Danganronpa: Despair Hidden Behind the Curtain/ Prologue

## Prologue: The Mysterious Ship. (Told in Multiple POV's)

A boy was lying on a bed. He slowly opened my eyes to the inside of a cabin. “Ow...my head.” he said,

This is Matsu Ozu, the protagonist of this tale.

He stood, stretching. “Whoa, where am i?” He said, smelling salt. “Wait, are we at sea?!” He opened the cabin door and walked out.

Nearby, there was a slight rattling on a doorknob. “Hello?!” called a girl’s voice. “I-is anyone out there?!”

“Who’s there?!” Matsu called, a pistol in hand.

“J-just get me out of here!” she yelled back, from inside what appeared to be a janitor’s closet, “I r-really don’t like tight spaces!”

He walked over and yanked the door open. A Lolita girl fell out, a mop landing on her head. “Ewhaaaah!”

“Owww….” she said, sitting up and brushing her unnaturally pink hair out of her face. She looked up at Matsu and her green eyes widened a bit, standing up quickly to hold down her light pink dress.

“Ok, let me just….” Mastu started, putting the pistol away and removing the mop. “Get that.”

“...thank you…” she said, blushing a little as she looked away from him. “...My name’s Hinata Suzuki…” Hinata Suzuki, the Ultimate Sweet Lolita: 5’3”, blood type B-positive. She was awarded for her fashions, and often was photographed in tons of magazines. Because she often wears wigs, her true hair color was never known. That must be why her hair was so unnaturally colored right now.

“Hi.” Mastu said , smiling. “My name is Matsu Ozu.” Matsu Ozu, the Ultimate Marksman. 4’ 9” . Blood type O-negative. A master of using a majority of guns and missile weaponry.

“So… let me guess…. You also woke up in an odd place?” Hinata asked, tilting her head to the right.

“Yeah….but I don't know where exactly we are…..” Matsu said, as we heard people from above.

“...well, let’s see who that is, shall we?” Hinata asked, walking off in a random direction.

Matsu followed, hand on his gun. “......why is the air…..so salty?” He asked.

“...it smells like the ocean…” Hinata said after a few minutes. “And while I was in that closet, it seemed like the ground was slightly moving. It isn’t so bad out here.”

They kept walking until they happened across some stairs. “Well…..Ladies first.” Matsu said, letting Hinata go first.

Hinata nodded, heading up the stairs. “At least if we hear people, we know we aren’t alone, right?” she asked. “Just follow the sound…”

Matsu nodded as they kept walking. Soon, they reached the main deck. “Whoa, there are more?” Said one who obviously was nerdy.

“Now please just calm down.” Said a more relaxed one.

“We really should, but...can you even relax in this situation?” asked a set of twin girls.

“Whoa… that’s weird.” said a girl in an aviator jacket.

They blinked, as the people came into focus. “Whoa, there are way more people.” Matsu said, as they walked onto the deck.

Hinata looked around, counting them. “...Seventeen. There’s seventeen of us.” she said.

“And why is that important..?” asked a girl, holding onto a sketchbook.

One of the guys looked at all of us. He was in an elaborate warlord outfit. “Uh no. Not this shit again!” He said, sinking to the ground.

“What? What do you mean?!” a - boy? No, girl? - person asked.

“It doesn't matter right now.” The warlord said.

“Fuck yeah it does!” Said another guy, pushing forward. “You can't just not tell us.”

“Something tells me that whatever it is, it isn’t good.” a girl in occult-looking clothes said, “The spirits have already confirmed it.”

“Enough about your spirits! Geez!” a girl in pop-star clothing yelled.

“Everyone, calm down!” Hinata yelled. “Now, how about a bit of an explanation, mister...?” She looked at the warlord, holding her hand out for him to take.

He looked at it and took it. “Thanks.” He said, dusting off his outfit. “let's start with introductions. As what I have to say will make sense after. I'll start.” He rose to his full height. “My name is Kosuke Ogami.” Kosuke Ogami 5’7” Blood Type A-Plus. The Ultimate Strategist. A well-known person, he helped countries everywhere with his analytic and intelligent mind.

“Well, Kosuke, I’m Hinata Suzuki,” Hinata said, smiling.

Next was a man who was dress very nice. “My name is Yuri Hamachi.” 5’10” Blood Type O-Positive. A flamboyant man, he skated in the international Olympics and won gold 3 years in a row.

The girl in the aviator jacket was next. “Yo, I’m Sora Watanabe!” 4’2”, blood type AB-negative, the Ultimate Pilot. She was a bit of a tomboy-type, and was often in aviator shows.

A young boy stepped forward, wearing a Pokemon trainer outfit. “Raku Ogyu, the best of the best!” Oh boy. Raku Ogyu 4’1” blood type B-Positive. The ultimate Trading Card Game Player. Unlike most who play actual cards, he played a wide range of trading card games and won at major tournaments.

The girl in a pop-star outfit rolled her eyes and said, “As if. I’m Yuna Saito.” Yuna Saito, the Ultimate Singer. 5’0”, with blood type O-negative. While she has a bit of a reputation of thinking too highly of herself, her songs are always pretty interesting. Several have even been featured in video games.

The boy/girl walked forward and spoke. “What up, Hun. My name is Naoko Fuwa.” Ok, definitely female. 5’1” Blood Type AB-Negative. Naoko was known as the Queen of Juri. She

was treated like a queen, pampered and always getting what she wanted.

“Haruka Uchida, doll,” another voice said, as a tall boy took Hinata’s hand and kissed it, smirking at her reaction, which was a bit of a swoon. 5’11”, blood type B-positive, the Ultimate Race Car Driver, Haruka was known for his speed, and his impressions on the ladies around him.

“C'mon, Yoshi.” Yuri said, looking at a boy hiding behind Yuna. He slowly walked out. He was young but had an evil air around him.

“I'm Yoshifumi Yoshizawa….” The boy said. 4’9” Blood Type O-Positive. Um…..what was his talent?!

“Kikyo Arai,” one of the twins said, a girl with black hair tied into a low ponytail in a shrine-maiden outfit.

“And I’m Kagome Arai,” the other twin said. She was in a school uniform, but what was interesting about her was the bow and quiver of arrows she had.

Kikyo and Kagome Arai: both 5’6” with blood type A-positive. Kikyo was the Ultimate Priestess, known for protecting and taking care of her family shrine, while Kagome was the Ultimate Archer, easily beating every opponent she faced, even helping on hunting trips.

A man wearing a black magic outfit walked forward before he vanished, appearing behind Matsu. “Hello.” He said, as Matsu jumped back, pulling his gun on the man.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the girl in the occult outfit said.

Matsu turned. “He jumped me!” He complained, putting the gun away.

The man was completely unfazed. “My name is Matashichi Bunya.” He said as a spotlight shined on him. 6’5” Blood Type A-Plus.The Ultimate Magician well-known showman who's magic is considered to be real. Almost too real.

The occult girl smiled, walking over to him. “I’m Miyu Sakurai.” she said. 5’1”, blood type B-negative, the Ultimate Medium. She’s said to talk to ghosts. She even went to the Aokigahara forest, and felt more ghosts than ever in there.

Next was a person who looked 30. “Names Benjiro Takemura.” He said. 5’4” blood type B-Positive. Um…...does he even have a talent?

The last girl shyly stepped forward. “U-um… I’m Reina Miyazaki,” she said, brushing her brown hair out of her face. 5’4”, blood type AB-positive. The Ultimate Animator. She draws for so many animes and movies, and has been awarded best animator of the year four times in a row.

The last male walked forward, arms wide. “Ryuichi Zabimaru. It's a pleasure to meet you all.” 4’6” blood type A-negative. The Ultimate Divine. His spiritual journey to the heart of modern religion and the way he spoke the words, he sounded like a divine being.

“And…” Hinata said, looking over at Matsu, smiling.

Matsu sighed. “Matsu Ozu, Ultimate Marksman.” He said, making a faint smile.

“Interesting,” Kagome said, “I’ll have to challenge you sometime.”

“Anyway.” Kosuke said. “If I am right, we should be careful.”

“And why is that?” Hinata asked. “Everything seems pretty peaceful… minus waking up in a strange place…”

“Except for if this is a killing game.” Kosuke said.

“A what?!” Kikyo asked.

“Knew something was disturbing the spirits here…” Miyu said.

Matsu backed up. Everyone was looking at each other like enemies.

“Now hang on.” Yoshi said. “Let's just find out more of this ship. As it looked like we have a lot to see.”

“That might be the best course of action,” Sora said, “I say we divide and conquer! ...That is something you say, right?” She looked at Kosuke.

“Yes, but you stole the thunder….” He said, sadly.

“Haha, yes!” Sora said, giggling a little.

“So what are you waiting for?” Naoko replied, sitting in a chair. “Go on, and bring me the info…..and maybe a soda…..”

“What are we, your servants?” Haruka asked, rolling his eyes, before looking at Hinata. “So, cutie, want to go with me?”

Hinata blushed a bit, but hid behind Matsu, crouching down slightly since she was a bit taller.

“Why don't we explore on our own?” Matsu said. “With all of us, we can cover the entire ship.”

“True,” Kikyo said.

“It is probably best to do that.” Kagome agreed.

They all divided up. “Ok. Let's explore the hall we came from.” Matsu said, looking at Hinata behind him.

She nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this!” she said, smiling a bit. “To the staircase!”

He laughed as they walked. They started at the supply closet. “Ok. Let's start with the rooms.” Matsu ordered.

### Matsu’s POV.

“Well… what room were you in, anyway?” Hinata asked, looking up at me. “Where I was was locked from the inside…”

“This way.” I said, taking her to the room. I opened the door and entered. It was a standard cruise cabin but was filled with targets and guns…..lots of guns.

“W-whoa…” Hinata said, walking in. She picked up one of the guns. It was pretty unnatural to see a doll-like girl holding a gun. “T-this looks...bad… like… why would you really need this many…?”

“You tell me.” I said. “Most of the guns I use are locked in a shed. I normally only carry this.” I pulled out my pistol.

“...and it seems like these cabins are meant for us…” she said, brushing aside her hair as she looked around. “Like… this would be your cabin.”

“Yeah.” I said, taking the gun she held and inspecting it. “Good. They are just airsoft replicas.” I put it up. “Let's find yours.”

She nodded, walking out of the room. “Oh, so they have our pictures and names next to the door!” she said, looking at something on the wall. “Somehow, I didn’t notice that before…”

“Yeah.” I said, before seeing a letter on the door. “S?”

“Huh?” she asked.

I touched the letter. The material used was sticky. I smelled it. “Uh oh. It's written in blood.”

Hinata visibly got paler, stepping away from the door. “L-let’s just g-get away from it…” she whispered.

I looked at the next door as well as the surrounding doors. “Hina…...I don't think we can…..” I said, scared. All of them had bloody letters on them.

“...t-then we’ll find my door… and if I end up getting sick… we go somewhere else.” she whispered, before walking down the hallway.

I followed, making a note of each letter and word. We soon found hers, a “M” on the door. “Um….well, let's see.”

She nodded, opening the door. We were greeted with room full of frilled dresses, lacy headpieces, wigs on wig-heads, and stuffed animals. “...aww, it’s cute…” she said, walking in.

It was pretty freaking cute. To the point I jumped into the pile of pillows in a small pit.

“Whoa! I didn’t think you’d be into the cute things.” Hinata said, laughing a little.

I jumped out. “Are you kidding? I love cute things!” I said, falling back onto the pillows.

She giggled, covering her mouth. “Obviously, I do too.” She said through her giggles, “So I think we’ll be good friends.”

“Obviously.” I said, smiling as I got out. “We should hurry back. As I think what we saw wasn't the only message.”

She nodded, motioning for me to go out first. “Did it make a word or anything?” she asked.

I nodded. “A question. ‘Who is the mastermind?’”

“Huh… and what is that supposed to mean…?” she asked, before shaking her head. “Guess we’ll have to figure that out…”

“Yeah, but let's head back.” I said, smiling.

Hinata nodded a bit, as she started heading back.

I followed, keeping an eye out for any other messages. When we arrived, only Kagome, Kikyo, Yoshi, Naoko, and Kosuke were there.

“So, did you find anything?” Kagome asked.

“Yeah, a message. 'who is the mastermind?’” I said.

“Did any of you leave and look around?” Hinata asked.

“Yeah. I went to see where the control room was. Wouldn't open. Had the phrase 'the one with twin names.’”

“Not us.” Kagome and Kikyo immediately said.

“We went to look for any sort of boiler room, just to see.” Kagome said.

“We couldn’t open the elevator down to the room.” Kikyo finished.

“...hm… ‘the one with twin names’...” Hinata said, pacing around a bit. She stopped, looking at Yoshi. “...you?”

“What?” He said, backing up in surprise. “How can it be me?!”

“‘Twin names.’” Hinata said, before looking at me. “I’m...not wrong, am I?”

He backed against the railing. And slowly nodded. “I am the Ultimate Mastermind. But of this, hell no!”

Kikyo and Kagome looked at each other. “Should we believe you?” they asked, looking at him.

“Please, I am not the one behind this!” He said.

“Kagome, Kikyo!” I said, standing in front of Yoshi. “You see how frightened he is?! We all don't know if this is even a killing game! So calm the fuck down!”

“He's right. I honestly thought it would be….but it honestly just seems like a cruise with something to surprise us.” Kosuke said.

“Then,” Hinata said, “I’m going to go see if there’s a pool or something. Anything to cool off and figure out why we’re here.”

“Why not?” I said. “Anything to enjoy this.”

Yoshi looked at us. “M-mind if I join?” He asked.

“Sure!” Hinata said, smiling. “The more the merrier, I always say!”

We all nodded. But Naoko was still sitting as we ran to get changed.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on my door. “Matsu?” Hinata called.

“Yeah?” I said, putting on my swimming trunks.

“Just wondered if you wanted to...u-um… w-walk over to the pool together…” she said.

“Sure. Just let me find a towel.” I said, finding one in the closet. I opened the door to see Hina…... with different hair color and style. “I hope that is dry.”

“Huh?” she asked, before looking at her own hair. It was a dark brown color, almost mid-back length. “Oh! This? No, silly, it’s my real hair…” She blushed a bit, messing with the skirt on her swimsuit. “...I hope this isn’t too weird for everyone to see…”

“Well, it's not that bad looking on you.” I said as we walked out.

“It isn’t?” she asked, looking at me. “Most people just say I look better in the wigs…”

“They must not like natural beauty.” I said, walking onto the deck.

Hinata stopped as I said that, blushing a bit. “Hey, guys!” Kagome said, waving at us.

We walked over. It seemed like everyone was in a swimsuit. Except for Naoko, who was still in her clothes.

“I don’t get why you didn’t change, Nao-chan,” Kikyo said, looking at her. “Even if you are a ‘queen’ of sorts, why can’t you have any sort of fun?”

“And Kikyo’s a priestess, and yet, here she is.” Kagome said, smiling.

“Yeah. But I must maintain an image.” Naoko said before Kosuke picked her up and walked to the pool. “What are you doing? Unhand me!”

“Ok!” he said, dropping her into the pool.

She surfaced, her makeup running and her wig floating in the water…….wait, wig?!

“Oh!” Hinata said, diving in to grab the wig, swimming over to Naoko soon after. “You know water isn’t good for wigs…” she said, before blinking and looking closer at Naoko.

Naoko swam to the edge and jumped out. Everyone was shocked when she turned.

“Oh my God….” Kosuke said.

“She's a……” Raku started.

“Man?!” Kikyo and Kagome exclaimed.

“...drag queen…” Hinata said, eyes widening, but she was smiling.

Naoko was trying to hide his body. “Don't look at me…..I'm hideous!” He screamed.

“Naoko…” Hinata said, swimming over to the edge of the pool. “That isn’t true…”

“You have no idea how I feel!” He yelled. “How would you feel if you family forced you to become a fucking girl?!”

“How would you feel if everyone told you you weren’t pretty enough?!” Hinata yelled back. “How you have to...to...ugh!” she turned away from him.

Naoko froze. And quickly ran to his room.

“Naoko!” I yelled.

“...I’ll go…” Hinata said, beginning to climb out of the pool. “...I think he and I have more in common than we think.”

“Ok. I'll be here.” I said. “He probably isn't used to being around equals.”

“Probably.” she said, shrugging a little. “I’ll be back.” She ran off in the direction we came from, Naoko’s wig in hand.

I turned to the others. “Well don't just stand there.” I said, cannonballing into the pool.

### Hinata’s POV

I found Naoko’s room and softly knocked. “...Naoko…?” I called. “...please answer the door…”

The door cracked open. “Hina?” He said, opening it more. He was beautiful without all he did to make himself a female.

I smiled a bit, before holding out the wig to him. “You...kinda left this…” I said, before looking down. “I’m sorry if I made you mad, I just…”

“No. It was my fault.” He said, taking the wig. “I have always been forced to be a woman…..but maybe finally being a man might help me.” He smiled. “You head on back. I have something to try on.”

I nodded. “Alright. And...if you ever want to talk over everything.. My door is always open. I...haven’t been that truthful to everyone so far, either.” I said, before turning to head back to the pool.

“Hey, welcome back.” Yuri said, moving his sunglasses.

“Hi, Yuri.” I said, smiling as I sat on the edge of the pool, dangling my legs in the water.

“So...what were you saying before you ran off to find Naoko?” asked Kagome. I looked away.

“Eh, it doesn't matter right now.” Matsu said, smiling as his arms rested on the edge of the pool.

“But we’re curious…” Kikyo said. “Aren’t you guys?” She looked over at everyone else.

“The spirits say it is dark,” Miyu said from where she was sitting in the shade.

I mentally groaned. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything…” I thought.

That is when I felt the wind as someone ran past me and jumped in. “YAHOO!” the voice yelled before a loud splash.

“Whoa!” some of the girls exclaimed.

The person surfaced. “N-naoko?!” Matsu said.

“What up?!” Naoko said smiling.

“Um, lots of things?” I said, laughing a bit.

He laughed. “Well, I came to join the party! Woohoo!” He yelled. His energy was infectious.

I laughed, standing up and diving in, joining in the fun. Hey, at least the focus was on having fun and not what I was going to say. Especially since I didn’t really want everyone to know the real me.

### Matsu’s POV

After a little bit of swimming and splashing around, we climbed out to take a bit of a break. “...so, Hinata…” Haruka said, as he also joined us, but refused to get in the water, despite how many girls kept saying how ‘cool’ it would make him look. “What’s this whole thing about a secret?”

Hinata looked up, shocked that he even mentioned it. “W-what?” she asked. “S-secret?” Her voice went up a few notches. “T-there’s no secret.”

I looked at Hina. “You ok?” I asked, hopefully so she could avoid the obvious personal question Haruka asked.

“Hm…...seems like something that she would rather not say to a group she had just met a few short hours ago.” Yuri said, flipping over to tan his back.

“I-I’m fine…” Hina said, wrapping her arms around herself.

“...so, you don’t want to tell us something. So what?” Haruka said, shrugging.

Sora tilted her head. “But...what could be so bad…?” she asked. Hina only shook her head.

“Well, it is probably very bad.” I said, looking away. I was wanted in several countries…….and I would rather not say that to anyone!

“...Matsu?” Hina asked, looking at me.

“It's nothing.” I said, smiling. “Just a weird thought crossed my head.”

“If you say so…” she replied, before some of the girls grabbed her hands and pulled her away. “W-whoa!”

“Interesting girl…” Haruka said.

“everyone here is interesting.” I said, smiling.

“Yeah.” he replied, fixing his sunglasses. “I just don’t get why we woke up here… but hey, nothing dangerous has happened, so why not enjoy it?”

“I agree.” I said, as I dove into the water and surfaced.

Haruka laughed a bit, before glancing over at the girls, who were braiding Hina’s hair. He shrugged a little, laying on his back.

“Haruka, are you sure you don't want to swim?” I asked. “It's quite enjoyable.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he replied. “I’m not much of a water person. Not that I can’t swim, of course, but… just reminds me of someone…”

“I understand. We might find something interesting for everyone here.” I said, as Yoshi jumped in and swam over.

“Ah, I'm now happy. Especially when nobody's accusing you.” He said, before floating on his back.

“Well, nothing really to accuse you of,” Haruka said.

“Yeah, but they could still find something.” Yoshi replied, before splashing Naoko.

“Hey!” He replied, splashing back.

“You got to do better than that!” Yoshi yelled, dodging and splashing more.

“Hey, careful where you’re splashing!” Haruka yelled, jumping back.

“C'mon, it's just water.” Naoko said as Yoshi jumped on him and they fell back.

Haruka shook his head. “Just be careful!” he yelled at them.

They kept at it as Yuri got up. “Well, what did you all find?” he said grabbing a drink from what I assumed was a bar for adults.

“Well, there were more things below deck, but half the shit was blocked.” Yoshi said. “There was a message. 'he who is two will return for revenge.’”

“Yeah, a lot of the ways to get lower were locked or blocked.” Haruka agreed. “So we apparently have a little section of the boat open so far.”

“Well it's better than nothing.” I said, smiling. “Maybe we can enjoy those places as well.”

“Maybe,” Haruka said, as some of the girls returned to the pool. “As long as there’s an arcade with racing games, I’m happy.”

“Ooh, maybe there’s a gym!” Kagome exclaimed.

“and a clothes shop!” Naoko yelled.

“Oh, I’m all for that!” Hina said, smiling.

“Let's have a shopping spree!” I said, as everyone came back to the pool.

“Hm, I could use some new teas…” Kiyoko said.

“So need some new goggles and jacket!” Sora said, excitedly.

“Well, lets meet up there and get some new duds!” Naoko yelled.

“YAY! NEW CARDS!” Raku yelled, running to change.

“...well, that was sudden…” said Hina, giggling.

“He must really love his cards.” I said, as we returned to our rooms. I changed into a nice suit and waited for Hina.

Her knocking came a few minutes later.

I opened the door. “Ready?” I asked, stepping out.

She nodded, smiling. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” she said, messing with her pink music-themed skirt for a moment.

We started down the hall, going past the stairs to an area that was very open. “Whoa…...the central atrium.” I said.

“It’s huge!!” Hina said, her smile getting bigger.

It was pretty huge. We walked around, spotting everyone doing mostly their own thing. Raku was running in and out of one store with gaming merchandise. “Hey, there is no cashiers. It's odd but whoever did this gave us everything we could ever want!”

“A-are we sure we can trust this…?” Reina asked, from in front of an art store.

“Pft, of course we can!” Sora said, running into a sports store.

“Ooh, guitar!” Yuna exclaimed, running into a music store.

We looked at each other and shrugged. “why not?” I said.

“Anything free is cool with me,” Hina said, giggling. “Do you know how much it costs for all my stuff?”

“Way too much?” Miyu asked as she walked by.

“By the looks of it, yeah.” I said, spotting a dress. “I saw that on sale for $98.”

“Ooh~!” Hina said, looking at it. “I don’t have that coordinate yet.”

“Well, go on and get it.” Haruka said, lightly pushing Hina away from me.

I gave him a look before walking around and looking at the different stores. “Hm. Seems like everything is to cater to our every need….and want.” I said, spotting a weirdly placed wheel in the middle of the atrium. “interesting.”

Meanwhile, everyone else was running in and out of stores with bags and things that they got. “...Are you sure it’s okay to go near that…?” Miyu asked.

“Hm…... probably not.” I said, turning. “Looks like everyone got what they wanted.”

“The only one I haven’t seen is Hina-chan…” Miyu said, “she’s still in the store…”

“Probably getting a lot.” I said, walking over.

“I don’t know. I’m not as girly as she is…” Miyu said, shrugging. “I just got a few things here and there.”

“Understandable.” I said, smiling. I really didn't want to get anything right now….but if someone asks…..

“Yo, Matsu, can you come here for a sec?” Haruka asked, from inside a store.

“Yeah, sure.” I called, walking into the store. “Haruka?”

He was looking over a jacket. “...does this look masculine enough…?” he asked, holding it up. It looked like a standard black moto jacket.

“Masculine? Yeah, motorcycle jackets are pretty masculine…..” I started, saying the last word slowly. “Haruka…...are you….a crossdresser?”

His eyes widened, looking at me, before he looked down, sighing. “So… you figured it out.” The pitch in ‘his’ voice got slightly higher, but not by much. “Yeah, I am,” she said.

I walked over. “You kept it hidden quite well.” I said, taking the jacket. “Well go on, try it on. You picked it out. Might as well.”

She smiled, putting it on. “I kinda had to, considering a few things…” she said, looking at herself in the mirror. “Being a race car driver… being kinda tall for my gender… and… well…I’m sure you’ve noticed how I look at and act around women.”

“It's fine. I'm glad to help.” I said, smiling. “I kinda came because everyone else wanted to.”

“Well, you got dressed pretty nicely for it.” Haruka said. “You sure you weren’t trying to impress someone?”

“Possibly. Though, I already do dress nice.” I said, helping her get more masculine items. “Well, I was glad to help.”

“Thanks,” she said, smiling. “Now, are you sure you don’t want anything?”

“I honestly don't know…...I honestly never shopped before.” I said, rubbing the back of my hair.

“What?!” Haruka asked, “How could you not go shopping?”

“Lack of time?” I said, shrugging.

“Seriously?” she asked, “and what are you always up to, Mr. Marksman?”

“Trust me, you don't need to know.” I said, my face darkening.

“...okay, then,” Haruka said, “Either way, you should at least get something. Maybe something to impress your little ‘Hina’?” She smirked, looking around a bit. “Since you are the only one who actually calls her that.”

“Hm….you are right.” I said, as Haruka dragged me to a store full of stylish clothes. “Oh no….no no no. I'm not sure about this.” But with the look on Haruka’s face, I wasn't getting out of this easily.

“You have to at least try something!” she said, “Go on. Choose something.”

I sighed, soon spotting some novelty tees. “Hm…...let's see…...Ooh, what size are you?” I said, scooping up clothes. I ran to the changing room and changed. “Oh my, they do fit!”

“Good,” Haruka called. “Get them!”

I smiled, getting back into my suit and packed the clothes into bags. I walked out, smiling. “Who knew shopping was so fun!” I said.

“Yeah, it can be.” Haruka said, smiling. “Huh… looks like Hinata still is in that dress store… Must be having a hard time choosing…”

“Probably. I'll get her.” I said, walking into the store. “Hina? Everything ok?”

She jumped, turning to look at me. “W-wha?” she started, before realizing it was me. “U-um, yeah. Everything’s good.” She was holding a black dress...something that didn’t seem like her style.

“Having a hard time deciding?” I asked. “Because that doesn't seem like something you'd wear.”

“It...isn’t. N-not normally, anyway.” She said, putting it back on the rack. “I don’t know… It’s...not something I can really explain…”

“If you don't want to,then don't. Less for someone to question.” I said, before pulling out a dress that was clearly elvish. “What about this?”

“It...looks pretty cool.” She said, smiling a bit. “I-I’ll go try it on.” She took it from me, heading for the dressing room.

I looked at the door. “Hm…..seems like she is very afraid of something from the past…...no damn it. Stop analyzing!” I said, hitting myself.

A few minutes later, she opened the dressing room door, looking away from me. She was in the dress. “U-um… what do you think?” she asked, pulling her arms behind her back.

“Not bad. Though, hmm….. maybe if it wasn't so elvish….” I said, noticing that the design was kinda too much.

“H-huh? B-but I like this style…” Hina said, blushing a bit. “It’s so different from what I always wear… Maybe if I shorten it a bit…”

I looked at it better. “You know, it is amazing. I don't get out much.” I said.

She looked at me, but smiled. “Well, maybe sometime you can help me again… I need something other than Lolita dresses sometimes.”

“I don't mind.” I said, as we walked out. It was starting to get dark outside. “Looks like it already nighttime.”

“Well, we did do a lot today…” Hina said. “So, I guess time just went by really quickly…”

“It did. I hope tomorrow is just as fun.” I said, as we returned to the cabins. “Well, I should let you go get some rest.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling. “Night, Matsu.”

“Night, Hina.” I said, as she walked away. I entered my cabin and put my things in the drawers. And I sighed. “At least I don't have to kill anyone ever again.” I laid down to sleep.

### A few hours later.

I woke up, and yawned. “Hm...still dark.” I said, standing. “Well, it would be nice to see the stars on the ocean.” I walked out and went to the deck, relaxing on the railing.

“So, guessing you woke up too?” Yuna asked, walking over.

“Oh hey, Yuna.” I said, looking at her. “Yeah, I couldn't sleep.”

“Same. But, sorta have insomnia, so…” she trailed off, “I blame all the concerts.”

“Yeah, I can understand.” I said. “I rarely ever sleep. I really never had a need to.”

She let out a slight laugh. “Yeah, I’m sure humans don’t need sleep,” she said, sarcastically, before her tone changed, “But, when you have such a busy schedule, no room for it.”

“Yeah…..” I said, looking away. I really regret all I have done. Killing over 65 people doesn't help that.

“...so…” Yuna said, looking out at the ocean. “What do you think of everyone so far…?”

“They aren't as bad as some people. I think I will enjoy this. I don't normally do this so it's kinda weird sometimes.” I said. “But I don't mind it.”

She smiled. “Yeah. It’s kinda fun getting out and having some fun…” she said. “Hinata seems to enjoy you… she’s kind of skittish around everyone else…”

“Yeah, Haruka said the same thing. And she is a fun person.” I said, turning. “Yuna, can I ask you something?”

“You just did, but sure.” she said, looking at me.

“What would you do if you did something in the past? Something you regret and wish you could atone for it….but you can't.” I asked.

“Well…” she said, looking up at the sky for a few moments. “I guess if I couldn’t fix it… Just move on and try to forget about it. Not do it again. Prove to those I cared about that I can change and be a better person.”

I smiled, but frowned again. “Yeah…..that is one way…..” I said, looking away.

“Hey.” She said. “Whatever it is, it doesn’t define you. Not fully, anyway.”

“It does when you are wanted.” I said, pushing off the railing. I put my hands in my pockets. “Especially when everyone you love finds out and tries to turn you in.”

“Ooh, that bad, huh…” Yuna said, “Look… even if you are...though you are… everyone has their demons… We just have to deal with them. I mean… look at Hinata. She has every marking of being physically abused. But not one cut on her.”

“Wait what?” I asked, looking at her. How could I have miss something like that?!

“Wait, you didn’t notice?” Yuna asked. “Huh… maybe it was just me… Yeah, she has some bruises hidden under makeup.”

“I didn't. And I have a good eye.” I said. “Hm…..well, that's why she was so keen on keeping it a secret.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Yuna replied, with a small shrug. “Besides, she probably didn’t want everyone to see a darker side of her, being Miss ‘cheerful, innocent lolita girl.’ Maybe mention it in the morning or something…”

“I could.” I said. “thanks for understanding my situation.”

“Hey, it’s nothing.” Yuna said, turning. “I’m heading back to my room. Got to work on some music…”

“Yeah. Night.” I said, looking back at the ocean.

Yuna walked away, heading back inside.

=== The next morning:

I walked onto the deck. “Morning.” I said, smiling.

“Morning, Matsu!” Kikyo and Kagome said.

“Good morning!” Sora said.

I smiled. “I guess not everyone is awake yet.” I said. “After the fun of yesterday I am not surprised.”

“Haru-kun said he was looking to see if there was any cafes…” Sora said. “And Yuna wanted to talk to Hinata for a bit…”

I nodded, taking a seat. “Well, we have another fun day ahead of us. Makes me wonder what else we can do here.”

“Yeah,” Kagome said. “I wonder if we can get below deck… at least for one floor or two…”

“Anything besides just this and our rooms and that shopping area…” Kikyo said.

“Yeah.” I said as Yuri ran up, excited. “Yuri? You okay?”

His face lit up. “I found the entrance to the next area! It opened up.” He said smiling. “And you have got to see it all!”

“What,” started Kikyo.

“Is it?” finished Kagome.

He nodded. “Come! It's just past the Atrium.” He said, running off.

The girls looked at each other before running after him.

I stood, and followed. “Hey! Wait up!” I yelled. I had to stop on the stairs because I got out of breath. “Man I need to exercise.”

Yuna glanced up. “Where’re they even going?” she asked, from her place on the floor in front of someone who was against the wall.

“Yuri found the next area open.” I said, noticing that Yuna was with someone.

“Well, let’s see what it is, then.” She said, standing. “Hinata, c’mon, you’ve got to stand…”

“Hina?” I asked, finally noticing it was her as she moved.

“Y-yeah?” Hina asked, looking up at me. She was in the dress she got yesterday, and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun.

“Just making sure you were alright.” I said, holding my hand out. “You must not have slept well.”

She shrugged. “I slept...okay, I guess…” she said, taking my hand with a small smile.

I helped her up. “Well, time to explore again.” I said, smiling. I looked over at Yuna. “Ready, ladies?”

“I’m ready.” Yuna said, smiling.

“Yep!” Hina replied, faking a smile.

We walked past all the stores where Yuri and the others stood. The grate that blocked the area was gone….. “so this was opened.” I said.

“Seems like it…” Haruka said. “So… who wants to go in first?”

Yoshi walked forward. “I'll go.” He said.

“Why, to disable some trap?” Raku teased.

“Raku!” Ryuichi scolded.

“What? Everyone was thinking it.” Raku said.

“Well… then why not someone go with him?” Haruka asked. “Raku, you made yourself known.”

“I’ll go with him.” Hina said, stepping away from me.

“What?” Reina asked. “Are you sure, Hinata?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Hina said. “I believe that he’s not behind any of this, so why would I have to be scared of him?”

“She does have a point.” I said.

“Then maybe all three of us should go together?” Hina suggested, smiling. She held her hand out to me.

“Yeah, let's do it.” I said, taking her hand.

“She turned to Yoshi. “Lead the way.” She said, smiling. Yoshi nodded and walked in.

Ok. When I said the atrium was huge, I meant it. This was on a whole nother level!

“Whoa…” Hina said, looking around. “I can’t even believe… can a ship really be this big?!” She let go of my hand, starting to walk ahead of us.

“I….i don't know.” I said, spotting a ice rink, music studio, even a shooting range. “Wow. It's amazing.”

“Yeah, it is…” Hina said, wandering off down the hall. “Whoa, is that a ballroom?!”

“Yeah!” I said. How big was this boat?!

“Yeah, I don't think I could ever do all this…..” Yoshi said.

“I knew there was a reason to believe you…” Hina said, smiling. “Ooh, and there’s a dining area! At least we know we don’t have to live off snacks…”

“Very true.” I said as everyone followed in. “Well, let's get something to eat!”

“I’m for that!” Haruka said, heading for the dining area.

Everyone sat down and started to eat some breakfast. I looked at everyone. They were so happy. Even Naoko, who was still clearly showing his feminine queen talent. “So, what should we do today?” Yoshi asked.

“Well, I was thinking of heading to that music studio…” Yuna said.

“Ballroom!” Hina said, happily.

“I saw the rink. And I will pull off a new routine there.” Yuri said.

“Noticed the shooting range.” Kagome said. “I want to get some practice in while I’m here.”

“Ooh, you are so on!” I said, smiling.

“Just don’t get mad when she beats you.” Kikyo said, smiling.

“We shall see. I am an excellent shot.” I replied, as Kagome smiled wider. “What? I do have the eyes for it.”

“So do I.” She said, “Who else could shoot through three arrows? Still getting a perfect bulls-eye?”

“Whoa, whoa. T-too much violent intentions there…” Reina said, hiding her face.

“Not like they’re aiming at people,” Haruka said. “That’s a different story entirely…”

“Very true.” I said, as Mata conjured some fire.

“Whoa!” Sora said, as Hina let out a small, frightened scream.

“Matashichi!” Yuna yelled, “You scared her!”

“Woops?” He said. “I am a showman after all. The element of surprise is kinda easy to do after all.”

“Well, be a bit more careful.” Yuna said, wrapping an arm around Hina, who was shaking slightly.

Matashichi backed away. “Well, I should have warned you all first….” He said, as his face paint went to a sadder palette.

“I-It’s fine, Mata-kun…” Hina said, “J-just startled me, that’s all.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “U-um… I’m just going to go to the ballroom…”

“Huh? You sure, Hinata? You didn’t eat much…” Yuna asked. Hina nodded, standing up.

When she left, I turned to Mata. “Are you crazy? Pulling out real fire?! Someone could have gotten hurt.” I scolded.

Mata looked at me. “Well, tell that to whoever gave me real magic.” He retorted.

“You still should be a bit more careful. Not everyone’s used to pyros!” Yuna said.

“Exactly!” Sora said, “It could scare someone way worse than that!”

Mata got up. “Life is more dangerous than my magic. I guess not everyone understands that anymore.” He yelled, before knocking the centerpiece off the table and walked off.

“M-Mata!” yelled Reina, getting up to follow him.

“...again, guess not everyone notices what others do.” Yuna sighed, getting up. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the music studio.”

Yuri got up as well. “I will be at the rink. Skating might calm down this heated energy.”

“Mind if I join?” Haruka asked, standing.

“Come right ahead.” Yuri replied.

I watched as everyone went on their own. I looked to see Kosuke was still there. “Kosuke?” I asked.

“Oh yeah, I guess I am the level headed one.” He said, before stabbing a sausage Patty. “You know, when I thought this was a killing game, it was because I was part of two previous games.”

“Y-you were?!” I asked, surprised.

“Yeah….both were tough to go through. Especially when you have to kill your best friend twice.” He said.

I was shocked. A guy having to kill the same person twice. “Hang on, should the person-”

“Be dead? Yeah, in technicality sake. But we were in a computer program both times.” He said. “It was set up for rehabilitation for the first one. And an actual game for the second.”

“Hey, Matsu, you coming?” asked Kagome, who was waiting outside the door. “I thought we were on for a shooting match?”

“Yeah, I'll be right there.” I called, looked back at Kosuke who was playing with his eggs. I stood and ran to the shooting range. “So rules, Kagome.”

“Obviously, we can’t try to distract one another,” she said, “I can only use my bow, you can only use your gun, and it’s until one of us runs out of ammo. Then we’ll see how many points we have.”

“Ok. Let's do this.” I said as Kikyo set up the targets. And to make it even, we each had 20 shots. I put the ammo holder into the handle and cocked my gun. “Ready, Kagome?”

She hooked an arrow onto her bow string, pulling it back. “Ready, Matsu.” she replied.

“And GO!” Kikyo yelled. We started the game, shooting very fast but pretty much as accurate. We kept going for about 10 minutes and soon the shooting area was covered in shells and arrows. “Whew. That was tough.” I said.

“You could say that again…” Kagome said. “So, what’s it look like, Kikyo?!”

“Looks pretty even to me…” she called back.

“Hm….looks like we both are great with our chosen weapon.” I said, putting my gun away.

“Yeah.” Kagome said. “Good match.” She held out her hand to me. “I never met a guy who was an even contender.”

I shook her hand. “Not many people are that good with a bow. It was a great match.” I said, smiling. I think I bonded with both of the twins.

“Hm… now what should we do…?” Kikyo asked, looking at Kagome.

“I think we should go cool off for a bit…” Kagome said. “See you around, Matsu.”

I nodded. “They aren't so bad.” I said, walking around. “Hm...let's check….what?” I saw a symbol on the wall. It was a two faced bear, one side white and normal, the other was evil with a red smirk shaped eye and a creepy grin. “‘he who is two.’”

There was a small crash from the ballroom, not loud enough to be something big falling, followed by a soft “oww....” Wait… that kind of sounded like Hina...

“Hina!” I yelled, running to the ballroom.

She was on the ground, gingerly rubbing her ankle. “Geez, Hinata,” she said to herself, “Be more careful… You don’t want people worrying about you again, do you…?”

“Hina…..did you fall?” I said, cocking my head.

She jumped, looking at me. “W-what?” she asked, before registering what I said. “O-oh, yeah. Tripped over my own feet. I-I’m fine, though. Nothing to worry about…”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Y-yeah,” she said, starting to stand, but winced. “O-ow…”

“You must have sprained it.” I said, grabbing a chair and having her sit. “You just stay here, I'm going to get some ice.”

“O-okay…” She said, “It isn’t like I’ll go anywhere…”

I walked out, and grabbed a hand napkin and tied some ice inside. I ran back and placed the ice on her ankle.

She tensed at the cold, but soon relaxed. “...thank you…” she softly said, looking away from me.

“No problem.” I said, “besides, I was done with what I was doing. Kagome is a great shot.”

“I’m not surprised.” Hina said, “Especially with a bow, you have to be pretty good.” She kept glancing down at her leg, not meeting my eyes.

“Hina what's wrong?” I asked.

“...just making sure of something…” she started, a bit hesitant. The water from the ice was washing away some makeup on her leg, revealing a few bruises.

“Hina?” I said, walking over. “Seriously, what's wrong?”

She fell silent, tearing up a little. “Y-you know how yesterday I said that no one really thought I was pretty without the wigs..? A-and yelled at Naoko for saying what he did, saying that ‘everyone said you weren’t pretty enough, that you had to,’ before I c-cut myself off…?”

“Yeah, I remember.” I said. Please tell me Yuna was not lying.

“...my family… a-and a few others… were the ones behind that m-mentality…” Hina said. “T-they were pretty rough with me… b-but being the youngest, I just… thought it was normal...”

I hugged her. “You don't have to worry. All of us have pasts that are bad.” I said. “It's alright.”

She smiled, hugging back. “I hope so…” she said, her grip tightening slightly. She didn’t seem worried. She seemed...scared. She was shaking slightly in my arms. It...was actually kinda cute.

“Awww. You are adorable.” I said, hugging her more. “I'll stay here the entire time if needed.”

“W-what?” she asked, looking up at me. “M-me? Adorable? N-never.” She let out a small laugh. “I really don’t even know why I tripped… I was just trying to dance…”

“Well, let's try again after your foot gets better.” I said, sitting next to her. “And my life hasn't exactly been sugar and spice and everything nice.”

“...really?” she asked, turning to face me. “I would think that someone with your kind of talent would be amazing. But… I guess I was wrong, huh…?”

“What I am about to tell you, only one other person on this cruise knows.” I said. “I am a wanted man in over 20 countries alone. All from…...my kill streak…..”

“Whoa… so you’re like… a hitman?” she asked, her eyes widening a little. “That’s so… cool… All I can do is sit there and look pretty… B-but I guess you’re trying to not do the whole… ‘bang-bang, shooty-shooty’ thing...”

“Being like a hitman literally was terrible. But it's better than what I could have done.” I said. “I still have to atone for all the shit I have done.”

“...well… consider how many people have died… and then do acts of good to show to others you can change…” she said, before shaking her head. “S-sorry, that seems silly, doesn’t it… S-stupid me.”

“No, it's not.” I said. “I think this time away will help me get some time to finally get the chance to prove to everyone.” I stood up. “Maybe I can change who I was then.”

Hina smiled. “You already have. You just have to show that side of you to us.” she said, a soft blush dusting her cheeks, “Because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it today.”

I smiled. “So, where did Yuna go? Because I swore she followed you.”

“Music studio…” Hina said, starting to stand with a slight wince. “She said she wanted to work on something…”

“Ah. That makes sense as she is the Ultimate Singer.” I said, smiling. “How's your ankle? Better?”

She nodded. “A bit. It’s still a little sore, but nothing I can’t handle.” She said, pushing some of her hair behind her ear.

“You sure?” I said.

“Yep,” She replied, smiling. “So… if you wanted to go hang out with Yuna… that’s ok.” She looked down as she said it, twirling the ends of her hair.

“Eh, I was going to check on everyone else though. After Mata freaked out, everyone did go on their own.” I said, standing.

“I feel bad for reacting the way I did…” Hina said, “Maybe I should Igo apologize…”

“It's fine. He just probably is used to people not getting scared of his magic.” I said.

“Maybe…” she said. “Still, even if it was so sudden… I feel bad for making him think I don’t like him… honestly, it was just the fire… Not him.”

“Well, hopefully tomorrow at breakfast, we can talk to him. Because it seems like he doesn't want to talk period right now.” I said, helping her up. “C'mon, let's go see Yuna and Yuri.”

She nodded, smiling a little. “Okay!” she said, cheerfully. “Yuna said she’d be in the music studio...and Yuri would be in the rink with Haruka, right?”

“Yeah.” I said.

“And the rink is closer to the ballroom… so let’s check up on the guys first.” she said, smiling.

“Let's.” I said as I helped her to the rink. Yuri was skating around when he spotted us.

“Hey guys!” He said, before spinning in midair and coming over.

“Wow….” Hina said, her eyes widening. “That was so cool, Yuri!!!”

“It comes with being around skaters forever.” He said, before looking at haruka who was struggling. “Though some should probably stay on land.”

“Hey!” Haruka exclaimed, slipping a little, “W-whoa… I-I’m better on the roads than on ice!”

I smiled. “Hey, Yuri. Where are the skates?”

Hina glanced over, a bit confused. “Why would you want to know where the skates are…?” she softly asked.

“Because I might be a little good at skating.” I said, spotting the locker. I grabbed the skates my size and put them on. Yuri looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

“You sure? This is not your average rink.” He asked.

“I'm sure.” I said, sliding onto the rink. It was a bit more slippery than normal but it was manageable.

“Hinata, you want to join?” yelled Haruka. Hina shook her head.

“N-no, I’m n-not any good at skating…” she replied, a bit nervously.

“Aw, that’s no fun, Hinata… c’mon!” Haruka said.

“Yuri.” I said. “She tripped over something.” I explained, getting more of a groove. I started skating harder as I did a front flip and stuck the landing.

“Whoa…..he’s good.” Haruka said, finally reaching the edge of the rink.

“Amazing…” Hina said, smiling.

“Hm….a little stiff but perfect form nonetheless.” Yuri said, as I pulled him out onto the rink. “Whoa!”

“Ooh, do we have ourselves a challenge?” Haruka teased, laughing.

“As long as I’m watching them, don’t entirely care.” Hina said, sitting on one of the bleachers to watch us. “Because I don’t think even the best skater in the world could help me skate…”

I let Yuri go as we were on opposite sides of the rink. “Let's go. You pick the song.” I said. Yuri thought about it.

“How about the song that won me the gold last year?” He asked.

“Sure.” I said, nodding. I knew the routine as it was my favorite of that year.

Haruka pulled up the song, and looked at us. “You guys ready?” she asked.

We nodded. Haruka played the music as we followed the same movements down to the exact detail. It was nice. I closed my eyes as I let myself go farther out onto the rink. Little did I know that Yuri snuck off the rink just to watch how I did.

“Wow… h-he’s pretty good…” Hina said.

“Yeah, as if he memorized it completely…” Haruka said.

“He probably did. I knew it would be a hit.” Yuri said, as he skated out and skated next to me as the song looped. I opened my eyes as we skated, the song kept both of us going. When the music stopped, all I felt was happiness as if I just did perform for millions. That's when I knew that my past wouldn't affect my future.

“Yay!” cheered Hina, clapping a bit.

“You both are amazing.” Haruka said, smiling.

Yuri looked at me and smiled. “You really were amazing.” He said. I smiled.

I felt like I come to get what I want to do. “Well, that was very fun.” I said as we skated to the edge. “I should come here more often.”

“And next time, let’s get this one on the ice, too.” Haruka said, nudging Hina slightly, who blushed.

“W-what?” Hina asked, blushing. “N-no, I’m seriously way too clumsy for it…”

“We should plan for another day.” I said, getting off the rink and taking off my skates.

“We should.” Yuri said, smiling.

“Hell, yeah,” Haruka said, “I’d love that.”

“W-we’ll see.” Hina said, smiling.

“Well, we were about to go see Yuna.” I said, smiling.

“Oh, right!” Hina said, standing.

“Well, see you two around,” Haruka said, waving.

We walked out and headed to the music studio. “That was fun.” I said.

“It looks fun.” Hina said, looking down as she walked, a slight blush on her face.

We entered the studio, music was playing in the background. “Whoa. This is one hell of a place.” I said.

“Yep.” Hina said, smiling. “Yuna! Are you busy?!”

“Whoa-” Yuna said, the music stopping. “Hinata!”

I smiled. “Looks like you made her jump.” I laughed.

“H-hey, it was just unexpected, geez…” Yuna said, “So, what’s up?”

“We were just wandering around, checking up on people.” Hina said, before noticing the sheet music in Yuna’s hand. “Oooh, can I see?” she asked, before grabbing it out of Yuna’s hand.

“Hina, calm down.” I said, noticing the abundance of instruments and recording hardware.

“It’s fine, it’s not that good, anyway…” Yuna said, “Just some dumb song.”

“No song is dumb…... except for some…..” I said, spotting a piano.

“Hmm… nope, not dumb.” Hina said, smiling as she read over it. Yuna, however, glanced at me.

“You play?” she asked.

“No. Not anymore.” I said, looking away.

“No musician just stops playing.” Yuna said.

“You both know exactly why I did.” I said, sitting on the bench.

“...Matsu…” Hina said, “You can’t just let your past define you…”

I looked at the piano. “Yeah.” I said, lifting the lid and testing the keys.

Yuna and Hina looked at each other, before coming a bit closer.

I started to play a sad song from a game I played years ago. It also was the song I played at my mother’s funeral. 'I Don't Want to Say Goodbye.’

“Impressive…” Yuna whispered, as Hina teared up a little, looking away from me and the piano.

I kept playing, soon tears were going down my eyes. My mother's death was my fault. The yakuza knew of my whereabouts and attacked the house. I found the house in shambles, and my mother used to set an example.

“...M-Matsu…” Hina said, her voice shaking a little.

I stopped. “never again.” I said, closing the lid.

“Well, you were pretty good…” Yuna said. “Now… how about you, miss perfect Lolita?” She looked over at Hina, who fell silent, looking at her a bit wide-eyed.

I stood, wiping the tears away. “Go on, Hina. Give it a shot.”

Hina blushed. “U-um… I’ll see if I can…” she said, sitting down at the piano. “I-I’m much better at singing, just so you know…”

“Just do something, Hinata.” Yuna said.

Hina sighed, beginning to play a song. It was a bit sad, but was a bit lighter-sounding.

“Whoa.” I said, smiling. Well, at least she can play pretty well.

“Well, well… seems we’re not the only ones that are talented with music…” Yuna said, smiling.

“Yeah.” I said, looking at Yuna. “Why don't we do a concert tonight?”

“You know… that would be pretty fun.” Yuna said, smiling.

“Well, where should we set it up?” I asked.

“The ballroom’s pretty big… we could do it there.” Hina said, pausing in her playing.

“That could work.” I said, smiling. “We should let everyone know. I am pretty sure everyone would love to help.”

“Yep, I’ll get some people on it.” Yuna said, smiling.

I smiled, as Hina stood. “Well, we should get some more people ready.”

“Right!” Hina said, nodding. “Umm...like..who?”

“Naoko, Sora, Yoshi, Haruka, Yuri, Kagome, Kikyo…..etc.” I said, as we left the music studio. “Though it's probably best if we get everyone separately.

“Right…” Hina said, messing with her hair for a moment, before she turned. “Divide and conquer, right?”

“Yep. Kosuke would kill us for saying that.” I said.

“Eh, who cares what Kosuke thinks.” Hina said, laughing. “I’ll go up on the top deck and dorms.”

“And I'll check the atrium and the first floor.” I said.

“Right.” Hina said, starting to run off. “See you later!”

I laughed, running around both the first floor and atrium.

A few hours later

“Okay, check, one-two…” Yuna said, tapping the microphone. “Perfect. Everyone ready?”

I looked at everyone, who I am glad decided to show up. “I believe so.” I said, smiling.

“Yep!” Hina said, smiling. Yuna started playing, singing along to the music.

We were all watching intently as she made the stage her battle field. But something was amiss. For some reason, the projector pointed at the screen behind Yuna had the symbol of a bear with two sides…...uh oh… ‘he who is two will return for revenge.’

“What...is that…?” Sora asked.

“Definitely not good… I can feel it…” Miyu said.

Kosuke stood. “Yuna, get off the stage!” He yelled.

I looked as a bear thaw exactly like the symbol appeared on the stage, laughing.

“Who- what the hell is going on here?!” Yuna asked.

Kosuke jumped onto the stage, grabbing Yuna as the bear spoke.

“Ahahahahaha!” The bear laughed, as the stage became more dark as what looked like murder scenes cluttered it.

Hina backed away, eyes wide. “O-Oh, my…” she whispered.

“What do you idiots think this is?!” the bear yelled, “It’s a wonderful Killing Game!”

Kosuke made a small scream. “M-monokuma!” He yelled.

“Monokuma?” I asked.

“Oh, Kosuke,” the bear, Monokuma, said. “I thought you’d forget about me. But, seems I was wrong.”

“...wait, you know each other?” Sora asked.

Kosuke slowly nodded. “after participating in two killing games, I hoped it would be over.” He said, letting Yuna go. “Monokuma, you can't do this!”

“Oh, but I can,” Monokuma laughed. “And you know exactly what I am capable of doing if you try to stop me.”

“Monokuma!” Kosuke yelled, doing nothing.

I couldn't believe that even the one who experienced war was scared of a toy bear.

“Um….is this part of the show?” Raku asked, looking at us.

“No.” Yuna said.

“W-we didn’t plan this…” Hina said.

“I got a feeling something bad is about to happen.” I whispered.

“Hmm…. in fact… why don’t I give a little demonstration to what I can do?” Monokuma said. “Any volunteers?”

We looked at each other. “Why should we? You are the only one who wants this!” I yelled.

“Hm… no, then?” Monokuma asked. “What about… you?” he teleported to Hina’s side. She jumped, hiding. “Nope… too skittish… wouldn’t last a minute… ooh, I know…” He then teleported back to Kosuke. “You!”

“Wait, what?!” He said, as a chain dragged Kosuke towards the deck.

“Kosuke!” I yelled as we ran after him. When we reached the deck, Kosuke was affixed to a rocket pack.

“Now, watch closely, students!” Monokuma yelled, “This’ll happen to you!”

“Kosuke!” I yelled, running at him before hitting an invisible barrier and was electrocuted. “Aah!”

“Matsu!” Hina exclaimed, running over.

I stood as Kosuke yelled. The rocket fired into the sky as the ship got closer to an island. The rocket flew past the rocks, slowly cutting Kosuke as he screamed. The rocket went faster as his legs got cut off.

“Ow.” Sora said.

“Oh, my god…” whispered Yuna.

The rocket kept going as Monokuma shot a repeater crossbow at Kosuke, stabbing him in multiple places. It kept going as it was over a volcano.

Hina covered her eyes, letting out a small, frightened scream.

Haruka grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug, making sure she couldn’t see anything.

Kosuke coughed as the rocket slowly lowered into the volcano. He screamed as he slowly was burned and melted alive.

“Ahahahahahah!” Monokuma laughed.

I couldn't believe it. No I couldn't find anything to describe what I saw except…..despair.