Living Yet Again: a New Danganronpa V3 Post Game AU

P̸e̷a̶c̶e̵ ̸W̷i̸t̸h̶i̸n̷ ̸D̴e̴s̷p̶a̸i̷r̷?̷

The best, the elite, the most prestigious school of the country is right in front of Maki. Standing still outside the school gate, like a bug standing in front of a bear. The bell rang, the gate opened wide as the students of Hope's Peak Academy flooded the school gate, heading towards their dorms. Maki took a deep breath before walking inside, among the sea of ​​people, she was invisible to the school guard. She quickly took a sharp turn to hide behind some trees the school has planted.

She looked around, no surveillance cameras, no guards. She sighed in relief, now, all she has to do is find Nagisa. Or no?

.
Earlier that day, Maki saw Nagisa when they ate breakfast. He was nicely dressed and it looks like he was ready to go somewhere.
"Where are you going?" Maki asked directly after she entered the room.

"Picking up a friend of mine,"
"Ooh I see. I thought you're going back to Towa City," Maki then took a seat.
"Maybe, in a few weeks. My schedule is pretty loose these days," Nagisa replied.

They then ate breakfast like usual. Maki and the other kids were going to school, and Nagisa was heading to the station. Before Maki reached the school, she turn back and goes towards Hope's Peak. Upon arriving there, the guards were keeping the gate closed. Weird, it was still early in the morning. The students arrived one by one, they came inside the school ground after the guards check their uniform and fill in their attendance. Maki goes back to her school, and planned to sneak inside after school.
.

And, here she is.

Maki took a quick glance at the building. She was amazed and horrified by it. She couldn't believe a mutual killings happened here, she can't believe that the ultimate despair was a student in this elite school. There's a lot of dark secret hidden behind this school, she thought. And that's why she's here. To search for the truth and possibly get her missing memories back.

Maki tied up her hair to a bun and brush off some dust on the jacket she was wearing to hide her uniform. She cautiously walks around the school perimeter until she sees another entrance, it was a window to a classroom, "weird, they didn't clean their class and close the window?" Maki make sure nobody could see her before she jumps in and took off her shoes.

"Wow, the school's neat," she commented as she walked out of the classroom. The coast is clear, but Maki had just realized that there's a few surveillance cameras. She froze, this is it, she'll get caught... But... Now that she examine it a little, the cameras are actually off.

"What's the point having surveillance cameras then?" She sighed and continues to walk around, at least she knew she won't get caught for now. Maki roams around the first floor which didn't have anybody around. Maki looked at the cafeteria, some classroom, a gymnasium, a trash room, and a storage room. Nothing really catches her eyes.

She then proceed to walks upstairs, but as she reaches the stairs, some voices could be heard.

"Oh, You haven't found your camera rolls?" A high pitched yet cutesy, childish voice ask. Maki panicked and runs to the nearest classroom.
"Yeah... We've been searching for hours after my class dismissed and we can't find it!" Another voice replied. Maki shut her mouth with both her hands, she's panting and her heart raced. The voice continue to get closer to the classroom Maki is in,

"Is it full of *his* pictures? skskks," the childish voice giggled.
"C'mon Hiyoko! Well- well yeah I have his pictures..." The other voice sounds like they're avoiding the topic.
"Ahah, well, let's check the first floor one more time, kay Mahiru?" The voice is extremely close to the classroom Maki is in. She gulped as the door slowly opens.

‹-----›

"What do you want?" Shuichi glared at Tsumugi. His mood went straight down after seeing her face.

"...I just-"

"Want to talk? Tch, no thanks," Shuichi walked past Tsumugi.

"Hey wait!" Tsumugi grab his wrist, "this isn't like you, Saihara. I thought you're the one who will understand! I really thought you're ready to know the truth!"

"Know the truth?" Shuichi turns around, facing Tsumugi. "What? The fact that *you* were supposed to be dead? The fact that You, and your 'team' used our body in the 'ultimate real fiction'? The fact that You're the mastermind who forced us to kill each other?"

"...No... They're not dead!" Tsumugi yelled. "If I'm alive... Perhaps, our friends-"

"How can you be so sure huh!? Shirogane, let me go!" Shuichi frees his hand before sprinting towards his house. Tsumugi reflexively chase him. The surrounding are not exactly quiet, so this is a good situation for Shuichi. Tsumugi on the other hand, struggle to get Shuichi to her eyesight. She screamed his name repeatedly, yet he refused to slow down.

"Saihara!" Tsumugi finally reaches Shuichi and grab his wrist and tighten it before he could run away.

"I have no time for this, Shirogane,"

"At least listen to me!" She yelled. "Our friends are still alive! I'm sure of that!"

"Where's your evidence!?" His eyes widened, "there's no prove that they're still alive, why can't you let me live in peace, forget everything that happened when we got kidnapped! I..." Shuichi once again released his hand from Tsumugi's grip. But now he didn't run away. Tsumugi could feel something wrong from her friend.

"Saihara... How could you fall into despair? H... When did this happen..."

"I'd rather live like this. Seeing you makes me remember the killing game. Heck, why must you came to me?" He laughed. "Ah yeah, you're just filled with your selfishness. You want to meet me and get me to fall into despair again don't you? Ahahah..."

Tsumugi flinched, "Saihara stop..."

"Y... How many despair did we get, how many despair did I get? After the closest people to me in the killing game died.. after you told us that we're just a worthless, fictional... characters..."

"SHUICHI LISTEN!" Tsumugi cried. Snapping Shuichi back to reality. "You're not like this! You were supposed to be filled with hope... Even if you rejected the audience hope and despair, you've created your own hope, you've created your future. Even if you died with me in the end you never give up... You're strong, Saihara..."

"..." Shuichi sighed. "Says the one who told me that I'm a weak detective."

"Ah- i... I'm sorry... But you must believe me, Saihara, you know we've been together even if it's in the killing game. You must've remembered her wish right? Her last... Wish. And our promise... You know it, right?"

"I don't want to know, Shirogane..." Shuichi look away. "Knowing they died in such a horrible way, that's enough, I don't want to remember anything, I don't want to know the truth,"

"But the truth is, you won! Saihara You won, you've made friend with everyone, and perhaps everyone is still here doing alright, so-"

"SHIROGANE STOP!" Shuichi cried. "There's no point Tsumugi Shirogane. ⌖They're dead, nothing prove it otherwise⌖

"N..." Tsumugi clenched her fist before she shouted.

"NO THAT'S WRONG!"