Layers (Danganronpa x OC) ~Being Rewritten~

Ch. 14: A Different Type of Death

"So uh, are you still angry?" I ask. Kyoko says nothing. "I'll take that as a yes. I've earned it." I say. "I'm not. That thing you were keeping from me. It was the truth about Sakura, wasn't it? You didn't want to drop that bombshell on us without proof. So you waited. I see your logic but your discretion is insulting. Doesn't this prove that you still don't trust me?" Kyoko asks. "I guess it does. Sorry." I say.

"No need. Water under the bridge at this point. Besides, there's a chance I might of overreacted a bit. But enough about that. Our digital friend would like to have a word with us." Kyoko says. When we head towards the bathhouse I can hear arguing coming from somewhere on the floor. It's pretty loud. I wonder who it is. I bet it's about Sakura. Hopefully it doesn't escalate like this morning.

When I go inside the bathhouse Kyoko already has Alter ego out of the locker. "You came to visit me! Great!" Alter ego says. "I can't imagine he'd call for us unless it was something big." I say. Why did you call us here? Kyoko types. "Well, I would like you to take me to somewhere where I can access the school's network." Alter ego requests. Why? Kyoko types. "Well...I don't want anyone else to die, so I'm going to help you guys get out of here! But I can't do anything on this puny hard drive. Without network access I can't help you at all." Alter ego says.

"Hm. Seems risky." I say. "I am aware of the dangers. But I want to do my part. I'll be okay. Whenever I think about how brave you guys are, it makes me feel brave too. I guess that's a silly thing for an A.I. to say but I really do mean it. It's all because of you." Alter ego says. "So be it. Let's get him hooked up to the school network." Kyoko says. "But what if he-" I ask. "I want to honor the choice he's made." Kyoko says. "Yeah. You're right." I say.

"If we play this smart and get lucky, maybe our foe won't even notice him. The chamber beyond the bathroom has no cameras. I also remember there being a network access port there. However, we don't know how closely they're watching the system. We've got to be careful. But it's still a gamble worth taking." Kyoko says. "I agree. I would like to be the one who takes him to the room if that's okay" I say. Kyoko nods.

I try to carry Alter ego to the second floors guy's bathroom as secretly as possible. When I get there I hook him up with some cables I found in a desk drawer. Are you connected? I type. "Yep. Everything is good. You can leave the rest to me. I'm sure I'll turn up some useful clues. Just cross your fingers and hang tight." Alter ego says. Good luck. I don't want anything to happen to you. You're a good friend. I write. "You think of me as a friend?! Yay!" Alter ego says.

I leave the bathrooms and head back downstairs. It's quiet. Well, it is nighttime. They're probably all sleeping. Everyone's handling the Sakura thing differently. Some, better than others. All I can do is believe in them and hope everything turns out.

There's no one in the dining hall the next morning. Has this really split us that much? I guess I should look around. Make sure everyone is alright. I start my search on my first floor but don't run into anyone. Well, there's three other floors. Maybe they're there. "Makoto!" Someone calls. I turn. It's Kyoko. She has a worried expression on her face. "What is it?" I ask, nervousness rising. "Just come." Kyoko says. I follow her to the rec room on the third floor. Ishani and Hina are standing outside the door. "Did something happen?" I ask. "It's...Sakura." Hina says.

"The damn door won't budge no matter how hard I try to open it." Ishani says. I look through the small window. Sakura is sitting in a chair. She doesn't move. Uh oh. That's definitely not good. I try the handle. Just like Ishani said, it doesn't budge. "Sakura! Open the door!" I yell. "I tried that. Why doesn't she listen?" Hina asks. "Either the door has been locked from the inside or there is something blocking it." Kyoko says. "We have to do something!" Hina says. "Stand back." Ishani says.