#mentions: ryoma || the ultimate tennis player

[musical-sonata]

You know Orfeo?

A small smile appeared on the "journalist's" face, and a small giggle emerged from her lips.

"Of course! Mister Orfeo is a very nice and kind person! He's a little sad, but... we're working on it! I met him and this girl named... I believe her name was Lily? In a match! I rescued both of them from that... rocket chair? And we've been friends ever since!"

Shifting on her feet, clasping her hands together, she continued on.

"He is a little shy, and sometimes, he reminds me of Shuichi and Ryoma. They're all very kind and warm, but sometimes I worry for them... Mister Orfeo always seems a little sad, and sometimes I catch him comparing me to someone named 'Eurydice'."

[fit-artichoke8738]

Chapter 2: Issues with Shuichi’s Reasoning and Other Strange Things (DRV3)

Note: This post is focused only on the physical evidence and deductions of Chapter 2. I’ll take a closer look at other stuff—people’s lies, contradictions, the motive videos, etc.—of Ch. 2 in future posts.

1. The Ropeway Rope

The rope allegedly used to create the ropeway was found backstage at Himiko’s magic show. Angie mentioned that it had moved during the night, so it’s implied that the culprit had used it and moved it, but how exactly it got backstage was never fully addressed.

This is the theory that Kiyo made in the trial—that the rope was thrown in from the pool window—and everyone just sorta goes with it. But this theory contradicts what Shuichi deducts in his closing argument.

So he chooses to just... not address it. At all. His conclusion ends here, right after the rope falls into the pool.

The culprit can’t throw the rope through from the window if they had already untied the rope and jumped down from it.

So how exactly does the rope end up backstage? We don’t know for sure.

I guess the culprit could have thrown it through from poolside, but wouldn’t that risk disturbing the body and the scene?... Actually, better question, why would the culprit bother returning the rope to the gym at all?

2. The Inner Tube Rope

The small section of rope tied to the inner tube came from nowhere. We can only assume the culprit acquired it from the warehouse.

But if the culprit knew that rope was readily available in the warehouse, why would they use the rope that was laying in the gym for their murder plan? It would only draw suspicion to themselves. And also, why would they bother using the wire from the tennis court net if they had extra rope to use in the warehouse?

This point is also not addressed in Shuichi’s closing argument.

It’s funny, because in the trial, they even have a discussion about how “there’s no other rope but the one in the gym.”

3. The Mystery of Ryoma’s Clothes

In the animation depicting him getting eaten by piranhas, Ryoma’s clothes are torn to shreds. It makes sense—the piranhas wouldn’t be able to get at his flesh without getting through the clothing first.

But during his investigation, his clothes were recovered completely intact? Huh?

Shuichi skips over this point in closing arguments as well.

Along the same lines, the ankle cuff that Ryoma always wears is missing from the recovered items.

4. Placing the Body in the Piranha Tank

They really stress multiple times throughout the trial that if this trick was to work, the culprit must place the body in the tank carefully to keep the glass pane from shifting.

But according to Monosuke, carefully placing it wasn’t an option.

(I ran out of image space so here are some quotes!)

————

Korekiyo Shinguji: “You say the culprit placed their foot on the windowsill? Isn’t that against school rules?”

Monosuke: “Last time we were asked that question, we decided it was okay. Stickin’ your body through the window is an automatic out, but standing on the sill is—” [interrupted by other monokubs]

————

Standing on the sill is fine, but reaching your body through is an automatic out. If ‘body’ also includes the culprits arms, the culprit would have no choice but to drop the body in from their place on the windowsill. Placing it in the tank carefully—“with their own hands,” even, as Ouma had said—wouldn’t be possible.

Granted, the culprit would only be dropping it a meter or so, but when it’s a dense, ninety-pound human body, any amount of distance would wind up causing a big disturbance to the water and, very possibly, the glass pane.

I ran out of picture space, but Shuichi’s deduction (you can kinda see it in the panels in point 1) shows the body gently floating down into the tank, where it doesn’t even make a splash.

Buuuut whatever. I may need to chock this one up to ‘video game physics.’

Even still, though... it’s kind of a big risk for the culprit to take if this trick was that important.

5. The Stairs

That’s not where the hinges were, bud.

From what we see, the staircase has a pretty large opening/door that contradicts the tiny space Shuichi imagines. Though we never get to see what the stairs actually look like, this calls into question whether Himiko’s trick was really performed the way Shuichi thought it was—which is a pretty big deal. Illusionists and magicians can do all sorts of crazy things, so when there’s a murder mystery involved, it’s kind of important to know exactly what’s going on with their trick.

It is strange that Shuichi just never investigated the staircase. Did he really just not notice it, or did he perhaps ignore it on purpose for some reason?...

Some other smaller issues/mysteries:

-The alleged culprit chose to use their own gloves as a brake, despite that fact that using literally anything else would’ve worked just as well.

-The alleged culprit, the Ultimate Maid, did not clean up after herself?... If it really was impossible during nighttime, then she could’ve quickly cleaned it up in the morning when the pool reopened. She probably would’ve risked getting caught by doing so, but considering how damning the evidence is, why wouldn’t she take that risk?

-What’s up with the piranhas? Even Shuichi said they didn’t look normal. Himiko said they were in her lab but we (as the player) never saw a tank of piranhas in there before.

-The weapon or object allegedly used to knock Ryoma unconscious was never identified.

-Ryoma’s skeleton has a crack in its skull that’s never addressed. Was it from being knocked unconscious? But a blow strong enough to break bone would probably just kill him, right?

[theultimatefanficwriter]

(Lemon)Dance Into My Heart-Ryoma Hoshi x Reader

Commission by Itaintbondagedotcom on Wattpad This story is SUPER LONG. Just a warning! Trigger Warning: References to sexual assault(It is NOT written out, dont worry! Just vaguely mentioned), Vague suicidal tendencies This is a Lemon: Sexual Content ahead!(Granted it’s at the very end, so you can read the whole thing and just skip the ending if you want)

You slowly opened your eyes to incomplete darkness. Little slits of light were shining through some holes. "Wh...what the hell? Where am I?!" You exclaimed, beginning to panic. You reached your hand forward and felt a wall. You gave it a solid push, and it gave. Your eyes widened as you tumbled forward, having lost your balance. You landed with a thud onto the floor. You rubbed your head. You looked back and noticed a locker where you had fallen from. What were you doing stuffed in a locker?!

"You alright?"

A deep voice took you by surprise. You glanced over to where the voice came from. There stood a...child? As you stood up, he barely reached your middle. You looked around, but there was no one else in this room, which appeared to be a classroom. Did...did this child say that? In that voice?

"Um...H-hi there...? I'm fine. I...think. Do you know where we are? Where are your parents?" You asked the kid.

The boy frowned and pulled at his beanie, covering his eyes with it. "Not here." He muttered. Your eyes widened. Yup, that deep voice definitely came from him. "And I'm not a child."

You felt your face flush a dark red in embarrassment. "Oh my God, I-I am so sorry!" You apologized. "You're just so short, and you look like one of those chibi characters in anime, and I'm going to stop talking now." You firmly shut your mouth after that.

The man in front of you sighed. "Don't sweat it, kid. It happens a lot. I'm used to it." He took out a candy cigarette and placed it in his mouth. "I'm guessing you don't know where we are either, huh?"

You shook your head. "No, I don't. I don't even know how I got here. I don't have a clue what's going on."

The man in blue hmphed. "Same here." He took the cig from his mouth and held it between his fingers as he glanced at you. "We should probably introduce ourselves, don't you think?"

Your eyes widened. "Oh! Right! Sorry! My name is Y/N L/N. I'm the Ultimate Dancer!" You grinned and did a small twirl. When you came to a stop you looked to the man. His expression hadn't changed.

"The name's Ryoma Hoshi. I used to be known as the Ultimate Tennis Pro, but that man no longer exists." He placed the cigarette back in his mouth and looked away.

You tilted your head in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean 'no longer exists'?" You questioned.

Ryoma sighed. "It's nothing you need to worry yourself about. In fact, it'd probably be best if you just stay away from me." He then turned and headed towards the door.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" You called, walking after him. You didn't really want to be alone in a place you knew nothing about.

The tennis player glanced back at you. "To go look around. We have to be here for a reason. I'm going to try to find out what that is." He then opened the door and walked out. You followed him. He noticed this and raised a brow. "Didn't I say you should stay away from me?"

You chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, but wouldn't it be best if we stay in pairs? Besides, you can't be that dangerous!"

Ryoma chuckled lowly at that last comment, though his expression didn't change much. If anything, it turned into a scowl. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you if you get hurt."

You frowned at him. "Is that...a threat?"

The small man shook his head. "No, of course not. People just tend to get hurt around me....Sometimes worse." He muttered the last part, but you still managed to hear it. You frowned again, but this time out of pity. What had this guy gone through?

You decided it would be your goal to try and help him.

~~~

You were still in shock over the news you had received hours later. It was just so...ridiculous! You had to kill someone if you wanted to leave? What kind of sick joke was this? You sighed and shook your head. "I gotta stop thinking about it." You muttered, and looked around. You noticed Ryoma leaning against the wall of the dorms, a candy cigarette in his mouth. You smiled. "Maybe I should talk to someone." You said as you began to walk over to him.

Ryoma glanced up as you approached him. When you came to a stop in front of him, he sighed. "You're really persistent about this whole staying around me thing, aren't you?"

You giggled and nodded. "Yup! Sure am! I don't get why you wanna keep me away so badly. You seem really cool from what I can tell!"

The tennis pro frowned at that. "'Cool', huh? Tch. You still got a ways to go, kid. I'm about the furthest thing from cool."

You copied his form. "Hmm....I disagree." You pointed to his hat. "For starters, your hat is pretty cool! I like the cat ears! You like cats?"

Ryoma didn't answer for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. I do. I had one, too. A Russian Blue named Smokey."

"Awww!" You exclaimed, placing a hand over your heart. "That's adorable! Well, then we better find a way out of here so you can return to him, huh?"

There was more silence from the shorter man, before he pulled down his hat and replied. "...he's gone."

You blinked, taken aback. "O...oh. I-I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Ryoma just shook his head. "Don't sweat it. Look, I appreciate the gesture, but you seriously should just leave me alone. I'm a dangerous man."

Your expression turned to one of annoyance. "Why do you keep saying that?! What could you have possibly down that's so dangerous you want me to stay away from you so badly?!"

Ryoma slowly took the candy cigarette from his mouth and looked up into your eyes with his own large pupils.

"I'm a murderer."

You stood still for a while, unsure how to react. "Wha...huh? Y-you're a...."

The ex-tennis pro pulled his hat down once more and turned his back to you. "Maybe now you'll take the hint." He said as he began walking away. "I'm not the kind of person you should hang around."

You watched as he walked into his room. You stood there for a few more minutes as you processed what you just learned. Ryoma...was a murderer? And he was here....in a killing game? For a moment you felt worried. Would you have to keep an eye on him? Would he kill someone?

But that worry left you fairly quickly. You weren't completely sure why, but you doubted he would kill. It might be because he obviously wanted to protect others from him. Why would he act like that if he wanted to kill someone?

You let out a sigh and rubbed your face. "Fuck. I wish I could just get go back to normal life." You murmured, walking away from the dorms. You noticed Kaede and Shuichi exit the school. They said something to each before giving the other a wave and parting ways.

Shuichi passed by you towards the dorms. He gave a small smile. "Hello, Y/N." He greeted you quietly as he walked by.

You returned the smile, nodding at him. "Hey, Shuichi." You replied. As he went toward his dorm, you looked towards Kaede, seeing she was heading down one of the dirt paths. You jogged over to her until you caught up.

When you were beside her, she turned to you, giving you a bright smile. "Oh! Hi, Y/N!" She said to you.

"Hey, Kaede. Hope you don't mind me joining you." You responded. "I just got done talking with Ryoma, and he left me a bit...confused."

"Of course I don't mind, I'm just going a short walk." Kaede tilted her head slightly. "What do you mean by confused?"

You sighed and scratched at your arm. "Well...I woke up in the same room as him, right? And right away he was acting all...edgy, I guess."

The pianist nodded. "I know what you mean. He keeps trying to push people away."

You looked over at her, nodding frantically. "Exactly! So I decided I wanted to help him." You let out a sigh. "But, he just told that he was a murderer. I didn't really expect that, and I don't know how to feel."

Kaede let out a solemn sigh. "Yeah, I know about that. Shuichi told me. He apparently took out an entire mafia with a steel tennis ball."

Your eyes widened. "He did what?!" You exclaimed. "Seriously?!"

"According to Shuichi. And he's the Ultimate Detective, so I trust him."

You were quiet for a moment as the two of you walked. You kind of understood why Ryoma saw himself as dangerous. To kill an entire mafia? Not everyone is capable of something like that. But still...you couldn't agree with him. You just couldn't see him as dangerous.

"Are you going to keep trying to break through to Ryoma?"

Kaede's question broke you out of your stupor. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Of course I am. I really want to help him. I feel really bad for him. Something terrible must've happened to him."

Kaede grinned at you. "I'm glad to hear that! We should always be there to help our friends! I also feel like something happened to Ryoma. I'll always be here to help as much as I can if you need it!"

You smiled at her. You felt a lot stronger around Kaede. She had that kind of aura. "Thanks Kaede. I'll take you up on that." You looked up at the sky, the sun beginning to set. "Well, I'm going to head to bed. See ya later, Kaede!" You waved to the pianist as you began heading back to the dorms.

"I'm gonna keep walking for a bit longer. Good night, Y/N!" She called out to you, waving back.

You felt much better as you walked up to your room. You walked into your room and changed into sleeping clothes before collapsing onto your bed. You fell asleep shortly after.

~~~

You awoke the next morning to an announcement from the screen in your room, the strange 'Monokubs' informing you of the time. As the screen returned to black, you threw your legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretching your arms over your head. You let out a yawn as you walked over to the wardrobe and began getting dressed for the day. Once you were fully clothed, you stepped outside. Your stomach rumbled, so you began heading toward the cafeteria.

When you arrived, everyone else was there as well. Including Ryoma. You just looked at him for a moment, him not having yet noticed you, before you began heading into the kitchen.

"Oh, there's no need for that, Y/N!" You heard someone call to you. You turned back and saw Kaede smiling at you. "Kirumi was nice enough to make us all breakfast! She said it should be done soon. Just take a seat with the rest of us!"

You returned her smile and nodded. "Oh, alright! That is really kind of her!" You looked around for an empty seat. You noticed one beside Kaito and began to head there, before you noticed that Ryoma was sitting completely alone. You frowned and walked over to Kaito. "Hey, why isn't anyone sitting with Ryoma?"

Kaito looked over at you. "I mean, we tried. I offered for the guy to come over here, but he just said he deserves to be alone." The astronaut trainee furrowed his brow. "Man, what a let down. I used to look up to that guy."

You looked back over to Ryoma. "Well, I'm gonna go sit with him." You said determinedly.

Kaito scoffed. "Good luck. He's really persistent on being alone."

You grinned. "Well, luckily I'm just as stubborn." You told him before heading over to the ex tennis player.

The small man looked up at the sound of your footsteps. He frowned. "Really, kid? You still wanna talk to me even after learning the truth?"

You nodded and plopped into a seat across from him. "Yup! Because if you were planning on killing me or someone else, you wouldn't be this insistent on keeping everyone away from you. You'd try to be our friends, gain our trust, stuff like that." You gave him a soft smile. "I just want to talk to you for a minute, Ryoma. Can we do that? Please?"

The man across from you was silent for a moment, avoiding your gaze. Finally he spoke. "Alright. I suppose talking for a minute or two can't do much harm." He looked up and locked eyes with you. "What do you want to talk about?"

You blanked. You hadn't thought this far ahead. You didn't actually expect him to agree. "Uh..." You scratched your head. "....ten...nis?"

He just stared at you for a moment before sighing, tugging on his beanie slightly. "...It always comes back to that, doesn't it?" He muttered. "Fine. What do you wanna know?"

Now that you thought about it, there were a few things regarding tennis you wanted to ask him. "Do you still like it?"

He shook his head. "I always get asked that." He said softly. "It's not an easy question to answer, you know. I'm not sure if I even fully know myself."

You gave a gentle smile. "It's ok. You don't have to answer."

He looked a bit surprised at that. "...Huh. Most folks push me to answer."

You frowned. "Well that's just rude. I might be persistent in wanting to talk to you, but I'm not gonna force you to talk about anything you don't want to."

Ryoma didn't respond to that, he only let out a quiet 'hm' sound as he placed a candy ciggerate in his mouth.

You moved onto your second question. "Why do you say 'the man know as the Ultimate Tennis Pro is dead?'" You asked.  

Ryoma sighed. "Because I threw that past life away. I'm nothing but a husk of what I used to be."

You shook your head. "Ryoma, no! That can't be true! What you did, I know you regret it! If you didn't you wouldn't be acting this way!  You think you're protecting us by keeping us away from you. You're afraid you'll lose yourself and hurt someo-"

"No." He interrupted you. You blinked at him as he looked away, tugging his beanie over his eyes. "That's not it. I'm not afraid of 'losing myself' or something like that. You're right about how I don't want to hurt anyone....But life seems to rarely give me a choice." He spoke the last part so quietly you barely heard him.

You went to respond before the kitchen doors opened, and Kirumi walked out carrying several trays of food. She places them on the tables, and everyone goes over to get some. Ryoma stood, stopping for a moment and glancing over his shoulder to look at you. "Don't ruin your life bothering with a guy like me. You still have a future. I threw mine away." After speaking those words he walked towards the the table with food, leaving you sitting there, frustrated.

This would be harder than you thought. Ryoma had some really tough walls up. But that just made you want to help him even more, even if the more he pushed you away the more agitated you became. You needed to find out about what exactly happened to him.

~~~

After breakfast, and an appearance from Monokuma announcing some stupid 'First Blood Perk', you went looking for Ryoma. You found him in the library sitting at the table reading a book of some kind. He looked up when you entered but didn't say anything, only returning to his book. You walked over to him and sat beside him. He looked up from his book again and over to you. "Again already? We already did this at breakfast."

"Yeah, well, there's more I need to talk to you about." You told him. You frowned and looked to him for a moment. "Ryoma...why did you kill the mafia?"

He sighed, and placed the book down. "So you finally found out. Surprised it took you so long. Wasn't exactly keeping it a secret. Well, it's not like telling you will make things any worse." He looked down at the table, avoiding your gaze. "...I was stupid. I threw away my life, my family...my lover..."

Your eyes widened a bit in surprise at that. Ryoma didn't really seem like the relationship type. He must've seen your reaction, because he sighed before continuing. "Anyway. The mafia kept inviting me to underground tennis matches. I tried to decline, but they were as persistent as you. I eventually agreed, but like the fool I am, I decided to win the match I was suppose to throw. Obviously, the mafia didn't like that. They came after me and those I care about and..."

Ryoma trailed off, looking to the side. He didn't have to say it. You understood. "And you blame yourself, don't you?" You asked.

"I am to blame." He responded, looking at you from the corner of his eye. "If I hadn't been an idiot then they wouldn't have...she wouldn't..." He clenched his fists and lowered his eyes.

You just looked at him. You hadn't known him long, but this was the most emotion you had seen him express. You slowly reached a hand out and placed it on his shoulder. "You aren't to blame. All of that lies with the mafia. They did this. Not you."

Ryoma shook his head. "But they wouldn't have if I hadn't gotten involved, would they?"

You sighed, beginning to get a bit agitated. You were just going in circles. "Ryoma, please. Just listen to me. You aren't a bad person. You were just doing what you thought was right."

"And look at where that got me." He responded, still not looking at you. "I got those I loved killed, and I became a killer myself. All because I 'did what I thought was right.'"

You frowned and let out a frustrated sigh, all of the annoyance you were feeling finally becoming too much for you. He finally looked up at you. "You know what else you did?" You asked him. "You stopped the mafia from killing who knows how many other families. You kept an unknown number of people from seeking revenge like you did, and probably failing because they don't have the same strength or skills as you. You prevented more underhanded crimes; murders, drug dealings, hell, even those matches you hated so much!" You glared at him. "Your past doesn't define you, its what you do with your future that makes a person. And if I can be honest, Ryoma, I'd say you haven't made much of yourself."

Ryoma stared at you for a while, taken aback. He finally opened his mouth to speak when the library doors opened. You both turned to look and saw Kaede and Shuichi enter. When they saw you they stopped.

"Oh, sorry! Did we interrupt something?" Kaede asked.

You shook your head, standing from your seat. "No, it's fine. I was just about to leave, actually." You said a quick goodbye to Shuichi and Kaede, not looking back to Ryoma.

~~~

You headed back to your room and stayed there for a long time. As you laid there, you calmed down from your outburst. You began to feel guilty. You shouldn't have said any of the things you did. You slowly stood from your bed and stepped outside, starting your search for Ryoma.

You eventually made it to the AV room. You turned the doorknob and opened the door, and saw Ryoma on the couch. A documentary on tennis was playing. You slowly walked inside, closing the door behind you as you walked toward him. "Ryoma?" You called out to him.

He glanced up at you. "Hello, Y/N." He replied, then looked back to the screen.

You bit your lip at that. "Do you...mind if I join you?" You asked.

"I have no authority to stop you." He shrugged. "Do what you want."

You nodded and took a seat next to him. There was an awkward silence for a little while, the only sound being the movie on the screen, until you spoke up. "I'm sorry, Ryoma." You apologized. "I shouldn't have snapped like that. I had no right. You've been through so much, I shouldn't just undermine your trauma like th-"

"No." He cut you off, and you turned to look at him. "You had a point." You're eyes widened as he continued. "I didn't think about the positive my actions could've caused. And while I'm not entirely convinced everything isn't my fault, I can admit you aren't entirely wrong."

You smiled widely. "Really?! You really think that?!" You exclaimed happily.

He nodded. "Yeah. I thought about it a lot after you left." He raised a brow at you. "I still don't think you should be hanging around me."

You smirked. "And I still don't care." You retorted playfully.

Ryoma shook his head. "Yeah, I expected as much." He said, chuckling softly. Your smile widened at that. That was the first time you had heard him let out a real laugh.

It was the next day, and you woke up happy. You felt like you had made some progress with Ryoma! You even heard him laugh a little! You smiled as you got dressed and made your way to the cafeteria to meet with everyone.

You were the last to arrive, and food was already on the table. You noticed Ryoma by himself again, so you sat across from him. "Morning, Ryoma." You greeted him.

"...Good morning, Y/N." He replied, looking over to you. "Is there something else you wanted to talk about?"

You shook your head. "Not really. I just wanted to sit here with you, if that's alright."

The short man nodded. "Again, I have no right to stop you. You can do whatever you want."

You grinned. "Good! Then I wanna sit with you!" You said happily. "Hey, there actually is a question I wanna ask you."

Ryoma smirked. "I had a feeling. Go ahead then."

"Do you wanna hang out with me later?" You asked him.

Ryoma was taken off guard. It was clear he didn't expect that question. "You want to hang out with me?"

"Yeah!" You assured him. "We could hang out in the AV room like yesterday! What do you say?"

The ex-tennis player looked to the side as he thought. The moment seemed to drag out until he gave a small smile. "...Alright. I'll spend some time with you."

You grinned widely. "Yes! Thank you, Ryoma! We're gonna have fun!"

Ryoma chuckled softly. "Sure, kid." He said quietly. He closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly thinking about something. When he opened them, he looked into your eyes. "Hey. You mind if I ask you a question?"

You smiled softly and nodded. "Sure thing, Ryoma. Ask away! Whaddaya wanna know?"

Ryoma placed the candy ciggerate he was holding into his mouth, keeping it there for a moment before he spoke. "Why are you doing this?"

You blinked and tilted your head in confusion. "Doing...what?" You asked.

"This." He gestured with his hand between himself and you. "Talking to me all the time. Trying to get to know me. Wanting to hang out with me, despite me telling you not to. Because if the answer is pity, you can stop right now."

You frowned. "Well I can assure you it's not out of pity." You told him. "It's because I see what you don't. I see the kind, protective person you really are. The guy that wanted to keep his family and lover safe. The man that wanted to take down the mafia and stop them from ever hurting anyone again." You placed your hand softly on top of his that was resting on the table. "And I want to help you see that too."

Ryoma looked down at your hand on his. He wasn't able to say anything before Monokuma popped into the room.

You jumped in surprise, taking your hand off of Ryoma's. The both of you turned to look at the monochrome bear as he gave the second motive.

~~~

"If someone doesn't kill in 24 hours, we all die?" You murmured. "And the killer can just...go free?"

"Whoever's running this thing really wants it to start soon." Ryoma responded, pulling his hat over his eyes.

The two of you were in the AV room, as you had planned earlier. You didn't have a movie on. You were both still trying to comprehend the news you were told by that stupid bear. You kept thinking about the situation you were in. You wanted to believe it was just a sick prank, or some dream you were having.

But you had to face the truth. This was reality. You were trapped in a killing game. You had to kill someone to leave.

You might die.

You didn't notice, but you began shaking. Ryoma did however, and he looked over at you. "Hey, Y/N? You alright?" He asked.

You looked down at him. There were tears in your eyes. "R...Ryoma..." You whimpered. "I'm scared. I don't wanna die..."

The convict looked at you for a moment before sighing. "You have something that drives you to keep going. That's good." He looked to the side and did nothing for a moment before holding his hand out. You looked at it confused. "You're shaking like a leaf. I'm...not great at comforting, but you've been trying to do that for me. So I oughta repay the favor, right?"

You smiled at that, and you felt a strange sensation in your chest. You pushed it to the side as you gently placed your hand in his. Your hand was a bit larger than his, but he still intertwined his fingers with yours.

The two of you sat there in silence for a while, and you slowly felt yourself calm down. After you had stopped shaking, Ryoma looked to you. "Huh. Guess that worked. You alright now?"

You smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Ryoma. I feel a little less scared."

He shrugged and removed his hand from yours. "Like I said, just returning the favor."

You giggled softly. "Well, you're really sweet." You teased him.

You didn't get a response, but he did pull his beanie down over his face a bit. There was a comfortable silence between the two of you after that.

It was quickly broken by loud music playing from the monitor.

You both looked to it and saw a ghastly video playing that had text reading "1 Hour Until Deadline."

Ryoma sighed and shook his head. "Geez, they went over the top like this, too? They must be really serious about this." He looked at you from the corner of his eye. "Aren't you afraid of being in the same room as me right now?"

You shook your head. "No. Why would I be?"

"Because I'm a murderer." He reminded you. "It might've been bad people I killed, but it proves I have the capacity to do so."

"I don't think you'd kill an innocent person. You're a good person." You responded.

Ryoma turned his head to the side. "Hmph. You're pretty trusting." He looked back over to you. "That's not necessarily a bad thing. Though you should be careful. Some people aren't so kind."

You nodded. "I know." You smiled warmly at him. "But you are."

Ryoma cracked a small smile and breathed out a quiet laugh.

There was more silence, save for the music from the monitor. This time it was broken by Ryoma.

"You could kill me."

You blinked. "Wh...huh?" You turned to look at him, but the back of his was facing you. "Ryoma...what are you talking about?"

"You deserve to get out of here. You have a reason to live. I don't have anything like that." He explained in a low voice. "You've been trying to convince me I'm not a bad person, but even if that's true, it doesn't change the fact I have no one waiting for me out there." He turned his head and met your eyes. "I'm betting you do."

You tried to stammer out a response, but nothing came to you. You didn't know what to say. What was Ryoma saying?! That...that you should kill him to save your own life?!

"With that First Blood Perk you won't even go through a trial. You'll just leave. You can even go get help for the others." He continued. "I'll willingly give my life to help everyone here."

You continued to stare in shock at him, before shaking your head, finally coming out of your stupor. "No...no!" You exclaimed. "Ryoma...I refuse to kill anyone! Not, you, not anyone! You're life isn't worthless! You can always find another reason to live if you don't have one out there!"

He looked at you for a moment before sighing. "Looks like I still got a ways to go. Sorry. Forget I mentioned it." He turned his head back to the blank screen.

You kept looking at him, worry etched on your features. Was Ryoma ok? Was he worse off than you thought? Did....did he want to die? Pushing the thought to the side for now, you forced yourself to look away from Ryoma and to the monitor, where the strange video was playing.

Eventually, you heard some commotion coming from the game room. the two of you turned your heads to the door. You could hear muffled voices.

"Didn't think anyone would be playing games at a time like this." Ryoma muttered.

You nodded in agreement, watching the door curiously. Suddenly it opened, and the giant that is Gonta entered, closing it behind him.

When he turned back around, he stopped in surprise when he saw you and Ryoma. "Oh! Gonta not know Y/N and Ryoma would be here!"

You smiled at him. "Hi, Gonta. Yeah, we were just hanging out here."

"What's going on in the game room, Gonta?" Ryoma questioned him.

"Oh! Kaito gather Gonta and other people to fight the Monokumas!" The bug lover explained. "So Gonta come here to watch bug movie to get in fighting mood!"

You and Ryoma looked at each other, neither of you understanding how that would put someone in a fighting mood, but neither wanting to question Gonta.

"Do Y/N and Ryoma mind if Gonta watch bug movie?" Gonta asked. "Gonta no want to interrupt date, because Gonta gentleman!"

Your eyes widened. "Date?! No no no no no!" You frantically shook you head and laughed nervously, though you felt a soft pang in your chest when you said the word date. "We aren't on a date, Gonta!" You glanced over at Ryoma, and saw that he was frowning and looking away.

Gonta frowned as well. "Oh. Sorry. Gonta no mean to offend."

You let out a breath. "It's alright, Gonta. And It's fine. You can watch your movie." You looked back to Ryoma. "You wanna go somewhere else?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Maybe we could go for a walk."

You smiled. "That sounds nice." The two of you stood from the couch and made your way to the door. But before you could leave the room, you heard it.

Ding dong bing dong!

"A body has been discovered! Everyone please make your way to the library!"

Your eyes widened, and your head shot over to Ryoma, then to Gonta. They both looked as surprised as you. Without a single word, you all ran out of the AV room and made your way to the library.

You joined up with the others in the game room and quickly rushed through the library doors. You walked in and frantically looked around the room. At first you didn't see anything.

And then you froze.

There, in the back of the room, was Rantaro Amami, sprawled out on the floor with blood pooling around his head.

~~~

The trial was over, and you laid in your room, staring up at the ceiling. You couldn't sleep after what you just went through. You tried, but it was impossible. After a few more moments of staring silently into the darkness, you finally stood and left your room. As you closed the door behind you, you looked around until you found your target and walked to it. You raised your hand and knocked softly on the door.

After a moment, it opened, and there stood Ryoma. He looked up at you, looking as worn out as you felt. "Y/N?"

You nodded, grabbing your right arm with your left. "Sorry to bother you, Ryoma. But...I can't sleep. I really don't wanna be alone right now."

The convict looked at you for a moment before sighing and walking into his room. "Come in." He called over to you.

You smiled gratefully as you followed him in, closing the door behind you. He sat on his bed, and you sat beside him.

He looked you in the eyes. "So what's on your mind?" He asked, though he knew. It was obvious what it was.

You let out a shaky sigh. "K...Kaede." You murmured. "I know she did it to try to kill the mastermind, but...she was our leader. She was so sweet, so helpful! I thought of her as a friend. And....and that execution!" Tears began falling from your eyes. "It was so brutal...she deserved better than that!"

Ryoma watched you silently for a while. "I know how you feel." He finally said. "She gave us all hope. The first I've had in a while." He pulled at his beanie. "I haven't had this feeling of shattered hope in a long time."

You tried to wipe your tears but they were falling too fast. "I'm even more scared than I was before, Ryoma." You told him. "I...I feel like you're the only one I can trust right now."

He raised a brow. "Really? And why is that?"

You picked at the skin on your arm. "Because. You've been really nice to me, despite you saying how dangerous you are. And you're the one I've spent the most time with, so I feel like I know more about you than the others." You looked down at him and gave a small smile despite your tears. "And we're friends."

Ryoma let out a 'hmm" as he thought on that. "I see. Well, if that's how you feel, then I guess that means I'll never get rid of you, huh?" He gave a small smirk.

You chuckled and shook your head, wiping your eyes as your tears finally slowed to a stop. "Nope, I'm here to stay."

The ex-tennis pro's mouth slowly turned into a frown. "Don't make promises you can't keep." He murmured. "This is still a killing game. Something could happen you can't control." You bit your lip and started shaking. Ryoma looked over to you and sighed. "Sorry, Y/N. Geez,  I'm not helping the situation, am I?"

You shook your head. "N-no, it's ok, Ryoma." You muttered. "I'm alright."

Ryoma looked down at the ground for a moment, then back at you. "Your Research Lab has been open since the start, right?" You looked over at him and nodded slowly. He then stood and began making his way to the door.

You furrowed your brow and stood, following after him in confusion. "Ryoma? Where are you going?"

"To your Research Lab." He said plainly. "Come on."

You were still confused, but you followed the small man out of his room and out into the night.

~~~

The two of you walked into the school, and you showed Ryoma the way to your lab. The door had a pair of ballet slippers on them. Ryoma looked to you. "Have you been inside yet?" He asked.

You shook your head. "No. I haven't really had the chance to." You looked down at him. "So why are we here?"

"Whenever I was really stressed or upset about something, I'd go to the court and play for a while. It always helped me calm down." He explained, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he turned to look at your door. "This is just an assumption, but maybe the same thing will happen if you dance for a little bit."

You smiled softly. You thought it was really sweet Ryoma was trying to cheer you up like this. You felt that same strange feeling in your chest from before. You frowned for a moment, but pushed it aside and opened your lab door open.

You looked at it in awe. It was a large dance floor, with full length mirrors across the wall. There were mats laying against the back wall, along with all the other supplies you would ever need, including any props you'd want for a performance. There was even a dressing room and some comfortable looking seats for an audience to sit.

Ryoma looked around the room. "Hmm. Never really been in a dancing studio before. Do they usually look like this?" He asked, glancing up at you.

You nodded. "Yeah. I wasn't expecting the one here to be so....nice looking. And well stocked! I thought it would be a cramped shabby little room, but..." You ran out into the open space and jumped into the air, doing a twirl before landing back down on your feet. You were grinning from ear to ear. "...this place is amazing!" You finished your sentence.

"Good to hear it." Ryoma said. "You have fun. I hope this makes you feel better." He began to head towards the exit.

"Wait!" You called out. He stopped and turned his head over his shoulder to look at you. You bit your lip. "Um...I was hoping you could stay and...watch me dance?"

The ex-tennis pro looked down at the ground and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. He wasn't quiet for long, answering your question fairly quickly. "...Alright. If you're ok with that."

You couldn't stop the giant grin from crossing your face. "Of course I'm alright with it!" You assured him as he walked over and took a seat. "Just give me a second to get prepared! I already know exactly what I'm gonna do!" You let out an excited giggle as you rushed off to the dressing room.

You returned about ten minutes later in a light blue silk top and skirt. The skirt flowed around you as you walked. You placed a boombox against the wall and pressed play, rushing to the middle of the dance floor. You stood there with your head down as you waited for the music to start.

The music was slow, soft and solemn, and as you began to move you were slow and fluid in your motions. You moved around gracefully, doing small jumps and landing with a twirl. Your movements were alluring as you moved across the floor. You gave occasional glances to Ryoma, and you noticed his eyes were watching your every move, though you couldn't read his expression.

As the music came to its big finish, you took a deep breath and readied yourself. You made your way to the center of the floor, and as the music reached its crescendo, you began to twirl. As you did so, you lifted your leg beside your head, your silk skirt flowing with the motions and revealing the shorts beneath. As the music died down, your spins slowed, and you slowly lowered your leg.  When the music ended, you came to a full stop, and gave a bow. As you straightened, you smiled and looked over to Ryoma.

The short man was still looking at you. You began to get worried, so you walked over to him. "Um, Ryoma?" You called. "Are...are you ok?"

He blinked at that, shaking his head softly. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. I'm fine."

"What did you think?" You asked him.

He placed a candy ciggerate in his mouth. "I see why they call you the Ultimate Dancer." He responded. "You're incredible."

You smiled at that, feeling relieved he liked your performance. "Thank you, Ryoma. This really did help a lot."

The convict gave you a small smile. "That's good. You think you can get some sleep now, or do you wanna stay here a while longer?"

"I think I've calmed down enough to get to sleep." You answered him. "Just give me a few minutes to change out of these clothes."

He nodded. "Sure thing. Take your time." You smiled at him as you ran back over to the dressing room.

~~~

The two of you returned to the dorms in no time. You both stood outside your rooms, looking at each other before going outside. "Thank you for helping me so late at night, Ryoma." You thanked him, give the man a grateful smile.

Ryoma shrugged. "Don't mention it." He looked to the side. "Isn't that what friends are for?"

Your eyes widened at that. He...he considered you a...friend? Had you finally broke through that shell?! As you had this thought, that persistent pang in your chest returned, stronger than ever. You furrowed your brow at it.

Ryoma noticed. "Y/N? Something wrong?"

You shook your head. "N-no, nothing." You smiled. "You're right, that is what friends are for. And you can come to me whenever you need to as well!"

Ryoma smiled softly at that. "I don't doubt that. Thanks, Y/N." He turned to his dorm door. "Good night, then. I'll see you tomorrow."

You nodded. "Yep! Night, Ryoma!" You returned the goodbye as you opened your door and entered your room. You closed your door and went to sit on your bed. You placed a hand on your chest, over where you've been feeling the strange pang. You let out a gasp. It was over your heart. But, what did that mean? You furrowed your brow as you wracked your brain, trying to figure out what it could possibly point to. Your eyes widened. "No...th...that can't be it...can it?" You murmured. But the more you thought about it, the more you had to admit it.

You had a crush on Ryoma Hoshi.

~~~

The next morning you woke up to the Monokubs' announcement like always. As you stood, still thinking about your realization from last night, you noticed a strange device on a table. Raising a brow, you went over to it and picked it up. It read 'Kubzpad' on the back, so you immediately became suspicious. Your first instinct was to not touch it, but something told you looking at it was important. With a sigh, you turned it on.

"Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Pro!"

You nearly dropped the thing. "W...what?" You murmured in confusion. Why did it say Ryoma's name? The device continued.

"Unfortunately, there's nobody in the world who cares about you! What a shame! Sorry!"

Your eyes widened. "Nobody...cares about him?" You repeated what you had heard, then shook your head. No. That wasn't true. You cared about him. You cared about him a lot!  You narrowed your eyes angrily at the Kubzpad and slammed it down onto the table before storming out of your room.

When you arrived at the cafeteria, you learned everyone else had received a pad as well. An agreement was reached not to share them, something you quickly agreed to. That earned you a disappointed look from Ryoma.

You sat with Ryoma like always, though this time you noticed your heart did a flip when he greeted you.

"So what do you think of this motive, Y/N?" He asked you, glancing up from his food.

You bit your lip before answering. "Well...I think it's terrible, obviously. Using people we care about against us? That's awful!"

Ryoma nodded. "Yeah. It's pretty low." He picked at his food for a moment before he spoke again. "...Who's did you get?"

You choked on your food, causing Ryoma to look up, visible concern on his face. You quickly drank some water, and after a small coughing fit, you calmed down. "S-sorry, Ryoma." You apologized. "Uh, didn't we agree not to share those?"

He sighed. "Yeah, we did. But I don't know if that's best." The small man looked to the side. "...If I find my video, I can see someone who cares about me, and I can finally have a reason to get out of here with you all...a reason to live."

You gasped, and reached across the table to grab his hand. He looked over to that. "Ryoma! Don't talk like that!" You chastised him. "We're your friends! Shouldn't we be reason enough?!"

The convict sighed again as he removed his hand from yours. "You guys are fine, Y/N, and you especially have made me feel better than I have in a while. But..." He tugged on his hat. "I still barely know any of you."

You felt a different pang in your heart. It was pain this time. You frowned. "You called me your friend, Ryoma." You murmured. "Does that not mean anything? Was that just a lie?"

He turned back to you and just looked at you for a while, not sure what to say. "...It wasn't a lie." He said finally. "Of course it means something. You...really have helped me, Y/N. When I'm with you, I don't feel like the terrible person I've been calling myself for so long. But..." He let out a sigh. "I just don't know if that's enough."

The pain in your heart returned. "I see..." You whispered, looking down at your food. There was an awkward silence for a while, until you spoke up again, looking back at Ryoma. "Come to my Research Lab in a little while. There's something I need to tell you in private."

The ex-tennis player raised a brow. "Hmm? Alright then. If you insist."

You nodded and stood. "I'll see you then, Ryoma." You gave him a small smile, then left the cafeteria.

~~~

You sat on one of the seats in your Research Lab, dressed in a simple red gown with stockings underneath it. Your hair was pinned back by a shimmering red headband with a flower on it. You already had the boombox placed against the wall with the music you wanted in it. You took a deep breath as you waited for Ryoma.

You didn't have to wait long. After a short while you heard the door open, and soft footsteps echo across the floor. "Y/N?" You heard his deep voice call your name as he came into view. He stopped when he saw you.

You smiled and stood. "Hi, Ryoma." You greeted him.

He looked you up and down before replying. "...Hi. What's...the occasion?"

You sighed and walked onto the dance floor. "What you said this morning, about our friendship maybe not being enough...I want you to know that's definitely not true for me."

Ryoma raised a brow and slowly followed you onto the floor. "That so?"

You nodded. "I know we haven't known each other long, but...your friendship means a lot to me, Ryoma." You smiled at him. "And so do you. I care about you a lot." You frowned and grabbed your right arm with your left. "If...if something were to happen to you...it would hurt me...more than you could ever know." You let out a deep breath. "I'm not the best at expressing myself with words." You held your hand out to him. "I'm better at doing so with dancing. Do you mind joining me?"

Ryoma looked at your hand for a while, then back up at you. "I don't really know how to dance." He informed you.

You gave him a soft smile. "That's alright. I can show you." You offered.

He continued to look at your hand some more, before finally placing his in yours. You grinned at that, then walked over to the boombox and turned it on. Soft music began to play.

You took Ryoma's other hand and intertwined it with yours. "Alright. Follow my footwork." You told him. He nodded, and looked down. You began moving slowly, taking a step back, then a step forward, Ryoma copying your movements. You then began to slowly move in a circle, while continuing the original steps. Ryoma did as you did, albeit not as smoothly. But you didn't care.

"I'm going to spin you. Is that alright?" You asked him after a short while of doing this.

He looked up at you hesitantly. "...Sure."

You gave him a reassuring smile as you released one of his hands and used the other to lightly twirl him around. When he came to a stop, you put him into a dip. He looked up to you with a surprised look, and you couldn't help but laugh.

He soon joined in as well, his deep laugh rumbling through the room as you pulled him to his feet.

You let him go and closed your eyes as you started to dance on your own, moving your hips slowly to the beat and running your hands down your body. You cracked open an eye to see Ryoma watching you, a soft smile on his face. That made your heart beat a thousand miles an hour.

Eventually the song ended, and the two of you looked at each other. You tilted your head at the ex-tennis player. "So? Did you...understand what I was trying to express?" You asked him.

Ryoma placed his hands in his pockets and looked at you before slowly nodding. "Strangely enough, yeah. I did." He looked into your eyes. "...You really care about me that much?"

You smiled and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I do Ryoma. I don't see you as a murderer, or a criminal, or someone who deserves nothing. I see you as an incredible person with so much skill and potential! You're so kind, so caring. So please...don't look for your video. Don't talk about not having a reason to live. This might be selfish, but...could you live for me? Please?"

Ryoma took all of that in, looking to the side for a moment. He finally looked back to you. "I guess I can do that." He agreed. Your smile widened as he continued. "You've come to mean a lot to me, too. You've helped me through a lot. I haven't felt as worthless around you and-" He cut himself off suddenly.

You tilted your head. "Ryoma? Are...are you alright?"

He didn't answer. He just stood there, looking at the ground. His gaze then slowly went up to you. That's when he finally spoke. "I...need some time to think. I had a...good time tonight, Y/N." He turned his back to you and began to walk out. "See ya." And with that he left, leaving you extremely confused.

~~~

The next morning came, and you had mixed feelings. You felt happy that Ryoma had agreed to live for you, but you were confused with his sudden exit. Had you done something wrong? Maybe you could talk it over at breakfast. With that thought in mind, you got dressed and made your way to the cafeteria.

When you arrived, you didn't see Ryoma there. You furrowed your brow and walked over to where Shuichi and Kaito were seated. They looked up and greeted you, and you did the same. "Hey, have you guys seen Ryoma?" You asked. "He's not where we usually sit."

They both shook their heads. "No, I'm sorry, Y/N." Shuichi said, giving you a sad smile. "He hasn't come here."

"He's never taken this long to get here." Kaito pointed out. He narrowed his eyes up at you. "Did you and him get in a fight or somethin'?"

You shook your head. "No!" You furrowed you brow and looked to the side. "I mean...I-I don't think so? It's...complicated."

Shuichi tilted his head at you. "How so?"

You sighed. "Well, he was talking about how he didn't have a reason to keep living, and he didn't know if his friendship with me was enough. So yesterday I had him come to my Research Lab, and we danced together. He said he enjoyed it, but he left in a hurry." You rubbed the back of your neck. "I'm...worried I did something wrong."

Shuichi gave you a small smile and shook his head. "No, Y/N. You didn't do anything wrong. It sounds like Ryoma just had some things he had to think about."

You narrowed your eyes. "That's close to what he said. How did you know that?"

Kaito grinned and pat Shuichi on the back, causing the detective to let out a yelp. "'Cause my sidekick's one of the best!"

Shuichi chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his back. He looked back to you. "Just give him some time. I'm sure everything will work itself out."

You gave him a small smile. "Alright. Thanks, Shuichi. I hope you're right."

~~~

After breakfast, you made your way to your lab. You were taking Shuichi's advice and giving Ryoma some space. You were dancing to a more upbeat song then the other two times you've visited this room. You were hoping the rhythm of the music would make you feel better. You moved quickly across the floor, less graceful and more precise in your movements. You placed your right hand on the floor and pushed, your body twirling in the air before you landed in a crouched position in beat with the music. You then had your leg make a circle around you as you stood and turned slowly.

You suddenly stopped when you saw Ryoma standing at the door.

"Ryoma!" You exclaimed, panting slightly from the more extreme dancing style.

"So you're amazing at all genres of dance, huh?" He chuckled softly as he walked into the room.

You blushed lightly from the compliment. "H-heh...thanks. I didn't expect you to show up."

"I went to your room and knocked, but no one answered." He told you as he sat in one of the seats. "So I decided to check here next."

You blinked and looked over to him. "Why were you looking for me?" You asked.

The convict pulled at his beanie. "I...wanted to apologize for my abrupt exit yesterday." He muttered.

You smiled softly as you headed into the dressing room. "You don't have to apologize, Ryoma. It's fine."

He shook his head. "No, it's not. It was really uncool of me. I know it must've hurt you. And...that's the last thing I want." You tilted your head at that as you finished changing. "I just had a lot of things on my mind I needed to sort out. And...now I need to talk to you about them."

You walked out of the dressing room and over to Ryoma, sitting beside him. "Sure, Ryoma. You can talk to me about anything." You told him, smiling softly at him.

He looked to the side. "There's two things I need to tell you, and they both go hand in hand, so I suppose I'll start with the more serious of the two." He looked over to you. "I want you to kill me and escape here."

You froze. That...was not what you were expecting. "Wh...what?! This again?!" You exclaimed. "You did this back before Rantaro was killed! And this time we don't even have the First Blood Perk!"

"I'll help you." He said simply. "I'll help cover your tracks. I just...need you to escape and live on."

"You promised you would live for me, Ryoma!" You cried out, grabbing his hand. "You said you'd stop with this 'I don't have a reason to live' stuff!"

"I did stop." The tennis player responded, looking to his and your hands. "This isn't about that. And I did find a reason. That would lead me to the second thing I needed to talk to you about." He slowly turned to look at you. "...it's you. You're the reason."

You swear you felt your heart explode. But you couldn't focus on that right now. "But...but if I'm your reason for living, why do you want me to kill you?!"

Ryoma tugged his beanie over his eyes. "I can't predict what's going to happen in this killing game, and I can't keep you safe forever, no matter how hard I try. If anything were to happen to you, I'd have nothing again. So I'd rather you kill me and escape than someone kill you and leave me alone again."

Your eyes darted around, trying to read his expression. It was solemn and serious. You felt tears prick your eyes. "Ryoma...I...I can't. I can't kill you! You say you'll be alone, then what about me?! How do you think I'll feel if I escape by myself?!"

He furrowed his brow and looked up at you. "What do you mean? You have a family. I understand we're friends, but it's not like we're lovers or anything, despite my recently discovered feelings for you. You'll still have people who-"

You acted before you could stop yourself. You leaned down and pressed your lips against Ryoma's.

The ex-tennis player's eyes widened in surprise. He stared at you, not knowing what to do.

You pulled away shortly, your cheeks flushed red. "Ryoma...I have feelings for you, too." You admitted. Your friend just stared at you as you continued. "I have for a little while now, since that night you comforted me after Kaede's death, and I danced for you. So, if you died, if I left here without you, I'd feel like I had nothing, even if I do have family." You looked into his eyes, tears falling slowly from your own. "Please...don't leave me alone, Ryoma..."

The man beside you didn't answer for a long time. He just stared at you, lost for words. Eventually he spoke, giving a small chuckle. "Looks like I still got a ways to go." He said softly. "I guess I can't ask you to do something like that then. I don't want you to go through what I did." He looked into your eyes. "I never would've expected you felt that way about me."

You smiled softly and nodded. "I do. You're just so incredible, Ryoma. I wish you could see it." You looked down at your still connected hands. "So...you have feelings for me, too?"

"Yeah." He confirmed. "I've been feeling...something around you for a little while. It was only yesterday when we danced together that I realized what it was." He tugged on his hat. "So, what does this make us?"

You smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "What do you want us to be?"

Ryoma looked to the side for a moment before looking up at you. He gave you a soft smile, then leaned up to kiss you. "I think I'd like for us to be together. For as long as we can."

Your smile widened, and your heart felt like beating out of your chest. "How does forever sound?"

He held your hand softly in his. "I think that sounds wonderful."

~~~

The next morning came, and after breakfast you and Ryoma returned to your Research Lab once again. You had asked him to dance with you, but he declined, saying he preferred watching you dance. So he sat on one of the seats while you danced to a love song. You glided across the dance floor delicately, closing your eyes as you let the music flow through you, guiding your movements. Your arms moved almost on their own, swaying to the rhythm.

You were suddenly interrupted by your hand being lightly grabbed. You stopped moving and opened your eyes. You looked down and saw Ryoma. "Ryoma? What's wrong?" You asked him.

"We need to leave." He said, looking behind him.

You furrowed your brow. "Leave? But we just got here! Is something wrong?"

He nodded. "I saw Gonta through the window on your door. He didn't look like himself. Just looking at him from in here I could sense something...off."

You tilted your head. "Huh? But it's Gonta! Gonta would never hurt a fly!" You began to walk to your lab door and peeked out the window. You did see Gonta.

And you felt a chill go down your spine.

He didn't seem the same. He had some...sinister aura around him. You shivered and looked down to Ryoma, who had followed you to the door. "I see what you mean now." You muttered.

He nodded. "Yeah." He grabbed your hand. "Come on. We should go back to our dorms."

You nodded in agreement and slowly opened the door, trying not to alert the giant down the hall. The two of you began slowly making your way down the hall. Suddenly your Research Lab closed a bit too loud.

Gonta's head shot over to your direction and locked onto the two of you. You were caught like a deer in headlights, but Ryoma reacted quickly. He gripped your hand tightly and began running down the hall. You gasped at the sudden speed. "R-Ryoma!"

"Sorry for not giving you a warning." He apologized. "We have to get outta here." You looked over your shoulder to see Gonta following after. You gripped Ryoma's hand tighter as he raced towards the dormitory.

When he got there, he pulled you into his room and slammed his door shut behind him, locking it. "We should be safe here." He assured you, walking over to his bed to sit. "Sorry I couldn't see the rest of your performance." He apologized as you sat beside him. "I really do enjoy watching you dance."

You smiled and pecked his cheek. "It's alright, Ryoma. We'll be able to go back there soon." Your newly gained boyfriend nodded as the two of you looked at his door. "How long do you think we'll have to stay here?" You asked him.

He shrugged. "Not sure." He responded. "It would probably be best to avoid leaving the dormitory for the rest of the night." He glanced over at you. "Of course, you can go to your room whenever you like. It's not that far from here, so you should be fine."

You gave him a soft smile. "Nah. I think I wanna stay here a little while longer." You leaned down and pressed your lips against his gently.

He let out a low chuckle and closed his eyes as he returned the kiss. The ex-tennis pro reached a hand up and caressed your face. When the two of you pulled apart to breathe, he shook his head. "I never thought I would feel this again."

You tilted your head. "Hm? Feel what, Ryoma?" You asked.

"Love." He replied simply. "I never believed in it to begin with, so when I lost...her...I assumed it was a mistake. That I don't deserve anyone. " He smiled up at you, and you felt your heart melt. You could see the love in his eyes. You knew how hard it was for Ryoma to express his emotions, so to see them so clearly and genuinely...

"Ryoma, I love you so much." You said, almost without thinking. "You deserve love. In fact, you deserve so much more that I wish I could give to you." You placed your hand on his and gave it a gentle squeeze, looking lovingly into his eyes. "I'll try to make sure you never feel like you don't deserve anything again."

Your partner gave a small smile as he returned your loving gaze. "There's nothing more you could give me, Y/N." He told you, his voice barely above a whisper. He gently grabbed your chin and pulled your head down to his level. "You already gave me the will to live." After saying that, he kissed you again. This time the kiss was much more passionate. You grabbed onto Ryoma's jacket as you deepened the kiss. You fell backwards onto his bed, pulling him on top of you.

Ryoma suddenly stopped and pulled himself up. You opened your eyes and looked at him. He looked worried.

"Ryoma? Are you ok?" You asked, placing a hand on his arm.

He looked to the side and didn't answer for a short while. "...How much further are you wanting to go here?"

You blinked, and turned a light shade of red. "U-um...I didn't mean to imply...I mean, it's not like I don't want to go further, just...only if you want to..." You stammered. You glanced at him. "...do you want to?"

Ryoma sighed. "I...I don't know." He admitted, getting off of you and sitting on the bed. You sat up as he continued. "I do love you, and I trust you. It's just..." He looked off to the side at nothing. "...prison isn't a nice place, ya know."

You furrowed your brow, confused as to why he would say that now. And then it clicked. You covered your mouth. "Ryoma..." You whispered, reaching a hand out to him. "I...I am so sorry..."

He tugged at his beanie. "It's in the past." He muttered. "Though it's a part of the past that can be a bit hard to forget."

You pulled your boyfriend into a hug. "I can imagine!" You pulled away and cupped his cheek. "It's completely fine. We can just stay like this. We don't have to do anything more. I want you to be comfortable."

The convict didn't respond at first. He looked down and chewed at the inside of his cheek. "...No. It...it's alright."

You gave him an unsure look. "Ryoma, are you sure? We really don't have to."

He nodded his head. "I'm sure." He looked up and met your eyes. "I feel at my best around you. And...I want to."

You still felt a bit worried, but the feeling slowly disappeared when Ryoma shrugged off his leather jacket. You stood from the bed and began to unzip the dress you were still wearing from when you were dancing.

As you slipped if off from your shoulders, Ryoma removed his shirt, revealing his chest. You couldn't help but stare. You knew he must be in shape considering he's an athlete, but you still were a bit surprised at exactly how ripped he was.

You tore your eyes away from him and placed your dress to the side, removing your shoes and leggings next. Your last articles of clothing were your bra and underwear. As you went to remove them, you suddenly felt a wave of nervousness. This would be your first time, and though you trusted Ryoma completely, you couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

Your boyfriend looked to you and noticed your hesitance. "I'm guessing this is your first time?" He asked. When you nodded, he went over to you and took your hand. "Everything will be alright. I'll take care of you, I promise."

You smiled at that and nodded. "I know. Thank you, Ryoma." With that reassurance relieving your nervousness, you removed the last of your clothes. You looked over to Ryoma in time to see him placing his underwear to the side.

He turned to you and looked you up and down. "Damn. You're so beautiful." He breathed out.

You blushed a light red as a soft smile crossed your face. "Well, you're really handsome." You responded.

Ryoma chuckled and gave you a loving smile and walked over to you. He took your hand and led you over to his bed. You sat down on it as Ryoma went over to his dresser. You raised a brow. "I'm seeing if whoever placed us here left any protection." He explained as he rummaged through it. "It would only make sense. You can't trap a bunch of people together in a high stress situation and not expect anything to happen." As he finished speaking he pulled out a box of condoms and a bottle of lubricant. "There we go."

You watched as Ryoma walked back over to the bed, a condom and the the bottle in hand. He tossed them onto the bed for the time being and climbed onto it, giving you a light push. You fell backwards onto it, smiling as he crawled up to you and smashed his lips against yours once more in the most intense kiss yet.

He wrapped an arm around your head and pulled you in close, your mouths moving in tandem. He lightly bit your bottom lip, trapping it between his teeth for a short moment before releasing it and continuing to kiss you passionately.

Your hands shot to his hair, knocking his beanie, which had remained on until now somehow, off of his head. Neither of you paid it any mind as you tangled your fingers in his hair and he moved his mouth from yours to the nape of your neck. He gently kissed and sucked on the skin, causing you to moan softly. You brought one hand from his hair and ran it along his muscular shoulders and down his biceps. "Ryoma..." You murmured. "I love you so much, Ryoma."

Your boyfriend pulled away from your neck and looked up at you. He brushed away a strand of hair that had made its way in front of your eyes in order to look into them. He gave you a loving smile. "I love you, too, Y/N. So much." He slowly pushed himself up. "Are you ready, then?"

You nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready." You watched as he smiled softly at that and grabbed the previously discarded condom and unwrapped it, rolling it onto his member.  He then grabbed the bottle and applied a fair amount of lube as well. Tossing the bottle to the side, he positioned himself between your legs and lined himself up with your entrance. You stopped him with a gentle touch on the shoulder. He looked up at you. "Are you sure you want to do this?" You asked him softly.

He gave you a small smile and nodded. "I am." He tugged on your hand, bringing your front half up to where he could kiss you. When he pulled away, you laid yourself back down onto the bed. With a final loving look shared between the two of you, Ryoma slowly entered you, letting out a low moan as he did so.

You winced at the slight pain you felt, a few tears welling in your eyes. Ryoma looked up at you worriedly. "I-I'll be fine." You told him. "Just give me a second." Your boyfriend nodded and stayed still as he waited for you to adjust, leaving soft kisses on your stomach and sides as he did. You felt your stomach flutter at that, and you smiled happily, feeling loved.

It didn't take long before you nodded, giving Ryoma the ok. The tennis player began to slowly move, not wanting to hurt you. As he continued to gently thrust into you, the pain you felt slowly melted into pleasure, and you began to softly moan. Hearing this, the man on top of you quickened his movements. This earned a loud gasp from you, followed by a groan.

Ryoma ran his hands across your stomach and waist softly as he thrust gently into you, letting out quiet grunts as he did so. He looked over at your eyes and smiled when he saw they were half lidded, your face in an 'Oh' shape from pleasure.

"F-fuck...Ryoma..." You breathed out. "I love you! You m-make me so happy!" Your back arched, and you interrupted yourself with a soft cry of pleasure as Ryoma's motions became even more enjoyable. "You're the b-best thing to ever happen t-to me!"

"Y-you're...gah....so beautiful, Y/N." He panted out. "I'm s-so lucky to have you. I don't know where I w-would be without you."

You were biting your lip and moaning from the pleasure you were feeling. When he spoke, you looked over to him. You smiled, then pushed yourself up to him, using your flexibility as a dancer to put you into a position that enabled him to pleasure you even easier. You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into a firm kiss as he continued to plunge into you, grunting into the kiss.

He held your waist as he broke it to catch his breath, panting heavily. The ex-tennis pro bucked his hips up into you, earning a cry of ecstasy from you when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. Ryoma smirked and let out a breathy chuckle. "Heh. I'm guessing that's a good spot?" Without waiting for an answer, he suddenly increased his speed drastically, ramming into that same spot repeatedly.

You nearly screamed in surprise as the wave of bliss shot through you, your vision going white with stars. "R-Ryoma!" You moaned his name loudly and pulled yourself even closer to him.

Your lover simple chuckled as he continued his work. As he slammed into you, leaving you a moaning mess, he brought his face down to your neck and began biting and sucking on the skin. You gasped and arched your back, whining softly. "I'll never let anyone hurt you." He muttered into your neck. "I can't lose you."

You began rolling your hips in time with Ryoma's thrusts. One of your hands reached down to tangle in his hair. You looked down at the man in question, his head still buried in your neck. "Y-you won't." You assured him, groaning softly as he began sucking on a sensitive spot on your neck. "I'll n-never leave you, Ryoma. And you'll never leave me." You took your free hand and gently pulled his head up to look you in the eyes. "Right?"

With no hesitation, the convict nodded and smashed his lips onto yours once again. He placed kisses all over your face, even trailing down your neck, all the while never stopping his thrusting. As he did this, he took one of his hands and brought it down to your clit. He began to gently rub it.

You gasped, squirming in his grasp. "F-fuck! S-so good! God, Ryoma!" You moaned loudly, throwing your head back. "I-I'm getting close! I'm so close!" You panted, feeling your core tighten up.

Ryoma looked up at you. He saw your flushed features and felt himself near his own release. "Y/N...fuck..." He groaned out, his pace beginning to get a bit sloppy. "You feel so incredible." He pulled away from your neck, but continued to rub your clit. He did so much faster as he thrust into you as well, attempting to drive you to release. "Come on, Y/N. Cum for me, babe."

You gripped Ryoma's shoulders tightly as you felt yourself getting closer and closer. With one last well aimed thrust from Ryoma, you cried out in pleasure as you reached your climax, your vision filling with stars. You fell backwards onto the bed, panting softly.

Ryoma chuckled quietly. "You did really good, Y/N." He praised. "I'm almost t-there myself." Your lover held onto your hips and grunted out as he continued to thrust into you. He muttered soft praises in between his moans. After just a few more deep thrusts into you, the tennis player stilled, falling on top of you panting as he rode out his high.

After a short while he pulled out and removed the condom. He tied it off and discarded it. He looked back at you and couldn't help but smile. Seeing the sleepy grin on your face as you looked lovingly at him made him feel something he hadn't felt in a long time. He went over to you and wrapped his arms around you after pulling the covers over the both of you. The two of you just laid there in a comfortable silence for a while, until Ryoma broke it.

"Thank you."

You blinked and turned to look at him. "Hmm? For what, Ryoma?"

He looked up at you, a small smile on his face. "For everything really. If you hadn't insisted on becoming my friend, I wouldn't have found a reason to get out of here. I...might have done something foolish." He reached a hand up to caress your face. "But thanks to your persistence, not only did I find a reason..." He placed a soft kiss on your lips before continuing, his voice a whisper. "...I found love again, something I thought was lost to me forever."

You felt tears of happiness well in your eyes as you held Ryoma close to you. "You don't need to thank me, Ryoma." You told him softly. "I wanted to help you. I saw the you that you couldn't, and I wanted to prove to you that you deserved happiness." You giggled quietly. "I didn't expect I'd fall in love with you, but I'm not complaining."

Ryoma chuckled softly and pulled you down into another kiss. This one lasted a bit longer. It was sweet and passionate as he ran his other hand lightly through your hair. When he pulled apart from the kiss, he placed his forehead on yours. "I didn't either." He murmured. "But I wouldn't trade you for anything in the world."

[reading-between-truth-and-lies]

World information

In this au mystical creatures are common and live along side humans. 

Magic is normal and most technology is fused with it.

The killing games never happened except for the first one still called the tragedy. Junko was stopped before her despair video could be released.  

Ultimates- These are genetically inherent talents that give the possessor unnatural abilities, making them a master at what they do. A curious thing also happens when their talent has awakened: Their Blood turns oddly pink. 

If forcefully awakened, artificially accelerated, or they get too overly obsessed with their talent, the ultimate will likely go insane/despair . ex. Junko

Hopes Peak has actually expanded to own a collage and is where this blog takes place most of the time. 

The collage is a mix of ultimate's (right side of the huge collage) and normal students (left side). It was created with the intent of finding those whose talents shown after high school, want to continue their education, couldn’t attended Hopes Peak High, and to help intergrade them within society. 

Makoto is head master, while Byakuya is co-head master. Kirigiri is Makoto’s assistant. They also practically run The Future Foundation. 

The Future Foundation basically scouts/tests for ultimate’s and keeps an eye on them to prevent another Junko from happening. 

Class 77 of Hopes Peak high go to this collage as Junko still made them despair. They were sent to Jabberwock Island for rehabilitation then were sent to the collage as a sort of permeate living space.   

Known Races (ones I have managed to come up with ) and Ultimates of Characters Under the Cut,

There also will be ABO dynamics mentioned for those that have animal races. 

Kokichi- two tailed Kitsune (Lair and Supreme leader.) Unknown (on blockers)

Shuichi- half ghost (detective) 

Kaito- Werewolf (astronaut) Alpha

Maki- Human (assassin) 

Kaede- neko (pianist) Omega 

Rantaro- vampire (adventurer)  

Miu- Fox demon (inventor) Beta

K1B0 is the same as in game  

Tsumugi- shapeshifter (cosplayer)

Korekiyo- half sea serpent (anthropologist) unknown (on blockers)

Angie- Angel (artist) 

Himiko-  Witch (spell caster) 

Ryoma-  Imp (Tennis player)

Gonta- Half giant (entomologist) (the group likes to call him a dwarf giant just to be funny.)

Teko- human ( Aikido master )

Kirumi- human ( maid )

[tk-writer]

Um for rarepairs is Gonta/Ryouma considered one? Definitely not a super rare pairing but there isn’t as much content for it as the other ships out there, a drabble with lee!ryouma would be really cute!

Going out of order again because I see that it’s Gonta’s birthday today, and I haven’t written him yet! Happy bday to our favorite wholesome boy.

~

“Thank you for helping Gonta practice being gentleman, Hoshi!”

“Mm. Don’t mention it.” Ryoma took a puff of his cigarette. The tobacco tasted of oak and bourbon. Just how he liked it.

The tennis player stood on a step stool tall enough so that his head was at Gonta’s shoulders. The ultimate entomologist placed one hand on his shoulder and the other at his waist; Ryoma mirrored him. He shivered at the touch; it had been a long time since anyone had put their hands on him.

“Ready?” Gonta asked enthusiastically, his grip tightening slightly. Not enough to cause pain, but enough to make him fidget slightly.

“… Mff! …ye, yeah.”

“What’s wrong? Gonta hurt friend?”

“No, no. It’s fine. Let’s begin.”

Gonta obeyed, swooping him up in his arms and slowly turning him to the slow beat of the music. Ryoma’s feet dangled in the air. With anyone else, it would have been humiliating being tossed around like a rag doll. But that was why he liked Gonta. He’d never comment on his stature or tease him for his height.

Alas, the moment wasn’t to last. Gonta lost his balance and the two of them toppled over onto the bed, the insect lover sprawled out on top of Ryoma. 

“Hoshi! Are you okay? Gonta sorry! Gonta idiot!”

When he didn’t respond right away, Ryoma felt large fingers prodding into his stomach, which made him twitch and shudder and caused strange muffled sounds to get caught in his throat. How embarrassing, he thought. At least Gonta was ignorant about these kinds of things…

“Nnnuh! Ugh! I’m fff-AYEEE-n!”

“Then why does Hoshi look hurt when Gonta touch him?”

“Nnnngh! Aack! Okay, stop! Stop. I’m fine.”

Gonta pulled back and left Ryoma be. He took in heaving breaths; he hadn’t noticed how shallow his breathing had become. Gonta looked concerned, but didn’t seem to be aware of what had just happened. That was for the best. No one needed to know that he was still ticklish after all these years.

“Looks like I still have a ways to go…” he mumbled to himself as Gonta helped him back to his feet.

[noddytheornithopod]

Started chapter 2 of V3!

So... what the heck was that intro to chapter 2? Who were those people talking when mourning Kaede?

Interestingly my attitudes on the characters are kind of shifting. Kaito I don’t like as much as I used to because some of the macho manliness stuff just rubs me the wrong way. I like Tenko even less at this point, I’m tired of this straw-feminist shtick. Angie I’ve just become numb to and am all “oh guess we’re stuck with miss racial stereotype”. Kokichi hasn’t changed much, sometimes he’s annoying, sometimes he’s amusing and/or intriguing. Korekiyo has been growing on me, I like his whole weird anthropology and effeminate attitude thing. Miu has grown lesser in my favourite books, though surprisingly I still don’t outright dislike her.

Okay if Tenko and Teruteru are like polar opposites that still reach unlikeability what happens when they meet?

Everyone loves Kirumi! Who wants to bet she dies soon? :v

What IS with the “horse a” carving anyway?

Wow, Shuichi doesn’t eat breakfast... I’m guilty of that more than I’d like to be.

I forgot to mention last time that macho man aside, seeing Kaito really take Kaede’s words to heart was sweet. Seeing him apologise for the punch was cool too.

Okay Kokichi is definitely this game’s Byakuya and pre-Peko death Fuyuhiko analogue (the latter is funny because apparently they have the same English VA). He’s still hard to read, but he doesn’t seem like he’s up for being a team player. Also... he had a pretty creepy yet amusing face in the first trial... here in the dining hall, he takes it even further by basically having his face enveloped in shadow and honestly it’s just creepy. He feels like the obvious choice as the mastermind if it’s one of the students, but given how antagonistic he already is I kinda doubt it as well, with outwardly antagonistic characters in DR they never end up being the actual big bad from the looks of it. Also, he’s supreme leader of an evil organisation... what if he’s just the leader of an army of Internet trolls? :v He has the perfect personality for one.

So now we have to use basically keys to unlock new areas, heh. Was a bit taken back initially, but it does kind of add more immersion to be honest.

Come to think of it, why aren’t everyone’s labs available from the start? I mean, we see what is presumably Shuichi’s even in the first chapter and it’s still unavailable to visit.

Monokubs are getting heated with each other, Monosuke seems pissed about Monokid’s death but the others don’t mind, especially Monodam. Monodam is still the best one, being more assertive has kept him just as fun as before.

Okay so they bring up Jack the Ripper when they go to Kirumi’s lab... um, is this the serial killer of the game? A Jack the Ripper wannabe? Weird if it’s the case.

Maki has probably been the most forgettable character so far, but one still has to wonder what’s in her room. I imagine she’s probably just sensitive because of her dislike of being a child caregiver despite it being her talent.

Okay, Miu, I’m pretty sure saying two men should just go in a shower sexually as a mean spirited joke is homophobic.

Aww, Ryoma seems sad about tennis. He feels trapped whether he’s in this game or in actual prison. Also ouch, he actually admits he doesn’t want to survive the whole killing game. Seriously I bet he does have some tragic backstory. Don’t tell me he’s gonna be one of the survivors because he’s fine with dying too. :v

On the other hand, with the way he’s drawn seeing Ryoma’s dramatic reaction to Miu’s still awful and in poor taste joke is pretty hilarious, his face still lacks a lot of expression but it has JUST enough to convey a feeling. I like him TBH. I keep forgetting he’s still a teen too, even though he sounds and acts far older (unless he got held back or something, I mean I’m preeeety sure Himiko is still a kid).

A swimming pool... I worry about what this could mean down the line. Also I am NOT buying that key of love or whatever it’s called.

A casino... Monokuma encourages gambling... oh wait he actually freaking does. RIP poor Kaito. Sometimes you’re recklessness doesn’t help you, dude. Though his super dramatic expression is hilarious.

Kaito reminds me a lot of Poe Dameron actually, I mean he’s even the ultimate astronaut.

Okay, the big thing... they get more memories back. However... are they really getting memories back? I mean, they went all in with the truth and lies in the trial, so one has to wonder if they’re really regaining memories or it’s just fabricating even more of a past for them.

That being said, with what we have, it seems like them all lacking talents at the start was because they erased their memories to hide from the Ultimate Hunt? Given they’re focusing on their talents, one has to wonder if the Ultimate Hunt is tied to the Tragedy, because I mean, it does sound like what happened there. Common people rebelling against those seen and promoted as talented to the point where a part of the Tragedy is basically the genocide of those seen as talented fits all this pretty well. Of course, more info will probably completely recontextualise this, but I’m surprised at how well this fits.

Was the technology they used to erase their memories of their talented selves Neo-World related? Shuichi with the machine looked just like when we saw Kaede with it.

With this stuff we found, it’s looking more and more like Rantaro basically had his remembering process fucked up somehow, hence not remembering his talent but the Ultimate Hunt (and I guess anything else he knows).

What the fuck was the line of Shuichi wanting to die with everyone else about when we saw that flashback of the memory wipe?

Okay so this is pretty weird... so if the Monokubs used the remembering machine to make them remember their talents, it also means that somehow led them to forgetting that they lost them? So it made them remember AND forget so their minds would be pre-Hunt essentially? Of course, assuming this isn’t some brainwashing bullshit that’s implanting fake memories altogether.

Did some more free times with Tsumugi because she’s adorable, and I’m seeing an interesting duality. On one hand, she seems to view herself as plain and it feels like she cosplays to try and gain attention (or emphasizing plainness is in its own way a ploy for attention)? On the other, she seems to hate cosplayers who get caught up in their own self-image and get into drama, treating it more serious when the real joy is just dressing as characters you like, and as a result prefers making costumes to wearing them.

I’m up to a rather intriguing point where the Monokubs leave something for Shuichi it seems... but that will have to wait.

Also I can’t believe I forgot about Ryoma pointing out the now I realise really obvious symbolism with Shuichi’s hat and how he’s kinda shielding himself from reality, lol.

[imaginedanganronpa]

Can you please do a Hoshimatsu scenario where Ryoma catches Kaede in setting up her trap and talks her out?

Hoshimatsu Where Ryoma Hoshi Catches Kaede Akamatsu Setting Up Her Trap & Talks Her Out!

Kaede needed to find this Mastermind – not only hers, buteveryone else’s lives depended on it. 

And it didn’t matter if she got executed as long as everyone else was able tomake it out of here alive. She was willing to make that sacrifice for their sake.

Although, she really hated lying to Shuichi and the others; it was for thebest. Her plan was foolproof, or so she thought.

Shuichi was off doing his own work and left her alone in the classroom. Hetrusted her enough to not come up with something so evil but she kept tellingherself that she was doing the right thing. No one suspected that she’d do this because she seemed so innocent - Hell, even Kaede surprised herself.

Just as she finished the final preparations, she heard a light pair offootsteps coming down the hallway. Kaede gasps and tries to act as normal aspossible. 

Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Player, pokes his head in the classroom. “Oh,Kaede,” he says in his deep, soothing voice, “I didn’t expect to see you inhere. What are you doing?”

Her mind races trying to come up with an answer that made sense. “Oh… nothing.Just hanging out.” She awkwardly giggles and shrugs her shoulders, eyeing thefloor to prevent making eye-contact because she knew if she did so, she wouldgo into a full-blown panic attack.

Ryoma stares at her silently for a moment and squints his eyes. She can feelher heart begin to pound inside her chest.

“Are you sure that’s all?”

Kaede nods her head rapidly. Maybe she wasn’t a great liar, or at least not asgreat as she would like to believe. Or maybe Ryoma was just good at readingpeople. Either way, he sensed that she wasn’t being honest.

Sighing, she gives up in defeat. “Are you planning on killing someone?”

His voice causes her to jump. When he put it that way, it made the situationsound undoubtedly worse. She wasn’t some cold-hearted killer after all!

The smaller man slowly walks towards one of the empty seats and gestures forKaede to join him, never once taking his intimidating eyes off of her. It feels the same as when you know you’re about to getscolded by your parents. 

“Why would you want to do that?” His gaze was intense and she wasn’t sure howto answer that. “You don’t seem like the kind of girl who would want to dosomething… so terrible.”

She’s speechless, and now that her plan was blown she’d either have to evacuateor risk getting executed, which was now likely since she had a witness. “Ijust… wanted to expose the Mastermind.”

“Mastermind?” Ryoma’s expression changed as he seemed to be caught off guard.“You think there’s a Mastermind?”

She nods and avoids looking at him, keeping her eyes on the ground. Suddenly,Ryoma places his hand on top of hers and leans forward, now their faces werejust barely separated. Kaede’s cheeks turned a light pink color that matchedher uniform.

“Don’t do this based off of a hunch,” he pauses and swallows hard. He’s notused to opening up to others, nevertheless strangers, but here goes nothing. “Takeit from me… someone who has been in your position. I know what it’s like to…take a life. I did so in my past. I did my time, but now the stakes are much,much higher… and I for one would hate to see you senselessly get killed.”

Now, she was at a complete loss for words. Eyes wide and mouth hanging open,Kaede is unsure of how to respond. It was like having a conversation with yourmuch wiser elder. She knew that Ryoma wasn’t the kind of person to be so compassionate so she understood the weight of their situation.

She knew that the smartest thing to do would be to forget it and take Ryoma’sadvice but she couldn’t shake her gut feeling. Still, looking into his eyesright now made her second guess that.

He isn’t one to plead or try to change someone’s mind, but he knew he’d hatehimself even more if he saw what she was doing and didn’t stop to try, andthen watched her get executed. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

“Please, Kaede, for me.” His grip tightens and now she’s squeezing his hand,too. She stands and takes the shot-put out of her bag, tossing it down thehallway and out of sight. Then, she shuts the vent closed for good. 

Although he isn’t typically an emotional person, tears form in Ryoma’s eyes atthe thought that he may have just saved a life.

Meanwhile, she is visibly trembling and has tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Ryoma…” 

The man stands and begins making his way back towards the door. With a small smile, he winks at her. “Don’t mention it.”

- Mod Rantaro

[daydreamdanganronpa]

Survivor’s Guilt: Kaede Akamatsu Pt.2

TW: Depression, Suicide mention, Death/Death Mention, Torture/Torture mention, Blame, Self-Harm/Self-Harm mention.

“If only you did something, Kaede” Shuichi is right in front of her. He’s right there. “But all you did was throw my body into the sea, you couldn’t even give me a proper funeral!” 

He was upset, she never saw him this upset. 

“Did you even care about me?” She tried to talk, tried to explain but her throat felt closed off. Her eyesight becoming blurred from the forming tears. “Probably not,” He scoffed. “You didn’t do anything to save me...” His voice was filled with such... hate. “Why are you even alive, I’m the one who can bring closure to families...”

 It hurt.

Waking up she was sobbing, her hands in fists, opening them she had left red marks on the palms of her hand. It stung.... and she was shaking. 

She looked out her window, the sun was just barely peeking. Getting up to use the bathroom, her legs felt like they were made of water. Barely solid, wavering and unsupported. 

Those were the thoughts in her mind, until she saw the razor in her hand. A regular pink shaving razor, however this time she held it, she knew there was malice deep down. Realizing it, she threw the item across the room and quivered in the corner. Shuichi’s voice clear as glass. 

After sobbing for a bit, alone on the cold tiled floor she went back to her room. Kicking the razor away when she came across it. Her hand reached for her phone, her mind went blank on who tell what just happened.

But, she might just be annoying to whoever she tell. They’ve all been trying so hard, but nothing has really helped. 

She’s just draining everyone. 

{Ryoma: You’ve been a bit distant lately, is everything ok?}

{Ryoma: If you wanna hang out, I’m cool with that. I won’t pressure you to tell me anything.}

{Ryoma: It’s not my style.}

Ryoma was the first to message Kaede in a while. Before it had always been Kaito or Tenko, but as of late they have stopped. Most likely because they had agreed Kaede just needed some space. 

{Sure, I’ll hang with you. Is today ok?}

{Ryoma: That works, I’ll come over. I don’t want to push you too much,}

It was surprising how considerate Ryoma was. He seemed to be the guy if it’s too much trouble he’ll completely skip out on it. 

During their rendezvous she found herself spilling... everything.

It was difficult to get anything out in between sobs. Ryoma was patient, and open, and chill. But that tensed just a bit after Kaede had revealed the events of that morning.

“I don’t want to be overbearing, but I think you should visit a therapist and get some proper help.” She looked at her dead on. “I’m not saying it to say you’re crazy or anything, we all worry for you.” He pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal scars.  “I don’t want you to go through something I know you’ll regret.”

“Thanks Ryoma...” Kaede wiped some tears that were starting to form. “I’m sorry I’m such a crybaby.” She gave a small laugh,

“Don’t apologize for having emotions Kaede, it’s what makes us human.” 

When the two departured, Kaede found herself messeging the Ultimate Tennis Player. Thanking him, and realizing she felt just a little lighter. 

[sanctferum]

Freetime in chapter 2 part 2, probably the final free times of the chapter!

This time, Kokichi and Gonta are on the 2nd floor, in one of the classrooms.

Kokichi offers us another chance at winning a game and saving our life. Burning Apology. The way it works is, we gotta beg Kokichi not to kill us while kneeling on a burning hot metal plate. I’ll take my chances with you killing me later, thanks. Steal Beam walk also sounds like a game we do not want to play, but it’s better than the other one...until Kokichi mentions how high up the beam is, and that there’s an electric current running across it.

Wait, Kokichi plans to cross the beam too? Nope, another lie.

Kokichi doesn’t mind risking it all in a life-or-death game like the killing game or anything else. Everyone is gonna die at some point, all that you’re doing if you fail is changing the timing. That’d be a pretty depressing philosophy if he wasn’t blatantly lying about it.

Yeah, he was blatantly lying about it. Rock-paper-scissors it is!

Once again, it was a tie...and a repeat of the game ended up with another tie.

No matter how many times they try, it’s always the same thing on both sides...

Kokichi was purposely mimicking Shiuchi’s movements to make it a tie every time. What a strange guy...

Night-time! And the evening announcement features the Monokub’s in a kitchen. Monosuke’s made a rice bowl with chicken, egg, and kimchi. A wheelbarrow of chicken, a cluster of eggs, a pile of kimchi, that is. There’s also rice. One grain of it.

Oh, and mayonnaise...lovely. 1000 calories in one meal...insane. Shuichi feels the same. As he tosses and turns, he again wonder if there was some way to save Kaede...oh look, the doorbell’s going off! I wonder who’s here?

Kaito again...hopefully he doesn’t see our Kubpad...

Meeting at the courtyard at this time of night? Awfully suspicious.

Kirumi and Kiyo are in the hall...Kirumi says Kaede’s room is locked...as is Rantaro’s. So we can’t enter the rooms of those who’ve died...which is a shame, since Rantaro knew something he wasn’t telling anyone else. Perhaps some info could have been gleaned from his room? It’s too late to find out now...

Kiyo wonders if Kaito wants to exchange motives with Shuichi...now if anything happens to either Kaito or Shuichi, Kiyo will be able to testify that he saw Shuichi leaving to meet with Kaito.

Himiko’s outside...I’ve been fearing she’d be part of the upcoming case for a bit now...she goes back to bed, but before she does, she mentions that if she knew things would end up the way they did, she’d have had “her” undo her “brainwashing” way before this. Does she know who ran the facility the Ultimates used to suppress their memories...? She looks strangely happy...

Angie is here too...she tells Shuichi to be excited for tomorrow, then leaves.

Kaito wants Shuichi to join him in doing astronaut training. 50 pushups, right away! Well, Kaito’s also doing 50 pushups, so at least he’s no hypocrite.

Shuichi is ill-equipped to do pushups, but Kaito demands he do them tomorrow as well. Because...Shuichi is weak, and Kaito finds it odd that Kaede entrusted her wish to someone so weak. Shuichi has been convinced that he’s responsible for Kaede’s death...but Kaito thinks that’s bullshit. What Kaede did...was what Kaede did. Shuichi shouldn’t carry someone else’s sins around on his shoulders.

*Silver the Hedgehog voice* IT’S NO USE

In spite of his promise to not shy away from the truth...Shuichi is afraid. Because every time he reveals a hidden truth...it fucks things up....

As long as Shuichi knows he’s weak...he can strive to get stronger. Kaito...

But Kaito’s got the concept of mental and physical strength merged, hence the intense strength.

Now they’re bros...

haha Kaito didn’t do 50 pushups...even while suffering under the training, Shuichi still was able to notice that Kaito only did 20.

Shuichi decides to trust Kaito. New bro get!

And so he goes back to his dorm and falls asleep soundly. But trust, in a place like this, can lead to a lot of heartbreak. As Shuichi found out with Kaede...

And the narration suggests trusting someone again so soon will end badly.

Monokuma Theater! Jaws style, except instead of a shark it’s a Junk Monokuma from Ultra Despair Girls. Monokuma talks shit about life and death, and then the morning announcement...the Monokubs seem to be less enthusiastic today. Weird. They’re half-asleep...

Ryoma’s in the hallway. He can’t believe in good things happening to him, because what would they be? He has no wishes to fulfill, no hopes to come true, no dreams to aspire to. But Shuichi...he looks different to Ryoma, both from himself and Shuichi’s past self. He’s stopped looking at the past, and started to focus on the future.

Miu’s got some stuff to say about back items in casinos and a newly acquired bowing fetish. Apparently, having a certain item lets you participate in a back game...not sure what she’s talking about.

Ah, the item is the Monokuma medal box. It unlocks an event...after breakfast.

Tsumugi is also out and about, and musing about the casino games as well.

Inside the building, Keebo is looking for Kokichi and Gonta. He also mentions what I was thinking before - the reason Monokuma goes out of his way to make co-operators suffer is because it’s what he most fears.

Tenko is outside the dining hall, getting hyped up for Kirumi’s cooking.

Inside the dining hall, most of the Ultimates are gathered to eat. Maki is holed up inside her Ultimate Research Lab (suspicious...), and Kokichi and Gonta are up to something...and as we saw earlier, Ryoma isn’t coming to breakfast. Kaito seems to have known of Ryoma when he was a tennis celebrity, interestingly enough.

Angie and Himiko are being weird. I have a bad feeling that Angie convinced Himiko that the memory suppressing facility suppressed her “love of Atua” or something...

Himiko is indeed praying to Atua...because it doesn’t require her to use any energy. Keebo and Tsumugi point out that her newfound connection to Atua is merely escapism.

Yeah, Angie brainwashed her all right...

Tenko tries to snap Himiko out of it, but Himiko doesn’t want to remember the reality that’s taking place...the pain of it apparently made her want to die, so this is a relief for her. Angie urges her to embrace Atua, and Himiko calms down. This is not a healthy coping mechanism, you idiot.

Tenko takes issue with Atua being a handsome male god, and Himiko calls her a lesbian, and I the player shake my head and say “no shit, Himiko.”

According to Angie, Atua says the academy suffers from the same sins as the outside world, and that everyone’s enmity towards each other is worsening their greed. The only thing to do is to forget about the outside world and agree to live here forever...and make the academy a paradise, a heaven on Earth worthy of Atua. Then Atua will be with everyone, and no one will care about leaving, and no one will kill. Because Monokuma would totally let that happen.

Angie and her new convert have a plan to make everyone happy...have Himiko put on a magic show! Tomorrow morning, in the gym, after the morning announcement. The gym...and we noted earlier that it has a window connecting to the pool...this is totally gonna end in a crime scene of some sort.

“Antisterbation” Anticipation, you mean...oh god, Miu’s gonna pounce on that one...or Kiyo? OK then.

Breakfast is over, and now Shuichi and Miu are going to the casino...Ryoma, Kokichi and Kiyo have also joined them, as Kokichi was eavesdropping on them during their earlier conversation.

Monokuma denies ever making a rule about the medal kit and back games...

Miu grumbles about fake info, and Kaito arrives. He’s here to gamble, despite denying it, because he is a sucker who has learned jack shit.

The guys all compete to see who wins the most from the slot machines (Miu is excluded since she’s an inventor who could conceivably rig the machine, and she does probably intend to do so). Predictably, Kaito loses it all. Ryoma is the winner in the end, but doesn’t think it’s worthy of being bragged about. Then Kiyo starts talking about luck, Japanese mythology, and anthropology...no interruptions, Miu. Especially not vulgar interruptions.

“Words are powerful. Truth or lies may both be fired as powerfully as a bullet from a gun.” It’s almost like you could turn evidence into a “Truth Bullet” or something...

Ryoma isn’t particularly superstitious, but he always entered the tennis court with his right foot, and he entered the casino basement with his right foot too.

Kiyo is losing his patience with Miu. Kaito is ready to give the thing another try...right foot forward! Woops, he’s broke again, and Ryoma takes another victory. Too bad, Kaito!

Shuichi returns to his room. Kokichi, Gonta, Angie, Himiko, Ryoma, Maki...they’re all making things difficult, even without meaning to (well, in the case of Kokichi, he definitely means to). Free time again, though. Let’s finish up Kokichi’s events!

Kokichi’s already come up with a plan to get everyone to show their motives to everyone else...that’s not good.

Shuichi’s last chance to save his life, huh?

Oh shit, Kokichi’s final game involves a knife...

Oh fuck, that game. I’ve heard of it...stab the table under your palm, but you lose if you cut off your fingers. Let’s not try that.

Better to do the knife game and have the chance of winning than have a 100% chance of dying, huh?

Kokichi goes first! And he’s doing pretty goo-he just lost. Ouch. Just a cut, not a severed finger, but still.

And all the while that Shuichi is patching him up, Kokichi is laughing his ass off.

Since Kokichi lost...Shuichi wins! And gets to not die.

And besides, Kokichi already got to fulfill his objective...to...kill Shuichi? He looks pretty alive to me, Kokichi.

Oh. This whole thing was Kokichi wanting Shuichi to keep him on his mind...?

Kokichi doesn’t need to steal Shuichi’s life, just his heart. Just kidding, that’s a lie...as was him wanting to kill Shuichi in the first place. What a little shit.

Achievement unlocked: Bond, True Bond.

Skill get: Kind Lie. YES! This is exactly what I think it is, right??

Oh, no it isn’t. It just lets you hold a lie bullet longer without draining your health bar.

We also get Kokichi’s underwear.

Free time agai- oh there’s the doorbell.

Kaito! He’s...scared shitless? He’s telling Shuichi to run...

Out in the hallway...is Gonta. And he looks pissed off as all hell.

Time for everyone to run out of the dorm in a panic...how much do you wanna bet Kokichi’s gonna go collect everyone’s motive videos now that they’ve vacated their rooms?

Ryoma escaped from Gonta by flashstepping. Nice.

Suddenly, Gonta again!

Ryoma decides to escape again, but then Gonta charges and Shuichi loses consciousness. Punched out by Gonta...”for your own good”, huh?

Then a voice inside Shuichi’s own head urges him not to die...and he wakes up to see Kokichi standing over him.

Gonta’s lab...and several others were also attacked by Gonta and brought here. Tsumugi, Keebo, Tenko, and Kiyo.

Kokichi tricked Gonta by telling that everyone else hated bugs...

Kokichi is gonna show us the motive videos...and he wants to see them as well. He doesn’t want to run from the killing game...he wants to win it. He wants things to be exciting, even if it means more killings happen...

Gonta returns with Himiko and Angie. Gonta couldn’t catch Kirumi because Angie told her to sew curtains for the magic show, and once Kirumi has a task, she won’t be torn from it no matter what. Gonta couldn’t catch Miu because she flashed him. Maki and Kaito, then...where are they?

Gonta is easily fooled into keeping everyone in the room till nighttime...and then...he releases the bugs he successfully hatched. Everyone’s too busy fighting them off to try and escape...meanwhile, Kokichi goes to pick everyone’s dorm locks and grab the videos. He promises to be back by 10 PM.

Kokichi is an hour late due to running into some kind of issue...

Kokichi wants to make everyone watch the videos right away, but Keebo has an emergency plan. He starts to charge up his body...and rewinds a tape he has. Uh-oh...

A recording function in case of robophobia...a recording function that has a vocal transcript of Kokichi talking about how easy it was to fool Gonta. GET FUCKT BUDDY

Thankfully, Tenko has the presence of mind to grab the kub pads before everyone runs away. Kokichi is left alone in the room, trapped between a swarm and Gonta.

As the party discusses how to get the Kub Pads back to their original owners, Momodam shows up. He offers to return the pads to their original owners, but neglects to say whether that means the people who had them at first, or the people who were supposed to have them. Fuck. No one seems to notice this massive problem.

So...Kaito’s gonna get his motive, and Shuichi is musing that he can train with Kaito some other time. It’s not like he’ll never see him again or anything. Good job, Shuichi, you just doomed the man. You absolute fool. He’s gonna die cause you said the foreshadowing words and trusted Monodam.

Monokuma theater featuring gears and miracles.

Well let’s go find Kaito’s corpse and get this over with...

Magic show time. Underwater escape trick! Er, spell!

Kiyo says the fish in the water tank suspended above the stage are dangerous.

Kokichi is passed out from the fright of all the insects and won’t make it to the show.

Tenko and Angie are arguing over whether if Atua loves all his creations, if Monokuma counts. Can Monokuma feel emotion, for that matter? No. Robots can’t feel emotions. Meanwhile, Keebo is feeling the emotion of sadness at Tenko’s remark.

Ah...Himiko’s pulling a Harry Houdini water tank act...which is very dangerous.

Oh, lovely. The fish Kiyo were talking about are piranhas. Where did Angie and Himiko get live piranhas from?

Ah, from the magician research lab. But Shuichi thinks they don’t look like regular piranhas.

This sounds really bad...Himiko’s really nervous and unsure of herself, the stakes are really high.

Maki, Kokichi, Ryoma, and Kaito are all not here yet...that isn’t good...

The show has begun...

60 seconds have passed. Gonta is freaking out, the piranha tank is opening and dropping its payload...the curtains are opening...

Himiko...is gone. And Ryoma...Ryoma’s dead body is being eaten by piranhas. What?

Himiko re-appears, oblivious to the horror behind her. At least, until the body discovery announcement goes off. And then she turns around, confused...to see...

DEADLY LIFE

The others arrive, and Kokichi gets revenge on Keebo by telling Gonta to use him as a battering ram to break the fish tank. Tenko and Gonta grab Keebo and throw him against the tank, breaking it and flooding the gym. After Kirumi leads everyone in cleaning up the mess, Keebo gathers the shreds of Ryoma’s clothes along with his skeleton.

Kokichi laments that the killing game has started again, and is called out on pretending to be sad about it. Liar’s gonna lie.

Monokuma shows up, as do the Monokubs. I wonder which one will die at the execution?

After some stupid banter, the Monokuma file is produced, and Monosuke fucks up and gets taken away by Monokuma. The other kubs follow.

Maki is refusing to investigate...? Sure, 12 people can investigate by themselves, but that’s awfully suspicious...than again, it’s in character for her.

Kokichi instantly points to Himiko as most suspicious. But he also points out that she’s so suspicious, it almost seems too suspicious. But-

Thanks Tenko, please shut him up.

Himiko can’t tell anyone what the trick to the show was...cause “it’s magic”. If she admitted there was a trick, she’d be betraying her principles, right?

Kaito recruits us as his sidekick for the investigation. But...after what the narration said, and the fact that Kaito isn’t the victim...I dunno. It could be misdirection on part of the game, and I do think Maki is being very suspicious...I don’t know.

Flashback to Kaito’s offer to help us...him being the blackened, if true, would really fuck up Shuichi wouldn’t it...

Ryoma drowned...I wonder where it was that he drowned? Could it have been at a different place than the tank? Such as, the pool? Possibly at night-time? Who knows...in any case, he was already dead when the piranhas devoured his body.

No time of death, huh? The plot thickens, hmmmhmmmm.

Next time, we continue deadly life, with the second investigation!

[ao3feed-danganronpa]

Selfless Devotion

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2SG8dfs

by BonesawMcGrande

He is a former tennis player who threw his life away. She is a maid with a personal code of helping those who need it. As their paths cross within the confines of Hope's Peak Academy and they begin establishing a unique bond together, their lives unfold into a whole new journey.

Words: 12798, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Dangan

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, Gen, Other

Characters: Hoshi Ryoma, Tojo Kirumi, Akamatsu Kaede, Saihara Shuichi, Iruma Miu, K1-B0 (Dangan Ronpa), Chabashira Tenko, Yumeno Himiko, Yonaga Angie, Shinguji Korekiyo, Shirogane Tsumugi, Amami Rantaro, Oma Kokichi, Gokuhara Gonta, Harukawa Maki, Momota Kaito, Class 78 (Dangan Ronpa), Class 77 (Dangan Ronpa)

Relationships: Hoshi Ryoma/Tojo Kirumi, Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Iruma Miu/K1-B0, Chabashira Tenko/Yumeno Himiko, Harukawa Maki/Momota Kaito

Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Slow Build, Developing Friendships, Friends to Lovers, Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Ultimate Talent Development Plan (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - No Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Artistic Liberties, Tweaked Hope's Peak a bit since I don't know the entirety of its canon layout, Certain instances of OOC might appear, Slice of Life, Not exactly your typical full-blown romance, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Might add more tags as i go, a bit of Angst with a happy Ending

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2SG8dfs

[sanctferum]

Chapter 1, I assume?

“Ultimate Revival” is this still the Prologue?

We’re...in the locker again?

Deja vu all over again...

This is...playing out exactly as it did before...

I wonder what Kaede knew about the Monokubs...and Ransaru knew about the situation? I get the feeling neither of them will remember now.

Shuichi again...but Kaede’s response to him freaking out is different?

Now she has piano memories...

and the Monokubs again?

This time I’m assuming Monophanie actually gave them their “first memories” and the Exisals won’t show up till later. Right?

“We’re not Monkubs! We’re the stuffed animals!” no you fucked up that line. do over, do-over!

I have a hunch these seeming 4th-wall breaking lines are gonna have some hidden importance...

And now that she has her first memory, Kaede doesn’t know who the Monokubs are. As I thought.

What I’m getting so far is that Ultimates are being hunted down, and so the Ultimates somehow developed amnesia and possible fake memories to help hide themselves from whoever’s behind the Ultimate Hunt. I wonder if Kaede will remember being kidnapped in this new version of events? Prolly not.

The Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles? Definitely not Hope’s Peak then.

The school was founded specifically for the cast. Who founded it? Monokuma?

“activity” yeah that is gonna be pleasant >.<

Hmmm. I wonder...first memory...implying a second memory and onwards, right?

Introductions are a go!

Awww, Kaede was so cute as a baby! But...

I can’t help wonder which memories are real and which aren’t. The music is called “Beautiful Lie”...you advance trials through lying...lies are definitely a central theme of this game. The memories of a normal girl with no special talents...the memories of a skilled piano player...which set of memories are real and which are fake? Are either of them the truth, for that matter?

What the fuck was that?!

Kaede, asleep, with some manner of machine hooked up to her brain? Is this...a vision of what’s happening right now, or a memory of losing her memories, or...?

And instead of a hope fragment, we get a friendship fragment.

And here’s our menu interface!

The monopad.

Kaede’s profile: She’s a blood type O, likes piano keys, and dislikes bicycles.

Shuichi likes novels, and dislikes gossip...strange dislike for a detective.

There’s a second classroom and a concert hall here. Classroom first.

Nope, classroom is locked.

Music room is locked too.

Oh here’s the Monokubs again.

Ultimate Research Lab?

Ah, a personal room besides the dormroom. For honing your talents...

But a bunch of the other labs are...hidden.

And these rooms aren’t ready yet.

A bronze dragon statue that seems awfully suspicious, and...this girl? Was she the cosplayer, or what?

Yup, she’s the Ultimate Cosplayer, Tsumugi Shirogane.

Kaede please stop hitting on her what the hell girl

Yeah the statue is clearly suspicious.

KAEDE stop hitting on her for fuck’s sake

OK, Tsumugi likes EVA foam (is that an NGE thing?) and dislikes disorderly queues.

That’s the third floor. Now for the second.

Check the bathrooms...yeah the plants everywhere are unsettling.

No way to get to the dorms for now.

Let’s check near the kitchen...Rantaro’s hanging around the hallways there.

Woah, after bringing up amnesia, Rantaro’s face got all scary...

“It’s not like...I already told you, but then I forgot I did, right?” Well...

Likes: Extraterritorial rights. Dislikes: cars. What?

Let’s check out the school store! Nope, it’s locked. Cafeteria then?

Locked during night-time...sounds about right.

Magician girl and Neo-...akido? master are here, too.

Himiko Yumeno, Ultimate Mage. Well, Ultimate Magician.

She likes small spaces, dislikes the ocean.

And now th- holy shit don’t yell like that

Neo-Aikido. That was it.

Tenko Chabashira, the Ultimate Aikido Master.

Kaede’s still hitting on the ladies...

Tenko’s making the face! She’s making the face!

Likes: nunchucks. Dislikes: Men. Well yeah I kinda got that she hates men yeah

There’s a kitchen here according to the demo, but we can’t get to it right now.

What’s inside classroom A on the other side of floor 2?

Oh, it’s Supreme Leader and K1B0!

Keebo...which just so happens to be Japanese for hope, right?

K1B0, the Ultimate Robot, and Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.

Professor Idabashi was the scientist who created Keebo and gave him a “strong AI”.

I’m glad they kept that question about robot anatomy from the demo. Pffft.

Kokichi’s true talent: the Ultimate Little Shit.

Kokichi likes carbonated drinks and dislikes pig’s feet. Keebo likes 100-24o volts of electricity, and dislikes vending machines.

Creepy basement time...

There’s a library...and it is musty and freaky. Two people in here. The caretaker first...wait the other person is just Shuichi. OK, nevermind about two people.

Maki Harukawa....Ultimate Child Caregiver. And not a particularly friendly person. Once our conversation was done, she GTFO’d.

Apparently she likes morning lake shores, and dislikes winter lake shores.

There’s a door down the basement hall that opens up into a wall, or rather doesn’t open up. Weird and suspicious. The other door in the hallways leads back into the library.

The final door here is a game room. With the tennis player inside.

Ryoma Hoshi, Ultimate Tennis Pro. He likes the Russian blues, dislikes whitetip reef sharks, and killed several members of the mafia. And then went to jail for it. Somehow, he ended up here, though. He claims he didn’t need a future anymore, and that’s why he killed the mafia players even though he knew he’d go to jail. Does his not having a future have anything to do with the Ultimate Hunt, I wonder...?

Inside the game room is a locked door to another room. The same room that the unopenable door in the hallways leads to, it looks like. Back up to the second floor. No wait, this is the first floor. Weird. I thought we started on the third floor?

There’s a door here with a strange othello-like pattern. I’m guessing it’s another Ultimate Lab, and it’s possible the room behind the game room is yet another, but “hidden”.

This way is the gym...but we still haven’t met all the students. I gotta look for a place I haven’t been before, then.

Trying to go into the gym is futile, anyways - it’s locked. But Shuichi is starting to feel a strange sense of deja vu...As he should.

Ah, we haven’t been to the warehouse yet! Inventor girl is here.

Yeah she’s full of innuendo...

Miu Iruma, the Ultimate Inventor...she invented a new type of contact lens but she thought it was pointless since it didn’t improve productivity while sleeping, which all her inventions she cares about do. She signed the rights away like a total idiot and that was that.

She needs meds, huh? Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me. *sweatdrop*

...ooooooor she wants to get high as fuck off of them...

You...you don’t have balls in the first place, girl...

hey Kaede, if she can’t use drugs to get high, what do you suggest she use to get high?

Also Shuichi is strangely defensive about his hat...is he bald underneath it or something?

Miu likes children’s TV and hates taking it easy.

Huh, after going to the gym and not being able to enter, the dorms are now accessible.

And the anthropology guy comes outta nowhere

Korekiyu Shinguji, Ultimate Anthropologist. But call him Kiyo.

Right, as I said before, I think this guy might be the Nagito of this game.

Kiyo likes straw ropes and dislikes air conditioning.

Hey, the door does lead outside...but not to the dorms?

This is weird...we can see the outside world, but I feel like they can’t see us...

According to the Monokubs, who showed up again, this is the End Wall.

It represents...the end of the world...?

No matter how much we scream...no one can hear us. It’s as I thought then...the outside world cannot see the place we’re in...even if it’s right in front of their own eyes.

The Exisals are working on renovations? The robots?

How can a robot have a wife and kids. Yeah this guy is BSing.

Ah, there’s the dorms. And astronaut boy!

Kaito Momota, Ultimate Astronaut. He likes house plants and dislikes the occult.

Further down this area, there’s a ninja statue, and the bug guy. There’s also a red door. Could that be...?

“Shrine of Judgement”

This is the courtroom, then?

And also the ultimate artist.

Angie Yonaga, Ultimate Artist and devout worshiper of a god named Atua. She likes avocados and dislikes humidity.

Now to backtrack and talk to bug guy.

Gonta Gokuhara, Ultimate Entomologist. He speaks Tarzan-like and aspires to be a gentleman. As a kid, he got lost in the woods while looking for bugs and wasn’t found for 10 years, hence his style of speech. Oh, and because of that he was raised by wolves. Gonta can speak to bugs and animals because of this.

And...there’s no bugs on the school grounds. Weird...

Shuichi mentioned not liking bugs. That was a mistake. Gonta scary when Gonta angry.

Gonta likes arthropods and dislikes bananas.

That leaves only the maid, who must be in the dorms.

Yup, there she is. But we gotta deal with the Monokubs first.

Yup, we gotta live here.

Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid. She claims to have no desires or opinions of her own, existing to fulfill the desires of others. Wow.

The bell!

The monitor shows the Monokubs on a couch, in a room decorated with tiny figurines of the Ultimates.

To the gym, then!

Oh, and Kirumi likes cleaning and dislikes taking days off.

Well, next time we’ll go to the gym and see the opening ceremony!