Chapter 1
(???)
My mind felt like a blur. My eyes felt glued shut, but I knew I was awake now. I could hear my own breath. I let out a sound to awaken myself fully. My eyes slowly opened and my vision cleared. I was in a dark bedroom. Huh? I sat upright and turned, feeling my fingers gripping the sheets. I released them and tried to comprehend what just happened. But my mind was blank. That’s when I glanced up and noticed a security camera aimed at my face. I let out a little gasp. Was someone watching me? I slowly backed away until my back hit something hard. A dresser with a mirror. What is this place? I checked myself out in the mirror to see if anything happened to my face, but nothing. Same black hair with dark blue streaks. Same piercing on the ears and snakebite. Same necklaces. Same electric guitar strapped around my shoulder. My eyebrows creased. Then what am I doing here? Did I somehow pass out on the streets and someone carried me to a hotel? That seemed like the only logical explanation I could come up with. Maybe this situation would be easier to understand if I find someone.100Please respect copyright.PENANA4jVnC2D0pg
I turned the doorknob to open the door and left the room. The door had my name written on it : Rai Mitsurugi.What the? The hallways were quite dark. I don’t think this is a hotel. The format kind of looked like a school. But this wasn’t my school. This place looked old and I started to get the shivers. I better find someone quick.100Please respect copyright.PENANAbCfX52Wkjs
There were two classrooms, a nurse’s office, a gym, a grocery store, a detention room and the main hall. I didn’t know where to look first so I stood hesitantly for a while in front of the classroom door labelled: Classroom A. I finally stepped in the classroom. There were two girls there, searching the area. One had a high ponytail and formal clothes with a mic, and the second girl wore a white shirt with a gray long cardigan. Her long light brown hair seemed to cover her right eye. I should introduce myself to them. It would be weird if I started exploring without their awareness. I walked over to the girl dressed in formal clothing. “Hello. My name is Rai Mitsurugi. I’m the Ultimate Guitarist.”
She looked up at me. “I see. So there are more people than just two.”
“Huh?”
“My name is Tsuki Miya. That’s all you need to know.”
I stood there in confusion. No talent? “What about your talent? I asked instead.
She gave a threatening stare. I guess that was a sign to not ask more.
I turned to the other girl. She turned away, playing with her hair. “Rai Mitusurugi…I hope I said that right.” Although she mumbled it, I could understand what she said. “That’s right. But you could just call me Rai. What’s your name?”
“Ayame…Izumi…” She mumbled, cheeks red as she was looking at the ground. “I’m the Ultimate Author.”
“That’s cool!” I told her.
“Th..Thanks.”
“Do any of you know what this place is?” I asked them.
Tsuki shook her head. “No. I happened to wake up in a room that had my name written down and I saw the other doors that had names on them as well. However, I did not see the others yet. I’ll have to keep looking.”
“Same.” Ayame agreed.
“You too?” I asked. “This is too perfect for it to be a coincidence. We’ll have to keep looking.”
“Well, we should start with this classroom,” Ayame suggested. “It…looks old.”
I definitely agree. I thought before searching around. There were about fifteen desks with scratches. There was a bookshelf with only three books. I decided to open one of them but there were only three pages which appeared to be blank. I sighed and placed it back.
Tsuki headed to a door at the back of the room. I followed her. She opened the door and I peeked inside. There was quite a large room with shelves and spare chairs that some of them were knocked over.
“This seems to be a storage room,” Tsuki started. “But there’s not much. I think we should check the other rooms.”
“I think so too.” I agreed before leaving the classroom. There was another classroom nearby. It was labelled: Classroom B. I walked in. There were two other people there. A very tall guy with a skeleton mask and clothing with a small hat including a feather and a sweater with black jeans. He even happened to wear black shoes with skull charms on them. The other person was a girl with wavy brown hair with a tied headband and a light pink dress over her black clothes.
The classroom looked identical to Classroom A. And there also happened to be a storage room at the back. However, it was smaller. I decided to introduce myself to both of them.
“So we finally meet,” The guy said. “I finally found another student other than Ms. Hanae.”
“I see,” I said. “I’m glad I found someone different too. So what’s your name?”
“Hisoki Kuragari.” He replied.
The girl who I assumed to be Ms. Hanae waved. “I’m Aika Hanae. The Ultimate Songwriter.”
“Ms. Hanae is a songwriter,” Hisoki said. “She sounds very talented so I’m giving her my respect.”
She gave a nervous laugh. “I do too, but…what’s with the scary mask?”
His eyes widened in surprise. “Did I not tell you my talent?”
“I think you were going to say it but we unintentionally switched subjects.” Aika replied.
Hisoki suddenly looked pleased. “Would you like to guess my talent? Just kidding. I do not wish to be roasted. I am the Ultimate Anatomist.”
“Anatomist?” I asked him.
“Correct. I am fond of studying the human body.” He said.
“That’s so interesting!” Aika exclaimed. “I might need some lessons sometimes.”
He nodded. “I am looking forward to it.”
I decided to ask them if they knew how they got here. None of them knew. They said the same thing as Tsuki and Ayame did. Waking up in a place like this? For what?
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The next place I decided to check out was the nurse’s office. I saw two people there as well. One was a girl with shoulder length hair and a ribbon on her head with glasses. The other person was a guy with bandages on his head, his neck, and his right arm with an eyepatch.
“Keisuke! You could work here!” The girl exclaimed. “If you have a hard time understanding the technology. Leave it to me, I have some experience.”
“Thank you but…I’m not sure if there’s anyone else here. But I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
She smiled.
I walked over to them. “Hello-”
“Ahh!” The bandaged guy who I assumed to be Keisuki cried. “Sorry, I was startled. I didn’t notice you were here. But it’s amazing how we’re not the only ones here. I was getting worried.”
“Same,” I agreed. “But I found four other people so far, you guys should greet them. But I should first introduce myself. I am Rai Mitsurugi. The Ultimate Guitarist.”
“I’m Yui Emi,” The girl said cheerfully. “I am the Ultimate Media Analyst. Nice to meet you.”
“And I’m Keisuke Yuko,” The bandaged guy said. “I’m the Ultimate Surgeon. Nice meeting you as well.”
“Let me guess, you don’t know how you got here either?” I asked them.
Keisuke shook his head. “I just woke up in a room and decided to explore to understand how I got here. I’m so sorry, I’m so useless!”
“No you’re not,” Yui said. “We found so many things here, right?”
So many? I thought. I guess I should take a look around. The shelves were filled with medicine and a bed with tubes and stuff like that to check your heart rate. There was a shelf full of medical supplies such as bandages, hand sanitizer, gloves, and other stuff. There was a storage room for unprocessed medicine. The nurse's office didn’t look as old as the classrooms. Maybe it was recently added. I told them it was nice meeting them and I should go check out other rooms. I waved and left.
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The dining hall was next. Next thing I knew, I was starting to get hungry. I opened the door and spotted two girls in there. One with silver hair, amber coloured eyes and a scarf, while the other girl had half of her face covered with a mask and half of her suit was checker printed. The mask was a black with an X as an eye and a smile with a white outline. I was a bit intimidated but brushed it off and introduced myself.
“My name is Mio Ogawa,” The silver haired girl said. “The Ultimate Textile Worker.”
“Hello Miu-”
“Mio,” She corrected. “Do you have corks in your ears or something? Maybe you should shove one up your throat and die.”
I flinched. This girl’s attitude.
“Well, I am Sachiko Kishi,” The masked girl said. “I am the Ultimate Trickster.”
“Trickster?” I asked.
“Illusions are my thing. But my mask happens to reveal my emotions by changing color.”
Yeah, I thought. Her mouth is constantly smiling and not opening at all.
“Is that so?” I asked.
“Who gives a damn about your clown mask?” Mio asked. “Your occupation is an embarrassment compared to my talent.”
“What do textile workers do?” I asked her.
“Make yarn or thread and make clothes out of it,” Mio replied. “Where else would you think this scarf came from? No one else could compare to me. Hahaha!”
I gave a nervous laugh and asked them the same question. Just as I thought. They didn’t know. I searched the dining hall a bit. There were old-ish looking cabinets and black tables and chairs. Seriously, where are we? I left the dining hall without saying another word. I didn’t want Mio to snap at me more.
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There was a grocery store across the hall. When I stepped in, there were three people exploring it. A girl with a snapback, a small sweater with a shirt inside, shorts with one sleeve under. The second person was a guy wearing a lot of blue. He wore a sailor’s uniform and had anchor earrings. Then there was another guy with a camera and several plushies in his backpack. They were quite far away from each other so I headed to the nearest person first. The girl with the unique clothing.
“Hello there-” Before I could even introduce myself, she turned to me with wide eyes. “There’s a hottie here!” She gasped then gave an awkward laugh. “Pretend you didn’t hear anything.”
“That just implies that you actually said that-”
“Anyway!” She exclaimed, cutting me off. “I’m Mai Sekke. You believe you have the skills of a hiphop dancer? You sure will after taking some lessons from me!”
“So you’re a hiphop dancer?” I asked her.
She winked. “Yep! That’s me! And you are…”
“Rai Mitsurugi,” I replied. “Ultimate Guitarist.”
She laughed. “What an epic combo! We should totally do it together sometime!”
“Yeah. Sounds fun.”
“It’s a date then,” She said before laughing. “Teasing, teasing!”
“You seem very excited,” I told her. “Do you happen to know how you got here?”
“Huh?” She asked, suddenly looking awkward. Then she admitted, “No. I have no idea. I was worried at first, but then I smelled food…and now I’m hungry, haha!”
“The smell of food distracted you?” I asked.
She started looking smug. “It’s a talent.”
No, it’s not, I thought. I might as well have a search around. She was in the food aisle. However, this one had shelves full of gummies and candies.
She inhaled deeply. “This sugary scent is so intriguing. I want to eat them all!” Then she gasped with wide eyes. “But then I would explode!”
I decided to leave her with her own imagination and check the other aisles. There were items in the other aisles. Stationary tools, ropes, and other supplies.
That’s when I found the guy with the blue hair in a sailor uniform. I introduced myself to him.
“It’s so relieving to witness another face,” he says cheerfully. His voice contained an Australian accent. “Glad to meet you, mate! I’m Mizuto Narumi. Ultimate Sailor at your service!”
“Awesome,” I said. “Do you know how we got here?”
He shook his head. “I woke up in a bedroom and was looking for an escape. I happened to find the main doors but they didn’t budge. So I came here to look for a weapon.”
The doors didn’t open? I thought. Before I could say anything, the guy with the camera stopped by and snapped some photos. “Ah! I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Akatsuki Fujiwara. Ultimate Cinematographer.”
“Rai Mitsurugi,” I replied. “Ultimate Guitarist.”
“So you make movies?” Mizuto asked him. “Wait a minute, you’re the same guy who handed me a plushie about ten minutes ago.”
“Plushies?” I asked.
He took one out of his bag and threw it at me. It was a pink chibi creature with a flower on its head. “Plushies for everyone!”
“Who’s this?” I asked, holding it.
“It’s a character from one of my films!” He exclaimed before running off.
I saw Mai walk by. “Some guy handed me a plushie-” Then she looked at us with plushies in our hands. “Oh wow! You know what this calls for? A plushie party!”
“Maybe after we leave.” Mizuto said.
I left the grocery store and found the gymnasium doors. When I opened them, I found a tan girl with black braids and goggles on her head. She also happened to have a parachute tied to her back.
“Hello,” I greeted with a wave. “I’m Rai Mitsurugi. The Ultimate Guitarist. Nice to meet you.”
She ran her eyes all over me. “You went crazy with your hair. I love it! Keiko Hirayama. Ultimate Skydiver!”
“Skydiver?” I asked.
“Life is risky, you know?” She asked, crossing her arms. “But that’s what’s so fun about it. Skydiving is all about risk. Every time it gets so exciting!”
“Amazing.” I said, in surprise.
“I woke up in a dorm and decided to explore this place. I have to be aware of where I am first.”
I nodded in agreement. The gym was large but again it looked quite old and a bit dusty. The storage contained gym equipment like sports balls, nets, hula hoops, and such. But they looked as though they were losing color. I cringed. “What an old gym.”
“I know,” She agreed. “This whole place looks old. How the heck did I end up here? And there doesn’t seem to be an exit anywhere.”
“Mizuto mentioned an exit,” I said. “But he said it doesn’t open.”
She nodded. “Mizuto…Mizuto…Dammit, I forgot who that was, I met too many students and I forgot their names. Is Mizuto the one with a skeleton mask?”
“No,” I told her. “That’s Hisoki. Mizuto is a sailor.”
She facepalmed. “Ahh! I was so off!”
“It’s fine,” I told her, trying to calm her down. “It seems that you got this place covered so I’ll look elsewhere.”
“Leave it to me!” She exclaimed before I left.
I was looking for where the doors might be but all I saw was security cameras in the top part of the walls. I tried to ignore it and kept searching. However, something caught my eye. It was a skinny dark and nearly broken door. It was labelled: Detention Room. I opened it and saw a short guy with a half shaved head and wore a thin sweater that showed his left shoulder.
He giggled. “This is definitely creepy. Is this really a detention room?”
I glanced around. Chains were on the floor at the back. There were also hooks on the floor, which was strange, but there were probably there for chains that used to be there. A table at the front. It was pretty spacious. And quite empty for a detention room. Not to mention the dim lights. There was even a panel button, but I didn’t bother touching it. Who knows what will happen. I introduced myself to the guy standing there.
He nodded. “Rai, huh? I’m Kenta Matsumura. Despite my instincts, I hope we can get along.”
“Instincts?” I asked.
“Well, if you’re an Ultimate Schemer, you’re looking for troubling ways to have fun, y’know?”
“So you’re a schemer.” I said.
He let out a mischievous laugh. “I am the schemer.”
“So that’s why you’re in this detention room.”
“Aw, am I being a bad boy right now?” He asked. “Hehe, I just happened to stop by and check this place out. Especially since it looks abandoned.”
“So you don’t know how you got here either, huh?”
He shook his head. “But I gotta admit, it’s pretty cool here.”
I’m not so sure about that. Without saying more, I left the detention room and decided to find the main hall. I assumed the doors would be there.
There were two people there. A guy with a long ponytail, sharp eyes and ice skates, and a black haired guy with a cap and a science lab coat.
I greeted them.
“Getsumei Ayanokouji,” The guy with ice skates said. “Ultimate Figure Skater. It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
“And I’m Daiki Ishizaki,” The lab coat guys chimed in. “The Ultimate Scientist!”
“Nice to meet you both,” I said, before looking at what was behind them from afar. “It seems there’s two large doors there.”
Getsumei nodded. “It seems Mizuto was right about the doors. Unfortunately, they do not open.”
“Maybe someone locked them?” Daiki asked.
“Or perhaps messed with it.” Getsumei added.
“Mizuto did say he was looking for a way to break open the door.” I mentioned.
“I doubt that would do it.” Getsumei said.
“What makes you say that?” Daiki asked.
Getsumei crossed his arms. “Because if the doors would easily break down by a weapon of some sort, then there would be no point in kidnapping us here.”
“You have a point I guess,” I agreed. “I really don’t know what this place is. It seems abandoned.”
“Indeed.” Getsumei agreed.
The main hall didn’t have much. It was an empty spot with two large doors that didn’t open. Seriously, it’s like I’m dreaming or something. I was hoping for someone to pinch me awake, but it felt too real for it to be a dream.
“If someone kidnapped us, then there should be some instructor or something.” Daiki said.
Before I could reply, an announcement played. “Hello students! Please make your way to the main hall for further instructions.”
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After some time passed everyone else made it to the main hall. Some looked awkward.
Mai was playing with her fingers. “Um…why were we called here?”
“Because I have something I would like to announce!” A high pitched voice replied.
A half black, half white bear with an intimidating red eye appeared.
“Ah-!” I screamed. “Who are you?!”
“I am Monokuma, your headmaster.” He said.
“Headmaster?” Yui asked.
“A bear is our headmaster?” Mai asked. “How does that work? And how can you talk?”
“It’s probably some mechanism,” Tsuki replied. “We might as well listen to his explanation.”
Monokuma sighed. “That’s so sweet of you. Anyway, I am here to announce that this place is abandoned. Well, that’s obvious. But unfortunately you cannot leave.”
Mizuto raised his eyebrows. “Huh? Why not?”
“I intentionally forced the doors to keep you in here. You will stay in this school for the rest of your lives.”
Mai gasped. “We have to live here?!”
“Isn’t that difficult for the food?” Yui asked. "I mean, we might run out."
“I restock the food everyday.” Monokuma said.
“Why do we have to live here?” Keisuke asked.
“Because of despair!” Monokuma exclaimed.
“Despair?” Tsuki asked.
“The only way to escape is to kill someone and get away with it.”
“Kill?!” Yui cried.
Mai gasped. “Tell me you’re joking.”
Monokuma shook his head. “I am serious. That’s why I wanted to give you these.”
He passed out E-handbooks.
“This contains the rules of the killing game. If you break any of them you will be executed. Don’t test me.” The last words were harsh.
“So the only way to escape is to leave?” Getsumei asked. “What do you mean by ‘get away with it’?”
“I’m glad you asked. Once you commit a murder and three people discover it. A body discovery announcement will be made and then a class trial will be held.”
“A class trial for what?” Keiko asked.
“For the culprit. You guys will argue on who the culprit is and once you reach a conclusion, a voting will occur. If you vote for the right person only they will get executed, but if you vote wrong, everyone will get executed except for the killer who gets to escape. After a trial, after the culprit gets killed, a new floor will open up.”
“What the?!” Akatsuki cried.
Kenta nodded. “Mhm. I see. So this is really a killing game.”
“Don’t believe him so easily.” Aika said.
“There are additional rules though,” Monokuma added. “You can kill only two people max. And accomplices don’t get to escape.”
“Accomplice as in?” Keiko asked.
“Someone who helped you with the murder.” Monokuma answered.
“Hey!” Mio yelled, pointing her finger. “Don’t play dumb with me you shit show! I’m not playing your sick game!”
“Well, it’s not like I’m forcing you to kill someone,” Monokuma started. “I’m okay if you live here forever though. Well, that’s it from me! Enjoy your stay!” he laughed and disappeared.
Mai gasped. “Where did he go?”
Getsumei shrugged, looking disappointed.
Keisuke started tearing up. “What are we supposed to do?”
“Indeed. This place does look unsettling.” Sachiko agreed.
“I think for now, we have to read the rules and see what we can do after.” I answered.
“Read the rules?” Mizuto asked. “You’re really accepting the killing game?”
“Of course not,” I told him. “But it’s better to read anyway in case hidden information is found.”
“Well, at least we know what the security cameras are for.” Aika said.
Getsumei sighed. “It’s best if we discuss this any further later. “All that investigation and Monokuma’s instructions led up to night time.”
“‘Night time’?” Mio asked. “What are you, twelve?”
“He’s right though,” Keiko agreed. “I’m worn out.”
“Yeah. and who knows maybe this was all a dream!” Mai said. “So I’ll say goodbye in advance. Goodbye everyone! You guys were so nice and the candies were delicious.” She skipped out of the dining hall. Eventually, the rest of us followed.
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I was pretty worn out myself. I lost consciousness before hitting the bed.
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