Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When you came to, the first thing you noticed was how small and restricted your body felt. You lifted your aching head from your knees with a muted sigh, blinking away the fatigue. Your head throbbed, and a wave of distress swept over you uncomfortably. For a brief moment, everything felt too much—there was a distant electric hum that seemed to swallow you whole, and you could hear your erratic breathing quicken in your ears. The faint murmuring of “no” spilled into your ears, and you couldn't take it anymore. Trembling hands made their way to the cold, metal wall confining your legs to your chest; they gave a rough push and suddenly everything became quiet again.

As a ragged whimper left your lips, you could feel hot tears accumulate on your lash line as the new world in front of you unfolded. The pace of your breathing stayed erratic as your eyes cast over what seemed to be a classroom. A desolate one at that. The place looked as if its maintenance had been neglected for years, yet despite that, there seemed to be an electrical hum coming from overhead where a dim light did its best to brighten up the room. With a dry swallow, you stumbled out of the confined metal slot where you had once been snuggly tucked into. It was hard to control your nerves and remain calm.

Where were you?

It was only once you were out and onto your trembling feet that you realized you had been in a locker. An icy shiver made its way down your spine.

You shook your head and walked hesitantly to the middle of the room. The more your eyes darted around, the quicker a sickly dread of familiarity settled in the pit of your stomach. The large crimson barbed wire encasing the windows. The intruding vines of mother nature that hugged the walls and ceiling. The weak blue glow of the LCD-screened blackboard. What especially set you off was the intimidating monitor that was adorned with multiple obnoxious speakers. It hung over you almost threateningly.

Somehow, this was familiar to you. The answer was at the tip of your tongue, but no matter how hard you thought about it no one answer took shape. Where had you seen all of this before..?

Not only that, what the hell were you wearing? You had only realized as you stared into the palms of your shaking hands that you were wearing a white, pristine lab coat. It was normal for you to sport one, but this one was far more fancy than any one you had previously worn. You brashly tugged it open to reveal a school uniform underneath—one that you certainly do not remember ever having worn before.

Your hands ran down the fabric of the lab coat; the subtle etched design of the coat bumped against your fingertips like braille. As you patted yourself down, you felt something odd in the inner lining of the coat. Peeling the coat open revealed multiple pockets, but only one of them seemed to sag. You reached into the pocket and pulled out a conspicuous device. Turning over the piece of glass in your hands, your fingers brushed over the lettering on the back. “ Monopad, ” it read. A short gasp left your lips, and you were in haste to boot it up. The screen lit up, and after a few seconds, your full name was displayed on the screen.

Y/N L/N

Ultimate Scientist

A sharp pang hit your aching head; this was familiar. Clutching your forehead, you sifted through all the things you had ever gained knowledge of. The intense feeling of familiarity made your head throb. You willed yourself to remember, and it all came back to you with an aching twitch: waking up stuffed into a locker, wearing a strange uniform, a desolate classroom, the Monopad. How could you ever forget the prologue to a game you know so well? Your remembrance of the video game gave way to an almost breathless feeling in your chest.

How could you forget Danganronpa ? It certainly wasn’t your top favorite media, but it was something you found yourself enamored with. Yes, how could one forget? A fleeting feeling of reverie washed over you and left as quickly as it came. Like the ghost touch of a butterfly landing on you, you hardly noticed its presence until it was gone. You were only left feeling a sense of disquietude. Now that you had remembered: what now? Was this reality? This entire experience felt too real to be anything but reality.

You gave a hesitant look around before you sat yourself at one of the desks. The feeling of the cold wood underneath your flexing hands brought you a sense of dread. None of your dreams had felt so physical before. You could feel and experience everything just as you could in real life. You felt the cool surface of the seat on your thighs. You could taste the faint hint of the chapstick you often used as you gnawed anxiously on your bottom lip. You could see the strange classroom splayed out in front of you. You could hear the faint hum of the blackboard. You could smell the earthy vines that loomed over you. The complete use of your senses was too real to be anything but a dream, and it scared you.

As a last-ditch effort, you hastily tugged up the sleeve of the lab coat and took a shuddering breath in. You gazed pensively at the exposed skin of your forearm before giving it a hard pinch. It hardly hurt in the moment, but the dull ache that came afterwards made your expression crumple. A weak laugh left your lips as tears began to build up.

“Okay… Okay, okay, it’s okay.” Your trembling hands found their way into the roots of the crown of your hair, giving a weak tug. An almost manic smile etched itself onto your once soft features. “It’s okay, I’m fine, we’re fine.”

Trying your best to steady your breathing to fend off the incoming panic attack, you decided you were too much of a coward to get up from the desk you were seated at. How could this possibly be real? The last memory you had before waking up here was of you curling up in bed to sleep. You even remember the exact time: 9:19 PM—for once you had decided it was better to sleep before midnight for an early morning. You knew for a fact you weren’t crazy, so this was an oddly realistic dream, and now it was time to wake up. You take a final deep breath and let it out slowly.

“This isn’t real.”

You spoke into the air with finality as you brought your knees up to your chest on the chair. You hugged your knees and hid your face in them, willing the scenery around you to disappear. If you went back to sleep, you were sure you would wake up in your warm, inviting bed. Everything was okay because this was only a dream after all. You hadn’t really woken up in a lonely classroom reminiscent of one in a video game, and neither had your name been legibly displayed on that tablet. You are okay; we are okay. Everything was okay.

As those final comforting thoughts passed through your mind, your breathing slowed down at a consistent pace.

A dreamless sleep coaxes you into its inviting hold.

…

And just as you were about to slip into a comforting sleep, a resounding crash made you jolt awake with yelp.

“Oh, oops! I hadn’t meant to slam the door open like that.”

A sudden voice spoke, sounding embarrassed. It was a girl with a sure voice that resounded on a sweet note.

“Ah, just be careful...”

Another voice spoke, this one sounding less secure and more hesitant. This time it was a boy with a soothing voice. A voice that couldn’t quite fill up the room like the girl’s voice had.

Your head snapped up in time for your eyes to lock onto a pair of warm plum ones. Your nervous eyes raked the girl over, and that anxiety you felt earlier came back in full force. The girl stood there, unwavering, as she dragged a hand through the perfect wisps of her blond hair. She wore a different school uniform from you. Her pink sweater vest made her stand out like a star in the bleak dimness of the classroom. Your eyes flitted to the space behind her that the boy was occupying. He stood there at about the same height as the girl. In contrast to the girl, his uniform consisted of darker tones, as if he were trying to blend in with the background. Ironically, the cap he wore—which slightly obscured his face—was eye catching to you.

Your eyes flitted back to the girl in stark shock. The sweet-looking girl looked surprised for a moment before a thoughtful smile made its way to her face.

“Oh, hey there. Sorry about that.” A sweet laugh left her lips, the tone still soaked in slight embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You must be another ultimate student, right? My name is Kaede Akamatsu, and I’m the Ultimate Pianist. It’s nice to meet you!” Kaede spoke matter-of-factly as she clasped her hands together. She then nudged forward the boy, who almost hid behind her as if he were her shadow.

“Ah, right. I’m Shuichi Saihara. I guess some people call me the Ultimate Detective...” Shuichi said, sounding unsure as he gave a gentle tug to the hat he wore. Kaede made a face, and it looked as if she wanted to say something, but she held off on it and instead looked at you expectantly.

These people were Kaede and Shuichi…? Your nerves were officially shot; you felt every bit of resolve and composure leave your body in record time. A nervous, broken laugh cut through the silence that you just barely registered as yours, and you could practically feel your mind slip into delirium. This had to be some kind of huge prank. It had to be. Not that you had many people in your life willing to drive you to insanity for a kick, but what else could this be?

Suddenly, a thought that you had finally gone insane and that this was some kind of elaborate hallucination flooded your mind. It was an explanation—a ridiculous one at that—but you clung onto it like a lifeline. Okay, so you were insane! Good to know! The faint sound of your soft mumbling faded into the background as your mind closed in on itself. It was better not to feed into these illusions and to ignore whatever was trying to communicate with you. Even if you absolutely adored both Kaede and Shuichi, you knew better. They weren’t real.  This isn’t real. You chanted this in your mind like it was your only means of salvation. This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.

“This isn’t–”

The resounding sound of a firm slap cut through your mumbling, and you were brought back to the unfortunate reality that you had to face. You could feel hot tears burning against the right side of your stinging face, and your right hand was gently tugged away from the aching parts of the roots of your hair. (Where you suppose you had been pulling at.) You pathetically sniffed as you lifted your eyes to meet with Kaede’s troubled expression.

“Pull yourself together!” Kaede’s face turns uneasy as she sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “Jeez! I’m not good at this at all. Maybe if I were to play you a song instead—maybe something from Chopin, Debussy, Peter J., or even Constantini! Ah, no, I got it! It’d totally be great if I could play you a more recent one like “Yearning to this music” by Ronald Langestraat!”

Behind her, Shuichi awkwardly cleared his throat. Your eyes snapped to him, and he immediately averted his concerned gaze to the floor.

“Um, okay, look. I understand you're scared, but now is not the time to freak out, okay? I know how scary it is waking up in an unknown place feeling lost…” Kaede looks around and frowns. “Especially if you had woken up alone, I don’t know what I would have done if Shuichi wasn’t there… But anyways! We need to focus on looking for a way out!”

Kaede looks at you. She really looks at you, and you find no trace of mocking pity on her delicate features. “Me and Shuichi are also pretty lost, but we are going to get out of here! A-And we don’t plan on leaving you so.. Please stop crying?” She places a steady hand on your trembling shoulder and looks down on you with an uncertain, yet hopeful expression. As much as you wanted to shove her hand off of you and curl up into a ball, you couldn’t find it in yourself to brush her off. Especially not when she looked at you like that.

A shuddering breath left your lungs as you obediently nodded. You could hear both Kaede and Shuichi sigh in relief.

“Sorry, but can I ask you a question? Do you… remember how you got here?” Shuichi’s voice sounded careful, as if he were afraid you'd burst out into tears again.

Kaede crossed her arms before shaking her head. “No, we should let them calm down first before we ask any questions. We don’t even know their name yet after all.” Kaede throws Shuichi a frown, and you can just barely see his cheeks flush as he pulls down his hat. “Ah, right.. S-Sorry..”

You let out a stuttering sigh before shaking your head. “No, it's okay.. Um, my name..”

For a brief moment, worry fills your stomach as you mull over whether it was a wise idea to give out your name. If this situation wasn’t just temporary, then you had to be cautious about letting them know about you. The Monopad said you were the Ultimate Scientist, but was it wise to trust it? You did have a penchant for the art of science, but you certainly wouldn’t describe yourself as the Ultimate scientist. You were good at researching and conducting experiments in the various fields of science, but despite your ego, you had to admit that you weren’t the best. An Ultimate student didn’t have to prove they were the best at a talent they were born with. You weren’t anyone extraordinary. That thought left a nasty feeling swelling in your pride.

You snapped out of your drowning thoughts and brushed out your tousled hair worryingly. If your actual name was registered in your Monopad and if it told you that you were the Ultimate Scientist, then that is what you would have to go with in order to not arouse any suspicion. Shuichi was incredibly perceptive, and having him suspicious of you right off the bat was something you'd rather have not happen.

You subtly shook your head, as if the motion could somehow drive away your doubtful thoughts. “Um, sorry about that. My name is Y/N L/N and… I am the Ultimate Scientist...” You averted your gaze to Kaede’s shiny shoes.

Kaede gasped, and her eyes lit up. “Wow, you must be some kind of super genius! I thought you might have been some kind of doctor, but this totally suits you! You have that kind of mysterious brainiac vibe going on, mm-hmm.”

You don’t really know how to respond to that. Your fingers thread through your hair anxiously, and before you can muster up a response, Shuichi beats you to it.

“Ultimate Scientist… I’ve heard of you.” His hand covered the lower half of his face in thought. Kaede blinked at that. “Huh, really?”

You yourself were just as surprised as Kaede. A feeling of anxiety swelled in your chest.

“Ah, yeah. The Ultimate Scientist is infamous for staying completely private. No one knows who they are, but they contribute a lot to the field of science. They managed to have a breakthrough in their vaccine research of a particular virus going around and were asked to publicly receive an award for it, but they declined… Actually… There is a photo of them that circulated the internet, and it does look like you, but people couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t really either.. I never thought the Ultimate Scientist would be someone our age. It’s really.. Ah, um..” Shuichi trailed off, suddenly looking flustered. You stared at him with round eyes, soaking in the information, but to him it must have looked as if you were creeped out. “S-Sorry um. I-It’s just really impressive, is all..”

“That really is impressive! I’m glad we ran into you. It’s good to have such smart people at a time like this!” Kaede pumped her fists and sent you a bright smile.

You couldn’t believe what Shuichi had said. He not only heard of you but also has seen some obscure photo of you somewhere? It was true you had dabbled in medicine science, but it was nothing to that extent. This world had exaggerated your feats, and you didn’t feel proud of the praise they were giving you whatsoever. Anxiety swelled in you. If Shuichi had somehow heard of you, that meant that someone had put that false memory in his head. Someone knew of you.

“Um… Thank you, but I’m really not anyone special…” You cleared your throat awkwardly, unfurling from your position and sitting up properly.

Kaede groaned and shook her head at that. “No, you shouldn’t undermine your hard work. You too, Shuichi! You two are really incredible people, so you need to be more confident in your accomplishments.”

Shuichi flinched behind her and mumbled something in agreement; you chose not to say anything.

Kaede sighed and switched the topic. “Um, so if it's okay with you now, do you by any chance remember how you got here?” She swaps her weight from one foot to the other, looking serious. Shuichi perked up behind her, looking equally serious. It was weird seeing their dynamic in real time and how well of a team they made.

You shook your head. “No, sorry. The last memory I have is of me going to bed… and I woke up stuffed into a locker.” You didn’t have to come up with a lie for that question. You were in the same boat as them in that case.

Shuichi covered his lower face in thought as Kaede hummed. “So you don’t remember either. No matter how hard we try, we can’t remember… B-But it’s probably nothing to worry about. We’re just confused, is all.” Kaede looked worried, but despite that she managed to smile.

“S-Sorry.. I really don’t know. It might be that I was still asleep while I was kidnapped… ” That had to have been the case for you in particular, at least. You really didn't have a logical explanation as to how you were here.

Kaede nodded, and Shuichi looked in thought before asking a question of his own. “Ah, right. Did those teddy bears also come speak to you?”

Your eyebrows scrunched together. He must be talking about the Monokubs. In your anxious wake, you had totally forgotten about them. You hadn’t seen them at all so far, and to be honest, you feel as if you would have had a far more severe reaction upon waking if you had witnessed walking talking teddy bears. They hadn't paid you a visit so in their eyes you had no idea what they were. Even if you already knew about the Monokubs, you couldn’t let them know that.

You shook your head incredulously. “I don’t know what you mean by that… You two are the only people I’ve seen since I woke up. I haven’t seen any… teddy bears.” Small worry lines form between your eyebrows as you look up at them for answers.

Kaede looked stricken as she and Shuichi exchanged glances. “It’s no wonder you were so scared. No one was here, and those weird bears hadn’t even bothered to explain anything to you!” She looked almost angry as she crossed her arms.

“It’s okay.” Shuichi stiffly offered his reassurance to you. “It’s not as if they said anything actually important, but they told us that this was the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles.”

“Right! Me and Shuichi came to the conclusion that there are more ultimate students in this building. Those bears told us we had to explore and meet the others before an activity of some kind started… There are seventeen of us in total, if I remember correctly.”

Seventeen. Not sixteen like it was originally meant to be. That meant even you were accounted for in the mix. Had someone brought you here? You shut your eyes tight and decided it’s better to think on that later.

That all sounded about right to how you remembered the prologue going. You’re guessing they had also woken up not long ago. You chewed on your bottom lip, nervous. Now that all formalities were out of the way, you’d likely have to leave the safety of the classroom to tag along with them.

“It’d be a good idea to continue our search of the school, if that’s okay.” Just as you had predicted, Shuichi was quick to keep things moving. Kaede tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she nodded. “Right! We should get going, Y/N. It’d be good if we got to know the other Ultimates too while we’re here.” Kaede held out a hand. A warm smile graced her features, and for a moment you really did believe that everything would be okay.

You sniffled. You always wondered how Kaede’s first thoughts were not to find an immediate exit but to speak with the other Ultimates. Nevertheless, you took her hand with a mild smile perking on your lips.

“You have no sense of urgency… but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to introduce ourselves to the others.” Weakly agreeing, as she pulled you up. The two of you followed behind Shuichi, who was already making his way to the door. There really was no point in trying to find an exit anyway.

You already knew of what awaited for you outside.

Chapter Text

As the Monokubs explained to Kaede and Shuichi the purpose of the mysterious door—which evidently led to Kaede's Ultimate Lab—your thoughts started to stray. The moment Kaede had pointed out the music door, the Monokubs had materialized in the blink of an eye. They weren’t quite like how you imagined them to be in real life. The way they moved and spoke was uncanny to you. It unsettled you—how smoothly they moved for animatronics. 

You suddenly felt sick all over again, shuffling behind Shuichi as if he could somehow shield you from the unsightly situation. You clasped your hands, silently begging your mind to release you from this nightmare. 

When the Monokubs made their appearance, they hadn’t looked at you like you were any different than Kaede or Shuichi. And for a second, you were confused by this. Initially, a small part of you thought that the moment they saw you, they’d recognize you as a mistake in the production. Something not meant to be in their twisted show. Your mind ran through countless explanations, both irrational and logical, as to why they didn’t seem to mind you being there. Clearly, your existence here was accounted for; however, you had no idea if they were aware of the fact that you were essentially omniscient. You were someone with knowledge that could make or break their production, and you doubted they would allow you to stay here if they knew that.

You had to be careful of every move you made from this point forward. It wasn’t just Kaede and Shuichi being watched; it was you as well. Swarms of Nanokumas were watching every move you made at every moment. You couldn’t let a single one of those gnats make you a suspicious target. Not when you need to search for (or realize) a way out. If you did anything out of line, that information would be sent straight to the host of this game. The creator of this confined world. The people working behind the scenes. The Mastermind.

Dipping your head downwards, you pinched your eyebrows together in worry. The first person the player would meet was none other than the Mastermind herself. After this odd encounter with the Monokubs, you’d have to pass by her in order to progress further.

You sniffed in displeasure. If somehow you couldn’t find a way out of this mess, would it be your responsibility to stop her? If she was killed right off the bat, would the game truly stop or would it continue even without her physical presence? 

Flinching at those thoughts, you brought a hand to your mouth; you didn’t want to kill someone. Besides, you doubted you’d seriously be here long enough to see the first trial. This game wasn’t something you would participate in; it wasn’t even something meant for you to experience. You were real, and this wasn’t.

You raked a hand through your hair and closed your eyes, irritation growing. Why were you even thinking that far ahead as if this really was your reality now? Reality to you was a normal, moderate life where all you did was study, watch films, and play games. This wasn’t reality. A reality where you were thrown into a killing game surrounded by fictional characters wasn’t possible. You’d snap out of this soon, and when you did, you hoped the real world hadn’t changed without you. 

Somewhere between all of your droning thoughts, you heard your name being gently called. Your eyes lifted away from a particular flower that stemmed from the cracked tiles to Shuichi’s placid expression. He looked at you with regard and politely informed you that the Monokubs were gone.

“I don’t blame you for finding those things creepy. It’s weird how they speak so smoothly…” Kaede mused at the ground before continuing. “Anyways, I guess this door here is an Ultimate Lab, huh.”

“Do you guys think…there are other rooms like this? For everyone?” Shuichi asked, looking unsettled.

You flattened your lips, a conclusive expression on your features. “I don’t plan on staying here long enough to find out.” You picked at the embroidery of your lab coat’s sleeve nonsensically, not looking up at either of your company. Silently, you hoped to yourself that your words weren’t empty promises. 

Kaede’s lips split into a grin as she adjusted the straps of her backpack. “That’s right! I won’t need a lab to play the piano once we escape. I’ll be able to play as much as I want.”

You smiled back weakly, and it wasn’t just you this time. Your eyes caught the motion of Shuichi’s lips quirking up for the first time since you’ve met him. It kind of stunned you in the moment. Kaede’s eyes gleamed, clearly pleased at the atmosphere, as she quietly led your group down the grassy hallway.

Lagging back a few paces, you watched as Shuichi fell into step with Kaede. She struck up a quiet conversation about the growing vegetation in the hallway, and it suddenly hit you how curious it was to watch two characters from a game interact in the flesh. It felt almost intrusive to observe them converse with one another. To witness dialogue you never could have seen from your limited perspective as a simple player of a game. You felt the same curious feeling a few moments ago when you witnessed Shuichi smile for the first time. Seeing his thin lips quirk up in a content manner felt almost intimate. The way his smooth, fair skin crinkled at the positive motion. You had this vague feeling that it was something you were never meant to bear witness to. Yet, despite the feeling of wrongness, you couldn’t help but wonder more about both Shuichi and Kaede. 

You watched the pair ahead of you in utter awe. For a brief moment in the lighting, they looked like celestial beings. As you watched them, you thought that maybe this was okay. Whether this was a dream or a deep delusion, you thought it was okay if it meant seeing something otherworldly.

The ghost of a smile that reached your face fell in an instant. You shut your eyes tight, and a feeling of dread filled your chest. That wasn’t how you normally went about this stuff. They weren’t real. It was not okay for you to start thinking like this. God, you knew how these things went; just because these delusions took the shape of something you enjoyed didn’t mean it gave you the pass to believing in something that wasn’t there. You couldn’t help but to heavily chastise yourself in your mind. You knew reality. This wasn’t it.

As you were lost in your turmoil, Kaede suddenly turned to her left and gasped. “Oh? There’s a girl here.” Kaede perked up and immediately redirected her pace to the girl. She tossed you and Shuichi a carefree smile as she pointed at a girl who stood facing a statue. From your position all you could see was the deep blue locks of her hair falling carefully down her back. 

“Hey, you're an Ultimate student, right? Can we talk—”

The blue-haired girl that Kaede spoke to had her finger to her chin in deep thought. She was tall and sported a plain uniform in the color of a muted navy blue. Despite having a rather plain appearance, you thought she was rather pretty in a way. The way the lighting hit her face made her circled glasses glint mysteriously.

As you and Shuichi shuffled over, the girl had yet to speak. She completely ignored Kaede in favor of humming quizzically. Kaede smiled in a confused manner before she continued to pester the girl. The girl hadn’t moved an inch, and Kaede gave her a thoughtful look before turning her attention to Shuichi and you. 

“She still can’t hear me. Maybe she’s a really detailed mannequin?” Kaede suggested, her face showing no indication of joking around.

Shuichi let out a sound akin to a weak laugh as he glanced at you. You hadn’t expected Shuichi to address you. Blinking, you smiled blankly and shrugged.

“…No, I don’t think that’s the case…”

Kaede crossed her arms and closed her eyes in thought. “You never know. We already saw a moving teddy bear.”

You watched with tired eyes as Kaede poked the girl. The girl had yet to move, which prompted Kaede to beckon Shuichi and you to poke the girl with her. Kaede seemed to be incredibly amused by the situation; however, you couldn’t quite match her level of enthusiasm. Looking at the blue-haired girl made you uneasy. You watched her delicate face closely and it unnerved you how the deep blue of her eyes felt devoid of any reaction as she seemed to almost leer at the statue. Decidedly, you stepped back and watched from the sidelines as Kaede made Shuichi poke the unresponsive girl. It was only then that she spoke.

“I never thought I’d be poked from both sides. How truly unexpected.”

Shuichi—being rightfully surprised—bumped into you as he practically jumped back from the girl’s personal space. He mumbled a sorry to you as he hesitantly steadied your shoulders with his hands. You couldn’t help the rattled smile you gave him.

Kaede's face is full of resolve when she nods. “So she wasn’t a mannequin. Well, I knew that.”

Shuichi pulled a face, looking a little exasperated and embarrassed. “If you knew that, why did you make me poke her?”

“Because she wasn’t responding.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean any harm…I was just in deep thought.” The blue-haired girl looked to the side with an almost distant look—as if she were bored. “So, I thought if I ignored you, you’d go somewhere else.”

You weren’t sure you liked the girl, but you could understand the blunt things she said. Taking a page out of her book, you began to tune out the conversation happening in front of you. It wasn't like you needed to pay attention, you just wanted to go home. You picked absentmindedly at the sleeve of your lab coat, barely paying attention to what they were talking about. In the midst of it all, you just barely registered the girl introducing herself as Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Cosplayer.

Liar. You thought bitterly. Tsumugi seemed to go on about things you couldn’t understand, so you favored studying her demeanor instead. She didn’t give off any red flags whatsoever. Her innocent and plain appearance made you almost want to underestimate her. She was a perfect white sheep amongst the hundreds of others, inconspicuous.

Tsumugi’s expression suddenly flipped, and she became visibly excited, getting closer to Kaede. She’s talking fast about something you don't care about. Her shrill voice irks you; you decide. You would have thought Tsumugi was a normal girl if you hadn’t already known who she really was. This was only a persona for her, a character to play. You couldn’t at all relax in her presence. You hated how she was parading around pretending she was just like you or Kaede or Shuichi. It felt like she was mocking you by pretending to be just as vulnerable as you were. Even more so, you hated how Kaede and Shuichi had no idea that the girl they were talking to was basically the God of the world they woke up in.

Everything suddenly became too much. Your growing headache was making you agitated, and you no longer wanted to stand idle in a conversation with someone you could never trust. Your sense of self-preservation led you to slink away from the trio quietly and down to the bright, pink stairs. The school had started to become suffocating, and you needed out. It was easy to separate yourself from the group as they were distracted by the bronze dragon statue; their attention was never on you during the entire exchange. You didn't mean much to them, and that was okay. You weren't like them.

Light footsteps sounded dully against the stairs as you descended down. When you reached the bottom of the stairs, you were met with a hallway to the left—which you remembered led to the dining hall—and another hallway shooting forward that would lead you straight to the entrance hall. It was quiet, and you could see dust float in the rays of the sun that shone from between the cracks of the barbed windows. In all honesty, the entire school was beautiful in a twisted way. But the way the greenery blended perfectly with the architecture only reminded you that this was all just a perfectly crafted set.

You inched your way to the wall that hugged the stairs and peered down the hallway that would take you to the dining hall. There was no one in the hallway; it was silent, and you felt a little unnerved at the lack of noise. You were alone. A part of you started to regret separating from the only people you had met, but getting out of this school was the only thing on your mind. There wasn’t any time for wandering; you had to continue forward to the entrance hall. Only once you were outside and away from this suffocating place would you finally be able to think properly.

You continued on.

Unlike in the game where you had to first speak to everyone inside to unlock this section, the gate meant to be separating you from the entrance hall was up. 

You flitted through the gate and immediately noticed someone tall and thin eyeing the door. His color palette consisted of muted greens, and he had long hair cascading down his back. What caught your eye was the mask hiding the lower half of his face. He looked elegant, in a way.

Once your mind had caught up with your gawking, you realized he was staring right back at you. His remarkable golden eyes seemed to pierce right through you as he watched you with mild interest. His excessive height on you made you feel like some kind of prey in his eyes.

You flinched and offered a meek wave, not stopping your feet from taking you to the doors. The boy did not wave back, he only stepped aside to allow you space. It was only when you placed your unsteady hands on the door handles that he spoke to you.

“You seem rather sure of yourself.”

Flinching, you let your hands linger on the door before clenching them close to your stomach. Turning your head slowly, you hummed questioningly. “What?”

“Ah, apologies. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud." The giggle that came from him was unique, almost girly. His shoulders shook as he laughed, and the chains on his chest jingled rhythmically. “The few people I’ve met here seemed rather wary about the entrance, yet you don’t seem to care about the safety of it…Or rather, you seem to already know that it is safe.”

Despite half of his face being hidden behind a mask, you could tell from the glint in his eyes that he was grinning at you with full interest now. You took a small step back from the doors to face him with an unsure expression. Truthfully, you hadn’t expected him to talk to you at all. 

“You haven’t seemed to give me much thought, but I suppose I shall introduce myself anyway. My name is Korekiyo Shinguji, and I am the Ultimate Anthropologist. But please, call me Kiyo.”

After a beat, you spoke. “Kiyo…” You tested the nickname as you wiped your hands on your lab coat nervously. Taking a step forward, you offered him your name and talent. “Sorry for trying to ignore you…I just...don't want to be here right now.”

You weren’t really sure if you should be apologizing to someone like Korekiyo in the first place. Tsumugi made his character to be a serial killer, but was that really who he was if that was just a role he was unknowingly acting out? But the boy in front of you has never known a life where he wasn’t Korekiyo. He was dangerous. Right? The technicalities made your brain overheat, so you quickly swiped that thought out of your mind. For now, you’d suppose you’d be cordial as best as you could to whoever you happened to run into.

“That is quite alright. Being the Ultimate Scientist, it is only natural for you to flock to the most logical escape route, no?” He subtly giggled again as he continued to watch you closely. You returned his careful stare and shrugged tensely. “Do not mind my presence here; I only wish to observe in this situation.”

“Being the Ultimate Anthropologist, I suppose it is also only natural for you to want to observe how people react to finding the supposed door for escape.” 

It isn’t something you could see in full, but the crinkle in his eyes tells you that he’s pleased with your words. “You would be correct. Our present situation is quite mysterious…I wonder what beauty I will be able to witness here.” He laughed harshly, and you could only watch with a tired expression. “Kehehe… Even though your reaction to this situation is rather apathetic, there is beauty in that too.”

Watching him for a few moments, he seemed to be finished with the conversation as he leaned against the wall and looked at you expectantly. Blinking, you stiffly nodded, giving a mild smile as you turned back to the doors. 

You pushed them open and stepped outside.

The very first thing your eyes were drawn to was the cage surrounding everything. It cascaded down from a single point in the sky and enveloped everything your eyes could see. The End Wall. Having already known of it, it hadn’t come as quite a shock, but it unsettled you nonetheless. Fingers that never seemed to stop their trembling clasped together in an attempt to ground yourself. It wasn’t real, just like everything else. You were okay.

A brief thought passed through your mind. In the game, the Monokubs had come out to explain the End Wall to Kaede and Shuichi. They were always ready to provide explanations, so why had they never shown up for you this entire time? The one time they showed up was when you were with Kaede and Shuichi. Was it like that for everyone else, or were you an outlier? You sniffed, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Whatever, it didn’t matter; you didn’t care if they were ignoring you. It was better that they didn’t bother you at all.

Walking down the steps, you spotted the dormitory, and a part of you wanted to see if you had your own dorm, but the logical part of you disagreed louder. Even if there was one, you wouldn't have any use for it once this passed. 

Construction was being done on several parts of the area. However, you noticed an open path leading behind the school building. This path wasn’t meant to be open until later, but you supposed everything in the game wouldn’t quite match up exactly as it played out in front of you.

Your feet were quick in taking you down the path. Eyeing the angular arches over the path, you looked over to the right at the many trees off the path. You paused and looked around; no one. In the game, the player was not allowed off the designated paths, but now that you were here, you could go anywhere just as long as it wasn’t outside of the End Wall.

You wandered into the grass, away from the path and buildings. The tall grass gave way under your feet, and you found yourself a calm little spot to ponder not too far from the path. Sitting yourself just feet away from a tall tree that provided shade, you pushed the long fabric of the lab coat behind you as you situated yourself. 

Stretching out your legs, you began to pick absentmindedly at the grass beneath you. Like everything else, it felt real. They were ripped from the soil beneath with ease and fluttered in the light breeze as you let go. Everything here was incredibly realistic, and it seriously unnerved you. 

You wished there was a logical explanation for all of this. It was only in logic you could trust. That was one of the reasons you liked science; everything had an explanation. Your entire life was led with order and reasoning, but ever since you woke up here, you’ve felt your feet slip in the waves of entropy. This didn’t make sense to you. You’ve always taken caution, keeping yourself away from anything that could betray your mind. It was ironic, to say the least. Now look at you. Trapped in a space where you couldn’t tell what was the truth and what was a lie. 

But you wouldn’t allow this false world to trick you.

That was all it was. False. A delusion. A lie. Whether it was the fault of your own mind trapping you here or if it was something else entirely—it was a confirmed fact that this place was not the truth. This world wasn’t real to you or to anyone else that was here. That thought brought you a little solace; however, the only problem was that you were the only one who had a bite of the apple. You knew exactly every little thing that would transpire here, and you desperately wanted to return home before the snowball started rolling.

A breeze passed through the wefts of your hair, and you watched with unfocused eyes as it carried more shredded grass with it. As serene as it was to sit along the tree line, you knew how awful it’d be if you stayed. 

Your eyes glazed over with tears, your hand quickly shooting up to grasp your forehead. Memories of being everywhere but here passed through your mind, and you longed to be home. You longed for any semblance of familiarity. Nothing about this place struck you with that homely sense of normality. Christ, even your clothes had been swapped for something sterile and devoid of comfort. The disheveledness of your uniform only mimicked your clumsy mannerisms; it hadn’t been you who put them on. Everything was meticulously put into place, and if you thought about it hard enough, had that meant someone out there thought they created you?

Unshed tears dispersed with every long blink you took.

Why were you here? Were you really here or had your mind finally fallen apart?

“I don’t…” Your voice came out soft, hardly above a whisper. Your hand clenched into a shaking fist against your forehead, and then abruptly you let go. “I don’t understand…” You gazed down at your hands; a settling sense of helplessness weighed down your tired eyelids.

The small world around you was pleasantly calm and quiet for you, and you felt so small. You wished someone would tell you it was okay and that you weren’t insane.

Suddenly, a curious hum cuts through the silence, and you snap out of your quiet introspection. Flinching, your eyes quickly scanned the area, and for a moment you found nothing. 

Your face crumpled at the thought that your mind was taunting you in such a moment of despondency; however, your eyes soon landed on a tall and bulky figure obscured by the sun. The figure seemed to notice your attention on them and moved closer to reveal a boy with long, messy green hair. His robust figure flexed in the brown suit he sported. More importantly, he wore a serious, intimidating expression on his face, and for a moment you stiffened in panic.

Then all too suddenly he gave you a bright smile that could rival Kaede’s. The sunlight made his circled glasses glint charmingly on the apples of his cheeks.

A sound akin to a weak hum left your throat as you gazed up with wide eyes at the burly boy. “Ah.” You stare at him with a troubled expression before smoothing your features in an attempt to collect yourself. “Hello there.”

He seemed to be surprised for a brief moment before he smiled gratefully. “Oh! Thank you for speaking to Gonta!” 

You gave a twitchy ghost of a smile; your nerves were shot, yet you felt yourself become more grounded and aware. His presence comforted you somehow, and you were grateful he was able to ground you in your moment of weakness.

“T-Thank you for speaking to me too.” You eyed his standing form for a moment before you patted the patch of grass beside you, motioning for him to join you. “Would you like to sit with me?” 

He, again, seemed shocked, shocked that someone actually wanted him to sit with them. He thanks you again, sounding genuinely happy as he takes up the space beside you. He’s much larger and taller than you are, and you think it’s a little funny how compact your way of sitting is compared to his.

“Thank you for allowing Gonta to sit with you! Ah, wait! Gonta need to make introduction! Gonta’s name is Gonta Gokuhara, and Gonta’s talent is Ultimate Entomologist. What yours?” Gonta stares at you with such pure intentions, and it makes you feel a little strange, yet happy in a way.

You gladly gave him your name and Ultimate. “It’s nice to meet you, Gonta.” You smiled awkwardly; you weren’t really sure what to talk about now that he’s sitting with you. 

“Sorry for bothering. Gonta saw you and thought maybe you also looking for bug friend…” He raises his hand to his mouth thoughtfully before looking back up. “Is you looking for bug friend?”

You suppose that may have been what it looked like from afar. Picking at grass nonsensically may have been a not-so-good look for you. Nevertheless, you looked back up at Gonta and shook your head regretfully. 

“Umm, well, no, not really.” You admitted truthfully, but when his shoulders seemed to sag, you immediately followed up. “But I’m not opposed to bug friends! I actually do find bugs and insects fascinating…I am a scientist and all…Biology is something I’m well informed of.” Laughing awkwardly, you tugged at the sleeve of your lab coat self-consciously.

What you said was the truth. There was a time where you studied insects continuously for weeks in your free time, and despite that, you wouldn’t say you loved them. You more so liked them in a scientific sense, how they worked, and their behaviors. Actually, most typical bugs annoyed you outside of a lab setting. Nevertheless, it seemed like a good idea to leave that part out.

“Huh? Really??” You like bugs too?” In a split second, Gonta’s face comes up close to yours, his expression suddenly intense. “What your favorite???” You flinched back and laughed nervously as you patted his shoulders. 

“Uhmm, hey now. Calm down a bit, okay?” 

Gonta seemed to get that he’s made you uncomfortable and immediately removed himself from your personal space. “S-Sorry! Gonta got too excited! Not gentlemanly…” He looked regretful as his gaze dropped to the grass in shame.

You rubbed the back of your neck before dragging a hand down his arm soothingly. “It’s okay, Gonta, just be mindful…” A beat of silence passes. “...My favorite insects are probably fireflies—or lightning bugs if that's the name you know them by. I studied them for a bit; I was especially curious about the bioluminescence that occurs with them. Also, they’re pretty cute and a staple of every summer.” You smiled freely for the first time since you’ve been here. It felt…nice to talk about something you’re interested in with someone.

Gonta stared at you with stars in his eyes, his bright smile flickering for only a moment before it returned in full. “Gonta glad he met you…Gonta scary looking; most people not wanna talk to Gonta, especially not about bugs…” A flicker of forlorn makes itself present on his features before he rids it with a happy smile. “Gonta think fireflies are perfect friends for you!”

A bewildered laugh came out of you as you threaded your fingers in your hair. “You are so sweet.” Gonta smiled bashfully, and you continued. “Well, what is your favorite insect?” 

Gonta hummed and looked in deep thought before he shook his head. “Gonta no think he can choose…All bugs are incredible creature!” His smile then dropped as he scanned the surrounding area. “But… Gonta look hard, but no can find bugs here…” He mused at a particular patch of grass afar. “Maybe bugs are hiding.”

Humming dejectedly, you lowered your gaze to the grass. You already knew the reason as to why there weren’t any bugs or animals. This place didn't have a need for them. You figured it wouldn’t be long before Gonta mistook a Nanokuma for a bug with his exceptional eyesight. It didn’t matter anyway; when his lab opens up, he’ll have all the bug friends he’ll need. 

The notion that Gonta is going to be stuck here even when you find a way out leaves an ugly, irate feeling sweltering within you. He doesn’t even know what will happen once the Monokubs beckon everyone to the gym. Gonta looks so innocent in front of you, looking around for bugs of all things. Not even searching for an answer to the situation he’s in. The fact that he doesn’t seem too perturbed by the situation makes you grow incredibly frustrated. He seemed to be more worried about the lack of bugs. Even Kaede, Shuichi, and Korekiyo seemed so put together in such a dire situation. No one seemed to be too panicked in figuring a way out of here, and it was driving you up the wall.

"Gonta, aren’t you afraid?” The words leave your mouth before you can properly think about them. You casted a wary glance at the End Wall.

Gonta regards you quietly before tilting his head. “Of bug friends…?”

You shook your head; the feeling of uncertainty makes you feel hot. “No—I mean, why aren’t you—Aren't you shaken up at the fact that you woke up in this strange place with no recollection of how you got here?”

Your words came out clumsily and rushed; Gonta seemed to notice your agitation. He crossed his arms and stared at nothing in particular. “…Gonta very shocked when he first wake up,” He hummed to himself, his features twisted to reveal his uncertainty. “Gonta no can remember how he got here…Gonta not always understand, but gentlemen never give up, even when all he can do is wait. So Gonta will try hardest to understand what happening here!”

“That—but you aren’t even—" You aren’t sure what you're trying to say, but frustration wells inside you. It was true that the only thing you could do was wait; there was no arguing that, but why did he seem so unphased by this? “Well, I’m scared. I don’t know how or why I’m here, and—God fucking dammit, doesn’t that wall—? Doesn’t…? Why aren’t you scared?”

“…Scared?” Gonta looked down at you with an expression you couldn't discern. “You ask why Gonta not scared…Gonta not smart boy, but gentlemen never back away from unknown. Not much Gonta can do but wait…Gonta will do his best to protect friends…” He boldly claimed you as his friend and looked at you closely as if you were just another bug he was examining. “Don’t worry now. Gonta will protect you no matter what.”

The gentle breeze outside tousled Gonta’s hair, his bold expression never once dropping. It truly is strange to see something otherworldly. A thick silence settled between the two of you for a moment, and you faintly hear the sound of wind chimes in the trees moving around you. 

“I don’t doubt that you will, Gonta. I’m just…uncertain about this situation.”

Gonta dropped his gaze to where your hand is clutching threads of grass. “…Is okay… Gonta will do best to protect Y/N. So please, no worry.” He says it with a finality that makes you feel unworthy of his kindness. It’s not his fault you’re here; you feel vaguely guilty for nearly exploding at him.

You thickly swallowed, allowing your eyes to take him in. “I’m…going to do my best to protect you too, Gonta…” You murmured rather blankly as your eyes traced the features of his face. 

Pushing strands of hair out of your face, you scanned the area with a newfound worldview. You supposed you could understand why everyone was just meandering about. There is really nothing you can do but wait. For Gonta, you supposed he’d benefit from keeping calm and indulging in something he enjoyed: bug hunting. Sitting down and praying you’d snap out of your suspected psychosis was obviously not helping your situation. Being too in your own head was hell. Instead, you could indulge in something to calm yourself down as well. Perhaps taking advantage of your situation and having a conversation with beings you could only once process as two-dimensional was something to keep you busy. You could pretend you were simply doing research on them. You liked researching. Researching made sense to you.

A tap on your shoulder brings you back to the boy sitting beside you who stared at you with a curious expression. He said nothing as he waited for you to say what’s on your mind.

“Ah, sorry. I was just thinking that maybe...it would be a good idea for me to talk to more people here…” Gnawing on the bottom of your lip nervously, you raked your fingers lazily in the grass. “I hadn’t spoken to very many people in the school, so maybe I’ll go back inside for a bit…You are welcome to join me if you’d like.”

“Oh, thank you for inviting Gonta!” Gonta smiled before casting a glance around him. “But, Gonta no can…Gonta still wanna find bug friends! Sorry!” 

That was given; you weren’t really surprised at his decline. You’re almost sure he has yet to find the manhole, so it was good that he declined your invitation anyway.

“Hey, that’s okay, Gonta. You should do what you want to do.” The corners of your lips quirked upwards in a kind manner. He likely would find the manhole not long after you leave and then proceed to tell the others about it at a later moment. “I have a suspicion we’ll reunite soon anyway.” You stood up from your spot, brushing stray shreds of grass off of your lab coat. 

Gonta looked at you curiously, giving a smile that you interpreted as confusion. “Yeah? Gonta will trust you then! Gonta will continue his search for bug friends.”

You smiled back and waved goodbye as you made your way back to the path. True to his word, Gonta waved back and headed in the direction of the building where the manhole would be.

As you stepped back on the path, you thought about your encounter with Gonta. Despite his intense appearance, he meant well and even helped you realize that in order for this to pass, you had to remain calm.

Taking a deep breath in, you gazed up at the fake sky.

The cage seemed to taunt you, and you decided you would try your hardest to not let this situation affect you. You tried your best to regulate your emotions, but as you gazed at the End Wall, a flicker of rage began to grow within you.

You don’t deserve this. 

You could lie to yourself all you wanted; you were starting to unravel the longer you stayed here. You couldn't tell what was real anymore and it made you boil with anger.

It was fascinating, really. How something can look so believable. When in reality, it was all a facade. This place wasn’t real, and you would never accept it. You’d snap out of your mind and take the steps needed to ensure something like this would happen again. Whatever it took.

The moment you snapped out of your turmoil, you found yourself standing in front of the entrance of the school. Threads of uncertainty wove themselves in your mind, and you cast a final glare at the End Wall before pulling the doors open.

The scenery of the school unfolded in front of you, and you felt as if it were your first time seeing it again. Stepping inside, you noticed Korekiyo opening his eyes, as if he were resting them moments prior. He peered at you silently from beneath his cap. 

You stepped inside the building, and the doors behind you closed, shutting out the brightness of the outside with it. You stood in the shadows, gazing silently at Korekiyo, who stood unwavering in the light. Korekiyo eyed you carefully from across the hall, as if asking you a silent question. So? His eyes seemed to ask.

A strange shadow is cast on your face; you feel oddly determined. You still your expression and look him in the eyes.

“I will not accept this.”

Korekiyo regarded you carefully, then seemed to grin at you from under his mask. The smile soon left his features quickly, and he looked at you plainly again. Korekiyo threw a glance down the right hallway and rested his eyes once more.

“People are worried about you.”

Staring down the empty hallway, your eyebrows pinched together in brief confusion. There would only be one classroom down that hallway and a set of stairs that would take you down to the basement.

You looked to the floor, remembering Kaede and Shuichi. The two were nice enough to let you tag along, and you left them without even saying goodbye. Feeling vaguely guilty, you made your way to the gate and paused. It’s not like you were anyone important to them; you seriously doubted they were genuinely worried for you. You weren’t like them—it was a fact. You were something completely separate from them; however, you supposed you wouldn’t think twice about apologizing to them for the inconvenience.

Remembering that the monopad had a tracking feature, you pulled it out from the pocket inside of your lab coat. After fiddling around with it, you managed to pull up the school map, and sure enough, several yellow dots were scattered around the school. Two dots marked you and Korekiyo’s position in the entrance hall. Although none seemed to be in the classroom where Korekiyo hinted at. A button to the side allowed you to view the map of the basement, where a few dots were displayed. Three in total, and two seemed to be in the library.

Those two dots must have been Kaede and Shuichi wrapping up their search of the basement. 

You gave a final glance at Korekiyo before flitting through the gate and into the hallway. There was nothing to see here besides a door that led to classroom A. The door was shut, and you paused just in front of it. No one was inside, but to be standing in front of such a noteworthy room made you feel odd. It was the room where the antagonist of the story and the audience surrogate would wake up in. It would also be the room where Kaede would inevitably seal her fate, leaving the burden of ending the game to Shuichi. The dull sense of dread you were incessantly feeling ached inside of your chest. 

Placing an unsteady hand on the doorknob, you twisted and pushed it open a crack. You peaked your head inside and peered in, your hands holding the door close to you like a shield. It looked just like the classroom you had woken up in. Empty and desolate. A few of the desks and chairs seemed to be in disorder. A peculiar feeling washed over you as you witnessed the emptiness of a scene that had occurred long before you had arrived. You wondered about the characters who caused this disarray for a moment before your eyes drifted over to the vent. 

You couldn’t place the emotion you were feeling. You felt weird. The silence of the school rang out in your ears as you were transfixed by the vent. Distantly, you think you can make out the distant sound of windchimes. 

What was it that you were here for again?

All too suddenly, the odd feeling you were experiencing was replaced by a stark sensation of feeling exposed. Vulnerable. The hairs on the back of your neck rose, and the cold feeling of paralyzing fear washed over you.

…

“BANG!”

A loud, childish cackle rang over you. The sound seemed to reverberate inside of you, bouncing against every particle that composed you. Only the dull ache of your knees made you realize that you startled so hard you had stumbled inside the classroom. 

You shuffled quickly on your knees to face the door, where you gazed up at a figure clad in white; it's face tilted down, obscured by an unusual shadow. You could make out a singular eye within the mass of ink. The figure seemed to loom over you in silence for a moment, scrutinizing you in a spine-chilling manner with its dull eye.

The moment ended as quick, almost as if it never happened, and the figure tilted their head up to display the childish face of a boy. The dull eye that once raked over you calculatingly stared at you in glee and mischief. His eyes gleamed, showing off a wondrous and unnatural shade of purple. A sharp smile plastered on the paleness of the boy's cheeks as he took a step inside the classroom. His dark hair bounced against the checkered scarf he wore. The tips of his hair were noticeably a brighter color of violet, you noted.

"Lookie, what we have here. My very own doctor just dropped at my feet! Don’t tell me you’re here to beg for mercy already. I haven’t even told you about how I’m going to hold you for ransom yet.”

He takes another step forward, and you sit there looking dumbly at him. You vaguely registered your heartbeat pumping rapidly inside of your chest from the scare. Nothing comes out of your mouth when you try to make a reply, and his grin seems to grow sharper. The corners of his lips are upturned in a blithe manner; there’s a mischievous glint in his eyes as he stands over you.

“What is it, Doc? Already petrified at the sight of the Ultimate Supreme Leader—“ He raised his arms; an overzealous smirk graced his features, but before he could finish, there was a commotion in the hallway that cut him off.

“Kokichi! Where did you go?!”

Kokichi’s face falls, and a blank look that you can’t quite discern replaces his once carefree expression. He dropped his arms to his sides, and his eyebrows pinched in disappointment.

“Darn. Fun police found me…” Kokichi looked at you with the look of a kicked puppy. His eyes raked over you, and then a wide smile plastered itself on his cherubic features. His eyes glint in the lighting; he seems to have gotten an idea. “Hey, be useful and help me win this game of hide and seek!”

Kokichi then proceeds to dive underneath your long coat, tucking himself impossibly close to your back in an attempt to keep all his limbs covered. You let out a small noise of incredulity as you sit on the floor with a suspiciously twitchy mound hiding underneath your lab coat. His body is shockingly cold against yours, and you quickly feel uncomfortable.

Unable to react quickly enough, you sat there looking ridiculous as you looked up at your new company, who stood in the doorway looking down at you in confusion.

A boy—a robot. His sharp, white hair is stark compared to the dark colors of the metallic armor plating of his body. Most notably, your eyes snapped up towards his antenna (cowlick?) that stood sharply on the top of his head. He stared down at you with angular blue eyes that seemed to glow faintly against the roundness of his white skin.

“You aren’t…Are you in need of assistance?”

He speaks to you matter-of-factly yet makes no move to help you up. Your mind is muddled from the ridiculous situation, and you weren’t sure what to say. Kokichi had clearly been trying to hide from him, but you didn’t want to make a bad impression on the robot boy. Kokichi seemed to still behind you, and you couldn’t tell what was happening anymore; you felt overstimulated. This wasn’t what you had in mind when you said you wanted to meet other people.

“…No, I do not need assistance….” You replied back robotically, unintentionally sounding as if you were mocking him. An audible snicker comes from behind you, which does not go unnoticed by the boy in front of you. 

The boy stepped inside the classroom and to the side, where he is given a perfect view of a whole other person crouched underneath your lab coat.

"Kokichi, is that you?” The boy accused, sounding almost offended. He then shot you an incredulous look as if asking, You seriously agreed to this?

Having his eyes on you made your skin prickle, and you stood up at a rapid pace, stumbling back against a desk. Kokichi was left crouched on the floor with a blank expression. A bored expression meets his features as he stands up.

“Aww, maaaaaan. Why’d you have to go and stand up? Now Kii-boy knows I’m here.” Kokichi made a note to check his nail beds, looking incredibly uninterested.

Kokichi shot you a look before his eyes began to sparkle. “Hey, hey did you know that the robot over there likes being called Kii-boy? You should tooootally start calling him that!” 

“Do not listen to him! That is not my name. I am K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot. But please, address me as Kiibo, not Kii-boy!” Kiibo introduced himself politely to you. You eyed him warily, now keenly aware of his role in the game. The Audience Surrogate. Millions of people were watching through Kiibo’s eyes right now. They were looking at you, assessing you. A shiver passed through you. 

You swallowed thickly and forced yourself to keep a still expression. “Ah, hello Kiibo…” You gave him your name and talent, stiffly greeting him back.

Kokichi blinked. “Are we doing introductions again? Well, a bucket of bolts isn’t gonna outshine me! My name is Kokichi Ouma, and I am the Ultimate Supreme Leader.”

“B-Bucket of bolts?! I'm going to bring this up in court! Also, it was incredibly rude to run off like that, Kokichi.” Kiibo glared pointedly at Kokichi, who grinned nonchalantly. “You were the one who suggested we stick together in the first place to search for the missing student.”

“Well,” He blew a raspberry. “Whatevs, games over, I win! I already found the missing recluse.” Kokichi slinked over to you and pulled the end of your lab coat up, examining the embroidery. “A fancy recluse too! Sheesh, I wonder how much money I can get outta the ransom!” You looked down at him curiously, not minding his strange demeanor towards you.

“Hm, what?” You questioned curiously.

“So you are the person who Kaede and Shuichi were looking for. They had came into this classroom searching for you. Kaede said you may have been lost, so I decided to help search for you.” Kiibo then seemed to sweat somehow, looking displeased. “But then he decided to take over and drag me around.”

“They were looking for me…?” Your face displayed clear signs of guilt. It definitely seemed like a good idea in the moment when you left them, but now you weren’t so sure you achieved anything by doing so.

“Wow, so you can speak in full sentences! Hey, you’re actually pretty rude, aren’t you? You really left them like that? Y’know the guy with the hat seemed so close to tears when he barged in here looking for you. They thought you died or something!” Kokichi dropped your lab coat and clasped his hands behind his head, laughing distinctly. "Or not. Who knows, I'm a liar after all.

“Just ignore him. Everything he says is a lie. They did not look driven to tears, nor did they come to the conclusion that you had passed. But they did ask us to let them know if we found you.” Kiibo smiled politely at you, happy to disprove Kokichi—not like you had believed him in the first place.

“Yeah! So I'll go ahead and do that.” Kokichi slinked an arm around yours, and you could do nothing but gaze down at him with no idea how to approach him. “Really, you should be honored to be held for ransom by me!” Kokichi then stared at Kiibo and gave a mean-spirited grin. “Well, we’ll be on our way now, so byeeeeee!”

Kokichi dragged you towards the door, and Kiibo stuttered behind you. “W-Wait! Where are you going without me? I am a much more suited person to escort them back to their friends! You’re just going to demand money once you return them!”

“Hm? So it’s up to the more suited person? Haha, then duh, it has to be me! A robot couldn’t possibly count as a person, stupid.”

“T-That’s…!” Kiibo looked properly flustered and a little bit dejected at Kokichi’s taunting. You actually started to feel bad for him, but you couldn't bring yourself to remove your arm from Kokichi’s surprisingly firm grip. You felt terrified at the idea of being alone with Kokichi, but knowing that millions of viewers were watching just behind Kiibo’s eyes sent you into panic.

“You shouldn’t say such mean things to him…” You lightly scolded Kokichi. Kiibo smiled at you and stepped forward, clearly thinking he had won you over. Kokichi flattened his lips, his grip on you loosening only slightly. You looked down at him and sighed softly. “Sorry, Kiibo…” 

Kokichi grinned smuggly at Kiibo, his hold on you became firmer.

“It was really nice meeting you. I’m…happy you took the time to look for me. I’ll do my best to keep an eye on him for you.” You carefully chose words that would let him down gently, giving as warm of a smile as you could muster. You hoped he didn’t think that you wanted to go along with Kokichi rather than him because he was a robot. Kiibo as a concept was actually really cool to you. If only he wasn’t a walking nightmare of yours. The feeling of being watched was starting to get to you.

Despite your worrying, Kiibo seemed to take it well and smiled politely at you. “Well, it was nothing really. I just wanted to help.” He then eyed Kokichi warily. “I hope he does not cause any unnecessary trouble for you.”

“Nope! I’m gonna be on my best behavior!” Kokichi grinned, dragging you out the door. “Buh-Byeeeeee!” You can only call out your goodbye to Kiibo as you’re dragged down the hall by Kokichi.

You’re relieved to be away from Kiibo’s watchful eyes, but now that you’re alone with him, you’re unsure of how to approach a conversation with Kokichi. You watched him as he walked ahead of you, pulling your arm lazily now. His smile has dropped, and there’s an unreadable expression on his features now. You can’t tell what’s going on in that mind of his.

You chose to remain silent. Kokichi was a character you actually really enjoyed. However, now that he was right in front of you pulling your arm; you felt lost. He was an incredibly perceptive and intelligent character. You wouldn’t be surprised if he was already starting to dissect every person he’s met so far. Including you. That meant you had to tread carefully around him.

As Kokichi tugged you along you noticed that he didn’t go through the gate and instead took the longer path that wrapped around the entrance hall. He abruptly stopped in the dark corner of the hallway where the two of you were hidden from anyone lingering inside the entrance hall. You bumped into him clumsily, and just as you were about to apologize, you were frozen.

Kokichi stared up at you with keen eyes, and for a moment, you think this is somehow worse than having Kiibo’s eyes on you.

“So, Dr. Scientist, you noticed something back there, didn’t you?”