Danganronpa: Poisoned Hope (Fanganronpa)

Chapter 5 - A Traitor's True Anguish - FTE: Kei, Mizuki

The next morning, I woke up as usual. After waking up to Monokuma's announcement every day, I've somehow gotten used to it.

By the time I left the dormitory, I guessed everyone was already at the dining hall having breakfast. However, that was debunked when I spotted a grey-haired girl in the distance, making her way as well.

"Good morning, Arashi!" I called out to her while quickening my pace so I could catch up. She turned around, startled by my sudden appearance but calmed down quickly.

"Oh, Kuro! What's up?" Arashi asked, stopping her commute to talk to me.

"Nothing, really. I guess I'm just tired. I didn't sleep that well last night. I couldn't help worrying about Mei." I replied.

"I get what you mean. I hope she's ok." We continued to talk as we decided to walk the rest of the way to the dining hall together.

Once we arrived and opened the large doors, a very strange sight appeared before us.

There was a crowd of people around the spot where Mei usually sat for breakfast. From what I could tell, everyone was there. Even Kei and Toshiro. They were staring and examining something on her table and Mei stood in the middle of the crowd, eyes wide and afraid.

"Er...what's going on?" I asked, bewildered.

"Mei? What happened?" Arashi said while rushing up to the frightened girl and pushing through the crowd to get to her. By the time she got there, she too widened her eyes.

My curiosity finally peaked as I walked over to the crowd. But when my eyes fell onto what was on Mei's spot, I was shocked.

"What the..."

Her spot on the dining room table had been covered in rude insults, death threats, disrespectful slurs and that was only half of it. The words written were downright disgusting. It surprised me that anyone would even write something like that, especially to someone so caring like Mei.

"O-Oh my god!" I exclaimed. "This is..."

"Terrible, isn't it?" Kei finished my sentence for me.

"This is so insulting. Whoever did this must be a jerk." Reina commented, turning away from the table.

"I know right! Only an idiot would do something this crazy." Mizuki added on.

Mei just stared at the wooden table, absorbing everything written on it. Arashi immediately noticed this.

"Mei!" Arashi rapidly kneeled down to match the shorter girl's height and gripped onto her shoulders. "Don't listen to this bull crap, got it? You deserve to live just as much as the rest of us. Please, just ignore-"

"That's not true..."

"Huh?"

Mei avoided her gaze. "I...I don't deserve to live...You all have tried and fought to survive a-and...I just sat back since I was protected. I never tried to help and I just did terrible things...And now if I don't die, you all will be punished..."

"Mei, please-"

"Arashi, I-I..." Mei began tearing up, struggling to speak. "I deserve to...die. I have to d-die!"

"No...just..."

Instead of words, Arashi tried to pull the girl into another protected embrace, but it was cut short and she pushed away, sobbing.

"A-Arashi...I'm so sorry...I-I...I can't be here..."

"Mei, wait!"

Arashi called out to her, but it was too late. Mei was already rolling out the door in her skates, refusing to look back at us, her wails filling the air.