Ding dong, bing bong.
The monitors turn on and show the Monokubs. Monokid is still passed out, looking a bit hungover from the honey.
"This is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy," Monosuke said.
"It's 8 a.m.! Time to wake up! Let's have a wonderful killing school semester today!" Monotaro said happily.
"Geez, Monokid really drank too much honey... How long is he gonna keep sleeping?" Monophanie asked.
"Oh, by the way... Father's time limit expires at 10 p.m. tomorrow night! Please be sure to keep that in mind!" Monotaro said.
"And another thing! It is our pleasure to announce that the Ultimate Pianist and Inventor's Research Labs are now open and available to use! Please enjoy these facilities before you all die!" Monosuke said before the monitors shut off.
Dawn of the second day, huh? Time to get started. I got dressed and left my dorm room, making my way to the dining hall. I thought about what I could do on the way. Maybe I should investigate the Research Labs that have opened up. Could there be clues in there? Doubtful, to be honest. Those rooms just opened, so I doubt that Monokuma and the Monokubs would leave anything like that in them.
I thought some more before remembering what happened when I first found the hidden door in the library. I didn't really think about it at the time, but why did I suddenly see Rantaro's body there? It was a hallucination, but what triggered it? I kinda wanted to forget about it because it was so sudden and made me sick to my stomach, but there has to be some meaning to it. I should think about it logically.
I rubbed my hand through my hair as I thought about it, and then I froze in my tracks. Could it be related to how I know stuff I shouldn't? Could that have been...
No... There's no way. That would go far beyond just knowing things I shouldn't know. That would be... like predicting the future or something. That's not practical, nor does it make any sort of logical sense. But that weird knowledge of mine hasn't been wrong before, so if that vision was due to my that...
"I need to learn more," I mutter to myself.
I should probably talk to Rantaro later. Maybe I can learn something from him. He seems to know more than he lets on. I should also try to learn more from and about my 'Foresight', or whatever this is. If Rantaro is going to die, then I need to stop it.
I snapped out of my train of thought as I opened up the doors to the dining hall. I just came here for breakfast before I started planning everything, but the sight that greeted me was not what I was expecting. It was Kaede and Shuichi, and they were doing dogeza bowing positions at Miu, who was looking really confused and nervous.
"What the-?" I began to ask.
"Wh-What the hell...?" Miu stuttered. "Quit bowing to me..."
"No, I won't stop. I'm going to stay like this until you say you'll do it, Miu! I'll do it for however long it takes!" Kaede replies. Is she... are they... threatening Miu by begging and bowing? What?
"Wh-Wh the hell uses bowing as a threat?" Miu asked as she blushed and shook nervously. "F-Fine, I'll do it... Okay?"
"What!? Really!?" Kaede asked. Kaede then grasped Miu's hand, which caused Miu to shriek in surprise.
"Thank you, I owe you! Even after we escape, I'll owe you forever and ever and ever!" Kaede said happily.
"I-I'm not... doing this for you guys..." Miu responded shyly. "My research lab in the garden just opened up, so I... I was already thinkin' about... checkin' it out. S-So can I have my hand back now? Cuz this is startin' to creep me out..."
"Oh! Sorry, I was just so happy. But... are your hands always this clammy?" Kaede asked.
"Heeeeee!" Miu yelped. "A-Anyway... bring me the security sensors and cameras before I change my mind... I'll be waiting in my research lab in the garden!" Security sensors? Cameras? What are those two planning?
Kaede and Shuichi are planning a trap to catch the mastermind.
A trap? Interesting. It probably has to do with the hidden door. Miu then wobbled past me and out of the dining hall. Kaede sighed and put her hand on her head.
"Thank god... I'm glad we managed to convince her."
"Let's go to the warehouse to get the cameras and sensors right away," Shuichi said. The two of them then turned to leave but saw me there, still wearing a stupefied expression. Both of them froze. "R-Rin!?"
"H-How long have you been there?" Kaede asked.
It was at this moment the absurdity of what I saw hit me like a shot put ball. I couldn't stop a smile from forming and laughter from coming past my mouth.
"W-Why are you laughing?"
"You guys are weird." I bluntly said. They gave me a confused look as I kept laughing. "I mean, who uses bowing to pressure someone to do something? It's so ridiculous!" I calmed myself down and looked at them. "Look, from what I heard, you guys must be planning something to save everyone. I won't get in your way. I have a few ideas of my own I need to figure out today. So good luck with whatever it is you're going to do. And please, don't do anything reckless." I said as I entered the kitchen and grabbed a few small things I could eat while walking around and put them in a bag.
I started to leave, but Kaede called out to me before I did.
"Rin... I trust you, so let's make sure we all escape together." I looked at her with a smile and nodded.
"Yeah. We'll make sure everyone gets out. Then we'll all be friends. So let's make sure we don't fail."
She nodded at those words.
"Yeah! Definitely!"
I smiled and waved goodbye as I left. With Shuichi And Kaede planning to catch the mastermind, I should focus on making sure no one gets in their way and that no one dies. To start with that, I should talk to who I think will become the first victim. I quickly gulped down my breakfast as I tracked down Mister Avocado. Ironically, I found him inside the library. Not a good sign for things to come.
I opened up the doors and saw him near that bookshelf. He quickly turned to me with a surprised look. He had his Monopad out, but he immediately put it away after he saw me. Very suspicious.
Does he...? He has too, right?
I figured as much. He has to know about the hidden door. Not very surprising, considering how easy it seems to find the hidden door. He's probably on edge after finding it, so I shouldn't say something I regret. After putting his Monopad away, Rantaro gives me a smile and waves.
"Oh, hey there, Rin. You here to find a good book too?" He asked.
I walked towards him and shook my head.
"Nah. I already looked for some books here on our first day, but they're mainly just things about murder and killing. I actually came here to talk to you."
"Really?" Rantaro asked. "That sounds fun. What do you want to talk about?"
"Hmm... I guess I want to know how you're handling all of this. It's pretty stressful."
"Yeah, I suppose." Rantaro shrugged. "But to be honest, I'm not too worried about it."
"Is that so? How come?"
"Not really sure why," Rantaro said while crossing his arms. "Perhaps I'm just good under pressure."
"I can believe that. I mean, you did casually walk up to the Exisals our first day here to ask them questions." Rantaro laughed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, if I remember it correctly, weren't you also walking up to them with me?"
"Oh, yeah... Right." I said, chuckling at the thought. "I suppose we're both either weird or just really good under pressure."
"I suppose that's another thing we have in common," Rantaro said. I had to agree with him. Compared to the others, we were unique in the fact that we both had some kind of additional memory loss after all.
"I wonder why we were the only ones to forget more than just how we got here," I asked out loud.
Rantaro thought for a moment before he sighed.
"No clue, but I'm lucky. You helped me remember my talent after all."
"Oh! I forgot I did that. Didn't I guess that you were the Ultimate Adventurer?"
"Yeah. Once I heard that, everything seemed to click into place."
"If you're the Ultimate Adventurer, then you must have traveled a lot."
"Yeah. I traveled the world on my father's boat."
"That sounds amazing!" I exclaimed. "What are some places you've gone to?"
"Well, before this, I think I was traveling in North Europe."
"That sounds fun. Europe has a lot of historical places. It must have been a great experience."
"Haha, yeah... The cityscapes are gorgeous, but nature is the best part. Right out of a storybook. Although, the people... They seem friendly, but when you get down to it, they're pretty aloof."
"Hmm... It must be a difference in culture and environment. I imagine there are a lot of places in the world that have things in its culture that we might consider weird."
"Yeah, something like that. Like there was one time I was trying to get information... I was suspected of being an informant or something. Almost got taken out."
"T-Taken out!?" I gasped.
"But South America? That's where you have to watch out. There are a lot of shady areas. But it's not all bad. You can get whatever you want if you're willing to take some risks."
"...What kind of risks?" I asked hesitantly.
"Oh, don't ask. If I told you, your life would be in danger."
"Why would you have information like that, Rantaro!?" I asked, honestly scared to imagine what he's gone through on his trips.
"Welp, that's just how things played out." He said with a smile.
I can now see how he would be the Ultimate Adventurer. He knows his way around. Maybe I wasn't wrong about the whole Ultimate Survivor thing either. He sounds as if he can survive the worst situations.
"You Ultimates are incredible. I can't say that enough. Makes me wonder if I could be an Ultimate. I can't imagine, but people keep telling me that I seem like an Ultimate, so I wonder if that's true." I said.
"Well, maybe I can return the favor and try to guess what talent you could possibly have." Rantaro offered.
"That sounds like a plan." Rantaro looked at me a bit and thought before giving a response.
"Hmm... your outfit doesn't really offer much, but from what I've seen of you and how you act... maybe you're the Ultimate Observer?"
"Observer?"
"I remember hearing Kirumi say that you were very observant, and you guessed my talent just from my outfit. You also seem to better understand our situation than some of the others."
"I see. Ultimate Observer." I played around with the phrase a bit but... "...It sounds interesting, but it doesn't ring any bells."
"I see. Then maybe it has something to do with music since you have those headphones."
"Hmm... music huh? Actually, that could be a possibility. My Monopad actually has songs on it, unlike everyone else."
"Really?" I pulled out my Monopad and showed him. "This is interesting. I wonder why they gave you this."
"Who knows? I got a message when I found it from Monokuma that said it's an apology for not preparing anything for me at the start of this." I said while playing with my ahoge. "It's strange though. All the songs seem to be what I would listen to normally. I wonder how they found out what I would like. Maybe they actually do know who I am."
"Hmm... yet they're not telling you. That can only mean that it would be bad for you to find out."
"I suppose. But going back to my talent, I don't think it involves music. Just by listening to the songs, I can tell I'm not musically inclined."
"Hmm..." Rantaro thought for a bit more before snapping his fingers. "I got it. How about the Ultimate Logical Thinker? You do seem to be really smart, so maybe that's it."
"Ultimate...Logical Thinker..." No. That's not it, but... it clicks with something. "No, that's not it, but... I think... it might be related to me."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I get the feeling that's not my talent, but I think I'm... remembering something about it. Maybe I knew someone who was the Ultimate Logical Thinker."
Kenji Amachi.
I blinked a few times as my eyes widened. "...Kenji Amachi." As soon as I said the name, my face lit up.
"Kenji Amachi?"
"That's why that talent sounds familiar. It belongs to Kenji Amachi! I think I knew him!" I said excitedly. "I remembered something! Something concrete! Something good!" I couldn't help but laugh happily. This means I have hope to remember everything I've forgotten. I have hope. I grabbed Rantaro's hands and looked at him with the happiest expression I could show. "Thank you! Thank you so much! Just from this, I know I can actually piece everything together! I just need to find the pieces! I might be able to figure out who I am!"
"I'm glad I could help," Rantaro said with a smile. "If you knew the Ultimate Logical Thinker, then maybe you worked with him or are friends with him."
"Then... that means." My face lit up with excitement. "I really could be an Ultimate too!" I parrotted.
Rantaro just laughed at my excitement. I don't think he realizes just what he's done. This means so much to me. This shows me that even I am someone as incredible as the others. I'm even more determined to find out now. The pieces are there. I just have to find and connect them. Rantaro and I talked for a bit longer about his trips and my possible talent. While we were talking though, Rantaro seemed to remember something and looked at me.
"Hey Rin, you weren't there yesterday morning after... what happened." He said, trying to be considerate about my panic attack. "I asked everyone something, and I wanted to ask you to see if you knew anything about this."
"About what?"
"Have you heard of the term 'Ultimate Hunt' before?"
My eyes widened as he said those words. 'Ultimate Hunt'... that's what he said, right? Isn't that what the Monokubs were talking about when we first woke up? How does he know about it? I thought they erased their memories of that time.
"I..." What should I say? Should I tell him I have heard about it? Will that make him suspicious of me? Is he planning something that involves it? I then remember what Kirumi said. Trust in the others... if that's the case... "...Yes. I have heard of that term before."
Rantaro looked taken aback. He gave me a look of suspicion, bewilderment, confusion, and relief.
"How?"
"I'm not sure I should tell you, but..." I motioned him to get closer so I could whisper it to him. He leaned down and I got close to his ear. "The truth is... before we all met each other, we woke up before that, but no one thought they were Ultimates and were dressed in normal school uniforms, myself included. The Monokubs said something about the Ultimate Hunt taking away our memories, and how they would give them back to us. They then dressed us in these outfits and flashed us with some sort of flashlight. Everyone seemed to forget about what happened, but they got back their memories of being Ultimates. For some reason, the flashlight didn't work on me though. I didn't remember anything or forget anything."
I leaned back after telling him. Rantaro seemed to be processing everything carefully. I looked at him sternly.
"I thought everyone forgot about that, so how do you know about the Ultimate Hunt?" I asked.
Rantaro looked conflicted as he debated with himself whether or not to tell me. He sighed and gave me a serious look.
"I think I can trust you, but I don't want to get you involved in this. It's probably dangerous. I don't think I should tell you more until I can confirm some things. Once I do though, I'll tell you."
Those words made me extremely worried.
"What are you planning?"
"I'm going to end this game." He said with the most serious expression I've seen on him.
He then left, leaving me there alone. Oh no... If he's planning something, then that means... that vision... Could that be what happens? Do I really know stuff that will happen in the future? If I don't do anything, will Rantaro die trying to save us? But why? How? I remember the image of Rantaro's body that I saw. He was in the corner beside the hidden door. He must have been investigating it. He must have then gone to that corner for some reason, before being attacked by someone with a shot put ball.
I shuddered, remembering the crunching sound I heard. If that's the case, then I need to prevent him from coming down here again. But when will he die? I need to narrow down that time so I can prevent his death. I can't keep him away from the library all the time after all. I also need to find out how he'll die and who will kill him. Maybe I can convince them to not go through with the act. Either way, I need more information. With that in mind, I left the library.
I started wandering around the courtyard for a bit, trying to piece everything together. It felt like Rantaro's life was all in my hands, and if I screwed it up, it would be my fault he died. I couldn't let that happen. No matter what.
"You've got a serious expression on you. You worried about the time limit?" Ryoma seemed to notice how tense I must have been and came up to me.
"Yeah. I guess you could say that. I'm just worried about everyone."
"Hmph... figures you're worried about everyone else. From what I can tell, you always try to help out, and a lot of people seem to respect you for that."
"Really? I don't feel I deserve it though. It feels more like I've been more of a burden than anything, but people keep telling me otherwise."
"You're shocked about that?" Ryoma asked, raising his eyebrow. "If that's the case, you've still got a ways to go..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, for starters, you always concern yourself with us, like at the tunnel. Even though you were more injured than anyone, you wanted to help us. And even when you weren't attempting the tunnel, you made sure to help patch up people's injuries and make sure they were comfortable. And when you saw that people were tired and getting upset, you stepped in before a big argument could happen. You also try to keep us grounded in reality and try to face the problem head-on. Not to mention that since you're older than us, people might find your presence comforting. I bet if Kaede hadn't stepped up to be the group's leader, a lot of people might have asked you to fill that role."
"Me? Leader? I don't know about that?" I said, shaking my head.
"You sure? In a situation like this, I think it would be natural for the oldest one in the group to be the leader if no one else was capable of it."
"I guess." Ryoma took the candy cigarette out of his mouth and sighed.
"Hmph. Look at me talk. I'm not usually one to encourage someone." He said while pulling his hat down. "A criminal like me shouldn't talk."
"Don't say that Ryoma. Remember what I said when we first met? I don't know anything about Ryoma Hoshi the criminal, so that means I can get to know Ryoma Hoshi as a friend, without any previous bias."
"Heh. You really are a strange guy." Ryoma said with a small smile.
"I suppose I am. And as a strange guy, I'm going to become your friend. So come on, let's hang out for a bit."
Ryoma chuckled a bit before agreeing. We found a bench to sit on and we began to talk about stuff.
"So Ryoma, I know you don't really want to talk about tennis, so was there anything else that interested you?"
Ryoma thought about it for a bit before his eyes softened with recognition.
"Well, I used to have a cat."
"Really? I never pictured you as a cat person."
"Heh. The little guy was always comforting to me. I used to pet him after tennis practice. He was calm and smart. He'd know when I was tired and come over to let me pet him. He had a nice, fluffy coat... watching him go wild over catnip calmed me down."
"He sounds like a great pet. I bet he misses you."
"I wonder about that. I had to give him to a friend after I was locked up, so he's probably forgotten about me. I heard that cats forget their gratitude after 3 days."
"Isn't that just a myth? I'm sure any animal wouldn't forget years of goodwill and care after a few days."
"Perhaps. After I get out of here and finish my sentence, I plan to go get him."
"I'm sure he'll be relieved to see you again after so long." Ryoma's expression softened at those words. He must really like his cat.
"Thanks. You've made me feel better about all this. I suppose as thanks, I can talk a bit about tennis."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. You're curious about it, right? You knew I wouldn't want to talk about it, so you tried to be considerate. I appreciate that, so it's fine."
"If you're okay with it, then yeah, I would like to hear your stories about tennis."
"If that's the case, what should I talk about specifically?" Ryoma starts to consider what to talk about, a fond happy expression appearing as he did. He must still have his old passion for tennis. It must be...really rough, acting like it's not a big deal.
"How about the friends you played tennis with?"
"My friends, huh?" Ryoma thought about it and a smile formed on his face. "The one who sticks out the most...is that one guy."
"Who?"
"The team captain of the tennis club I was a part of. I do regret... that I never was able to break his 'zone'."
"Zone? Is that a tennis term?"
"It was a special technique he had that allowed him to continually return the ball without moving from a single spot."
"He could do that!?" I exclaimed.
"Yeah. Our captain was really something else. I was called an Ultimate, but compared to them, I've still got a ways to go. There was also an upperclassman who was considered a genius. He developed counter moves only he could possibly pull off. He was always smiling, but you could never quite tell what he was thinking. Speaking of that, there was another upperclassman. He made us drink these weird drinks. They were so nasty, I thought I was gonna die."
"Was it that bad?"
"He said they were made of vegetable juice, but...anyone could tell they weren't normal."
"Hahaha! That sounds terrible, but still, it must have been fun to play tennis with all of them."
Ryoma didn't say anything for a while and just turned to the side, staring at the horizon.
"I suppose... It certainly wasn't boring. But...it's a place that I've got nothing to do with anymore..."
"But... Ryoma... You must still have some passion for it. I mean, you still have those fond memories and feelings connected to it. What I wouldn't give to have that." I say with a dejected expression.
"...I apologize. I was being insensitive. I didn't consider your situation when I said that. Looks like I've still got a ways to go." Ryoma said, looking away with a grim look.
"No...it's ok. You have your reasons for saying that. I understand. Let's talk about something else."
Ryoma and I talked about other stuff for a bit before I headed off. Ryoma seems less on edge and more willing to talk about his past, so I'm glad I was able to get closer to him. By this point, I've gotten close to a lot of my classmates. I can say now that they are my friends. They aren't just strangers anymore. Just from talking to a few of them, I know that they each have dreams and aspirations, hopes and regrets, and friends and family waiting for them out of here.
So I'll get them out. I have to. I nodded as I went on my way. Alright. Time to start investigating.
I began looking around the academy again, looking for anything that might trigger another flash of Foresight or a clue to the mastermind. During my search, I find myself on the second floor and notice a door I don't remember. It was a door with a piano design and a sign above it that said "research lab". Is this Kaede's lab? Certainly looks like it.
"Hmm..." I hum to myself as I thought.
There probably isn't anything in here, but it wouldn't hurt to look, right? I'm sure Kaede wouldn't mind either. With that thought, I opened the door.
The first thing that caught my eye was the grand piano at the center of the room. It was on a slightly raised platform and was the centerpiece of the room, as expected for the Ultimate Pianist's Lab. Around the piano were a couple of music stands and seats. The floor was a complete mess, with music sheets scattered everywhere. There was a green chalkboard at the back that had some musical notes written on it. There were also multiple shelves filled with CDs and DVDs. There were also a few windows that had a great view of the campus. There was also classical piano music playing throughout the room from a music player.
"This place is incredible! Has Kaede been here? She'd love it here!"
If this is how all the Ultimate Labs are, then everyone would have something this amazing. Do I have one somewhere? I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the sound of the music. I wonder if Kaede can play as well as this. Probably even better, considering she's an Ultimate.
Suddenly, the song I'm listening to begins to change a bit. Strange... Why is it changing now? I then noticed the song sounds weird too. It sounds like it's... being played incorrectly. Sloppy, really. It starts to get worse, and faster. The noise becomes so grating I open my eyes so I can find the music player and turn it off.
"...Huh?" I was no longer in the lab. I was in a huge open space. In front of me was a giant piano that was adorned with giant metallic roses and other decorative things. "What in the–" I stop dead in my tracks as I look closer at the piano. "...Oh my god...!"
Someone was being dangled from a rope above the piano's keys. They were being lifted by the rope up and down to play the keys. They were moving faster and faster until they were barely touching the keys anymore. The person's head was raised, their face purple and their hands desperately tugging at the rope so that they could get air. Objects like rocks then started to be thrown at the person due to the terrible performance, the rocks cutting and slicing their body. Yet the rope tugging at the person's neck doesn't stop or slow down. It gets faster, and faster, and faster... until eventually, it stops.
The person's body now hangs limply from the rope, like a criminal who had just been hung. Now that they weren't moving, I could clearly see who it was. One look at the broken face and I wished I still couldn't see their face. Her face. Kaede's, dead and blank from her broken neck and the lack of oxygen. The piano lid, which was covered in spikes, then started to fall towards her body. It slammed down onto the keys... and Kaede's body, causing blood to go everywhere. Blood pooled and dripped from the area Kaede's body used to be hanging from above the piano keys.
Wh-What is this... What was that!? That was nothing like when I saw Rantaro's body! This was SO much worse. That was torture! Both a mockery and disgrace to Kaede and everything she's passionate about, her talent! How could anything like that happen to her!? I then remembered the rules. Rule 3. If the blackened is exposed during the trial, they alone will be executed. Was that... an execution? But that means... Kaede...!
I fall to my knees, unable to handle the simple task of standing anymore. I didn't know what I was feeling at that moment, but I knew that I just wanted to stop feeling like this. A feeling I couldn't describe. The worst kind of feeling. I then notice I'm putting my hands against my chest. Oh... I'm in pain again. I don't think my breaths are getting me any air now either. I'm not sure about anything anymore. Nothing makes sense now. After all, even Kaede will become a–
"Rin! Breath Rin, please!"
Reality. I'm back in reality. I realize I'm on my knees, staring at the ground. My lungs hurt. My hands are shaking. My vision is iffy at best right now, but I can see that someone is kneeling down beside me, so I slowly look up. Kaede. Is this... part of the vision? That cursed sight?
"K-K-Kaede?" I ask, my voice trembling.
Kaede's face is scrunched up. I think she was crying. She looks so scared. She's clutching my shoulders tightly. She nods at my words.
"Yeah, it's me. Everything is alright now." She tried to reassure me, but her voice was shaking a bit. "Wh-What happened? Why were you-?"
She then notices I'm slowly raising my hands. I place them on her cheeks, which surprises her. Warm. Alive. Real.
"...Oh my god!" I said with a breaking voice as quickly wrapped my arms around her as I began to shiver uncontrollably.
I didn't know what to do but that. I felt like I should be crying right now, but for some unseen reason, I couldn't. Only one thought was in my mind. Thank god. Thank god that wasn't real. Kaede seemed surprised by my sudden action, but she wrapped her arms around me and started rubbing my back.
"It's okay, now. Everything is fine. We're fine." Kaede reassured me.
I don't know how long we stayed like that. I just know that I was too overwhelmed. The sight that I had witnessed was easily the worst thing I had seen ever since waking up. So then why? Why do I feel like this? Why do I feel so...
Eventually, I was able to calm down enough to return to normal again. Kaede and I just sat there, a couple of chairs apart in her lab, not saying anything for what felt like hours. What do you say after that? I didn't know. I just felt embarrassed, and pathetic. I had another panic attack and I had to be helped out of it again. I sighed as I continued to look at the floor.
"How many times am I going to fall apart in front of you guys?" I muttered quietly.
"It's not like it's your fault. I think it's normal to react like that after that kind of experience, especially since it looked worse compared to before." Kaede said.
"You heard me?"
"I've been told I have great hearing. Probably from playing piano so much." Kaede chuckled a bit, but her gaze on me was still serious and concerned. "But...are you okay? You were having another attack, right?"
I didn't know how to answer. I didn't even want to answer. Where would I even begin? 'Yeah, I started freakin' out because I saw your dead body being hung above a piano before it turned you into a pink pancake'. I'd rather not sound like a crazy person right now. God, how do I know I'm not already crazy? Maybe this Foresight and these things I see are just a result of a broken psyche.
"Rin... something's bothering you, and you won't let us know. You always want to help us, but you don't seem to want anyone to help you." Kaede said when I didn't say anything. "Please, won't you tell me?"
"..." I didn't say anything. I just thought a bit before shaking my head. I didn't feel like talking.
Kaede just looked sad at my response, her eyes and ahoge drooping.
"Well, if you don't want to talk about it, I can't force you to talk, but maybe I can help make you feel better. Is there anything I can do?"
An idea immediately came to mind, but it was one I wasn't sure was good. Especially with what I just saw, but maybe it'll help.
"C-Can you...play the piano...for a bit, at least."
Kaede smiled and nodded. She got up and sat down in front of the piano and began to play. The song she began to play...was so soothing. I was right. Kaede is so much better than any other pianist I've ever heard. The music was unlike anything I had heard. It felt like the music itself was reaching out to talk with me. I relaxed as I listened to the song, and I began to ease myself into a sense of safety. At least for a little while, I can forget about what I had seen.
A few minutes later, the song was over. Kaede wiped the sweat off her brow, but she then looked like she just remembered something and turned to look at me.
"Oh! I forgot you were there."
"You forgot? You must have really gotten into it."
"Well, I was playing to help make you feel better." She then put her hand behind her head shyly. "But...when I started playing, I started to focus more and more on the music, so..." Her words made me laugh a bit.
"I can see why you said people call you 'Piano Freak' now. Once you start playing, you get tunnel vision."
"I suppose," Kaede said, laughing along with me. "I wanted to do my best to help you. In my experience, music has always reached other people's hearts."
"What do you mean?"
"I play the piano because I want to see people smile," Kaede said happily. "Everyone's faces light up from my performances. I can smile with strangers who I had just met a minute ago. Even if we don't speak the same language, we can bond anyway through music. I think it's because we can see other people's true personalities through music."
"That's really profound, Kaede. That's a great view on it all. So that's why you play piano."
"I wanna see more smiles from people, so... I plan to do all sorts of things. Classical music is my main focus, but I wanna do a performance with pop music. Oh, yeah! Wouldn't it be super fun arranging music for famous games or movies? I can compose the songs however I like and then hold a concert! That would be cool."
"That's a great dream. Wanting to unite people through your music is admirable. And if anyone can do it, it's you."
"Really? You think so?"
"Of course! You're one of the most determined people I know." I said happily. "Just forget that I only know 15 other people besides you." That caused her to laugh some more.
"Thanks. I'll try my hardest to meet your expectations. Hey, hold on!" Kaede suddenly said. "I was trying to cheer you up, but instead I told you my dream. Hahaha...that's embarrassing... I can't believe you got me to blurt out my secret."
"You can't blame me for that. You willingly told me." I said with a shrug.
Kaede lightly punched me in the shoulder as I laughed at her.
"Well, now you have to tell me one of your secrets."
"...What?" I said blankly.
"It's only fair, right? So come on! Tell me what's bothering you!"
Did she...plan this? What a crafty girl...
"Nope." I tried to shut her down, but that didn't stop her.
"Oh come on! It's good to talk about these things!"
"I thought you said you wouldn't try to force me to talk."
"I'm not! I'm just asking for payment for telling you a secret of mine."
She's not going to let it go, is she? Does Shuichi have to go through this? Poor guy.
"You're surprisingly forceful when it comes to this sort of thing, aren't you?" I pointed out, to which Kaede just returned a friendly smile that was just a little intimidating.
I was at a loss for words. Kaede had me trapped. I had to tell her. That's what she thinks anyway. I quickly stood up and booked it out of her lab.
"H-Hey! Get back here!" Kaede yelled as she chased after me.
Thus, the chase was on. Kaede was way faster than I thought she would be. She nearly caught me a couple of times. She chased me around what felt like the entire campus, which got us many weirded-out glances from the others who saw us. I eventually lost her around the garden area near the Shrine of Judgment after running around the courtyard a bit. I panted as quietly as I could as I cautiously looked around. I don't see her anywhere.
"Phew..." I sighed. "Finally lost–"
"Gotcha!"
"Wha-!?" I then get tackled to the ground. With an "oof", I fall on my stomach and turn to see Kaede's mischievous grin.
"I caught you! pant So now heave you have gasp to tell me!" She attempted to say in between breaths as she got off me.
"Kaede..." I groaned.
"C'mon! It's not healthy to keep it all bottled up!"
"But it wouldn't be good to tell you guys either!" I blurted out. I closed my mouth quickly, wishing I could take the words back.
"'Wouldn't be good to tell you guys either'? What do you mean by that?" She parrotted.
"Nothing!" I quickly claimed. Kaede frowned and was about to ask again, but–
Ding dong, bing bong.
"This is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy," Monotaro said after the monitors turned on.
"It is now 10 p.m. For one o' you bastards, this might be your last nighttime ever." Monosuke commented.
"Don't do something violent to start the killing game. You can make it one more night." Monophanie cheered us on.
"Weeeeee... hic! Oh! I get it now! I totally get it!" Monokid said with a dazed red face. "It's crystal clear to me now! I understand everything!" He then starts to speak nonsense as he describes a "crazy face" and laughs.
"Monokid seems really out of it. Is this what happens when you drink too much honey?" Monotaro asked. The Monokubs then said goodnight and the monitors turned off.
"Well look at time! It's really late! We should head to bed! See you tomorrow! Goodnight!" I say quickly as I make my getaway. Before I could leave, Kaede grabbed my arm.
"Rin. We said we would trust each other, so doesn't that mean we should rely on each other too? So please, trust me with this." Kaede pleaded. "I just want to help you."
"I know." I sighed as I turned to her and smiled. "But it's just...this is complicated. I need to figure it out on my own first before I can even begin to tell you guys. Once I figure it out, I promise I'll tell you all about it."
Kaede gave me a look that seemed to imply she didn't fully believe me, but she nodded.
"Ok. It's a promise."
We headed back to the dorms and entered our own rooms. Once I was in my room and knew no one was around, I let my forced smile dissipate as I sat on my bed. What to do... First I see Rantaro's head smashed in by a shot put ball and now I see Kaede being horribly executed, if that even was an execution. If she was executed, is she planning to kill Rantaro? But why? I thought she and Shuichi were planning a trap for the mastermind. What happened to that?
Shuichi and Kaede made a trap for the mastermind using motion sensors and hidden cameras surrounding the hidden door. However, Kaede will make her own trap to try and kill the mastermind. However, Rantaro, who also knows about the hidden door, gets lured to the library and gets caught instead. Kaede accidentally kills Rantaro and will refuse the First Blood Perk out of guilt, leading to her execution after a class trial.
After taking the information from Foresight, I was left speechless. Kaede tries to kill the mastermind, but Rantaro gets killed instead. That tells me a few things. One: Neither Rantaro nor Kaede is the mastermind, which I already thought but it's nice to have confirmation. Also, Foresight said Rantaro was 'lured'...
What does that mean? He found the hidden door and will go and investigate it more, right? Is that not it? Then there's the fact that Kaede uses Shuichi's trap to create her own. How does he not realize what she's doing? She must have done stuff that didn't seem suspicious that was actually prepping for murder. If that's the case, then even Kaede can be corrupted by this game. The idea of Kaede, the person who kept encouraging everyone and uniting us, killing someone in this game... just gives me chills.
But now I have a lot of information. I can stop it. First, I need to narrow down the time of death. If Kaede turned the trap for the mastermind into a death trap using the hidden door, then it would have to be at the end of the time limit. The only reason why the mastermind would go to the hidden door in the library at this point is to create the "numerous Monokumas" to kill us all.
Of course, there are a few flaws with that thought process. One possibility is that there is another entrance somewhere since I wouldn't want to have only one entrance in my secret lair, and the other is that the threat to kill us all is probably a bluff. There's also the possibility that there are hidden cameras, making their plan useless. But Shuichi and Kaede probably haven't thought about those, being too worried about the threat of death.
Actually, the time limit is probably what is pushing Kaede to the edge. Since there is a possibility that we all will die, she doesn't want to take any chances of failure. If that's the time, I'll need to keep not just Rantaro, but everyone away from the library, since Kaede isn't aiming for any specific person, but the mastermind. I'll need to figure out how to do that.
As I was thinking this, another thought came to mind. Will the mastermind actually make a move tomorrow? That's what Shuichi and Kaede seem to think. Thinking about it, the mastermind would have to take action, wouldn't they? This motive is a double-edged sword after all. Saying that we'll all die is one thing, but if no one kills and it's revealed that the threat was just a bluff, then that would lessen the next few motives, making us less likely to kill.
Even if Kaede is planning a murder, it doesn't mean anything if no one gets caught in her trap or if the trap fails. The mastermind has to make sure one of us dies. Whether that means they kill someone themselves, which seems highly unlikely due to them needing to manage the game, or having some insurance to make sure someone dies.
Maybe that's what my Foresight meant when it said Rantaro was lured. They're planning on him being the first victim. But even then, they can't guarantee that Kaede's plan will work and will actually kill someone. So if the mastermind does make a move around Shuichi and Kaede's trap, then maybe I can make my own trap.
I felt a malicious grin creep onto my face as I thought more about what to do. Rantaro and Kaede can say what they want, but I'll be the one to end this game. This plan will work. It has to, but I'll need some help.
Tomorrow... The battle between me and the mastermind begins. I can't wait.