this again?

The moment passes, and he turns to the rest of the group with a put-upon smile-a convincing one, though. One Takumi wouldn’t have caught that first time. “I’m so glad to be back here with you all—even if the circumstances could be better. But despair is nothing against the power of friendship.”

From the others, Takumi can hear a quiet “Takumi killed this guy?”, and his stomach sinks even more. This is going to be a problem. Eito is going to make his standing within the group even worse.

When Monokuma pipes up again, it’s a welcome distraction. “Was there anything else…? Oh right, your first motive!”

“Motive?” Yugamu asks. “Killing someone is an intimate act—it shouldn’t be motivated extrinsically.”

Monokuma scoffs. “Yeah, if you’re a fuckin’ loser. Welcome to the real world, kid. People kill for any variety of petty reasons. Anyways, let’s start things off with a classic!” His voice grows cold. “If none of you kill each other within the next two days, every single one of you will die. And with the Revive-o-Matic disabled, that’ll be it.” He puts a paw to his face while grinning wildly, clearly thinking evil thoughts. “You know, dying by bomb is an un-bear-ably painful way to die. It’s short, but those few seconds are full of agonizing pain as your insides are torn apart. A death game could be sustained by just those bombs in your stomachs. But you all get that and more. How lucky!”

With that, he hops off the stage, leisurely walking towards the door as the rest of them part to let him, none of them wanting to share Kurara’s fate. Just before he leaves the gym, though, he stops. “Oh, and one last thing…One last bit of truth I’ll give you. Junko Enoshima is not involved in this story. I mean, how could she be? She’s fictional. So don’t go looking for her!”

He finally leaves, and the gym is quiet for a long moment. There are a few hushed conversations, but none that involve him or reach out to him. Looking around, Takumi can see a few of the others sneak dirty glances at him—whatever meager standing he had managed to recover from within the group was gone entirely.

The rest of Second-to-Last defense academy leaves the gym first, not even Nozomi sparing him a glance as she rushes out to go meet Kurara. Darumi skips out after that, the only one of them to be positive as she hums some vn theme. The rest follow suit after that—some in twos, some in threes, but none remotely concerned with him. The gym slowly empties, until there’s only one person left in the gym with him—the person he wants to talk to the least.

Eito stands in front of him, fake smile on his face. “Hello there, Takumi. I had hoped we’d get a chance to talk. You and I have unfinished business.”

“I don’t have anything to say to you,” Takumi growls.

“Oh? Don’t be like that, I just have a simple question for you. On our way here, Monokuma filled Gaku and I in on a few things—among them that we were coming here because this academy was missing us.” He places his hand on his chin in an over-exaggerated motion, enjoying how he’s making Takumi squirm. “How did you all lose your Eito, hm? Who did it?”

Takumi feels rooted to the spot, trapped with a maniacal killer. “I’ll ask you once, Takumi. Here in this gym, on the night of day 2…you were the one who killed me, weren’t you?”

There’s danger in his voice, a promise to make Takumi’s life hell if he doesn’t like his answer. He’s so tempted to lie, but…would that really save him from this? Everyone else knows—they’d tell Eito if he doesn’t. There’s no way to stop the truth from coming out. He swallows roughly. “I…was,” he says quietly. “Which means you know my motive, and-“

“Stop.” Eito cuts him off. Takumi looks up to see a cold glare upon his face. “The fact of the matter is, you killed me rather than find a way to live with me. I suppose I should thank you for telling the truth, but that’s cold comfort compared to what you did.” He leans down to look Takumi in the eyes, face just inches from his. “I’ll make you a promise in return. No matter what it takes, I’m going to make you pay for what you did. Even if the others forgive you, I never will.” His voice is cold and firm. There’s no way he’s just saying this to intimidate Takumi—he means every word.

With that, he takes a step back from Takumi, going back to beaming at him. “Look forward to it!” he says, before finally leaving the gym. Now alone, Takumi takes a deep breath, then another one to try to calm himself down. The fact that everyone’s alive now is cold comfort—he’s stuck in a killing game with someone who wants nothing more than to make him miserable and a group that can’t trust him one bit. His work’s more than cut out for him—and it may be too much for him to handle.

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: The Ones Who Walk Away

Daily Life

Takumi lingers in the gym with a thousand-yard stare, brain trying to process all of this. The killing game he started. That he has to deal with Eito again, only with him already hating Takumi in particular. It feels like he’s paralyzed by dread, and only when he feels buzzing in his pocket is he jolted out of it. He pulls out his report card only to see an update notification.

Huh. He didn’t know it could do that.

It takes him a solid minute to find out what actually changed, but eventually he finds it. Right below his profile, there’s a new line below his name.

Ultimate Finder.

He….has no idea what that means. At all. But at the very least, wondering about it snaps him out of his funk. He can’t just stay here and mope forever, he has to…well…he at least needs to go get rest at some point. The walk back up to the roof is quiet and devoid of people—which to be fair, given his current standing within the group, may be for the best.

When he gets to the roof, he finds it similarly empty aside from one person, sitting on the edge of the roof and staring out into the night sky. Hiruko.

He slowly approaches. “Are you, uh. Doing alright there?”

It’s a stupid question, none of them are doing remotely okay. How could they be? Maybe that’s why she doesn’t answer, gaze not breaking from the horizon. “Do you think it’s too late for us to leave the school? That was the first demand made of us.”

She sighs, not waiting for him to respond. “No, of course not—if Monokuma can detonate the bombs in our bodies, it doesn’t matter. We’re already bound to this course.”

Takumi feels a pang of guilt. Who had decided on this in the first place? “That…sounds about right,” he says quietly. “I made a mistake choosing to stay, didn’t I?”

She takes a deep breath, hesitating for a moment before responding. “…I don’t know yet.”

Somehow, that answer makes him feel much more uncomfortable than if she’d just said yes or castigated him. “You don’t have to spare my feelings,” he reassures. “If you’re mad at me, you can just say it.”

That gets her to finally face him, eyes razor-sharp. “Oh trust me, I’m aware of that. Killing Eito was an idiotic and shortsighted decision in every universe. Agreeing to the killing game wasn’t much better, and you should have consulted me first. However…”

She looks back to the horizon, adjusting her glasses. “Two things are bothering me—are preventing me from just blaming you for this. First is the mastermind. He can’t have just appeared from thin air from you agreeing to play his game. Someone had to be there to write the messages in the first place. Refusing to play their game wouldn’t have changed that.”

For the first time in hours, Takumi can feel some tension leave him. Not everyone hates him and thinks he’s just an idiot. There is more at play than just his questionable decision-making skills. “That’s a good point. So, whoever did this was already here, and I just…drew them out?”

“Well, you drew Monokuma out at least. Which brings me to my next point.” Her voice softens. “Despite how bad this situation is, I can’t ignore that we’ve gone from two people dead to no one dead. Getting everyone out alive has become a possibility again—though an extremely difficult one. That’s why I can’t fully condemn you for this. It’s still possible for this to end better than it would have otherwise.”

…Even after all of this disaster, Hiruko hasn’t lost her spirit one bit. She’s already trying to find a way to make the most of this and break the game in half. …Even in that first timeline, she had a strong determination to get everyone out safe, didn’t she? This is just the kind of person she is…and it’s someone worth trusting.

He clears his throat. “Listen, if…if you need any help with that, then I’d be glad to do whatever I can. Consider me at your disposal.”

She stares at him, and after a few long uncomfortable seconds, she slowly nods. He…can’t tell if that means she’ll actually do it—he knows his word doesn’t count for much these days—but at least it’s something. It’s a tiny bit of connection — one he’ll hold on to.

With that, he’s almost ready to leave, before one last thing stops him. “On a side note, did your report card update? Mine says I’m the Ultimate Finder, whatever that means. Do you have something like that?”

Her face twists into a smug smile, earlier worry completely gone. “Of course. It says I’m the Ultimate Perfection.”

…There’s no way that’s right, but if he’s trying to earn her trust, then calling her out on it is a bad idea. Instead, he forces himself to nod. “That…sounds about right,” he lies. “Anyways, I’m going to turn in. Goodnight!”

He goes back to his room, and the second the door closes, the weight of the day crashes down on him. The tiny sliver of light he got from talking to Hiruko is something to cling onto, but it’s not enough to outweigh the dread from everything else. He isn’t sure who he’s more worried about—Monokuma or Eito. One is a force of nature and has given them only two days left to kill or be killed, but one is personal and has already ruined a timeline. When Takumi finally gets to sleep after hours of tossing and turning, his dreams are dark and distressing—filled with blood and sharp teeth and scythes and more than anything else, filled to the brim with despair.

Takumi wakes up to the loud, persistent sound of knocking against his door. Through the fog of sleepiness, one thought pierces through. Someone actually wants to talk to him?

He wonders if it’s a dream, but after a solid 5+ minutes, the knocking continues on. With a small groan, he slowly gets up and shambles up to his door, only to find Darumi on the other side, looking absurdly enthusiastic.

“Gooooooood morning, Takumimi!!!” Her head lolls to the side, but her manic energy doesn’t falter.

It’s an energy that he doesn’t share at all. “…Morning,” he yawns. “Can I help you?”

She leans from side to side. “I was hoping the two of us could get breakfast. Us killing game fans gotta stick together!”

He narrows his eyes. On the one hand, he really doesn’t want to be alone. On the other… “Darumi, I’m not a killing game fan. None of this is what I wanted to happen,” he says as he leaves his room anyways.

She gives him an over-the-top wink. “Whatever you say, boss man!” She starts the walk down to the cafeteria, with him close behind. “Besides, this way when someone kills me, you’ll get to be a witness! You can main character it up on the stand.”

He doesn’t feel so good. “I’d really prefer for that not to happen. If we’re attacked on the way down, I’ll protect you.”

He’s not sure what reaction he expects—Darumi may be a girl, but she isn’t Karua—but she just looks over him almost disappointed. “Come on, man, someone’s gotta be the first to go. And wouldn’t that be a compelling first trial? Our hero witnessed the murder with his own two eyes, but no one trusts him enough to listen. Plus the annoying comic relief would get knocked off first! It’d be perfect. All it needs is for the culprit not to be someone close to you for that extra gut punch!” She punches the air as she speaks.

He’s…not going to get through to her, is he? Maybe he can at least distract her as they go down the stairs. “You…uh…seem to know a lot about all this. Could you maybe let me know anything else I’m in for? Anything that happens in Danganronpa that it’d help to know?”

Her eyes light up. “Takumi. I have spent my entire life waiting to be asked that. Whatever you want to know, I’ll infodump on as much as I can.”

Okay. That…could be promising, maybe? Where to start… “First of all, do you know why my notebook updated to call me the Ultimate Finder?”

She grins. “Of course! That’s a Danganronpa staple. Those at Hope’s Peak Academy are scouted for their exceptional talent. Monokuma must be trying to evoke that! …Mine’s Super High School Level Fangirl, btw.”

He slowly nods. “Even though none of us have been scouted? I mean, I’m kinda just a normal guy.”

She nods. “Well, yeah. It’d be boring if some of us just got disqualified right off the bat. Even if both of us would be reserve course students in the real world, we still get to stay for the killing game. Isn’t that nice?”

He doesn’t fully get what she’s talking about, but…he guesses this is helpful. “Fair…enough, I guess. Next question.” He takes a deep breath. This one’s important—it could mean the difference between having to suspect his non-Eito fans or not. “Do you think one of us students is the mastermind? Is that possible?”

She puts a finger to her chin. “Eh, probably? I’d say it’s a fifty-fifty shot.”

That is…not encouraging. “So it…could be one of us. That is something to worry about.”

Darumi just nods. “Hell yeah it is! It’s not me, by the way, though you already knew that. And if you figure out who it is, please tell me. I wanna know who has a despairful alter ego, and to see it in action as soon as possible!”

Takumi doesn’t share her enthusiasm at all. The very prospect sickens him. It’d be so much better and so much easier if he could just think of his friends as…his friends. He doesn’t want to have to worry that one of them is Monokuma. That they’re laughing at him as they watch him suffer.

(The worst part is that he can’t just say that it’s Eito. Eito was dead—he made sure of that. Whoever did this is most likely not Eito, and that is the worst thing in the world.)

…He sighs. Even if she’s not making it better, none of this is Darumi’s fault. “I’ll…do that, I guess. Last question. …When Monokuma said execution…what did he mean by that?”

She stops, facing the ground. “Oh, they’re the very best part of all.” She suddenly looks up, fixing him with a horrible, twisted grin across her face. “They’re so much more than just the bombs in our stomach. That was just a free sample of the main course. Just the bombs would be too impersonal. Too brief. Too…dignified. No, the executions are the biggest hits of despair you get. They’re personalized for the culprit, so their flaws and personality can be on full display as they die horribly. And they’re never quick, oh no. That’d end the fun too early! No, you’ve gotta feel true pain and suffering before you finally get to die.”

She beams. “And they’re plenty varied, too. Stoning, decapitation, stabbing, boiling…pretty much every way you can think of to die, Monokuma’s done it. Fun, right?”

He feels like he’s going to be sick. No, none of that sounds remotely fun. “Y-yeah, of course…” he says weakly, suddenly very grateful that they’re nearly at the cafeteria and the conversation’s almost over.

She misses that social cue gladly, continuing on. “Hey, what do you think your execution’s gonna be like? As a HUGE DR fangirl, I have ideas on mine—it’s gotta be boring and unsatisfying so I die unfulfilled. But what about you? Any big fears or fatal flaws for Monokuma to exploit?”

He tries to ignore her, opening the door to try to find anyone else to sit with than Darumi-

Only for his hopes to immediately be dashed. Everyone there is already grouped up into one of two cliques—the others from this academy, and the others from Second-to-Last Defense Academy. Takumi might have been able to sit with Nozomi, were it not for the daggers Kyoshika and Kurara glare at him the second they see him (they don’t seem to be over the killing game.)

Over at the other table are most of the others from this academy, with Eito at the center. Despite his misanthropy, he’s talking animatedly to a rapt audience—a sight that just feels wrong to see. That’d be enough on its own to keep Takumi from wanting to sit there, but once he walks in, he can see most of them scoot away from him (they don’t seem to be over Eito’s death. And Gaku’s, though that one isn’t Takumi’s fault).

And while Takumi would love to try his luck with Hiruko, since she seemed somewhat amenable to talking to him last night, she’s the one person who isn’t here. Takumi heaves a defeated sigh, before turning back to Darumi. “So…I was saying something about breakfast?”

After half an hour of pure death game trivia over eggs, he finally gets the chance to make a break for it. It’s not that Darumi hasn’t been helpful —she’s been plenty helpful, and that she’s actually willing to talk to him is much appreciated. It’s more that he can only take so many stories about how much pink blood Monokuma’s gonna splatter all over the walls before he takes Takumi’s’ ribs out and plays them like a xylophone before he wants to hurl. He needs some time away from that. And besides, maybe in smaller groups, the others will be a little more receptive to talking to him.

The first people he finds are in the bio lab. As Takumi pushes the door open, he finds Yugamu and Tsubasa chatting inside.

Upon seeing him, Tsubasa takes a few steps away from the door, but Yugamu stays rooted to the spot. “Oh hey, Takumi. Good to see you. We could use your input.”

“We could?” Tsubasa asks, visibly nervous.

“I think we could, at least. …Besides, you don’t have to worry about him killing us here,” Yugamu responds. “He has to kill one of us first, and that’d give the other person time to retaliate—or at least act as a witness. I give my honor as the Ultimate Assassin that he couldn’t get one of us scot-free.”

“You know, that doesn’t make me feel better,” Tsubasa grumbles, but Takumi can see her unclench her fists a bit. “But…I guess we could use a third party here.”

A favor with a side of suspicion. Sure. “Sorry, what are you two arguing about?”

“We’re wondering if Monokuma is a biological or robotic creature,” Yugamu explains.

“And it’s not just idle speculation,” Tsubasa chimes in. “If he’s a robot, then it might be possible for me to build an EMP to take him out. I am the Ultimate Mechanic, after all.”

“Meanwhile, if he’s biological, then he’s able to be poisoned. I can whip up something that’ll stop his heart dead, if not melt it outright,” Yugamu says, voice silky in anticipation. “My guess is on him being biological—robots don’t move as fluidly as he does-“

“MOST robots don’t,” Tsubasa cuts him off. “With a refined build and greased enough joints, it’d be possible to have that range of motion. That’s what my guess is—that he’s a metal exoskeleton under a layer of stuffing and fabric. …But it’s hard to tell without getting close. Which is where you come in, Takumi! You saw Monokuma up close, right? What did he look like?”

Takumi racks his brain. At the time, he’d been focused on other things, but…there were a few things he noticed. “Uh…there was stitching up close? But also, he smelled really bad.” He looks back at them. “I don’t know whether he’s a monster or a robot, but I know he shouldn’t exist. He’s…wrong, somehow.”

“Which sounds like robot,” Tsubasa says excitedly. “I’ll get started on the EMP, then!”

“What a shame,” Yugamu says, shrugging. “In that case, I’ll focus on something else.”

“Hold on,” Takumi stops him. “…I don’t think just a robot would’ve smelled like that. Could you make the poison anyways? …Yknow, better safe than sorry?”

“Hmmm. …Perhaps,” Yugamu says, arching an eyebrow. “Want to convince me?”

Oh, Takumi does not like the sound of that. “You want something from a killer like me?”

“I want quite a lot from a killer like you,” Yugamu purrs. “Your heart, your arteries, your cute little kidneys, your fingernails, the sound of your screams if you’d let me, your-“

It’s at this point that Tsubasa thankfully interjects. “If you two are going to do this, could you at least wait for me to leave? I don’t think I can handle much more of this before I puke.”

“Don’t worry, none of this is going to happen,” Takumi sighs. “Yugamu, if you come up with something reasonable I can do for you, then I’ll do it. Gladly. And no, watching me in the bath does not count as reasonable. Until then, I’ll owe you a favor. That work?”

Yugamu looks a bit disappointed, but he nods. “You can count on me, Takumi. And I can’t wait to cash in that favor.”

Takumi nods nervously, before deciding not to press his luck and bolting out of there. The talk about Monokuma does get him thinking, though—and what he thinks is he should follow up with Hiruko. If there’s a way to stop the game, it needs to be done soon, so he sets out to find her and see what he can do to help.

Or…well. He tries to find her. He searches every classroom, the gym, the courtyard, and as much of the roof as he can, but to no avail. She’s not in her room, either—he knocked on the door a thousand times, but got no response. The only place left is the cafeteria, but once he gets there, it’s…deserted aside from a depressed looking Shouma.

Wherever Hiruko is, it’s somewhere he can’t find. Probably off doing something important. …There’s nothing he can do to help her now. He may as well get lunch in the meantime with someone who hopefully doesn’t hate his presence. “Mind if I sit with you?”

Shouma doesn’t look up, staring despondently down at his mashed potatoes. “Go ahead. Far be it from a piece of human filth like me to tell you what to do.”

Shouma’s self-deprecation is off-putting as usual, but compared to the cold shoulder Takumi’s getting from everyone else, it’s like a breath of fresh air. For a few minutes, they eat across from each other in comfortable silence—silence that grows painfully awkward. “So!” Takumi starts. “How are you feeling about…yknow. The killing game?”

Shouma looks up at him briefly, before looking back at his now empty plate. “It’s only fair for someone like me to be put into this. Neither my karma nor my luck have ever been good, but…it’s a shame it has to happen to the rest of you. Besides, just the idea is…”

Right, Shouma had never been enthusiastic about fighting, had he? “Not planning on killing anyone?”

Shouma shakes his head. “If fighting makes me sick, then I think killing someone might kill me, too. Besides, no matter what Monokuma says, none of us would be in the right to hurt each other like that. The game is set up to bring out the worst of us. It’s…so horrible.”

He looks back up at Takumi. “Maybe you should put me out of my misery so I don’t have to see it. If one of you wants to kill me, then go ahead. I won’t resist. It may be better than staying in this game…”

…Even if Takumi really were a killer through and through rather than a situational killer, he doesn’t think he could kill the Shouma he sees in front of him. There’d be nothing in it, with how depressed he looks. “I think I’m good,” he says quietly. “Just…hang in there, alright?”

Shouma looks back down sadly. “I just…need this game to end. It has to end…it has to end…”

He keeps quietly repeating that, and Takumi realizes he’s probably not going to stop. He awkwardly pats Shouma on the shoulder as he gets up, but Shouma doesn’t respond. Takumi frowns, but at least it makes him realize it’s probably time to leave Shouma alone.

As he leaves the cafeteria, he stretches. He should have time for one more conversation today, and he can hear spirited discussion from one of the classrooms. He pushes the door open, only for the conversation to die the second he comes into view. Staring back at him are two scrutinizing Tsukumos.

“Oh, it’s Mr. Sumino. How unfortunate,” Ima says casually.

“We’re not supposed to be alone with you,” Kako comments warily.

Takumi sighs deeply. “Does everyone just think I’m some sort of deranged killer? …Don’t answer that. The point is, I didn’t kill Gaku, and I’m certainly not going to kill you guys.”

“But you did kill Eito,” Kako says. “And no one can understand why.”

“It sure seems like you were using his death to paint a certain picture of him. And now that he’s alive again, no one believes you. …Well, neither of us believed you in the first place, but still,” Ima continues.

Takumi takes a deep breath, trying hard to keep his resolve. “Regardless, I was just curious about what you two were talking about. I mean, I could hear you from the hallway.”

For a long, tense moment, things are awkwardly silent. Eventually, Kako finally breaks the silence with a quiet, pouty, “For the record, I was right.”

“Can we discuss this when Mr. Sumino isn’t in the room?” Ima hisses back.

Takumi ignores him. He can recognize this as his ‘in’. “I’m sure you were, Kako. Right on what?”

The floodgates open. She balls up her hands. “I…hate…how Monokuma just threw away Knox’s rules up there!”

Takumi slowly blinks. “…Because of what that means for us?”

She shakes her head. “Knox’s rules don’t work how he thinks they do! It doesn’t prevent you from doing stuff, it just means it has to be fair. If you made a mystery with a supernatural answer, but you explained how it worked ahead of time so the audience could get it, then it’d be in keeping with what Knox intended. Monokuma didn’t promise us that anything goes, he just promised us bad mysteries that are hard to follow,” she grumbles with puffed cheeks.

“At least he was honest,” Ima says quietly.

…Takumi hadn’t thought of any of this. He’s glad he came to them. “Sorry, what do you mean by that?”

Ima hesitates, looking between Takumi and Kako before finally settling on Kako. “Sister Dearest, don’t you want to leave for this?”

“No, Brother Dearest,” she hisses back. “I do not.”

“Uh, whatever you can tell me, you can probably tell Kako too,” Takumi interjects awkwardly.

“That’s not it,” Ima sighs. “We’ve just…”

“…had this argument before,” Kako says tiredly. “I’m still right. Why can’t you admit it?”

“Even the best and cutest of us can be wrong from time to time,” Ima says sadly, before turning back to Takumi. “I think Monokuma was only telling us the truth. In a mystery story, the detective decides the truth, not the other way around. The detective is the author’s mouthpiece, after all. So, if Monokuma decides someone is the culprit, then that’s the answer we have to reach to succeed. Even if that isn’t the truth.”

“But that’d undermine the premise of the murder mystery,” she protests. “That’d make them unsatisfying and fake!”

“That’s what I’ve seen happen in the real world,” Ima responds wearily. “Plenty of detectives have come around and provided the wrong answer. The police take that answer as truth, and the case is declared closed. As long as the authorities accept it, the detective’s words become the truth. Monokuma was honest about how the game is going to play out.”

“Well then, it’s not a game I want to play,” she snaps.

Takumi can see an opportunity there. “You’re not the only one,” he starts. “If we can stop the game early, then no one has to die. But I can’t do that without help. Could you two maybe help me on this?”

They both stare skeptically at him. “I’ll…think about it?” Kako says, clearly not sincere.

Takumi sighs. That’s better than a full rejection. And they talked to him at all. This…could have been worse, he guesses. “Thanks,” he says.

He’s all about to leave before he stops for one last thing. “Oh, right, did you two get ultimates? I’m trying to see what I’m working with.”

“Ultimate Contractor,” Ima says.

“Ultimate Detective,” Kako says at the same time as him.

It takes him a second to process, but he nods. “Thanks,” he says before taking the hint and leaving them alone.

When he gets to the cafeteria for dinner, he sees something similar to this morning. Two cliques, neither of which he fits in, Darumi ready to gross him out some more, and Hiruko nowhere to be found. After a long and mostly fruitless day, Takumi decides fuck it. He can just…have dinner in his room. Their dirty looks watch him as he gets his food, but they’d do that anyways. At least, when he gets out of the cafeteria, it’s quiet and peaceful.

Once he’s done, he puts his dishes on the table to take down later, and goes to lie down. He takes a deep breath. He can do this. It might not be too late for all of them to get out alive. They have this chance that they didn’t before. Except…

It was Hiruko who suggested that, and he hasn’t seen her at all since then. His mind jumps to what happened that first timeline and that she’s died, but her room was locked, and it wasn’t before. She’s likely out somewhere, which…is still a big problem. It was only with her help that getting the Second-to-Last Defense Academy members here went as smoothly as it did. If he’s going to pull an everyone lives ending out here, he needs her.

And he’d like to just wait for her to show up, but…Monokuma’s countdown is drawing closer. He said the next two days, right? This is one of those days. If the game isn’t broken and someone doesn’t die by the end of tomorrow, then…that’s it for all of them. His second chance will be blown to pieces in an instant.

Takumi turns over, trying to calm down. There’s still some time left. Hiruko could show up with some miracle cure, or Yugamu or Tsubasa could succeed at killing Monokuma. There’s still a way out of this…probably. If they don’t…then he may need to do something drastic. He’s done it before, hasn’t he? And it’d be for the group. They’d realize how wrong they were to shun him, and he’d die a martyr. All he’d have to do is-

He hits his head. What was he thinking? He can’t kill someone. Being executed sounds horribly painful, and besides, he doesn’t want to prove the others’ distrust of him right. For now, he can just trust in his friends to find a way to circumvent the game. He has a plan B, but he won’t have to use it. It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine.

Funny, he doesn’t sleep well that night.