Danganronpa: Painful Truth

Initiation

Shigeri stepped carefully across the uneven foliage of the forest floor, pushing branches out of their way. It was hard to see in the darkness, so they stumbled more than once, but it was worth it. It was all part of the setup.

They smirked at the sound of Kaito running into another branch they had carelessly released behind them. "Ow! I told you to warn me before ya do that!"

"Whoops," they yawned. "Just a little further, don't worry."

"Man, do we really gotta come all the way out here for this plan?" Kaito complained, nearly tripping on an unseen rock.

"Yeah dude, we come out here all the time," they assured him. "C'mon, you said you wanted to get to know your new sidekick better, right?"

"Of course!" Kaito insisted. "I just figured, if you guys come here all the time, shouldn't there be an easier way to get there?"

Shigeri looked back with a subtly menacing smirk. It was nothing compared to the startling expressions Kokichi could manage, but it suited their needs. "What's wrong, Astro Boy? Thought you'd be more of a trailblazer." He was right, of course; there was a far less treacherous path through the forest that would bring them to their destination, but an easy, casual trip didn't factor into the plan. "Ain't no shortcuts in space, right?"

As expected, the words silenced Kaito at least until the broken, rusted iron gate of the old graveyard loomed ahead in the full moonlight.

Kaito gasped audibly. "D-dude, what the h-hell? Th-there's no w-way I'm goin' in there at n-night! How s-stupid do you think I am?"

"Huh?" Shigeri turned around with an expression of innocent confusion. "What's up? Why do you sound like Yoshi all of a sudden?" They looked back at the eerie yet peaceful area with a small smile of appreciation. "And what's wrong with it bein' nighttime? It's way nicer out here when it's all dark and quiet."

"Well, I mean..." Kaito struggled for an excuse. "It could be dangerous, y'know? Could be wild animals, or ya might...trip on a gravestone or...somethin'."

"Huh, weird, that don't sound like a guy with the balls to bullshit his way into space." Even though they already knew his secret, they narrowed their eyes suspiciously. "Are you...nah, there's no way." They shook their head. "No way the 'luminary of the stars' or whatever is scared'a ghosts. Ghosts ain't even real."

"Psh, yeah, don't be stupid!" Kaito scoffed, just a bit too loudly. "Just bein' cautious, y'know? Safety is top priority for an astronaut!"

"Ah, yeah, that makes total sense," Shigeri nodded, playing along. "Well, we'll be careful. It ain't as hard to walk around in there as ya might think. Let's go, he's probably already waitin' for us."

They followed a cracked and broken stone path to a large old tree that sat at the heart of the cemetery. An ornate bench stood elegantly below it, the worn appearance adding to the melancholy aesthetic.

Shigeri plopped down comfortably on one side of the bench and watched Kaito with a smirk. The astronaut was sweating visibly even in the dim light, glancing around at every small noise and movement. They almost couldn't blame him; the typically quiet graveyard was unusually active with strange sounds. If they didn't know better, they'd be uneasy too.

A sudden gust of wind blew, rustling the trees. Just beneath the rustling, a high-pitched, singsong voice could be faintly heard in the distance, like a child reciting a nursery rhyme.

Kaito yelped and crouched behind the bench. "Y-you heard that, right?"

"Yeah, it's called the fuckin' wind." Shigeri rolled their eyes. "You sure you ain't scared? You can just admit it, I'm gonna laugh at you either way."