~~

Chiaki had instructed that everyone meet at the ancient ruins. When you met the girl while exploring the new island for the first  time, you had requested that if she had found something, she would inform you of it.

It was of no doubt that she had clearly found something... And, if she was instructing *everyone* to meet at the ancient ruins... Then, it was definitely something big.

You and Kazuichi both walked together to the ancient ruins, making idle conversation. You aimed your head up as you both made it to your destination... Nagito was still absent.

"I'm getting kind of worried... I still have no idea where Nagito is... Is he okay?" You thought, as you bit your lip in distress.

"You okay, Miss (F/N)?" Kazuichi asked from beside you, bringing you out of your thoughts.

"Uh... Yeah?" You answered, although, it came out more like a question. "Why'd you ask?"

"Well, I notice that whenever you're stressed, or you're thinking, you bite your lip or the inside of your cheek." Kazuichi told you.

"...I do that?" You asked,

"Y-Yeah... You do it a lot, actually. I noticed it mostly in the class trial." Kazuichi told you.

"I didn't even notice it..." You muttered.

"O-Oh... I-I'm sorry if I weirded you out Miss (F/N)!" Kazuichi panicked. "It'd probably be weirded out if someone pointed out something about me that I didn't know I do a lot, i-it just sounds super weird and creepy rig-" Kazuichi started rambling, fumbling with his hands and not even looking at you in the eye, finding great interest in his yellow sneakers. As he was about to continue, a giant yell stopped him.

 "BIG SIS (F/N)!!" A very excited voice projected, making both you and Kazuichi look towards the direction it came from.

An excited Hiyoko, who was holding hands with Mahiru. Hiyoko looked like she was itching to just run to you, considering the fact she was basically bouncing in place. Mahiru, who was holding the child's hand. She was slightly piqued by the small child, but held a gallant smile that overpowered that feeling, as she saw you as well.

A small 'o' came out of your mouth before you turned to the pink haired mechanic next to you. "Hey, Kazuichi. Do you mind if I go talk to Hiyoko and Mahiru now...? I told them that after they finished bathing, I would tell them everything we found on the new island."

Even though Kazuichi was apprehensive about you leaving, he found it as a way to stop his embarrassing rambling. "S...Sure! Go ahead, I don't mind." He smiled, passively.

"Okay, thanks! I'll talk to you later." You told Kazuichi, as you made your way to the two girls. He watched as your pace picked up, hurrying away.

"Big Sis (F/N)!" Hiyoko cheered once you had gotten much closer to her. "I missed youuuuuu~!" She sang, detaching herself from Mahiru, and now entrapping your midsection with her small arms.

You laughed, using one of your arms to hug the girl back, and using your other to pat her head, lovingly. "Ah, haha! So, you guys wanna hear what's on this island?" You mused, as you put your elbow on Mahiru's shoulder, making sure not to convey too much weight onto her, so that none of your would fall. Mahiru nodded, gratefully, and you felt Hiyoko nod as well.

"Okay, so, first, we have these ancient ruins right here. It's as soon as you come to the island. It's kind of...oddly shaped, like it's not really meant to be an ancient ruin." You informed, and you were about to continue, before you heard a small groan.

"Who cares about some stupid ancient ruin! That's boring!" Hiyoko complained.

"It's still here regardless. But, anyways." You continued. "Next, there's a library, where Sonia and I actually found some interesting stuff... Moving on, there's a pharmacy. It's filled to the brims with prescription drugs, medicine, and things like that. After that, there's a diner that looks straight out of an old comic book. Checkered floors, red circle stools, red booths, all those things. Then, lastly, there's this really nice beach house. Like, extremely nice. It looks straight out of a film set. Since there's a beach house, there's also a beach, too. Monomi said the beach house's bathroom is out of order, and that she prohibits us from changing there, for it's 'against the rules'." You said.

"Ugh! That stupid rabbit! It totally blows that we can't go to that beach!" Hiyoko huffed.

"Well, actually, we can still go to the beach if we change beforehand. The only thing that's actually prohibited is just changing there." You informed.

"I guess it's lucky that we can't, so that way the boys won't try and look at us while we're changing." Mahiru stated. "But, do you know why we're here...?"

"Well, Chiaki told me to come to the ancient ruins quote, 'as soon as possible' unquote." You mentioned. "I assume she found something if she's calling everyone here..."

"What the heck is this...? Such a gigantic building." Nekomaru spoke out.

"However, it is clearly faded... It looks like an ancient ruin." Sonia stated.

"It seems... Perhaps this is an actual ancient ruin?" Peko wondered aloud.

"It could be, but... The shape seems a bit off... Like, it's not actually meant to be an ancient ruin..." You spoke.

"H-How should I say this..." Mahiru muttered. " Don't you think this building...resembles a school?" 

You made a small 'o' shape with your mouth, lightly pointing at Mahiru and whispering "Smart."

"It... It kinda... It kinda looks like... Hope's Peak Academy..." You thought, before you shook your head. "No, no... There are a bunch of buildings that could look like that... It's just a coincidence..."

"...You found something, right Chiaki? What did you find?" Kazuichi asked.

"I'll fucking cut you if this is a waste of time." The one and only Fuyuhiko threatened. At first, you didn't even notice he was here with you all, but, now that you realized he was, your sourness from your first encounter today had returned.

And now, well,  you wanted to be mean.

"Well well well! If it isn't our grand Yakuza boss." You exclaimed, extravagantly, a tacky smile plastered onto your face. "What's that I hear? Another empty threat to try and uphold your Ultimate title, hm?" You tipped your head to the side, as you could already feel the anxious energy from your classmates, accompanied by the now angry energy from Fuyuhiko, and the giddy energy now emitting from Hiyoko.

"...At least my talent actually does something in my life." Fuyuhiko retorted, rather weakly, at that. "You are the future our grandparents are worried about. You have no redeeming qualities at all."

"No redeeming qualities?... I'm hot!" You said back, as he was about to open his mouth again. "Also my grandparents are dead."

Practically everyone had to hold in their laugh. 

Except, of course, Hiyoko.

"Oh wow Big Sis (F/N)! You really got him good!" She cackled, as you smiled, ruffling her hair.

"Anyways, Chiaki, what did you find?" You asked, completely ignoring what you just did.

"...Oh, yeah." Chiaki remembered.

"Did you maybe find a way off this island?" Ibuki asked, hope bubbling inside her. (i probably just summoned nagito saying that i- neways)

"Nope. Nothing like that." Chiaki stated.

"Aww, then who cares? I should have played in the bath with Mahiru more." Hiyoko pouted. "But, then I wouldn't be here with Big Sis (F/N)..."

"Then...what in the world did you find?" Gundham asked.

"So, Chiaki, what did you find?" You asked as well. "Does it have something to do with this island's secret?"

"Hmm, about that...I don't know." Chiaki responded quietly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Peko asked.

"...It's like it doesn't belong with a building like this... I keep thinking about it and it feels unnatural." Chiaki said "It's like...a comic book originally about baseball becoming a side-scrolling action game... It's unnatural like that."

"...That's a little hard to understand." Hajime uttered.

"Look, the door over there." Chiaki said, turning to the ruins. Although there was a massive amount of dust covering its entirety.

"...That one?" You pointed.

"Yeah, it looks like that's the door to the ruin." Chiaki said.

"So what's wrong with this door? Can you go inside?" Mahiru questioned.

"Before we attempt going inside... Let's try brushing off some of this dust and clearing some of these root things off the door." Chiaki instructed. "If you do... I'm pretty sure you'll understand what I mean by 'unnatural'."

"I don't really understand...but I guess we should try what she says." Kazuichi sighed.

And so, you and a few other people had approached the door, clearing off its thick layers of dust along with the abnormal roots that also seemed to grow around it. The dust was so incredibly thick that it had made you cough a few times, and even made you take off your jacket because of the amount of residue it left.

You took a few steps back as you took in full detail of the door you had all just cleaned. And, the result was... Odd.

"This is...weird..." You muttered. "It doesn't feel like this door belongs in an ancient ruin..."

"It's like...a door from a sci-if movie, don't you think? It definitely doesn't fit with an ancient ruin..." Mahiru said from beside you.

"And...what is this symbol on the door?" Hajime muttered.

"Hmm...it looks like it's Japanese..." Nekomaru mentioned.

"Ah, you're totally right!" Ibuki chimed.

"Not just Japanese... But it looks exactly like the letters that are on the hotel..." You mused. "What was it? 'Mirai'?... 'Future'?"

"Hey, who cares about a symbol on the door!?" Fuyuhiko exclaimed. "More importantly...how do you open it? What's inside?"

"It looks like there's a liquid crystal display next to the door... Could the two be related?" Mahiru pondered, as you murmured a small 'ooo, smart' in regards to the redhead next to you.

"Oh, right! That must be the key to open the door!" Fuyuhiko said. "It's probably set to open when you type the password!"

"Acting all high and mighty... So what's next?" Hiyoko hummed.

"Well, I think the account of the password is what would be next." You uttered. "It'd be really mindless to type in a password without any hints as to what it is."

"Well, maybe if we just type whatever...we might get it right..." Fuyuhiko muttered.

"...That might've been the most inane thing that has come out of your mouth thus far." You deadpanned.

"The fuck do you mean 'inane'!?" Fuyuhiko asked.

"Because, right next to the panel is a gun. Don't you see it? Or are you too short." You mused, completely ignoring the flaming Yakuza. 

"G-Gun..." A small stutter left Hajime's mouth. "Huh!? That's a gun!?" He panicked.

You hummed in response, because it was, in fact, a gun. "If you were to type in the wrong password, you'd probably be shot until you were nothing but deteriorating flesh and bones."

"Dammit...!" A small strain left Fuyuhiko. "I-It can't be helped... Looks like...it's better if we don't mess with it...for now..."

You mindlessly smirked, knowing that Fuyuhiko was trying his hardest not to acknowledge the fact that you, of all people, had argued him wrong.

"Kehehe...he's totally freaked out... Maybe by the fact that Big Sis (F/N) proved him totally wrong..." Hiyoko giggled sadistically.

"Goddammit Hiyoko-"

"Sh-Shut the hell up! She didn't prove anything! Anyone could've done that!" Fuyuhiko raged.

"But still...a building that looks like an ancient ruin, with a door that looks like it's from a sci-if film... It's definitely unnatural. This is probably an important place." Chiaki concluded.

"Important place, huh... The problem is, how is it important?" Kazuichi asked, open-endedly.

So, of course, Monomi popped up. "Um..."

Not only her, but Monokuma popped up as well. "Um..."

"Oh jesus in my-"

"...You're both quiet?" Peko muttered.

"You guys know about things buildin' too, right!? Just be honest with us!" Akane yelled.

"No...I have no... I have no idea at all..." Monomi wallowed, as she began sweating furiously.

"I...don't know either..." Monokuma huffed.

"For now...everyone should focus on gathering the Hope Fragments..." Monomi uttered.

"Hey, there's no way you guys don't know! Don't just show up and tell some lousy lies!" Kazuichi exclaimed.

"You guys are probably the ones who covered that door with dust, right?" Hiyoko pondered.

"Ah, just as I thought, you guys were hiding it on purpose, right...?" Mikan spoke, timidly.

"Hey, don't talk like we're equals, you trashy bitch!" Hiyoko sneered, making Mikan apologize.

"Say you're sorry, bitch!" Hiyoko ordered.

"I-I just said it! I just said...I'm sorry!" Mikan cried.

"Hiyoko, stop." You said.

"Is it possible that...there is a connection between this door and the reason this island is uninhabited?" Nekomaru wondered aloud. "For example, this place might be a shelter, and there might be natives inside."

"Is something happening that would make them hide in a shelter? If so...we're all screwed." Mahiru expressed.

"Hmmm, several possibilities cross my mind." Monokuma said, a slight teasing edge to his voice. "But it looks like there's no way to confirm it yet. That door is really sturdy."

"Then why don't you, I dunno', open it for us?" You quipped.

"Not in the *material* sense. It's more essential than that." Monokuma said, before he bashfully looked at his feet, shuffling them. "Plus... I can't even get inside myself."

"Huh? What're you talking about?" Akane asked.

"Even though Monomi and I can come and go as we please, we can't enter what's beyond that door." Monokuma clarified. 

"Huh? You can't go inside, too? Does that mean you're the same as me and—" Monomi began to speak, before being swiftly interrupted by... Monokuma's fist.

"Ah, yes. We can't go an interaction between the two of them where Monomi doesn't get hurt by Monokuma."

"There...now that I've shut up my sister with a fantastic Pegasus Meteor Fist... This is the mystery of Jabberwock Island. A mystery that even Monomi and I can't solve." Monokuma said. "That's why I have high expectations for you guys! One day, you'll be able to solve that mystery!"

"Heh, that seems easy enough... All we gotta do is remember what that black and white tanuki  said before." Fuyuhiko stated. 

"There's a traitor among us... That's what that ugly tanuki said before." Hiyoko said.

Monokuma laughed. "Calling me ugly and a tanuki... Those kinds of silly names don't depress me in the slightest!"

"He's totally depressed!" Ibuki sang.

"If there's a 'traitor,' they probably know how to open the door, right? And there's probably boats or a way to contact the outside world beyond that door." Fuyuhiko said.

"Or...maybe whoever's controlling Monokuma and Monomi is hiding there!" Mahiru gasped.

"B-But...do you really think there's a traitor among us?" Mikan quivered.

"Of course there is! Who the hell is it!? Hurry up and confess!" Fuyuhiko demanded.

"Well, if there was a traitor, they definitely wouldn't just confess right away... That'd be like shooting themselves in the foot." You stated.

"Oh yeah? Is it because *you're* the traitor?" Fuyuhiko glared.

"S-Stop it! Th-There isn't... There's no traitor...anywhere!" Monomi cried.

"Monokuma...what about you? You're the one who mentioned it..." Fuyuhiko asked. "Better yet, am I right? Is this whore the traitor?"

You rolled your eyes.

"Puhuhuhuhuhuhu~" Monokuma giggled.

"...What's so funny?" Gundham asked. "You better not be laughing if our dearest Angel is the traitor...which I would...refuse to believe..." He trailed off.

"Upupup~! I'm not giving any spoilers about who the traitor is! I don't want to ruin the journey for the people reading this!" Monokuma smiled. "But, have you guys ever heard if an organization called World Ender?"

"Who the hell is 'reading this'? They must be fucked up with no lives."

"...World Ender?" Hajime uttered.

"I-I'm the one asking you a questioned! Don't change the subject!" Fuyuhiko stated.

"I understand why'd you want to ignore it... World ender is such an embarrassing name." Monokuma rang. "So embarrassing that only middle school students...no, wait, elementary school students would come up with it. But the name is unavoidable because that organization actually exists!"

"So what is this...organization?" Peko asked.

"It's literally what it says... Those guys ended the world!" Monokuma exclaimed.

"E-Ended the world!?" Mikan yelped.

"...That's now an overstatement or a metaphor, you know. Those guys really did end the world." Monokuma informed. "So don't you think it's appropriate to call them World Ender?"

"You mean...they're a terrorist organization...?" Peko asked, slight nervousness tainted into her monotonous voice.

"Terrorist, huh... That might be accurate." Monokuma hummed. "But only losers are terrorists. If they manage to win, they become 'heroes'. In that sense...they're more like heroes. They're the heroes who ended the world!"

"S-So what? Don't say things that don't make sense!" Mahiru stuttered. "Don't tell me you're gonna say this organization is the one putting us through all this crap...?"

"World Ender... Are you saying that you and Monomi...are also members of that organization?" Nekomaru asked.

"Who knows~? The only thing I can tell you is... The organization that the traitor is working for, the ones who brought you to this island... World Ender is behind it all." Monokuma said.

"Wh-Why are we being targeted by a h-horrifying organization like that!?" Kazuichi yelled, horrified.

"Don't panic... It's just another made up story to trick us, like when he said we lost our school memories." Peko stated. "I can't suspend my disbelief for something as ridiculous as 'World Ender'... There's no way that organization...or the traitor exists!"

"Monokuma...I shall listen to you spout nonsense all you want, while I puff cigar smoke at your lifeless body." Gundham said.

"My, my...I was kind enough to keep you guys informed. Are you calling me a liar!?" Monokuma pouted.

You bit your lip. In all honesty, you were more inclined to believe Monokuma... Something you had noticed the whole 'Killing School Trip' debacle started, is that Monokuma was more inclined to tell the truth than Monomi was... Monomi was often spirited into believing in others and *hiding* the harsh reality from you all. Monokuma was basically the opposite side of the coin... Despite the fact that Monokuma was annoying, and, kind of a masochist, he actually told more of the harsh truth than Monomi did... Would it be smarter to believe him?

"Gnnnngh...if you keep acting like that, I'll do 'this' and 'that' to you various body parts...!" Monokuma threatened. "Anyway, I'm telling the truth! The World Ender organization is the final boss of this island! Plus, one of their members is hiding among you guys! That's why...you gotta find that traitor and kill them dead!"

"H-Hey! You better stop..." Monomi exclaimed.

"Shut up, Monomi! Big brother-defying trash like you needs to be punished!" Monokuma said, quickly grabbing Monomi.

"Noooo! Don't pull my ears! They're gonna come...come off!" Monomi cried.

Monokuma and Monomi left the area promptly, leaving you and everyone else dazed and confused.

"Wh-What was that...just now...?" Hajime uttered, breaking the silence. 

"Is there...anybody who understood what he was talking about...?" Kazuichi asked.

"...I think I kind of got it..." You mumbled. "The organization, World Ender, basically ended the world, and are our whole reason for being stationed on this island... And, supposedly, one of us, is a traitor, who is working with World Ender, and probably knows our reason for being here." You explained.

"Th-That's quite the lengthy explanation..." Hajime muttered, making you slightly widen your eyes.

"Mmm, I don't think it's much to look into..." Chiaki said, softly. "It's not weird, she just knew what Monokuma was talking about..." She lightly smiled.

"Yeah, Big Sis (F/N) isn't the traitor!" Hiyoko said, hugging your waist. "So don't accuse her you moron!"

You gave a small smile to the small girl, and she gave a big, bright smile back.

"For now...since the sun is setting, we should just go home for the day..." Chiaki said, emitting a yawn. "I think...it's a waste of time for us to keep thinking about this... Plus, I'm getting sleepy..."

"But it's getting dark soon, so going home might be a better idea." Mahiru said.

Home... What did that word even mean in a circumstance like this?

"...Let's just call it a day." Mahiru said, as everyone nodded and stated their goodbyes... Hiyoko was still attached to your waist, and Mahiru was still beside the two of you as you all walked back to the main island.

"...Are you sure that you don't want that dress back?" You asked Mahiru for a final time. She waved her hands in front of her, a closed eye smile showing on her face.

"No, I'm serious! Keep it!" She said. "It looks great on you! Think of it as a gift!

You lightly stuck out your bottom lip. "Awh... You're such a sweetheart, Mahiru." You gleamed, making the redhead turn a slight strawberry-cream hue.

"Big Sis (F/N) is right, Big Sis Mahiru!" Hiyoko spoke from beside you. "You're super nice!"

"Well, thank you too, Hiyoko." Mahiru smiled, as you all found yourselves in the cottage area, the small blue of the night sky beginning to peek.

"Well, time to part." You said, emitting a small whine from the traditional dancer.

"But I don't wanna let go of you Big Sis (F/NNNN)~" She sighed.

"I'm gonna see you tomorrow... It's just a night." You said.

"Fine." Hiyoko pouted. "But the second I see you in the morning, I'm gonna give you a biiiiiig hug! Maybe even a giant kiss!"

"Sure, Hiyoko, I'll make sure to catch you." You smiled.

"You better! Or else I'm gonna poke you with one of your own needles!" Hiyoko threatened. "Goodnight, Big Sis (F/N)! I love youuu~!""

"Goodnight, Hiyoko!" You waved. "Goodnight to you too, Mahiru."

"Goodnight (F/N)! See you in the morning!" Mahiru smiled, waving you off as well, before you all entered your retrospective cottages.

Closing your cottage door softly, you went through an almost robotic routine as you had done all the previous nights before. There was nothing to do, anyway. But, with all the new information that had been, and is currently being, uncovered. 

Ancient ruins...

Strange doors...

Traitors...

"I mean, if I think about who the traitor could be..." You thought to yourself. "Peko is extremely secluded, and that sense of mystery and centered ness could warrant her as the traitor... Although, I kind of suspect something is going on between her and Fuyuhiko... Mahiru is pretty headstrong, I don't think it's her... Hiyoko could be the traitor, her mean personality could be a front... I doubt Sonia could be the traitor, whoever's keeping us here is very unlikely to bribe her with anything, she's, quite literally, a princess... But, she could be doing it for a sadistic reason, it doesn't really seem like her though, she's much too sweet for that... I don't think Fuyuhiko is the traitor, I just think he's stubborn... I don't think Hajime is the traitor, either. It's kind of weird how we don't know what his ultimate is, and that he apparently doesn't know either... I think I just mostly *hope* it isn't him. All the things against him have a slightly stronger possibility of being the traitor... It's probably not Kazuichi, or Ibuki... Probably not Akane or Nekomaru, either... Mikan has a small possibility of being the traitor, her timid personality could also be an act... Chiaki... Probably not, I don't think she is. Gundham is...mysterious, but, I think I've kind of managed to get past that small front, and I don't think it's him. It can't be Byakuya or Teruteru... Or else Monokuma would've said something about it... And, maybe Nagito...? It'd probably be unlikely based on how he was in the class trial..." You deducted in your head, as you tried making yourself comfortable in the covers of your bed

"Speaking of which... I'm really nervous for him now... Damn, I shouldn't have 'allowed' Akane to punch him after the class trial, maybe I was too harsh... I'm seriously worried for him now. Is he okay?" You thought in distress, turning on your side while covering your entire body with the blanket.

"Fuck it, I need sleep..." You muttered, lowly to yourself, as you closed your eyes, and tried to force your body to succumb. Maybe then, could your thoughts be straight...

(unlike you, the reader. yes i'm fucking talking to you. i just know. trust me. i do.)

—

Well, sleeping didn't do much.

If anything, nothing at all.

Despite your efforts, pulling your blanket over your head while closing your eyes, you got a rough, approximate four-ish hours of sleep.

Sluggishly, you hauled yourself out of bed and put on all your clothes, along with the rest of your standard morning routine. There were small, dark-ish bags barely beginning to form under your eyes...

Nothing a bit of concealer can't fix, right?

"Old habits die hard..." You muttered to yourself, as you blended the concealer to cover your slight-ish eye bags.

"Do I have enough time to go to Rocketpunch and get another energy drink?" You wondered to yourself, before looking at the clock. "Dammit, I don't... I need to meet everyone at the hotel restaurant."

You wiggled into your jacket as you walked out of your cabin, and making your way to the hotel restaurant. On entry, you immediately noticed that everyone was there...

Everyone, except...Nagito...

"Miss (F/N)! You're here!" The familiar voice of Kazuichi rang, as his mood brightened at your appearance.

"Hi..." You responded back. 

"You came at the right time, what do you think?" Kazuichi asked you, giving you absolutely zero context.

"...What do I think about...?" You asked, slightly confused.

"Oh, s-sorry! I'm talking about the stuff Monokuma told us yesterday, about World Ender and the traitor." Kazuichi said. "I-I should've given you more context, that's on me...!"

"Oh... I don't really know anything about either of them, I haven't given it too much thought..." You said, the small lie slipping out from your lips.

"It's kind of obvious none of us would know anything about it since last night... That goes for me, too." Mahiru spoke.

"I didn't get enough sleep last night because of that baffling nonsense." Peko confessed.

"B-But...I wonder if it's really true... That there's a traitor among us..." Mikan uttered, timidly.

"No need to worry! You don't have to worry about the traitor at all!" Nekomaru stated aloud, surprising the majority of you.

"H-However...if, by chance, a worst-case scenario..." Mikan quivered.

"Impossible! Even in a worst case-scenario! You don't have to worry about the traitor!" Nekomaru yelled.

"What do you mean? You're being awfully certain about it." Hiyoko wondered.

"Of course! In fact, that so-called traitor is tied up at the moment and can't move at all!" Nekomaru revealed.

"...Huh." Hajime uttered.

"Tied up...you say..." Sonia mumbled.

"Y...You don't mean..." You spoke quietly. "...Are you...talking about Nagito...?"

"Who else could it be!? Nagito's the traaaaaitor!!!" Nekomaru bellowed.

"Wh-What about that other part? Where you said he was tied up and can't move..." Hajime asked, nervously

"..." Nekomaru stayed silent, before harshly gripping the sides of his head. "AW CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPP!!!" He yelled. "H-Hey, Kazuichi! What should we do!?"

Immediately, your head whipped to Kazuichi, who seemed panicked to have been found out.

"Dumbass! Don't rope me into this! They'll find out we worked together to..." Kazuichi spoke, trailing off as he was about to expose his actions even further. "...Aw crap!"

"You guys are both idiots!" Hiyoko laughed.

"Kazuichi." You said lowly. "Tell us...right now. What did you and Nekomaru do to Nagito."

"M-M-M-Miss (F-F/N)!!" He babbled. You only approached him, before harshly grabbing the front of his jumpsuit, and pulling him (up/down/forward) to meet your stern gaze.

"Kazuichi." You said, your voice dropping. "Tell. Us. Now."

Kazuichi gulped harshly, as a blossom of red grew on his face...had it be from your proximity to him, the way your voice dropped, or the fear of now having to tell everyone what he and Nekomaru had done, maybe even all three, you didn't know.

"W-Well...you know..." Kazuichi muttered. "There's no way we can let him run around free! I mean, he tried to put us all in danger, you know!"

"...B-But why the fuck would you guys tie him up...!?" You sighed heavily, as you detached your hand from Kazuichi's jumpsuit, slightly pushing yourself away in the process.

"Kehehe... The lowlife has fallen to the Angel's whiles... Such a weak individual." Gundham chuckled.

"Hey man! I'm not a lowlife... Plus, you would've done the same! It was super fucking hot the way Miss (F/N) grabbed me!" Kazuichi exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Gundham.

"Sir, this is a hotel restaurant..."

"Teruteru committed a murder because that guy tempted him, right...?" Nekomaru spoke. "So that makes him a killer too! It's necessary to deal with him in an appropriate way."

"So that's why you left him tied up..." Peko spoke. "However...that cannot be helped. He is quite dangerous."

"Just because he's 'dangerous' doesn't meant that he needs to be subdued to being tied up." You said.

"But, uhm... How should I put this...he's a little creepy... Ah, not that I want to badmouth him." Mikan said.

"He's not a little creepy, he's creepy to the max! His creepiness is so high he could sell tickets to see it!" Ibuki wailed.

"Hmph, that's truly a nice line. Every finger of my being agrees with you." Gundham said to Ibuki. "That's right, there is no existence more troublesome than that of an incomprehensible human. What they like and what they hate... What makes them happy, what makes them angry..." Gundham monologued. "It's normal for all beings to have standard rooted in experience so they can predict their opponent's actions. But at times...those standards do not work on certain opponents. Those are the most fearsome opponents of them all."

"You should be careful. You're teetering on the edge yourself." Mahiru scoffed. "Anyway, where did you two tie up Nagito."

"Th-The dining hall...in the o-old hotel building..." Kazuichi confessed.

"Th-That's where Byakuya got killed...!" Hajime uttered.

"He needs to reflect on what he did at that place..." Nekomaru stated.

"In the *dining hall*? Seriously!?" You exclaimed. "That place has no windows, he's gonna be lying there in constant darkness, he might go insane!... Well, more insane..." You said. "Is Byakuya's body still there? What is he even gonna eat, or drink! Can he go to the bathroom? I can literally keep going."

"No, Byakuya's body wasn't there anymore..." Kazuichi said.

"But, what shall we do with Nagito at this point? Let's hear everyone's opinion." Peko stated.

"Hmm...it's not safe to let him walk around freely. There's no telling what he'll end up doing next..." Mahiru said.

"He's also the most likely person to be the traitor." Hiyoko stated.

"So isn't it okay if we just keep him tied up for a while?" Akane spoke through multiple mouthfuls of food.

"Oh my god... You're all horrible people." You whispered quietly under your breath. "Even though it would've been more rational for him to be on watch for someone... Fine. We can keep him tied up." You compromised bitterly. "But, he needs food and water. If he doesn't drink for three days, he'll die of dehydration."

"I-I know that already...!" Kazuichi said.

"Jeez...I didn't expect you two would so something like that..." Mahiru scoffed.

"I wish you'd treat it more like an achievement." Kazuichi chuckled nervously.

"Teehee...and I thought that tiny boy was up to something again..." Hiyoko laughed.

"Who are you calling 'tiny boy'?" A familiar but unexpected voice spoke... Fuyuhiko.

"Wah! You're here!?" Hiyoko gasped.

"It figures... You guys are messed up." Fuyuhiko muttered. "Is that what you guys do? If you don't like your 'buddy', you corner them... Tch, look at you sheep acting all righteous."

"What did you say...? We didn't do anything wrong!" Kazuichi said.

"Uh, yeah, you kind of did." You said. "Fuyuhiko's right. You guys are messed up. You are stripping a person of most basic necessities they need for life. That's doing something wrong."

"Miss (F/N)... I-I thought you'd be proud..." Kazuichi sulked. "But instead, you're agreeing with...him!"

"...Is that supposed to mean something? What Fuyuhiko said was right... Tying Nagito up was way too far of a move. If anything, someone could've kept an eye on him, put him on surveillance." You said. "Hell, I would've done it!"

"B-But that would put you in danger!" Kazuichi exclaimed.

"She can take care of herself, you know..." Fuyuhiko grumbled. "That bastard Nagito might be insane, but if someone were to watch him, there's more of a chance he wouldn't attempt anything..."

"So you're saying you *want* to put Miss (F/N) in danger!?" Kazuichi exclaimed again.

"That's not what I'm saying... What I'm saying is that if she were to watch Nagito, she could keep herself safe... She's not so much an idiot like you." Fuyuhiko said.

"I was just agreeing with you and you call me an idiot..." You sighed. "Well, ya' win some ya' loose some."

"Be quiet." Fuyuhiko ordered.

"Wh- I was literally agreeing with your point about tying someone up." You said.

"Yeah, and I backed you up saying you were self capable enough to watch that crazy-ass bastard Nagito... You're not useless." He said. "You're somewhat of an idiot... But not at all useless."

"Looks like there's one more bastard who needs to be tied up..." Kazuichi uttered.

"Try it if you dare, bastard!" Fuyuhiko yelled.

"Y-You can threaten me, but I'm not scared!" Kazuichi exclaimed. "B-Because... Because... Because you're just a pipsqueak without the Kuzuryu Clan to back you up!"

With a swift snap of your neck towards Kazuichi, your eyes widened and breath had stopped. Quickly backing up, you got away from the hellfire that was about to break.

"Wh-What did you say...!?" Fuyuhiko uttered, in both rage and disbelief.

"...Enough. Knock it off, you two." Peko calmly interjected, you drift your head towards the female. 

"Yet another moment where Peko is involved in a situation with Fuyuhiko... I'm so very certain they both know something..." You thought.

"..." Fuyuhiko stayed silent, "Y-You bastards...I'll make sure you regret that later...!" He uttered, as he made his way out of the hotel restaurant.

"Wh-What the heck... He's just a whiny loser!" Kazuichi grumbled.

"..." You also stayed silent, before sighing, and muttering. "I'm going back to my cottage... I can't deal with this right now..."

"M-Miss (F/N)...!" Kazuichi uttered, but it was already too late, as you were already at the bottom of the stairs. You heaved a sigh as you left the building, making a straight beeline for your cottage.

Upon immediate entry, you flopped yourself into the tattooing chair, tipping your head back with a giant sigh, that bordered a chuckle. "God, I'm about to go insane~..." You sang, bringing your head forward and messing with your hair. "The fuck am I gonna' do now...!?"

You tilted your head to the side, seeing the case of ink colors, as well as the tattoo machine, currently turned off.

"Should I...?" You thought, tipping your head to the side, before shaking it. "No, no....

...Maybe."

"No, I shouldn't."

"But I want to."

"But I don't have any ideas for one!"

"Bitch, make one then."

"Should I?"

"YES."

"Alright!" You exclaimed aloud, pulling the drawers of the desk and finding a few sheets of small paper and a simple ballpoint pen, immediately biting off the top whilst spinning the pen in-between your fingers. A solid eight ideas popped into your head, as you immediately started printing scribbles onto those pieces of paper in front of you.

—

You weren't at all keeping track of the time had past. All you knew was that now, multitudes of wips for designs were now plastered on your cottage walls.

It was until you looked outside your window that you realized you probably needed some human contact for the day.

Begrudgingly, you hauled yourself up from your chair and left your cottage.

"...Maybe I should investigate those weird ruins. Human contact can wait for now."

With that in mind, you set your sights to investigating the ruins on the second island. The walk was long, but as soon as those ruins invaded your (e/c) eyes, determination filled you.

Immediately, you circled around the side of the building, the multitude of roots and wafts of dust invading your senses, making you cough. Circling around the exterior of building, it was very, very large. Also, very dirty. The amount of overgrown roots that stuck up from the ground were everywhere, and the smaller roots and leaves kept sticking out from those original roots. They wrapped around the circumference, mostly, but still wrapped around the entire building.

The roots were very thick, and with that in mind...

You took off your jacket and left it on the floor, getting near one of the roots that was on the floor, and began climbing.

"(F/n) this is probably the stupidest idea you've acted on yet." You thought, as you climbed slightly higher.

You noticed a small patch of thinner roots all bunched up in one small area, grabbing your attention. 

Extending your hand, you used your arm strength to try and rip the small roots in batches. The roots were so intricately woven together that at times, it was almost impossible to rip them out. But, you still persevered.

After what felt like way too long, with your arm aching,  you managed to completely clear the patch. 

What the patch was covering seemed to be a sort of...window. But, you couldn't see anything past it. The other side of the window was completely pitch black. It almost looked like metal.

"Metal... like the metal plates in the dining hall!" You connected. "What in this building is so bad that there need to be these same metal plates inside?"

You sighed, realizing that there isn't too much evidence to think about. However, it could be extremely important later. Climbing down, you mentally stored the information; maybe you could tell somebody later.

"YOU!!!" A high pitched, enraged voice echoed as soon as you set foot on the dusty ground.

From there, Monokuma appeared in front of you. You silently rolled your eyes and groaned.

"Why are you snooping around?!!" He asked of you, steam coming out of his artificial bear ears. "You have no right going up and down these buildings!"

"Well, I kind of do." You rebutted, stretching out your arms. "I'm trying to figure out what's going on here because that World Ender organization keeping us captive. And, I'm trying to get out of here; so why wouldn't I explore this weird ruin? It's a massive clue."

"GAH!! You're so frustrating!!" Monokuma complained, stomping his paws on the dusty ground. "Fine! I'll let you off this time, but if I catch you sneaking around this place one more time, I'm gonna' take my machine gun and shoot you three-thousand times through your brain!!" He threatened.

"Y'know what, fine. Sure. I'll keep your word for it." You told, as he turned away from you.

"God, you're too smart, it's so frustrating..." He grumbled, before disappearing into the ground.

"Well I appreciate the compliment, but not the threat." You thought. "Dammit, I need a break."

Turning right, you began your walk towards the diner. Realistically, you didn't know if the diner actually had any forms of sustenance, but hey. It doesn't hurt to find out. And even if the diner doesn't have forms of sustenance, you could at least rest there.

The diner wasn't a long ways from the weird ruins, so the walk was pretty short. It was barely 4 minutes when the giant, rotating pig came into your line of sight, the diner feet away. You quickly walked over to the entrance.

You reached over to grab the handle, but just as you were about to grab it... it opened; and now, you were met face to face with the same daring red eyes you found yourself thinking about quite a lot. (this sounded fruity)

"Oh, Peko, hi." You smiled, as the swordwoman's eyes slightly widened.

"(F/N), hello." She replied, nonchalantly. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came here to investigate the weird ruins but then I finished, and I decided to come to the diner for a small break." You explained. "And you? What're you doing in the diner?"

"W-Well, I was taking a walk on the second island before stopping here to take a break." She said with a slight stammer, making you narrow your eyes, just barely.

"Hm." You hummed, before trying to reach for the other door to actually enter the diner.

"(F-F/N)!" She stammered, moving over to stop you. You raised your eyebrow, before asking her what she wanted.

"I do hope I am not burdening you, but I... I wish to spend some time with you. If you are free, of course." Peko asked, slightly bashful.

"Oh, really?" You questioned. "I'd love to spend some time with you! Where would you like to go?"

"Perhaps the beach house? I already checked the diner, there isn't much inside for food." Peko offered, as you nodded.

"Alright, let's get going." You nodded. Peko closed the diner doors behind her, swiftly, before quickly making her way to your side. 

More specifically, the side between you and the diner, as if she was trying to shield you from something inside the diner.

Being curious (and already having suspicions about the girl), you tried to subtly slow down while slightly cranning your neck to see if anything was inside.

But, the swordswoman was perceptive. Not only that, she was faster than you.

Not only did she catch up to you, she swiftly placed her hand on the small of your back to move you forward, and to guide you away from the diner windows.

You'd be lying if you said you expected it, or to say you weren't flustered, because you definitely were. Nevertheless, you let her guide you. I mean, having a pretty, strong woman guide you? Of course, who'd pass up the opportunity? Not (F/N), that's for sure.

Peko was also confused about her mannerisms. It was clear she didn't want you to see what (or more specifically, whom) was inside the diner. But the way she subconsciously placed her hand on the small of your back felt so off, but so, so comfortable to her. She didn't really understand.

Was she allowed to feel this way?

She liked it, but was she allowed to despite her current orders?

With all the thought swimming through the swordswoman's mind, the both of you had already arrived at the beach house. Peko only looked up, seeing the outer of the house made her grateful to snap out of her confused thoughts.

"I'm gonna' go inside and find a drink, m'kay?" You mentioned, leaving Peko's side as you were now ahead of her.

You really didn't wait for any response from her, already around the corner and inside the house, rummaging through the coolers for any drink that could catch your attention. None really did, so you settled for a chilled water bottle. You popped open the cap as you began walking out, before taking a better look at the interior of the beach house.

Aside from the door that you came in, there was the other door, a green color that was next to the bathroom that wasn't working. 

Curiosity got the best of you again, as you decided to open the green door to see to where exactly it lead.

Opening it, it lead to the path behind the house. It wasn't anything too special, but something told you you'd need to remember it for later.

Closing the door, you then decided to check out the broken bathrooms.

It was an unusually large space, with tile bordering on the floor and walls; it felt off putting, and usually still.

However, there was a singular window in the very top of the bathroom, which made the atmosphere even more creepy. This room gave off some very off putting energy. You swiftly left to go meet Peko outside.

It was unlike the Ultimate Swordswoman to be nervous about anything, her calm and cool demeanor overtaking most things. But, her thoughts were busied by her inner feelings. She mindlessly twiddled with her fingers before she heard the beach house door open. Immediately, she calmed herself before you sat down next to her.

"So, what'd you say you were on the second island for?" You asked her, taking another sip of your water.

"I didn't explore the island that much the first time, so I wanted to explore more thoroughly to see if there were any means of escaping." She exclaimed. "But, it is clear that there aren't any..." She sighed, before asking you the same question.

"For the same reason as you, but slightly different." You started. "Those weird ruins seemed off to me, so I decided to investigate it after breakfast. But, Monokuma found me after I discovered something, and forbade be from investigating anymore."

"That tanuki..." Peko mumbled, "He surely doesn't want us to find out the secret of the island."

You laughed, silently agreeing before the two of you went silent, the ocean waves washing over your hearing. The silence wasn't uncomfortable at all, no, but it was rather pleasant between both you and Peko.

"...What do you think of Fuyuhiko?" She asked abruptly, interrupting your calm silence. Confused, you look towards her, as her own expression showed light bashfulness, "I-I'm sorry, it just has been something I've been wondering about..."

"..." You stayed silent, before letting out an almost inaudible sigh, "There...really isn't much to say about him, honestly...it's abundantly clear that our 'relationship' towards each other isn't the best, that being said, I can't really say too many good things about him..." You bit the inside of your cheek.

"I understand. If someone called me a 'whore' upon meeting me for the first time, I wouldn't have the best impression of them either..." Peko sympathized, before a small connection went off in your brain.

"I never told her that he called me a whore when we first met."

You looked at her, that thought swarming your brain, as she only looked back blankly, as if she did not know what she said.

"...Did I ever tell you that? That he did call me a whore when we first met?" You mused, holding back a reaction when Peko's face turned into one of minuscule panic.

"E-Excuse me, but it was just an assumption of mine... Considering that is what he happens to call you when you two speak..." She muttered. 

"Well, your assumption was suspiciously correct..." You breathed, "but, honestly, I don't think Fuyuhiko is a bad person, I do believe that there is more to him, but we're just very hostile towards each other so it's not likely that I am going to build a relationship with him soon..." you sighed, "a shame."

"I agree with you." Peko said, nodding slightly. "I also think that if you managed to make a relationship with him, it'd be very beneficial..." She added, making you turn your head towards her, confused. "Obviously because we'd need to get along with everyone to escape."

"Yeah, I agree, we've seen what happened the first time..." You bit your lip, before thinking back on Peko's words. It all seemed much too coincidental for her to know.

"(F/N), you said you discovered something while exploring those odd ruins?" Peko asked, as you nodded, "If you do not mind, what is it you found...?" She asked, as you only nodded, getting ready to tell her your findings, but only one thing was going through your mind...

"Peko Pekoyama...what is it that you're hiding?"

~~

i planned for this chapter to be longer but i really felt like i needed to update for you guys :cries:

ANYWAYSS

i am currently on my summer break, meaning i am more likely to be writing and possibly updating more!

thank you all for not giving up on me :) <3

AKANE FTE NEXT!!

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please stay tuned for the next chapter my loves! thank you, and see you next time~!!<3