Danganronpa Zero

Chapter Fifteen

- What was that noise?

Kyouko Kirigiri instinctively stopped moving. She thought she'd heard a sound like a bell clanging, but when she listened attentively the corridor was as still and silent as ever.

- Did I imagine it?

Usually, she would have stopped and investigated until she could tell for sure, but right now she had something far more important to do. And so, she took off quickly toward her destination.

Kyouko walked briskly down a corridor of Hope's Peak Academy's staff building, a place students are normally forbidden to enter. The sound of her footsteps echoed coldly through the dim corridor. There was no sign of people in the staff building this late at night - she hadn't passed anyone on the way here, and she most likely wouldn't pass anyone going forward.

She reached her destination in no time at all.

A plaque reading "Headmaster's Office" adorned the door in front of her eyes. Kyouko glared at it for a moment, and

then pushed the door open without knocking.

"You're already here. That was fast," said Jin Kirigiri, who was sitting at a desk deep inside the office. He was smiling.

Kyouko surveyed the room quickly, as was her habit when entering an unfamiliar place. Her first and only impression was "it's dirty." Cardboard boxes and documents were piled everywhere without rhyme or reason.

"...I've been too busy since we moved here, so I haven't had time to put things in order," said Kirigiri, having noticed where Kyouko was looking. Nevertheless, Kyouko's reply was surly and indifferent. She moved straight on to the subject at hand, indicating no interest in small talk.

"I just came from meeting a member of the steering committee, but someone got in our way." Kirigiri was about to say something in surprise, but Kyouko quickly continued as if to say it was not yet time for such a reaction. "He was killed. In front of my eyes."

"...K...Killed?"

"But, his body disappeared soon after that..."

"...Disappeared?" Despite only managing to repeat her words, Kirigiri's face grew deeply concerned. Nevertheless, Kyouko didn't seem to take notice, and continued speaking in the same indifferent tone.

"But, don't you think that's strange? They killed him as if trying to show off in front of me, and then they took the body away, like they wanted to hide it... If they wanted to show off, what purpose does hiding the body serve? I have a bad feeling about this." Kyouko seemed to be getting more and more passionate as she went on, and spoke faster and faster. "Furthermore, didn't another committee member go missing yesterday? He may also be in danger. We should find a way to contact and warn him. No, not just him - the whole committee is also -"

"W...Wait a moment!" Kirigiri couldn't take it anymore, and rose up from his chair. "A...Are you sure he was dead...?"

Kyouko said nothing, but her grim face was all the answer he needed. Kirigiri felt an intense feeling of exhaustion taking over his body and sank back into his chair. "Why would... such a thing...?" He heard Kyouko letting out a long, slow sigh in response to his question.

"...I'm not sure about the hiding, but I have a guess as to why he was killed."

"Y...You do?" Kirigiri slapped his hands on the desk, and looked energized again. "Tell me. Why?"

Watching him, Kyouko felt a sense of disappointment washing over her. Her emotion was reflected in her eyes, which seemed to be asking why he couldn't even figure that out on his own. Worse, he didn't even notice that.