Danganronpa: Painful Truth

Scared

We followed Kaito into an Exisal hanger. Aside from the larger size, it matched the one from the killing game. He brought us to the back wall before leaving the Exisal. He opened a door that was designed to look like Monokuma and stepped inside. Maki and I shared an uneasy glance, but we followed him.

The room was barely large enough to accommodate the five of us. Kokichi was working furiously at an enormous control panel that took up an entire wall. The monitor directly in front of him seemed to be combing through the long hallways of the facility. Another nearby monitor showed a low quality image of several unconscious people in an office room. Even through the static and distortion, I could make out Tenko, Gonta, and Miu. The others didn't seem familiar, but they appeared to be wearing the same dark clothes as Kokichi.

Himiko ran to the screen with wide eyes. "There's Tenko!"

Seemingly oblivious to the grim display, Kaito clapped him on the shoulder. "Alright! The gang's all here! Let's get this plan rollin'!"

Kokichi ignored him. He glanced up at us and gave us one of his usual irreverent smiles. It could have been my imagination, but the expression seemed somewhat...strained.

"Finally!" he cackled theatrically. "I was wondering when my newest victims would show up!"

Himiko blanched. "V-victims?" she cried. Maki scowled suspiciously.

Kaito, however, simply laughed. "Man. I still got no idea how you ever managed to make any friends."

"That's because evil supreme leaders don't have friends, you idiot," he replied boredly. "All I have are henchmen who work for me and carry out my orders with unwavering loyalty." He pointed irritably at the unconscious group on the screen. "Something they can't do while they're locked up, so I'm stuck with you jerks as a substitute for now." He grinned brightly. "Soooo you better not disappoint me, or it'll be the last mistake you ever make! Nee-hee-hee!"

Kaito laughed at him again. "Don't worry guys, he's just screwin' around because he's scared."

Kokichi shivered, his eyes suddenly wide. "You're right Kaito! I'm just so terrified of how you and Shuichi are gonna ruin my plan this time!" he sobbed dramatically.

"Nice try," Kaito scoffed. "Nah, he's just scared to face his own truth."

"Scared...to face the truth?" I repeated slowly. It was such a simple and relatable explanation.

Kaito seemed to notice it too. He eyed me meaningfully before continuing. "I may not know for sure, but that ain't too crazy to imagine, right? I think what he really means is that he's worried about his friends and he needs our help to save 'em!"

"Aww, he's like a one-man after-school special!" Kokichi giggled. "Nee-hee-hee! Too bad he has no idea what he's talking about!"

"Nyeh, see? There's no way!" Himiko piped up, pointing an accusing finger at Kokichi. "I bet you just took advantage of Kaito's stupid and trusting nature to lure us into a trap, just like last time! And just like you did with Gonta too!"

"Hey! I'm not stupid!" Kaito protested. "If I turn out to be wrong for believing in Kokichi, then you can blame me all you want. But that still doesn't make me stupid!"

"It doesn't make you smart, either," Maki grumbled.

While the others argued, I watched Kokichi furtively, gauging his reactions. After reuniting with Kaito, I could feel a renewed surge of confidence. Although it hadn't been shown directly, the video of my memories had reminded me of a tactic my uncle had explained to me after a particularly difficult case. The memory had likely been intentionally suppressed during the killing game, since it didn't fit with their planned 'Weakest Ultimate Detective' narrative.