It had already been dark outside when they returned from the trial with now yet another person missing, an empty space left behind in Jihun's place. Most people scattered immediately, the majority of which returned back to their dorm rooms.
Juro sits on the edge of the fountain that also serves as the elevator to the dreaded trial grounds. He isn't sure why he's here, in a place which such dark memories attached to it. Perhaps that's the very reason he was drawn to it when he woke up from that awful nightmare, so he could mourn the many losses they have suffered in a place that still harbours the darkness. It's maybe the closest he might get to saying goodbye.
He didn't bother checking on Kenji's body to say goodbye. He knows it's already gone.
According to Monokuma, Min Jee was gone from the grounds now, but Juro couldn't shake off the unease and paranoia that still sends a shiver down his spine and makes his hands tremble. How long until Monokuma will emotionally manipulate them once more to commit one of the most horrid crimes that one person can inflict upon another? How long until they lose yet another friend? Until yet another gaping hole appears in their midst?
Juro wipes some of the graphite from the paper, before a droplet of water falls onto it, blurring a part of his work a little. He lifts a hand, it's a little unsteady, and touches his damp cheeks.
"Huh..." Juro mutters.
He closes his sketchbook and tilts his head back, looking up at the night sky. It's a clear night and although the moon still shines brightly, it doesn't outshine the stars, little specks of light against a deep, dark blue. It's peaceful... but at the same time it's not. Everything just feels so wrong.
How can the world be so peaceful when everyone here feels nothing but dark clouds looming over them?
It just feels like a storm is coming and there's nothing they can do to stop it.
"Sasaki-kun..."
At the mention of his name, Juro snaps his head to the side, his entire body going rigid, but there's only Daichi "Takita-kun..."
The school idol smiles, but for the first time since their arrival here it just looks tired. Daichi had been one of the few people who always seemed to stay calm and very put together.
Now he just looks hollow, like a shell of his former self.
"I take it you couldn't sleep either." Daichi sits down on the edge of the fountain, folding his hands together and looking over at Juro.
The sketch artist bites his lip, contemplating for a moment if he should just hide it again, bury everything he's feeling right now just so he can carry on for another day. But he eventually gives up, nodding "Yeah..."
The burden is too heavy to bear.
Daichi smiles a little as he gives a slow nod of his head "Me too..."
Silence washes over them, and this time Juro welcomes it. A cold breeze reminds him of the tears still staining his cheeks, so he slowly wipes them away. As he looks down at his damp fingertips, yet another droplet runs down his cheek.
"You know..." Daichi begins, exhaling a little. It's a shaky breath, and he folds his trembling hands together tighter "it's alright to feel upset right now, to be frustrated." He looks at Juro, keeping a smile on his face, but his eyes shimmer a little too much in the moonlight "Jihun seemed to have been very fond of you, so I can only imagine how terrible the pain and loss must feel right now. Especially since..." He draws another shaky breath "Since he sought you out for comfort... in his final moments. It's a heavy responsibility."
YOU ARE READING
Cabin Fever
FanfictionHe was on his way to Hope's Peak Academy, but he woke up in an abandoned cabin near a lake in the woods. How could the life of Juro Sasaki take such a drastic turn? Well, that's what he and his fifteen classmates would like to know too. But finding...
