Danganronpa: Hope for the Hopeless/Chapter 3 - Aftermath

## Story

Like the other elevator rides, this one was mostly silent save for the occasional clatter of the metal elevator as it rose towards our destination. There was the occasional spark to two but the ride up was mostly dim, silent, and somewhat surreal. There were ten of us and it didn’t look like anyone knew what to do to stop our numbers from dwindling. I knew for a fact that I couldn’t see any way for this killing game to stop. No matter how hard I wracked my brain to think of a realistic scenario where we all walked away from this, nothing came to me. In fact, it only made my head throb worse.

I put my right hand over my forehead and rubbed it once again. The pain wasn’t as sharp as it had been, but it was still noticeable enough for me to wish it would go away so that I could at least try to forget about what nearly happened to me.

I put my arm down and shook my head as the elevator came to a screeching stop at the top of the lift. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to forget about it. It wouldn’t stop me from continuing with my life, but I wasn’t going to ever outright forget about the experience. So, I gave a quick sigh as the doors opened up so that we could all leave.

And of course, we were all more than willing to oblige. One by one, we all left the elevator and stepped into the room at the top of the shaft. Like the elevator ride, it had remarkably less noise than most of our past excursions and it went relative quick as well. Furthermore, when we all stepped off the elevator and I looked around, it only confirmed the obvious fact that we were all trying to grasp the reality that Sasori showed us.

That was when Koike let go of Senji and spoke up. “We- we’re all going to die aren’t we? I mean, I- what can we possibly do about this?”

“Koike-” Senji began to reply in a tone that seemed like a mixture of sadness, pity, and a warning not to continue that line of thought. He looked ready to reach out his right hand to pull her back but he did nothing. And he said nothing as well because there really wasn’t anything for him to say.

“She’s not wrong,” Sama remarked as she crossed her arms and frowned. “There have been three murders in spite of our best efforts. Clearly, Monokuma has proven that he can coerce or persuade us to kill each other whenever he wants. It seems pretty unlikely that the murders are suddenly going to stop.”

“Guys, we can’t just give up-” I tried to chime in though even I heard the desperation in my tone. Not that it mattered however because nobody seemed to hear me.

“I’m not going to lie, things look pretty bad,” Tanabe remarked as he looked up at the rest of the group. “If nobody could escape before us, it seems unlikely that we suddenly can.”

“I’ve been searching both in and out of the lodge for an exit ever since the killing games have started and I haven’t found anything,” Machi agreed with a quick nod and a motion to herself with her right thumb. “It’s concerning to say the least. And like Tanabe said, if nobody else could find a way out of here, there might not be a way to escape.”

“Koike, Tanabe, everyone, we must not give up. There may yet be a means of escape,” Senji pleaded with the rest of the group though he sounded more like he was just clinging on to the possibility than anything else. After that, he swallowed and continued “We all arrived here and Monokuma intends to release anyone who graduates so there must logically be some means of leaving this lodge. We just need to determine the method so that we can leave without bloodshed.”

“Y-yeah,” Sanda agreed in what looked like an attempt to convince himself more than anything else. “There must- uh- yeah. We just got to work together and we’ll think of something.”

“I think they’re on the right track actually.” Saeki chimed in with a very weak smile though she quickly dropped it. “I don’t think even we can prevent more murders from happening but I do believe that we may eventually find a way to escape.”

“You’re deluding yourselves and we all know it,” Tanabe argued in a low tone as he sighed and looked at the floor. “Your arguments make enough sense but we haven’t found any exits so far and nobody before us has discovered any ways to escape either. Besides, if someone had escaped before us, they would have gotten help. I- I certainly hope for the best, but maybe we should consider the possibility that- we’ll receive the worst outcome from this.”

At that, all three of the people who begged the others not to give up looked away. There simply was no avoiding the fact that help should have come for us if someone had escaped these killing games beforehand. In fact, the thought came to the back of my mind that someone should have reported everything even if that person escaped by killing someone. Out of over eighty classes, at least one person should have confessed to the outside world.

“What do you mean? Are you saying that we should all just give up and wait to die?” Sanda replied. When he did, I bit my lip and clenched my fists because we couldn’t give up. And while Sanda seemed to oppose the idea that it was inevitable, neither he nor the rest of the group seemed too convinced that it wasn’t.

“Not at all. We should keep searching just in case we do find a way out of here. I’m only suggesting that we brace ourselves for what seems like the inevitability,” Tanabe defended as he crossed his arms. “Unless someone here has any reason to believe that we will escape.”

I looked around and waited for someone to refute him. Anyone to refute him. And when nobody did, I went wide-eyed with realization that nobody was going to. Granted, if anyone asked, I would have been the first to admit that we were out of options at the moment and that it looked hopeless in light of the fact that the killings games haven’t been stopped yet. But nobody was even going to try and refute Tanabe on his assertion. And while death might very well be inevitable, it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy if everyone decided that they were going to die. At the very least, it might cause someone to do something drastic.

“Hey,” I spoke up after about thirty seconds of silence. Everyone predictably turned to me but I didn’t care. “I can’t believe that nobody here disagrees with Tanabe on this. Do you have any idea how dangerous this sentiment is? This is exactly what Monokuma wants.”

“We are not giving up Nishi.” Saeki explained in an almost defensive tone. “We are simply discussing how to move forward and how to prepare for the future.”

“I understand that you aren’t going to quit searching for a way out, at least I hope you aren’t. If you do then we have a problem,” I asserted with a mild glare at Saeki that quickly died down. “Anyways, as I was saying, I don’t believe that anyone here is going to quit trying to stop this killing game, but this defeatist attitude isn’t going to help anyone. I’ve seen it enough time to know that it's a self-fulfilling prophecy that we can’t afford to give in to. I know things look bleak right now but we do have to maintain some level of hope. At the very least, reserve your judgments until Machi finds a way into Sasori’s room so that we can get all the facts.”

“Nishi, don’t you think that you’re being a little naive?” Sama began. “No matter what happens, I think we can say that more people are going to die. Unless we find some way to stop the murders within the next two to four days, then based on what has happened, things look grim.”

“Yes, I realize that but that doesn't mean that we have to just accept it,” I refuted crossing my arms all the while when I did. Once more, my head began to throb, but I ignored it this time. “I know for starters that if I’m certainly not going to stand by and accept it. This is too important for that. Besides, we don’t know all the facts.”

“I’m inclined to agree with Nishi on this one,” Wakuni chimed in a little too late for my preference but in agreement nonetheless. “Machi said she would find a way for us to figure out what Sasori knew and electronics is one of the few things that she knows how to do. It- wouldn’t hurt to withhold our judgment until she fails or we figure out what we’re dealing with.”

Machi frowned as she looked over at Wakuni but she didn’t say anything. Instead, Koike was the one that spoke up. “Do you all really think that we can do it? Do you really think that we can get out of here?”

When she spoke up, she sounded more receptive to the possibility than before. However, when I took another glance around the room, it was clear that the mood was mixed at best. Obviously, there were the people who going to snap back to their usual selves in a few hours after processing the information, but there were still people who looked as though they believed that there might not be a way to escape. Granted, there might not be, but we didn’t know that for a fact so it was still a problem.

*(Time to pull out the big guns.)*

“Yes I do,” I replied to Koike and addressed the class as I began to pull out my silver watch and frowned. “That said, I can tell that some of you aren’t entirely convinced. Well, if I can’t calm you down and convince you that it's still possible for everything to be okay then maybe my hypnosis will.”

Just as I expected, nobody wanted to be hypnotized. I had no particular idea why, but for some reason, they just didn’t trust me. Regardless, for whatever reason that they reacted, I got what I wanted. They were all out of whatever stupor that they were in before I made the suggestion. Of course, while they reacted, I made sure to stand in the way of both double doors.

“You can’t- actually hypnotize all of us right now,” Sanda said in a tone that made it sound more like a question than an assertion.

Of course, I just raised my eyebrows questioningly. The truth was that I could easily hypnotize each and every one of them. I had hypnotized groups of people under less than ideal situations before. Admittedly smaller ones, but I was sure I could handle one this size. Though even if he were right, which he wasn’t, it didn’t matter because I had what I wanted. Nobody looked as though they believed Sanda, least of all himself.

“I’ll make a bet with you right now if you want,” I suggested almost challengingly. At that moment, a throbbing pain shot through my head, but I ignored it this time save for a quick wince. “What do you say Sanda?”

“How- about we don’t do that,” Yakawa suggested. When I looked at him, he bit his lip and put both his hands behind his back. Annoyingly enough, he evidently wasn’t comfortable with the thought of me potentially hypnotizing him either.

“Tsk, I wasn’t going to. But you all have helped me prove a point.” I remarked as I put my watch away. At that, the entirety of the group showed signs of relief and I narrowed my eyes in response. “If you really think that death is inevitable and that there really is no way of escaping, then you really have no reason to be afraid of anything that I do. But there must be a part of you that doesn’t want to give up so when you perceive that threat, wrongfully might I add since I only use hypnosis to help people, you try to protect yourselves. So my question to all of you is, do you really believe that it is inevitable? If you do, why did you resist?”

At that, there was silence. It wasn’t anything concerning but rather, everything seemed to be deescalating from what the situation had been. In fact, I noticed some of the other people such as Tanabe and Sama taking deep breaths and visibly relaxing beyond how they did when I announced that I wasn’t going to hypnotize them. Regardless, it looked like the potential situation was under control. Something that would have made me smile if it weren’t for the fact that everyone blatantly distrusted me with my talent.

*(You all act like being hypnotized by me would some horrific fate. I do what I do to help people. Why can’t you guys just realize that?)*

I sighed and shook my head. It didn’t matter at this point and maybe they’d come around to it eventually but what was important right now was the fact that the situation was stabilized and that we could all leave. So, I discreetly stepped to the right and out of the way of the double doors.

Regardless, Machi spoke up and fortunately, she did so in what sounded like her usual irritable tone “So, can we get going now? I like this room as much as the next person, which is not at all, but we won’t accomplish anything here.”

“Well, I must say that is around the time where we typically have dinner,” Senji surmised. “Why don’t we all reconvene in the cafeteria?”

“That sounds like a good idea and all, but we still have the dismantle that party,” Wakuni said in a low grumble. “And then there’s the matter of dealing with the food. If it's left to spoil, it wouldn't make the room any more pleasant.”

With that, most of my classmates gave some sign of agreement. However, I reached up with my right hand to rub the now dull ache on my head. And when I did, Yakawa moved closer to me and addressed the rest of the class.

“I think Nishi and I had better stay.” The paramedic stated as he took a quick glance at my forehead and then back at Wakuni. “I still promised that I would get her painkillers for her head injury. And also, she should have at least one night to recover before she does anything too strenuous. Anything else too strenuous that is.”

“In that case, we’ll meet in the cafeteria with the food when we are finished.” Saeki hummed. She did not look happy at being reminded of my injury. “It is probably for the best; I feel like I would lose my appetite if I had to eat where Eto died the night before.”

“If there are no objections then, that sounds like a plan,” Senji said with a quick nod. “Now let's get going. It's been a long day and the sooner we finish, the sooner we can eat and prepare for tomorrow.”

Nobody seemed to argue with that. Instead, we all just filed out of the double doors and once again into the hallway. And at that, we split up and the majority of my classmates walked off down the hallway towards the back of the AV room. Presumably to head towards the coat room so that they could go outside and tear down the party that they had spent so much time setting up.

Meanwhile, I followed Yakawa so that we could do what he said we would do. Namely, we turned the corner and proceeded to the first aid station which actually made me come to the realization of how close it was the class trial elevator. The irony did not escape me when I did come to the realization.

Regardless, we made it to the first aid station without any incidents though that was to be expected since our destination was practically next door to the elevator room and Yakawa was with me. Granted, Yakawa was busy pushing the wheelchair that he brought down to the class trial, but he was there nonetheless. Anyways, the trip to the first aid station was just as quiet as it was uneventful. It wasn’t as downright depressing as before, but Yakawa had a somber look on his face.

Once we reached our destination, Yakawa opened the door for me. And as I stepped inside and into the first aid room, I turned around and reached out my left hand to hold the door open and return the favor, but Yakawa already stepped through the threshold before I could. And with that, we both made it inside the first aid station.

“Why don’t you sit down? I’ll get some painkillers for you as I promised.” Yakawa calmly suggested while he put the wheelchair back where it belonged. “I’ve been meaning to check how you’re recovering anyways.”

For a second, I weighed my options. But about a second later, I complied, sat upright on one of the gurneys, and hung my legs over the side as Yakawa opened the door to the pharmacy area and left. To my surprise, it was actually surprisingly cushiony and it was almost as comfortable as the bed in my room.

*(I can’t tell whether this is a testament to whether or not I’m tired and haven’t noticed, if this is is comfortable, or if my bed is uncomfortable.)*

I wasn’t left to ponder the answer to my question for long because seconds after I thought of it, the door opened and Yakawa once again entered the first aid room. This time, while holding some medicine that I didn’t recognize. He smiled when he brought it back to me, but he did seem to be more subdued.

I reached out my right hand to grab the pill bottle but he pulled back and shook his head. Suffice to say, I frowned at that.

“Aside from the fact that a drink of sorts would help you swallow them, it really is best that you eat something first before you take some of them,” Yakawa explained reasonably enough. “This is the kind that makes you vomit if you don’t.”

“Right,” I replied flatly as I stared blankly at him. “So why not just give the bottle? I’ll get some out for myself later.”

“Because there is something, I need to tell you. I am going monitoring your intake. I’m giving you a limited supply of pills. If you need more, then you can come to me. If you need to come to me too many times, then we have a serious problem. But at least I’ll know about it,” Yakawa insisted before finally handing me the bottle. “It's nothing against you, but I have gotten more than my fair share of calls from people who took something that they weren’t supposed to. Which by the way includes taking too much of something that they were supposed to take. I don’t want anyone getting addicted or anything.”

“Ah,” I agreed. After all, it was understandable that Yakawa didn’t want me to get addicted to anything. And while I liked to believe that I wouldn’t, it probably was best to rely on his judgment.

“Also, let me know if your injury gets any worse. I should be able to- no, I would be able to treat it,” Yakawa surmised. After that, he cracked a smile and looked me in the eyes. “So, how are you holding up? Shall we examine your head injury?”

I nodded. Really, there was no reason not to.

And with that, Yakawa put on a new pair of gloves and examined my head injury with what seemed like every tool that could be used to examine a head injury short of a scan which I just noticed we didn’t have. For some other reason, he seemed to want to check my pulse and breathing as well. But when all was said and done, he didn’t seem to be any less pleased than when he started so he didn’t have any bad news for me luckily enough.

“You seem to be doing well,” Yakawa replied confirming my thoughts. “Well, you aren’t doing great but you appear to be on the road to recovery. At least you are in my opinion. This isn’t entirely in my field of expertise but I think they will suffice.”

“Yeah, I know this isn’t exactly what a paramedic does but I’m still happy to have you around,” I replied with a smile of my own. “Thank you for this and thank you for treating me earlier.”

“No Nishi, thank you. Thank you for saving us three times and for talking some sense into most of the people back on the elevator ride up here.” Yakawa said. For a brief moment, I felt a warm feeling of pride stir in me. Regardless he continued. “I really don’t know what we would do without you Nishi.”

“Well, they needed someone to try and cheer them up,” I rationalized as I rubbed the back of my head with my right hand. “I mean, I don’t believe anyone is going to give up but that defeatist attitude isn’t going to help anyone.”

“I understand that but you have been invaluable to your class. I must say you’re talent isn’t the only thing special about you,” Yakawa continued. “And thank you for defending my brother from that accusation. We both owe you deeply. You had every reason to accuse him like everyone else but you gave him a chance. I could almost-”

Ding dong, bing bong.

Of course, Yakawa’s speech was interrupted as Monokuma’s announcement echoed throughout the lodge. “Attention everyone. The time is now 10:00 P.M. It is now officially night time. Goodnight everyone and rest well. You never know what tomorrow will bring.”

Then, almost immediately afterwards, the door to the hallway opened. We, of course, turned our heads to see the source and when we did, we both saw Saeki standing in the doorway along with Wakuni. And as most people would expect, neither of them appeared to be in a very good mood.

“I am sorry if I’m interrupting anything but we thought you deserved to know that we just brought the food to the cafeteria,” Saeki explained with a sigh. “We have it lined up like a buffet to save time so you can get yourselves food whenever you please.”

“Yeah but uh- we hope you’re hungry,” Wakuni said. After that, he clenched his fist. “We made more than enough food for twelve people so we have plenty of leftovers now.”

Saeki crossed her arms but she didn’t so much as open her mouth to reply to that.

“Actually we were actually just wrapping up. This was pretty good timing,” Yakawa said as he put the last of his tools away in the cabinets nearby.

“Yeah,” I agreed as I pushed off the gurney and stood up. “Yakawa was just telling me about my health prospects which are about average. I’m on the road to make a healthy recovery and everything. Anyways, let’s get going.”

They all complied. Saeki and Wakuni were the first to head out into the hallway towards the cafeteria but Yakawa and I were more than happy to follow them. We made our way down the hallway without any incidents and Saeki was kind enough to hold the door open for me to the cafeteria. So, I stepped inside followed by Yakawa, Wakuni, and finally Saeki.

And when we looked around, we indeed saw that there was a buffet line waiting for everyone on the third table. It was mostly sweets of course, but it seemed to have salads and soups on the end closest to me, T-bone steaks, vegetables, and mashed potatoes halfway through, and several deserts at the far end of the table. There was even a cake sliced into twelve slices with our names written in cursive with icing on them. Each slice had one name on it though unsurprisingly enough, it appeared as if nobody had bothered to take their pieces of the cake because all twelve pieces were there.

At the same time, Sama looked up and noticed us enter the room. “Welcome, we’ve saved some food for you guys. We’ve taken most of it for ourselves already but there should be more than enough left for you four.”

To be honest, I wasn’t that hungry for a wide variety of factors including witnessing the execution of yet another student and the revelation of how many killing games there were. Yet, I picked up a plate and proceeded to load it with food like the rest of the group. Not only was I expected to, but I would probably be able to sleep better if I was able to take those painkillers and numb some of the throbbing pain in my head. When I did, I noted that Sama wasn’t wrong about there being enough for everyone.

Regardless, I grabbed utensils and a three-course meal before I made my way to and sat down across from Sama. Everyone was obviously taking things rough to nobody’s surprise. In fact, I didn’t know if it was because of the food or not but the room felt rather empty as we ate. The truth was that Eto and Sasori should have been with us and they would have if the latter hadn’t killed the former. However, I felt a chill from the reminder that it would have been Koike and I instead if Eto hadn’t walked in on Sasori.

Suffice to say, I quickly tried to take my mind off of it. “So Sama, how are you holding up?”

“Well, Eto was murdered, we nearly voted for the wrong person, I was tricked into giving the actual culprit an alibi, and we just found out that we’re substantially less likely to escape from here with our lives. So, all things considered, I’m doing just peachy.” Sama deadpanned. However, she gave a quick sigh after that and shook her head. “I’m sorry I- I nearly drug the whole class down in one night. I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow. Thanks for the pep talk Nishi.”

“Any time. Also, you know you can talk to me, right?” I asked her sincerely and with more than a hint of concern in my tone.

“Yes, I realize that,” Sama replied with a sigh. “Again, thanks for the offer Nishi but I think I’ll be fine. I’m- sure I’m just feeling tired from the events of today and I’ll be better in the morning when I’ve had time to sleep.”

“I’m not going to lie, I like the thought of putting this day behind us,” Koike remarked with a weary smile from the right of where Sama sat. “I mean, I’m not going to forget about what happened, but it's about time this day came to a close.”

“I do concur Ms. Juichi. Today hasn’t been a pleasant day by any stretch of the imagination,” Senji said as he looked up from his meal and looked around the table. “Tomorrow we are going to need to get our bearings. Though for tonight, I believe it may be best if we just ate and got some rest.”

I nodded at that. Knowing Monokuma, he wasn’t going to make it easy. But we were going to have to reorient ourselves if we were to have any chance of actually getting out of this lodge with our lives.

And so, I ate and took the dosage of pain medicine prescribed on the back of the bottle. The food, of course, was spot on and while it wasn’t as good as Senji’s cooking, it was better than anything that I could have made. However, the meal was silent after that and for good reason. The post-trial fatigue was one greater than the last two trials combined and I was nearly shot after the second one. I got the occasional thank you of course and everyone seemed to be grateful towards me, but for the most part, we all just focused on eating our food. Because what should have been a joyous experience had turned into the aftermath of a struggle for our survival and this was the time where we counted our casualties.

Truth be told, it made me realize that I wasn’t sure how long the group could hold itself together. This was like a story without a hero where a group’s numbers slowly dwindled until everything fell apart. But the story needed a hero. It needed someone to find all the culprits before we slipped up, figure out how to get out of here, and keep everyone from plunging into despair like Monokuma so richly wants us to. That was the one thought that coursed through my mind as I finished up my dinner.

After that, I did what several other people did. I got up, took my plate, and headed through the double doors and into the kitchen. Nobody was happy with the outcome of the trial and there wasn’t any end in sight but that didn’t mean that I had any excuse not to clean up after myself. Especially not if I was going to try to help everyone who needed it to get back into the swing of things. So, I laid my plate as well as my utensils down in the sink and headed towards the back door.

As soon as I made my way through the double doors to where the loop around the greenhouse was at, I came to the realization that it would be a good time for me to get myself another knife to replace the one I lost. I wasn’t particularly worried about waiting until tomorrow, but there was no reason to wait and I might as well get it out of the way.

So, with a shrug, I made my way past the entrance and the supply closet, to the stairwell on the far end of the hallway past where it crossed with another hallway, down the stairwell, past the incinerator, and to the entrance of the storage room. From there, I simply opened the door and stepped inside. All without any major incidents. However, I scarcely took two steps forward when Monokuma sprang out of nowhere in front of me.

“Trying to get an early advantage Nishi?” Monokuma goaded before he made a mockery of a cute pose that didn’t look cute in the slightest. “They grow up so fast.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m only here to grab something I lost and leave.” I said as neutrally as possible though the irritation did show as I strode past the teddy bear to where the knives were behind the door that opened after the first class trial.

Monokuma kept up at a surprisingly brisk pace and more or less ignored what I had to say. “I’m talking about what’s behind the latest door of course. Aren’t you even the slightest bit interested? I don’t have it ready yet but it's going to have a nifty little secret that the next culprit might be able to use to their advantage. If you come back at 1:34 am, you can get an early peak.”

“If you’re trying to goad me into killing somebody the answer is no,” I flatly replied as I lifted the lid off of the box with the knives, took one out, and examined the blade. “I’ll simply come back once you’ve announced the opening of the next floor. It's worked for me every time up until this point, I’m sure it will work again.”

But as I placed the lid back, pocketed the knife, and began to leave, Monokuma just stood there and made one more remark. “You know Nishi. If you were the graduate, there wouldn't be any more attempts on your life.”

At that, I stopped in front of the door. It was true that I didn’t want to experience any more attempts on my life and it was true that I longed for the day that I wouldn’t have to live under the constant threat of death, but there was absolutely no way I was going to take the life of another person. It wasn’t that I doubted that I could get away with it, but doing so would mean personally ending someone’s life and dooming everyone else to Monokuma’s punishments. Suffice to say, I didn’t consider it for even a moment.

“No dice Monokuma. Good night and good bye,” I replied without so much as bothering to turn around. After that, I pushed through the door and made my way into the hallway. It was only after that that I smiled at the irony of realizing that I ditched Monokuma like he always did to us and I muttered one last comment to nobody in particular. “Good bye and good riddance.”

Then, as the door closed behind me completely, I headed off to my room. All the while, thoughts of what was behind the fourth door spun in my mind. Considering the fact that Sasori committed murder because of a key that he found, it really wouldn't have been a bad idea to see if there were anything to watch out for. But as I thought about that, I felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over me. The truth was that I was too tired for this anyways. Besides that, Monokuma was trying to goad me into killing someone and it probably wasn’t worth it to spend time with him until he figured out some way to mess with me. Regardless, I made my way to my room without any incidents though when I turned the corner and reached it, Tanabe was waiting for me.

“Hey Nishi,” Tanabe said calmly. “I imagine you want to get to bed so I am going to keep this brief. The- we seem to be losing it but thank you for holding our sanity together. Your offers and you little speech where you talked sense into most of us, myself included, haven’t gone unnoticed. There may not be a way to get out of here without killing someone. But I’m going to do everything I can to find a way out.”

“Thanks,” Was about all I could think of to say to that before something else came to mind. “I just wish someone would come to save us.”

“I think we have to save ourselves Nishi,” Tanabe replied darkly. “That said, we have made some progress in exploring the lodge. I can’t believe I lost sight of that. Maybe- just maybe you’re right. We just might succeed if we all do our parts like you or someone suggested. Not that you don’t already know that. You’ve done more than enough.”

I don’t know what the reason was. It could have been the mention of everyone’s suffering, the wake of Sasori’s actions, or Monokuma’s constant irritation towards us. But some combination of those factors made me come to a realization. And when I did, I didn’t know why, but I felt compelled to tell Tanabe.

“I’m going to stop you there,” I replied as I held out my right hand to make a stop motion. “I’ve been a bit selfish and- well while I have tried to help the group as a whole, I’ve done a lot to protect myself. I should have paid more attention to Sasori-”

Before I could finish, Tanabe gave a weak smile and interrupted me. “Don’t blame what Sasori did on yourself. He tricked all of us. Why, if it weren’t for you Nishi, it would be him standing and us facing our untimely deaths. And all this in spite of what he did to you. I can’t think of any way you could be more involved. You’re already a hero as things are right now.”

“I wouldn’t call myself a hero per se,” I replied modestly enough. “I mean, I’m just doing what anyone in my position would do. But thanks for the compliment.”

“I guess you’re right but still, you are a cut above us Nishi. You’re already doing more than enough but if you want to do more, it’s not too late,” Tanabe said as he fought off another yawn. “Anyways, I’m heading to bed now. It's been a big day today and not in a fun way. Good night Nishi. Try to think on what I said.”

“Good night Tanabe.” I replied with a single wave.

At that, I turned towards my door, pulled out my ElectroID, swiped my way in, stepped inside, and closed the door behind myself all as Tanabe made his way towards his own room undoubtedly. It then that I breathed a deep sigh as I had grown into the habit of doing. The truth was, it was a very long day just like Tanabe said. We are down by two more people, my head doesn’t hurt but it did and probably will in the morning, there is no end to the killing game in sight, and everyone’s morale isn’t the same as it was before.

But at the same time, I thought about what Tanabe said. Nobody was going to give up and it wasn’t too late for me to step up and try to aid the group in every way that they’d let me. Perhaps I could work on improving their lives tomorrow. After all, I owe my own to some of their efforts.

*(This will be the start of my stand against Monokuma.)*

I soon as the thought ended, I felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over me. And as I looked at my nightstand, I knew that it was time to get ready to sleep. Just like exploration, the plotting could wait for tomorrow. So, like so many times before, I did the same routine. I put my knife, two recorders, a watch, and now my pain killers on my nightstand. From there, I washed up, brushed my teeth, changed into my clothes, slipped into bed, and turned out the lights. It was all the same run of the mill routine but at least nothing bad became of it.

As I started to drift to sleep, I couldn’t help but think about the less pleasant events of the day such as Eto’s untimely death, the attempt on my life, Sasori’s death, the Sasori’s big reveal to us. All stuff that was undoubtedly bound to haunt my dreams. Yet, I tried to focus on something more positive such as what I could do to help the group prevent another murder. I way to unify them after the setback that was today and the lives that we lost. Especially Eto. The truth was that I was going to miss her, but as my eyes closed and the dark of the night enveloped me, I promised for myself and for those who died that their deaths would not be in vain and that we would solve the mystery behind the many killing games. So, when I finally succumbed to unconsciousness, one final thought drifted through my mind.

*(Their deaths will not be for nothing. Tomorrow is the start of the end of these killing games.)*