Most people keep to themselves until darkness has fallen and the nighttime announcement eventually plays. Juro has trouble sleeping that night, the deaths and executions plaguing his dreams like they're being played on a broken record. It still haunts him, having seen so much brutality, so much struggling. Although he's doing okay most of the time, night has become something he dreads, because then there's nothing to distract him from the memories that normally lurk in the corners of his mind, waiting for their time to strike again when darkness falls.
So the next morning, Juro arrives relatively late, with only Kaori and Mai arriving after him. Minoru is present this time as well, mostly keeping to himself as he sits in the corner, the bags under his eyes matching Hachiro's permanent ones. Both seats next to him are empty. It seems no one has dared to reach out yet.
The ghost hunter glances up briefly, eyes meeting Juro's for a moment, and he gives a faint smile. It doesn't reach his tired eyes. It just serves as a polite silent greeting, which the sketch artist returns before sitting down next to Chinami, who was mostly keeping to herself well.
She flinches a little, head shooting up, before seeing it's him and relaxing a bit again "Ah, you scared me, Sasaki-kun. G-good morning."
"Good morning, Shikata-san." Juro greets, propping up his arm to rest his chin on his hand "Did you sleep okay?"
The figure skater shrugs "What was expected, I g-guess." She looks down at the table for a moment, before lifting her eyes again "I th-thought about what you said and I... I want to t-try... to live for my friends." She fidgets with her fingers "I'm not sure how yet, b-but I'll figure it out, hopefully."
Juro smiles lightly, nodding "That's good. And it's fine if it takes a while to figure out. I don't know everything yet either. You want to do your best, that's what matters."
Chinami nods "Yeah. It's p-progress."
She smiles a bit to herself, and Juro can't help but smile himself. He's glad that at least she seems to be coping with the loss of her friends, one dying shortly after the other.
He just hopes Minoru can find a way to cope too.
Ryoko sits down across from them, which is probably because Kaori isn't here yet, and signs *I'm guessing today we'll get access to another section of this place again, huh?*
Juro gives a translation for Chinami, before signing a response while he talks "Probably. That seems to be a pattern. The day after the trail, Monokuma gives us a new area to explore."
Ryoko nods, turning away from them again to look out the window. Not much else is said, as it seems everyone is still occupied with their own thoughts.
Kaori and Mai eventually arrive as well, and not very long after, the person they have been expecting shows up.
Monokuma.
"Gooood morning, everyone!" He cheers, popping up out of thin air.
No response.
"Sheesh, you guys sure are a bunch of debbie downers, aren't ya?" Monokuma tilts his head "Upupupu, could it be... the despair is becoming too much for you?"
"We're just tired, get to the point." Minoru snaps.
"That was... surprising." Hikaru mutters to himself.
"Upupupu, if you're that excited, I won't leave you hanging for much longer!" Monokuma snickers "As a reward for surviving yet another trial, I've opened up another area for you to explore... and perhaps use for newer, creative murder plans."
'Of course...' Juro takes a breath, placing a hand on Chinami's shoulder when she tenses up.
She glances up at him, giving her best attempt at a grateful smile, before focusing back on Monokuma.
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...
