10 1.4 - The Letter

After breakfast, I headed back to my friend to think about what to do next. I kept thinking about Jin's motive video, and what could've possibly been on my motive video. If it was anything as threatening as that video, then I want no part of it. Ugh...damn it, I ate too much breakfast! Now my stomach isn't feeling well! For that, I decided to lay down on my bed for a few moments. I checked the clock in my room that read out 10:30 A.M., so I guess there's still plenty more to do today. I still have a while until that library meeting with who knows. I'll need to find someone to bring along just in case it's some kind of trap.

Just to be safe. You can never be sure of these things, not under these circumstances. Well, guess I should find a way to kill some time before then. Maybe I'll go get to know some of my other classmates better. Hell, we've got the entire day to do it, and plenty of things to keep us occupied until then, so why not? Let's just see who is around to talk to. With that, I left my room and pulled out my Monopad to get the map of the school area, since I still didn't know my way around the place entirely.

I started taking a small morning walk to free myself of those toxic thoughts. If I'm going to be stuck here, at least I'm going to something with my time. I walked around the halls for a little bit before I ran into Tenmon. He didn't really seem to be doing anything, and was probably as bored as I was. Why not get to know him better? Besides, I don't know too much about him, so it's a good place to get started. I began talking to him.

Hiroshi: "What's up, Tenmon? Having a nice day?"

Tenmon: "Seriously? There is a killing game going on and you ask me if I'm having a nice day? No. It's bad enough there are those motive videos to worry about, but I'm scared that someone is going to start the game."

Hiroshi: "I've been feeling kind of the same way, actually. But hey, I'm just walking around to kill time. So, are you free to talk or hang out or something like that?"

Tenmon took a few moments to respond.

Tenmon: "Ugh...yes. Normally, I wouldn't do this, but Atsuko said it's good for me if I spend more time socializing with the others. So yeah, I'm free, I guess."

Hiroshi: "She seems to be helping you a lot, Tenmon. What is she, your therapist or something?"

Tenmon: "It's not like that! Look...it's hard for me to talk to others. It's always been hard for me. But Atsuko...she makes me feel completely comfortable. I feel like she can actually relate to me on a deeper level, like she understands who I am. And she's also really caring, too. She's...I'm just fine talking to her about my feelings, okay?"

Hiroshi: "I don't want to antagonize you, you know. All I want is to spend some time with you, that's all. So what do you want to do?"

Tenmon: "You're asking me?"

Hiroshi: "What? I thought you'd be more comfortable doing something you enjoy."

Tenmon: "Ugh...I'd be fine just talking here."

Hiroshi: "Then...okay. Off to a good start, I see. How come you spend so much time with Atsuko, though? I know she understands you, but I don't see you talking to the rest of the students here very often."

Tenmon started to get very bugged, and also seemed to be getting kind of nervous, too.

Tenmon: "Well, I-I prefer not to socialize often. I'm mostly a loner type of person, but Atsuko...she's different. I always feel...well...happy when I'm around her. When I'm talking to her, she's always interested in what I have to say."

Hiroshi: "You sound...quite fond of her, actually. Almost like you have...feelings for-", he said with a naughty smirk.

Tenmon must've known what I was going to say, because he immediately cut me off.

Tenmon: "H-Hey! Don't go asking me about my love interests! Besides, I doubt she'd be interested in a guy like me. I mean, the l-last time I tried confessing to a girl I liked, she just looked at me and stormed off. Like I wasn't even there! It's always hard for me to speak up about my feelings with others..."

Hiroshi: "Come on, do you really think Atsuko would do anything like that to you? She's way too sweet to do anything like that, and besides, she's the Ultimate Match Maker of all people. If there's anyone you should be talking to about your feelings, it's her! I'm sure she'll understand if you just explain it to her."

Tenmon took a few moments to think before responding back. He seemed to be fidgeting a bit, too.

Tenmon: "M-Maybe...you could be right...hey, listen, I need a moment to think for myself, okay? I just need to sort things through. So please don't follow me."

Hiroshi: "Alright, then. Hope to see you around, Tenmon."

With that, the astronomer ran off to do his own thing, probably back to his room. I really hope I didn't give him the wrong impression. I didn't want him to feel bad or nervous about himself. I just wanted to help him out. Well, I guess I'll have to wait and see what he does. It seems I got a little closer to Tenmon today. Time to move on and do my own thing, now. Let's see, how much time do I have left before three o'clock? I checked my Monopad for the time, and it looked like I managed to burn a couple of good minutes so far (11:00 A.M.). I guess I should find something else to do in the meantime.

After that, I decided to head to the gymnasium to play some basketball with Haruto for a little bit to pass the time. I honestly got my ass handed to me by him, but hey, I expect no less from the Ultimate Basketball Star himself. He also gave me a few tips on how to practice my shooting before I left to the bistro for lunch period. (I got lazy and I didn't really want to write too much about this part, sorry). I got there kind of late. There, I grabbed some of the food prepared for us by Monokuma earlier, though I was a little skeptical of eating it at first because I thought he poisoned it.

I mean, it clearly sounds like the kind of thing that little demon bear would do, right? But it turns out the food was just fine, though. I took my tray and I sat at one of the tables next to Atsuko. There wasn't anyone else around, and I didn't exactly want to eat by myself. So I sat down right across from her. She seemed to be in a bit of an anxious mood, though. She was...shivering, I think, but not from anything cold. It was more like she was incredibly nervous...

Hiroshi: "Atsuko...are you alright? You're not acting well-"

She immediately noticed me, and for some reason, she snapped out of it, almost like she changed back to normal.

Atsuko: "OH! H-Hi there, Hiroshi. I didn't notice you there for a second...hehe, sorry about that. I've been so focused on this killing game going on that I can't think about anything else! I'm trying to be calm, but ever since that motive video came out...I-I just can't think straight!"

Hiroshi: "Well, you're definitely not the only one feeling that. I've been acting really frustrated, too. But just don't let it get to your head, okay?"

Atsuko: "Yeah...thanks for that."

For the rest of lunch, I tried to calm her down before we finished up eating. It was also close to around three, so I figured I should've gone to the library right now. But I wanted to bring along Atsuko with me, just in case this turned out to be a setup.

Hiroshi: "Hey, Atsuko, do you have any free time?"

At: "Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

Hi: "Last night, I got a letter from one of the other students. We're supposed to be meeting in the library at around three, but I have a feeling it might be a set-up. I want you to come along with me just in case."

Atsuko seemed kind of concerned with this.

Atsuko: "Hmm...no, I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, Hiroshi, but to me, it sounds very suspicious..."

Hiroshi: "What do you mean?"

Atsuko: "It just seems like a plan for you to kill me. D-Don't get the wrong idea, Hiroshi! I've been much more anxious lately, and I don't know who to trust at the moment!"

Actually, now that I think about it, I can understand why she would think that. If it had been someone else asking me this, I would suspect something of them, too. It's a good thing that she has her guard up. We're going to need it. Maybe I should also bring along another student, too, just so she feels safe.

Hiroshi: "If it makes you feel any safer, we can always bring along a third person, you know."

Atsuko: "Hmm...actually, yeah, that would be good. I'd be much less nervous if that were the case. Let's see who we can find."

We both left the bistro room and looked around for whoever we could find. Along the way, we ran back into Mariko, who seemed to be eager to join us to go to the library. We were fine if she came along, so then we made our way to the library room, where we found who it was that wanted us to be there. I admit, I was a little confused by why she wanted to see me now.

It turned out Ayano was near the back of the library, sitting at a table, holding some kind of file while drinking a cup of tea. She turned his attention to us and spoke up.

Ayano: "Ah, I see you got my note, Hiroshi. I wouldn't ever do this on a regular occasion, though, but these are different circumstances. I'm glad you also decided to listen to my instructions. You didn't come alone."

Why does she want to speak to me of all people? I thought she has her own personal partner, so why me, though? Let's just see what she has to say to me. Mariko, Atsuko and I decided to sit down next to her around the table, and then Ayano gave us a better look at what was in the envelope she found.

Hiroshi: "How come you wanted to see me, Ayano?"

Ayano: "I've found out something that could give us a clue about why we're here, and I think this clue could possibly relate to you, Hiroshi. Because from what I can tell, it might have something to do with the Reserve Course."

Hiroshi: "Wait, what is it? What did you find?"

Before I knew it, out of the black envelope, she pulled out a series of disturbing images before us. And when I say "disturbing", I mean that they probably would've given me nightmares for weeks on end. There were photos of a group of students from the Reserve Course who had been brutally murdered, stabbed, beaten to death, and all sorts of other gory, bloody details. Atsuko was so appalled by it that she threw up in her mouth, and Mariko's face went as pale as a ghost. Both of them shuddered just by looking at them.

I could tell the students in the photos were a part of the Reserve Course because of their uniforms, but what I saw in front of my eyes...I just...I just couldn't believe that someone would do something THIS twisted. This is looks something that Monokuma bear would definitely do. I was stuttering, completely lost for words.

Hiroshi: "I-I-I-I-I...w-w-what the f-"

Ayano: "I know it's hard to look at, and I'm sorry for mentally scarring you, Hiroshi, but this could be a clue to what happened to us, or should I say, how you ended up in all of this."

Hiroshi: "H-How the hell am I involved in any of this?! These students...I don't even recognize them!"

Ayano: "Then how about something else. Tell me this, Hiroshi: does an incident known as 'The Tragedy of Hope's Peak Academy' ring a bell to you?"

Hiroshi: "Hold on...what? I-I've got to try and remember..."

I was desperately trying to remember anything like this happening at the Reserve Course, but my mind came up blank. Ayano then pulled out some other papers from the envelope and showed them to us.

Ayano: "According to this file, it was 'The Biggest, Most Atrocious Incident in Hope's Peak High School'. It says that the members of the Student Council of Hope's Peak Academy were forced into a mutual killing game, sort of like us, except this one was much more unbalanced. There aren't a lot of other details about it, but this is about as much information as the document contains."

Hiroshi: "So...we weren't the only ones put into a killing game? There was...one before us?"

Ayano: "That's all I know right now. Unfortunately, the file didn't contain any names of the students involved in the killing game, so I don't know what to make of who exactly died. But that's not the point. The point is that something seriously mysterious must've been going on by the time of our disappearance."

Mariko: "Wha-what do you mean by that?"

Ayano: "Think about it. Hiroshi, I'm sure you would've remembered such a horrific event, especially since it involved the Reserve Course. I doubt this was covered up quickly. But then why can't he remember the mention of it? It really confuses me."

Mariko: "Monokuma must've done something to us! I mean, did any of you have any memory problems once you woke up here?"

We all nodded, and then Mariko continued.

Mariko: "That's exactly what happened to me. I wake up, and the first thing I know, my memory comes up blank. I couldn't remember how the hell I got here, or even what happened the night before that. It was like my memories weren't even there!"

Atsuko, after she was done throwing up in the garbage bin, returned to our group and responded.

Atsuko: "Ugh...maybe it's some kind of amnesia or something?"

Ayano: "No. We all seem to be experiencing some case of memory loss, so I don't think it's a simple case of amnesia."

Hiroshi: "But does this have anything to do with...um, you know..."

I pointed at the disturbing pictures because I was too disgusted to bring it up.

Ayano: "Maybe. It might explain why you don't remember hearing a thing about this happening. But for now, I don't know anything else about it. My partner and I are still looking into it."

Hiroshi: "Well, I guess it's better than knowing nothing at all. Even though it's, uh... emotionally scarring. I'm probably going to have nightmares of this."

Ayano: "I've had to investigate dead bodies before, many of them just as bad as this. For me, this isn't anything too shocking. But I am repulsed that something so barbaric could've occured."

There wasn't too much else interesting in the conversation left to talk about. After that, we all went our separate ways and decided to burn some extra time. For me, personally, I didn't do anything else for the rest of the day except stay in my room. Well, I did go during dinner time to meet with everyone else, but I figured I needed some time for myself tonight. You know, to clear my head of what I just saw, and to try and calm myself down. Just try not to get paranoid...hehe...try to get it out of your head. Besides, I snuck some books out of the library before I left in case I got bored, so I just started reading for the rest of my spare time. I think I continued doing it up until Monokuma gave the nighttime announcement again.

Monokuma: "Ahem, may I have your attention please? This is a school announcement. It is now 10 P.M., which means nighttime has officially started. Soon the doors to the bistro will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then! Sweet dreams everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite..."

After that, I fell into a very deep sleep, as my mind rested, hoping to hold onto sanity in these times of despair.

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The very next morning...

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*Ding, dong, bing, bong* (Day 3)

As I heard the morning announcement, I tiredly opened my eyes and tried to stay awake. Damn it, I could barely sleep last night. My forehead felt like I was having a massive headache. I definitely need some coffee, or something to keep me awake today. Monokuma wasted no time in making the morning announcement.

Monokuma: "Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 AM, which means nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"

I rose out of bed, still half-asleep, and rubbed my eyes. Slowly I pulled myself out of bed. I headed over to my drawer and pulled out a fresh set of clothes, and for the next half-hour I spent my time trying to freshen myself up. After that was done, I realized that I was running slightly late to breakfast this morning. In a panic, I left my room and made my way over to the bistro. Surprisingly, a few people gathered there by the time I got there. Turns out Ronin, Saburo, Myoki and Jin were already there.

Ronin: "Ah! Good morning, Hiroshi! Can you believe it? I was the first one here this morning!"

Jin: "Uh...good morning."

Myoki: "Hey, Hiroshi! Wassup?"

Saburo: "...Mornin'."

I was still confused on where everyone else was. I know the morning announcement occurred around half an hour ago, but I figured there'd be more people here by now. But then, out of seemingly nowhere, the announcement jingle began again.

*Ding, dong, ding, dong!*

Monokuma came up on the bistro TV screen. Apparently, he was in his own private room, holding a bottle of champagne.

Monokuma: "Attention, everyone! This is an announcement for all students attending Glendale Preparatory Academy! A body has been discovered! Everyone, please gather in the library, effective immediately! Once you're all there, I'll explain what you'll be doing next!"

When we heard those words, I could feel the blood in my veins run dry, goosebumps chilling down my spine. Someone is...seriously dead?? We all started looking around at each other, and they were just as shocked as I was.

Myoki: "SOMEONE'S BEEN MURDERED?!"

Saburo: "Wh-who is it? Who is the victim?! Come on, we gotta get there right fucking now!"

Without second thought, we all followed Saburo and ran out of the bistro, desperately on our way to the library.